Gen. Stephen N. Whiting, the commander of U.S. Space Command, made the remarks during an appearance on The General & The Journalist, a weekly podcast by The Times.<\/p>\n
“Russia remains a very historic and sophisticated space power. Yes, they have been hurt by economic sanctions, but they continue to invest in counter-space weapons, with the most concerning reports being that they are potentially thinking about placing on orbit a nuclear ASAT weapon,” he added. “That would violate the Outer Space Treaty<\/a> that they’re a party to, and it would hold at risk everyone’s satellites in low Earth orbit, and that would be an outcome that we just couldn’t tolerate.”<\/p>\n Whiting noted that space is considered a global commons, with the 1967 Outer Space Treaty \u2014 signed by nearly every nation, including all major space powers \u2014 prohibiting claims of sovereignty.<\/p>\n SWEDEN JAMS SUSPECTED RUSSIAN DRONE NEAR FRENCH CARRIER AS NATO WAR FEARS RISE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Gen. Stephen N. Whiting, nominee to be general and commander of the U.S. Space Command, waits to testify during the Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing on the nominations of Lt. Gen. Gregory M. Guillot, nominee to be general and commander of the U.S. Northern Command and commander of the North American Aerospace Defense Command, and on Wednesday, July 26, 2023. ((Bill Clark\/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images))<\/p>\n He said that differs from earlier eras when explorers would plant flags to claim land for a king or country.<\/p>\n Whiting stopped short of confirming the underlying intelligence, but emphasized the seriousness of the concern.<\/p>\n “I won\u2019t speak about our intelligence sources and methods, but obviously it\u2019s a report that we\u2019re very concerned about,” he said.<\/p>\n PUTIN PUTS ‘NUCLEAR TRIAD’ ON FAST TRACK, ZELENSKYY CLAIMS \u2018WORLD WAR 3\u2019 UNDERWAY<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n President Vladimir Putin declares Russia’s nuclear triad development an “absolute priority” on Defender of the Fatherland Day, emphasizing strategic deterrence capabilities. (Contributor\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n Fox News Digital has reached out to the Pentagon<\/a> for further comment on the matter.<\/p>\n A nuclear detonation<\/a> in low Earth orbit \u2014 which spans roughly 100 to 1,200 miles above Earth \u2014 could have devastating consequences for both military and civilian infrastructure, according to Whiting.<\/p>\n “All of low Earth orbit would be at risk, and you know, that’s over 10,000 satellites today with these new proliferated low earth orbit constellations like Starlink<\/a>,” he said.<\/p>\n RUSSIA, CHINA SQUEEZE US ARCTIC DEFENSE ZONE AS TRUMP EYES GREENLAND<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n A picture of the International Space Station over the northeast coast of the United States. (NASA)<\/p>\n Such an event could cripple satellite networks that underpin GPS, communications, financial systems and global internet access.<\/p>\n Whiting noted that most people do not realize how dependent modern life is on space-based systems.<\/p>\n “The average citizen around the world probably doesn\u2019t think about how space enables their life every day, but if they carry a smartphone in their pocket, they are leveraging space multiple times a day,” he said.<\/p>\n US COMMANDER SAYS RUSSIA AND CHINA’S ARCTIC PATROLS ARE ‘NOT FOR PEACEFUL PURPOSES’<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n A Russian rocket launches into space alongside an image of Russia\u2019s president, as U.S. officials warn Moscow may be exploring a nuclear anti-satellite weapon capable of disrupting global satellite systems. (Rocket: Reuters ; Putin: Vyacheslav Prokofyev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)<\/p>\n He suggested Russia may view space-based attacks<\/a> as a way to offset what it sees as U.S. and NATO advantages in conventional warfare.<\/p>\n “From a Russian perspective, they look at the United States, they look at NATO and they see a conventional overmatch there of conventional arms,” Whiting said. “They believe that novel ways of trying to undermine the United States and NATO, such as by neutralizing our space capabilities, helps them to level the battlefield.”<\/p>\n Whiting also pointed to ongoing Russian activity targeting satellite systems, including widespread interference in Europe<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"Gen.](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Gen-Stephen-N-Whiting.jpeg\")
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