British satellites are ‘inherently vulnerable’ to attack, former space chief warns as he calls for legally-binding treaty on space weapons
- Sir Chris Deverell said the weaponisation of space was bad news for everyone
- Former head of UK Joint Forces Command said Russia is not alone in developing these weapons
- Moscow fired a missile-like weapon from its Cosmos 2543 satellite last week
UK satellites are ‘inherently vulnerable’ to attack, Britain’s former space chief warned last night.
Sir Chris Deverell called for a legally-binding multilateral treaty on space weapons.
His comments came after Britain and America criticised Russia for launching a missile-like projectile from one of its satellites.
Speaking about the launch, General Deverell, who was head of UK Joint Forces Command until last year, said: ‘Space is a global common good, vital to mankind’s future.
Sir Chris Deverell (pictured) called for a legally-binding multilateral treaty on space weapons
‘The weaponisation of space is bad news for everyone except arms manufacturers.
‘Russia is not alone in developing this kind of capability: any nation with a space launch capability and a satellite industry could do likewise.
‘Large objects at fixed positions in space are inherently vulnerable to attack.
‘The UK should unilaterally commit to non-interference with space-based systems and seek a legally-binding multilateral treaty.’
Moscow fired the weapon from its Cosmos 2543 satellite last week.
Yesterday it dismissed the idea that it tested a weapon in space and said Washington was planning to deploy weapons in orbit.
