Nukes in space or nothing new? The science behind the intel frenzy over a Russian weapon
Russia is developing a nuclear space-based weapon designed to target American satellites, three sources familiar with the matter told NBC News.
Three sources familiar with the matter told NBC News that Russia is developing a nuclear space-based weapon designed to target American satellites. This weapon is not yet operational, the sources said, but the intelligence was enough to prompt Rep. Mike Turner, R-Ohio, the chair of the House Intelligence Committee, to ask the White House to declassify information about an unnamed “serious national security threat.”
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/russ ... rcna138944
Russia’s Advances on Space-Based Nuclear Weapon Draw U.S. Concerns
The United States has informed Congress and its allies in Europe about Russian advances on a new, space-based nuclear weapon designed to threaten America’s extensive satellite network, according to current and former officials briefed on the matter.
Such a satellite-killing weapon, if deployed, could destroy civilian communications, surveillance from space and military command-and control operations by the United States and its allies. At the moment, the United States does not have the ability to counter such a weapon and defend its satellites, a former official said.
Officials said that the new intelligence, which they did not describe in detail, raised serious questions about whether Russia was preparing to abandon the Outer Space Treaty of 1967, which bans all orbital nuclear weapons. But since Russia does not appear close to deploying the weapon, they said, it is not considered an urgent threat.
The intelligence was made public, in part, in a cryptic announcement on Wednesday by Representative Michael R. Turner, Republican of Ohio and the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. He called on the Biden administration to declassify the information without saying specifically what it was.
ABC News reported earlier that the intelligence had to do with Russian space-based antisatellite nuclear weaponry. Current and former officials said that the launch of the antisatellite did not appear imminent, but that there was a limited window of time, which they did not define, to prevent its deployment.
Concerns about placing nuclear weapons in space go back 50 years. The United States experimented with versions of the technology but never deployed them. Russia has been developing its space-based capabilities for decades.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/14/us/p ... clear.html
Russia is developing a space-based military capability that members of Congress and U.S. officials worry could pose a significant threat to the United States and its allies, possibly by damaging critical intelligence or communications satellites with a nuclear weapon, according to officials familiar with the matter.
The precise nature of the system was unclear. One person referred to it as “a new Russian space threat capability.” Some officials were alarmed after examining classified intelligence on Wednesday and warned of ominous consequences; one member of Congress called it a potential “geo-strategic game changer.” Several lawmakers stressed there was no imminent danger, but they urged the Biden administration to take countermeasures soon.
The Russian government has experimented with the use of nuclear explosions or directed energy to disable satellites, according to one U.S. official, who, like others, spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive information. Experts have raised concerns that a nation could detonate a nuclear weapon in space to interfere with satellites through the emission of radiation.
A day of fevered speculation about what the supposed space-weapon might be was triggered by an unusual and cryptic public statement Wednesday by a leading member of Congress, who urged lawmakers to review classified information about what he called a “serious national security threat.”
Rep. Michael R. Turner (R-Ohio), chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, did not specify the nature of the threat or the country supposedly wielding it.
In a separate letter to fellow House members, Turner and Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut, the committee’s top Democrat, said the committee “has identified an urgent matter with regard to a destabilizing foreign military capability that should be known by all congressional policymakers.”
The lawmakers said the full committee voted on Tuesday to make the intelligence available to all House members for their in-person review in a secure room at the Capitol.
The information was obtained using authorities granted to the intelligence community under Section 702 of a key electronic surveillance law that is being hotly debated in Congress, according to officials with knowledge of the matter.
Turner, a strong proponent of the surveillance authority, appears to want to use the information about the adversary capability to convince skeptical colleagues that 702 is an indispensable intelligence tool, one official said.
Himes cautioned that the information Turner highlighted doesn’t concern a “panic now” issue. “It is a serious national security issue in the medium-to-long term that the Congress and the administration need to focus on,” said Himes. “But no need to buy gold.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) also urged caution. “I want to assure the American people there is no need for public alarm. We are going to work together to address this matter, as we do all sensitive matters that are classified,” he told reporters.
One Capitol Hill aide expressed annoyance at Turner for alerting the public about the information ahead of a planned briefing for top House lawmakers in the “Gang of Eight,” who are traditionally privy to some of the most sensitive intelligence information.
Lawmakers in the House and Senate have been in possession of the raw intelligence concerning the foreign capability for several weeks and were preparing to learn how the administration might respond, this aide said. Turner’s disclosure could make that response more difficult if it revealed information about how the intelligence was obtained in the first place, the aide said.
Turner, in his initial statement, called on the Biden administration to declassify all information about the threat.
President Biden was made aware of the threat earlier and directed national security adviser Jake Sullivan to offer a briefing to senior lawmakers last week. “It is highly unusual, in fact, for the national security adviser to do that,” Sullivan told reporters at the White House. He questioned why Turner chose to make the matter public, considering that Sullivan plans to meet with members on the Hill on Thursday, along with intelligence and defense personnel.
