‘Star Wars’ are back? US might preemptively strike Russia & China with space weapons – Russian MoD

The US may be plotting a preemptive strike on the nuclear arsenals of Russia and China, Russian military said, citing the revival of the 1980s ‘Star Wars’ program and ever-growing US “missile defense” in Europe as evidence.

The analysis of the “probable actions” of Washington shows that Americans are seeking to achieve strategic superiority through the so-called ‘on-start interception’ doctrine, Deputy Chief of the General Staff operative command Lieutenant General Viktor Poznikhir said Wednesday. Under such a plan, the US would seek to destroy the “overwhelming majority” of their adversaries’ missiles while the munitions are still sitting in their silos.

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“Washington's intentions to create a space-based layer of the strike anti-missile systems to hit ballistic missiles at early flight stages are particularly concerning. Basically, it's revival of the 1980s concept of ‘Star Wars,’” the official stated.

The militarization of space prompts fears that Washington might be seeking to try and attempt a preemptive strike on its adversaries – like Russia and China, Poznikhir said. Basically, it raises the same concerns as the sprawling US “missile defense” in Europe – Moscow has long suspected it can be easily tweaked to launch offensive weaponry instead of interceptor missiles.

“Just like with the Mk.41 launchers [at the US ‘missile defense’ facilities in Europe], the prospects of using space-based weapons to carry out a preemptive strikes on Russia and China. And given the global reach of the space-based weapons, such a strike can be carried out on facilities of any state,” Poznikhir warned.

The ‘Star Wars’ program, officially known as the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), was conceived under the rule of President Ronald Reagan. The program was aimed at creating orbital weaponry, that would destroy any incoming Soviet missiles while they traveled in space, rendering them effectively obsolete. With the demise of the Soviet Union and end of the Cold War, the program faded away as well.

The idea to weaponize space was dusted off by US President Donald Trump, who created a Space Force of his own last June. The plans appear to be serious, as the recent US Missile Defense Review (MDR) has already presented a concept of a space-based interceptor capable of destroying missiles in the boost phase, as well as unveiled plans to deploy additional ground-based interceptor missiles in Alaska. Trump himself quite pompously announced the publication of the MDR, declaring that “space is a new war-fighting domain with the Space Force leading the way.”

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