According to Pentagon spokesperson Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, the United States has evaluated that Russia launched what is most certainly a counterspace weapon last week and it is currently in the same orbit as a US government satellite.
In response to the question of whether the Russian counterspace weapon threatened the American satellite, Ryder said, “Well, it’s a counter space weapon in the same orbit as a U.S. government satellite.”
When questioned about the information by ABC News, Ryder stated, “What I’m tracking here is that on May 16, as you highlighted, Russia launched a satellite into low Earth orbit that we assess is likely a counterspace weapon presumably capable of attacking other satellites in low Earth orbit.” Robert Wood, the deputy US ambassador to the UN, had made the information public earlier on Tuesday.
“Russia deployed this new counter space weapon into the same orbit as a US government satellite. And so assessments further indicate characteristics resembling previously deployed counter space payloads from 2019 and 2022,” he continued.
“Obviously, that’s something that we’ll continue to monitor. Certainly, we would say that we have a responsibility to be ready to protect and defend the space domain and ensure continuous and uninterrupted support to the joint and combined force. And we’ll continue to balance the need to protect our interests in space with our desire to preserve a stable and sustainable space environment,” he added.
Although advanced air and sea notification of space launches is required, Ryder did not address whether the United States was aware that the launch was going to carry a specific kind of counter-space weapon.
