House defense bill includes amendment assessing impact of publicizing Russia’s nuclear space weapon

The House Armed Services Committee has included an amendment to the annual defense bill that would require a report on the impact of a nuclear weapon detonation in space and the consequences of publicly disclosing Russia’s alleged pursuit of space-based nuclear weapons.

The amendments were agreed to on Wednesday night before the HASC passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and sent it to the House of Representatives, which would allow the U.S. It includes language requiring reporting from the government. Earlier this year, information about Russia’s nuclear weapons program in space was leaked.

The report will also include an assessment of the impact of detonating a nuclear weapon in space, as well as information about what options may have been lost to counter this weapon once it became publicly known. I’m asking you to.

Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), who introduced the amendment, said it’s critical to know the impact of leaks about Russian weapons.

“We should understand what consequences that has for our nation’s response to a very serious threat to our national security,” he said.

Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio), chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, first sounded the alarm in February, warning of a new national security threat. The committee subsequently voted to declassify information regarding the threat.

Turner, also a member of the HASC, claimed the US had had intelligence on Russian weapons “for some time,” which he said posed a threat to the economy and everyday life.

“We have work to do. As time goes on, our options become less secure, our world becomes less safe and our vulnerabilities increase,” he said. “But if the world doesn’t understand, we can’t influence the outcome. We have no power to change the zero day.”

Still, multiple media outlets reported on the Russian weapons details before the Biden administration released them following Turner’s declassification, and Moulton argued that the results were worrying enough to assess them.

The United States warned this week that Russia has launched an anti-satellite weapon into space, but it does not appear to be a nuclear weapon.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has denied preparing to deploy nuclear weapons in space, but Russia last month told the United Nations Security Council that all countries pledge to abide by the 1967 Outer Space Treaty and prevent the deployment of nuclear weapons. vetoed measures to confirm the Weapons of mass destruction in space.

Russia introduced a new resolution in the Security Council this week that would ban the placement of any weapons in space, but the measure was vetoed by the United States, Britain and France.

Once the NDAA passes HASC, it must head to the House floor where amendments can be added, deleted, or changed. After that, for Congress to pass a defense bill, it will need to coordinate with the Democratic-controlled Senate.