Countries with space weapons. Space Command and While some countries, particularly ones with an authoritarian leaning, would like to place weapons in space as a kind of orbital saber-rattling, the While many of Earth’s people are aware of high-profile space programs such as the United States’ NASA, Russia’s ROSCOSMOS, China’s CNSA, and the The satellite was deployed as the US alleges Russia to be developing a space-based nuclear weapon capable of destroying entire Anti-satellite weapons, or ASATs, are a growing topic of international concern in the 21st century. Space and Missile Systems Center image. S. The United Many countries have established or are planning to create an independent national space force in an attempt to maintain their military superiority and dominance in outer space or Washington and Tokyo sponsor a UNSC resolution calling on countries not to deploy or develop nuclear weapons in space. Explore global advancements in directed-energy systems and military deployments. As technological advancements lower the barriers to space access, the militarisation of space has become an undeniable reality, with As CSO, Saltzman is responsible for recruiting, training, and equipping Guardians to be effective space warfare operators. The advancement of space-based weapons systems has sparked international debates about sovereignty, ethics, and the future of conflict. The Artemis Alliance should not, of course, replace the Outer Space Treaty. accused Russia of developing an anti-satellite (ASAT) weapon with a nuclear payload for low-Earth orbit, drawing attention amid escalating U. So, what exactly is going on above the The creative conquest of space will serve as a wonderful substitute for war. Gen. The scope of space warfare includes ground-to-space warfare, such as One of DARPA’s concerns is that Russia has allegedly developed a nuclear space-based, anti-satellite weapon that may be capable of blinding U. Major powers, such as the US, China, and If the weaponization of space is indeed inevitable, then perhaps the most prudent step is to attempt to prevent what has already transpired by Protecting Space Assets: Countries are weaponizing their space to safeguard their satellites in space against other countries’ Anti-Satellite (ASAT) missiles or space-based The escalation of space militarization in recent years calls for a closer examination of global security measures. accusation, which Russia denies, raises questions about how a satellite might be used as a weapon in low Earth orbit and how close What more can the United States do to stop Russia from pursuing space weapons that could indiscriminately affect hundreds, if not thousands, of satellites? It should find ways Related: The most dangerous space weapons ever According to Maj. So, what exactly is going on above the There exist international treaties, which are in place to attempt to regulate conflicts in space and limit the installation of space weapon systems, Each report in this series catalogs yearly trends, uses, and advancements of counterspace weapons and enablers to provide policymakers and the public with accessible There are 9 countries armed with nuclear warheads. The Outer Space Treaty represents the basic legal framework of international space law. Several orbital weaponry See more While there are many other ways to categorize and subdivide the broad range of possible space weapons, the six resulting categories in this framework prove useful for highlighting differences Home / Space Technology, Defense & Exploration / Countries Advancing Space Weapons for Space Warfare: The Emergence of a New Difficult to define, ASATs occupy a gray zone in international arms control. 3 States are rigorously following this path, and the time is near when major In February 2024, the U. The increasing reliance on satellites for The United Nations Security Council has voted against a resolution introduced by Russia and China that would ban member states It examines how existing international agreements define and limit space weapons and weapons-related activities, proposed international A handful of countries are not only building space surveillance networks and deploying military satellites, but also preparing for possible battles by developing and testing Introduction In the ever-evolving landscape of modern warfare, the significance of space in military operations has reached unprecedented However, he suggests that states from space militarization follow a path to space weaponization. N. The report comes at a time when a number of countries, including Japan, France, South Korea and the United States, are expanding or standing Satellites are under threat like never before and more countries are preparing for wars in space. Which countries have military capabilities in space? The United States, Russia, China, and India are among the countries with military presence in space. It does not take more than a tiny rock (or a random piece of space debris) to destroy Five years later, countries concerned about the heating space race and nuclear standoffs banned the stationing of weapons of mass Directed-energy weapon Police car equipped with an LRAD -500X sonic weapon (Warsaw, Poland, 2011) A directed-energy weapon (DEW) is a ranged WASHINGTON — As modern warfare becomes increasingly reliant on space-based networks, Russia and China are stepping up efforts to counter the dominance of commercial The treaty forbids countries from deploying "nuclear weapons or any other kinds of weapons of mass destruction" in outer space. military officials are sounding alarms over growing threats in space as Russia and China rapidly develop space weapons systems. Discover which countries have operational laser weapons. —James Smith McDonnell It is a widely known fact that the domain of If a conflict breaks out between countries with weapons in orbit, it could threaten space access for everyone. “Nobody wants a war in space. Secure World Foundation's 2025 Global Counterspace Capabilities Report warns of rising global investment in space weapons. On one level, they are exactly what the term suggests: weapons designed to destroy or limit satellites for military purposes, such as undermining the command and control centers of an adversary’s military. These findings come from two annual reports published by The 2024 Space Threat Assessment covers the growing counterspace capabilities of China, Russia, India, Iran, North Korea, and others. Orbital weaponry Orbital weaponry is any weapon that is in orbit around a large body such as a planet or moon. Space weapons present a complex challenge for international security. Below is a list of states with nuclear weapons, categorized according to states that are known to currently possess nuclear weapons, those believed to There are five international treaties underpinning space law, overseen by the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer A new report classifies the types of space weapons that could threaten satellites and other on-orbit assets. in space weaponry, new report finds Russia has ramped up its space warfare capabilities over the last decade Given advances in the space weapon capabilities of China and Russia, and the United States Space Force’s priority to project military power in, from, and to space, the United The future of anti-satellite weapons in space exploration is uncertain, as countries continue to develop and test new ASAT capabilities. As of December 2022, there are no known operative orbital weapons systems, but several nations have deployed orbital surveillance networks to observe other nations or armed forces. The term "weapons of mass destruction" is not defined, but A nuclear weapon in space would also violate the UN’s 1967 Outer Space Treaty through which nations are barred from placing “in orbit around the Earth any objects carrying Everyone wants a Space Force — but why?. [5] The United States Rumors of a Russian space nuke, along with other satellite-targeting weapons, have made geopolitical tensions extend into orbit. Space weaponization is not a new phenomenon. Members Begin Wide-Ranging Discussion on Conventional Weapons, Hearing from Major Groups of States Positions hardened over two competing approaches to As Russia deploys fighter jets to obliterate SpaceX Starlink stations across Ukraine, it's also developing weaponry that could be used in Space-to-space systems are satellites or other assets that are placed into orbit and attack or disrupt other satellites through direct kinetic impact or the use of directed energy or high Exploration advocates want to put the brakes on a developing orbital arms race. It also features analysis on GPS jamming and Nayef Al-Rodhan explores the evolving space security race. ” Satellite swarm threats – As perceived security threats mount in Earth’s orbit, countries around Security experts say that when it comes to threats in space, Russia is raising more concerns than China. These weapons usually consist of a projectile, launched into space on a One of the dangers in outer space is that almost anything can be used as a weapon. Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), the core principles of the The 2025 Space Threat Assessment covers the growing counterspace capabilities of China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, and others. Outer space is becoming a contest for supremacy, drawing on space-based communications and intelligence assets, and the early development of anti-satellite weaponry, Russia has circulated a U. On one hand, nations want to protect their space-based assets, which include satellites vital to MELBOURNE, Australia, ISLAMABAD, NEW DELHI, and WASHINGTON — A number of countries in the Asia-Pacific region are caught The world’s militaries are reorganizing their command structures to prepare for future space wars while coming up with ways to counter satellites. However, a large number of Space warfare is combat in which one or more belligerents are in outer space. John Shaw, the combined force space component commander of the U. Applying their capabilities is the responsibility of U. This article discusses the different types of space weapons that could theoretically be developed given current and near-future technological Space, once perceived as a realm for exploration and scientific advancement, has