The news comes as Russian state television continues to produce material that mocks Western countries and suggests nuclear missiles could turn London and New York into a wasteland. With tensions mounting after the invasion of Ukraine, Putin has ramped up his hypersonic, multiple-warhead-carrying SATAN 2 missile, which will be ready for deployment by the end of the year. Speaking exclusively with express.co.ukan academic evaluated where Putin’s missile program stands and how defenses can be built to combat the risk.
Greg Autry is a Clinical Professor of Space Leadership, Policy, and Business, and currently a Visiting Professor, Security Science and Technology Institute, Imperial College London.
dr. Autry, a former NASA official, discussed the continued anger of the Russian media over the use of such weapons: “It was frightening to see Putin do his boast about weapons of mass destruction.
“Not just because of the technology, but the whole megalomaniac presentation came straight out of a James Bond villain’s monologue.
“The idea of automated Russian hypersonics and torpedoes carrying nuclear weapons is doubly scary because, frankly, their equipment has performed so poorly in space lately, where Progress, Soyuz and ISS modules have suffered alarming failure rates.
“It is an arsenal of accidents waiting to happen and a threat to the Russian people as much as to their so-called ‘enemies’.
“Clearly, the US, UK and other Western countries need to accelerate their defensive programs in response.”
With the missiles having ballistic and hypersonic capabilities, Professor Autry discussed the idea of reintroducing a Cold War-era “Star Wars” defense program against Russian as well as other types of missiles.
He also discussed how technology has evolved from the Regan-era Star Wars program.
dr. Autry stated, “I do believe that the US must and will revive some concepts very similar to “Brilliant Pebbles” to protect our people, assets and allies from Russian and Chinese aggression.
“In the 1980s, the physics of the program made sense, but the assistive technology and space launch capabilities weren’t there to back it up.
“The computing power and software in particular were not up to the task.
“40 years later, we have the processing power and AI software needed for the task, and we have a plethora of new launch systems and massive launch capacity.
“We could deploy the system Ronald Reagan’s team envisioned and once again discourage Russian aggression.
More importantly, it would send a clear message to Xi Jinping, whose regime poses a more credible threat to Western democracy than Russia’s dying oligarchy.
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The esteemed academic went on to discuss the history of space defense.
He said: “First, it is important to note that from the first day of the space age, when Germany launched a V2 rocket from the atmosphere on October 3, 1942, we were in a ‘space defense race’.
“Since that time, the US, Russia and China other space powers have used space as a military domain for communication, observation and PNT systems.
“The US, Russia, China and India have all demonstrated their ability to use ASAT systems against these capabilities as well.
“The Russians even placed a cannon on an early human space station and tested it.
“They have designed interceptor missiles, but not deployed them for their later stations.”
Speaking of the legal obligations, Professor Autry concluded: “The main legal limitation of any space system is that Article IV of the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which the US, Russia, China and most countries have signed, prohibits them from using ‘nuclear weapons or other types of weapons of mass destruction.
“Of course, that’s a good thing IF the participants are inclined to stick to treaties.
“In this case, it is concerning that China’s history with the HK Treaty, the WTO Agreement, the US Phase One Trade Agreement and many others shows that Xi Jinping generally views treaties and signed agreements as one-way products that only apply are on the other signatory and do not bind China.
“Russia has also blatantly violated the INF.
“It is also likely that Russia and China will portray Western defensive systems as ‘mass destroyers’ and claim they violate Article IV.”
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Britain has also discussed the importance of space defense.
Referring to the launch of Prometheus satellites in Britain, British Defense Secretary Jeremy Quin had said: “Space technology is crucial for the development of defense capabilities, and the launch of Prometheus-2 is another important step forward for our own space program.” .”
Cooperation between Russia and the West in space technology has stalled since the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
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Russia has vowed to end its partnership with the International Space Station, and the Roscosmos boss asked in February “who will save the ISS from an uncontrolled deorbit and fall on the United States…or Europe.”
His anger came after heavy economic sanctions against Moscow after the invasion.
The US continues to work on conventional anti-hysonic missile defense, with Lockheed Martin being awarded a recent contract to build the technology.
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