The US military is testing a new weapon in preparation for ‘space-based’ attacks on the US – as Russia and China lead the Star Wars nuclear arms race

The US Space Force conducted the first test of a ground-based warfare system to protect forces against attacks possible from space – as Russia and China look to deploy nuclear weapons in space.

The device, which looks like a satellite dish, is designed to disrupt satellite communications in orbit overloading the airwaves with competing signals.

The device is known as the Remote Modular Terminal (RMT) and is touted as cheap and remote-controllable, “keeping Guardians out of harm’s way.”

Space Force announced the test this week, noting that it marks the first time the system has been deployed in two geographically separated locations and controlled from a third, highlighting its operational flexibility.

The weapon is supplied as Russia voted out A United Nations resolution calling on all countries to prevent a dangerous nuclear arms race in space China abstained from voting.

US Space Force Lt. Col. Gerrit Dalman said, “This event demonstrates the service’s new vision for integrated development and operational testing to deliver more relevant capabilities to Guardians more quickly.

“Specifically, this capability will unlock the scale to provide counterspace electronic warfare capabilities to all new Space Force components worldwide.”

If an enemy satellite were to attack U.S. forces or facilities on the ground, one or more RMTs would emit signals in a certain range of the electromagnetic spectrum to confuse and distort the signals sent to or from the satellite.

Simply put, the airwaves would be so full of nonsense that the enemy’s satellites wouldn’t be able to detect any of it.

The end goal is to disable these satellites – whether they carry real weapons or merely provide surveillance data to enable other types of attacks.

There is not much information available about the RMTs, but in a slide From a Space Force presentation to industry figures in October 2023, the military group described the weapon as “small transportable systems that can be deployed in both garrison and austere environments,” meaning the Space Force could deploy them anywhere , regardless of whether there is a place somewhere or not. to connect them.

The device itself looks like a satellite dish with a diameter of about 3 meters.

Space Force received the first four units from the manufacturer in September 2023.

Most recently, STARCOM officials announced that: ‘The recent test marks the first time the system has been deployed in two geographically separate locations and controlled from a third party, highlighting its operational flexibility.’

The test also included a Cyber ​​Vulnerability Penetration Assessment ‘to ensure the remote connections were secure.’

STARCOM’s announcement follows several signals that US military and political rivals are preparing to send military equipment into space.

In February, House Intel Chairman Mike Turner of Ohio said members of Congress had been notified of a “serious threat to national security” but would not elaborate.

It later emerged that it was linked to Moscow’s plan to deploy a nuclear weapon in space to target and destroy satellites on which the world depends.

And in December, China successfully launched a top-secret unmanned spacecraft, one day after a secret U.S. Space Force spacecraft went into orbit.

The American mission was grounded due to technical problems, but China’s mission went off without a hitch.

“It’s probably not a coincidence that they’re trying to match us in terms of timing and sequencing of this,” Gen. Chance Saltzman, the Space Force’s chief of space operations, said at the time.

China used one of its famous Long March 2 rockets to launch the secret spacecraft into orbit, but the public is still without images of this craft, called the Chinese Reusable Experimental Spacecraft, or CSSHQ.

If – or when – Russia puts nuclear weapons into orbit, such a weapon could threaten satellites that enable military and civilian communications for the US and other Western allies.

While nuclear bombs are typically thought of as weapons intended to cause large numbers of casualties and mass destruction of property, the strategy in space appears to be to create an electromagnetic pulse (EMP).

When an atomic bomb goes off, either on land or in space, an EMP is created.

This burst of electromagnetic energy can disable or destroy electronic equipment – including satellites.

If a Russian weapon in orbit were to attack US satellites, it could effectively cripple the US, causing nationwide blackouts and shutting down communications.

Cell phone towers, the Internet, GPS, banking systems, electrical grids, first responders and military operations can all be affected.

In this climate, Space Force leadership has emphasized how important it is for the service to roll out new weapons – both in space and on the ground.

The Space Force attributed the RMT’s rapid development to a partnership with an unnamed “small company,” which began work on the devices just 38 days after the military branch received its proposal.

At the Space Foundation’s annual Space Symposium earlier this month, Saltzman said in a speech that it is critical that the US’s newest military branch work closely with commercial industry.

“The Space Force must leverage the benefits of technological innovation and emerging capabilities if we are to beat our competitors, otherwise Space Force will lose, the Joint Force will lose and the U.S. will lose,” he said.

“Throughout our nation’s history,” Saltzman said, “military success has depended on the support of the commercial industry.”