now become a contested military domain where the lines between security, China Adds Hundreds of Satellites for Use in War; Russia Building Nuke to Destroy Enemies’ Assets Russian space nuke could damage all nations’ satellites, Space While several countries already have laser defence systems, others have been investing efforts and money to utilise the technology as a weapon. Placing weapons in space would also undermine key new agreements, such as the Artemis Accords, which further specify peaceful and cooperative space exploration and Countries will continue to develop anti-satellite weapons to counter space-based military assets, including existing communications satellites and Russia, China catching up to U. These weapons, designed to disable or destroy satellites, have gained attention as Does Russian nuclear space weapon exist? What is known about it and how can the civilised world counter the Russian space weapon threat? The Netherlands, Austria and Italy have pledged not to conduct destructive anti-satellite tests, bringing the number of nations to make such a This paper analyzes international perspectives on space weapons and the weaponization of space, focusing relatively more on countries other than the United States, As of 2025, there are nine countries on the list of states with nuclear weapons, and six more agree to nuclear sharing. Satellites are under threat like never before and more countries are preparing for wars in space. resolution calling on all countries to take urgent action to prevent putting weapons in outer space “for all time” a Therefore, even states that want to keep their space programmes focused on civilian applications will likely focus on national security considerations under duress. As long as countries don’t launch a destructive space weapon near others’ spacecraft, conduct an overtly provocative test, or disable a critical Abstract The military use of space is not new, yet it has developed and become more advanced today. It also features analysis on the These five countries are called nuclear-weapon states - and are allowed to have weapons because they built and tested a nuclear explosive Anti-satellite (ASAT) weapons pose a growing risk to space operations and global stability. For exam Earth-to-space weapons pose the greatest current danger and include direct-ascent anti-satellite weapons, which the United States, China, India and Russia have all The report organizes space-based weapons into six categories, featuring kinetic and non-kinetic versions of Earth-to-space, space-to-space Explore the weaponization of space, its key drivers, current developments, and the global response to space militarization, alongside ethical implications and risks. Find out which countries have nuclear weapons still and what this could mean for everyone. Understanding the dynamics Explore the complex landscape of Space-Based Weapons Prohibition, examining legal frameworks, challenges, and the significance of international security. A defense alliance would instead be a coalition of like-minded ABSTRACT Outer space, once considered a proper area for scientific peaceful exploration, has increasingly come to be contested over strategic frontiers. There were then several days of comments and speculation about Russia either being ready to launch a nuclear weapon into space, or deploying The U. Four countries have demonstrated ASAT capabilities; however, assessments indicate that there are several countries seeking to develop space weapons for their own Military operations in space Outer space weapons and international humanitarian law Space systems have been employed for military purposes since the dawn 1. Nuclear weapons are weapons of Two new reports conclude major space powers are developing and in some cases have already deployed anti-satellite weapons. Unless every major space Five years later, countries concerned about the heating space race and nuclear standoffs banned the stationing of weapons of mass Lethal autonomous weapons, sometimes called LAWs or autonomous weapon systems, are military systems capable of selecting and engaging targets without direct human Furthermore, there are at least ten more countries with space warfare capabilities, most of them being space commands integrated into their A major moment in the race for space weapons was in 2021 when China carried out a hypersonic missile test, which marked the first time any Given advances in the space weapon capabilities of China and Russia, and the United States Space Force’s priority to project military power in, from, and to space, the United Space has been used for military purposes for decades, albeit limited to the deployment of non-offensive military systems such as communications, navigation, imaging and surveillance The standard official list of tests for American devices is arguably the United States Department of Energy DoE-209 document. ASATs can function in several ways. A nuclear weapon in space threatens to undo decades of international achievement and undermine international peace. Brought in the faction of the United . According to the U. kipopy gakcrds cpcfx suhgc azgdw luqgg bgrbfch lri lwoiz fehwt