That meeting, he said, “has been on the books” for Thursday. “So I am a bit surprised that Congressman Turner came out publicly today in advance of the meeting … for me to go sit with him alongside our intelligence and defense professionals tomorrow. That’s his choice to do that,” Sullivan said.
Asked if the meeting he requested was to discuss the same “serious national security threat” that Turner referred to in his statement, Sullivan demurred. “I’ll leave it to you to draw whatever connections you want,” he said. “I’m not in position to say anything further from this podium at this time.”
Sullivan added that the Biden administration “has gone further, and in more creative, more strategic ways,” to declassify intelligence “in the national interest of the United States than any administration in history.” But “at the same time, we, of course, have to continue to prioritize and focus very much on the issue of sources and methods.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national ... ke-turner/
Intergalactic Russian nuclear weapons pose huge threat for US
https://abcnews.go.com/International/vi ... -107239506
Press Briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan
Q Thanks, Jake. Shortly before you came out, Congressman Mike Turner issued a statement saying that President Biden should declassify intelligence related to a, quote, “serious national security threat.” What can you say about the threat and what the administration plans to do?
MR. SULLIVAN: So, first, I reached out earlier this week to the Gang of Eight to offer myself for a — up for a personal briefing to the Gang of Eight. And, in fact, we scheduled a briefing for the four House members of the Gang of Eight tomorrow. That’s been on the books.
So, I am a bit surprised that Congressman Turner came out publicly today in advance of a meeting on the books for me to go sit with him alongside our intelligence and defense professionals tomorrow. That’s his choice to do that.
All I can tell you is that I’m focused on going to see him, sit with him, as well as the other House members of the Gang of Eight tomorrow.
And I’m not in a position to say anything further from this podium at this time, other than to make the broad point that this administration has gone further and, in more creative, more strategic ways, dealt with the declass- — declassification of intelligence in the national interest of the United States than any administration in history.
So, you definitely are not going to find an unwillingness to do that when it’s in our national security interest to do so. At the same time, we, of course, have to continue to prioritize and focus very much on the issue of sources and methods. We’ll do that. Ultimately, these are decisions for the President to make.
But in the meantime, the most important thing is we have the opportunity to sit in a classified setting and have the kind of conversation with the House Intelligence leadership that I, in fact, had scheduled before Congressman Turner went out today.
Q But — but just to be clear, Turner calls this an “urgent matter with regard to a destabilizing foreign military capability.” Are you aware that there is an emerging serious threat here that he’s referring to?
MR. SULLIVAN: Again, I’ll just say that I personally reached out to the Gang of Eight. It is highly unusual, in fact, for the National Security Advisor to do that. I did that to set up a meeting. The Senate is not here. The four House members have agreed to that meeting. This was well before Congressman Turner came out today. We’ll have that conversation tomorrow. I’m not going to say anything further today.
Q But do you believe that was — that this is about the same thing? When you set up that meeting to reach out to them, were you intending to discuss this matter?
MR. SULLIVAN: Well, I — again, I’ll — I’ll leave it to you to draw whatever connections you want. All I can say is I’ve reached out to see Turner. Turner has gone out publicly. I’m going to go see Turner tomorrow. That’s where I want to leave things for today.
Q Jake, I want to ask you about Israel in a second. But just a quick follow-up just to put this to rest. Obviously, the House Intelligence Chair is speaking out about an imminent or — he doesn’t say “imminent” — serious national security threat. The lack of your ability to say anything has the potential to raise distress for some Americans.
In the simplest of terms, can you tell Americans that there’s nothing they have to worry about right now in terms of what he describes as a national security threat?
MR. SULLIVAN: Look, I think in a way that question is impossible to answer with a straight “yes” — right? — because Americans understand that there are a range of threats and challenges in the world that we’re dealing with every single day. And those threats and challenges range from terrorism to state actors. And we have to contend with them. And we have to contend with them in a way where we ensure the ultimate security of the American people.
I am confident that President Biden, in the decisions that he is taking, is going to ensure the security of the American people going forward, and I will stand here at this podium and assert that, look you in the eye with confidence that we believe that we can and will and are protecting the national security of the United States and the American people.
Q And just real quick. We asked Jake about this earlier.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.
Q It seems to have really kicked up a hornet’s nest. If there’s anything more to know later about this alleged serious national security threat, I think we would all just love to be, you know, briefed or informed in whatever way you guys can.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I —
Q If the timetable on his meeting, for example, moves up to today or something.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I understand.
Q (Inaudible.)
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: And Jake did say, at this time, he’s not in a position to speak about this. I’m going to leave that to our National Security Advisor. Obviously, it is in his lane — very much in his lane, but I will make sure that I pass that along.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-roo ... llivan-11/
