The North Atlantic Alliance published a document called “NATO Comprehensive Space Policy”, in which it confirmed that in the event of an attack in space on one of the countries of the alliance, the organization will “render assistance” to a member state, in accordance with the principles set out in Article V of the charter. The space strategy was posted on the organization’s website on Monday, January 17th.
“The consequences of attacks in outer space can threaten the prosperity, security, stability of states and the Euro-Atlantic area, and can be as devastating to modern societies as the consequences of the use of conventional weapons. Such attacks can lead to the activation of Article V. The decision on when such an attack could lead to the activation of Article V will be made by the North Atlantic Council on a case-by-case basis.
NATO agreed on a space strategy in 2019, and at the Brussels summit in June 2021, the bloc’s countries recognized attacks “in the direction of space and in outer space” as a security challenge to the organization.
The alliance also plans to conduct military exercises in outer space “to work out the partial or complete loss of access to space services provided by allied forces.”
According to NATO, outer space should become part of the alliance’s collective security and defense system, which currently includes land, sea, air and cyberspace.
“Space is a global environment, any conflict spreading in space can affect all users of this space. Even in cases where NATO is not involved in a conflict, the space systems of allies can be affected … ”the strategy says.
The alliance stressed that the bloc’s activities in space will proceed on the basis of international law, including the UN Charter.
“NATO does not seek to become an autonomous player in space. NATO will coordinate the activities of allies, interact with relevant international organizations, including the UN and the European Union (EU),” the document says.
An attack on one NATO member, according to Article V of the charter of the alliance, is considered by the organization as an attack on the alliance as a whole, in such a situation the bloc gets the right to provide assistance to a country that has been attacked in accordance with Article 51 of the UN charter, recognizing the country’s right to individual or collective self-defense.
The United States, which is one of the informal leaders of NATO, has repeatedly called on the allied states to expand joint activities in space in order to prevent new threats that could undermine global security. Washington also criticized the actions of the Russian authorities in outer space.
Thus, on November 14, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken announced that Russia had tested anti-satellite systems. According to him, this contradicts Moscow’s statements about the inadmissibility of placing weapons in outer space. Blinken added that by its actions, the Russian Federation allegedly endangers “the long-term sustainability of the space environment and the use of space by all countries.”
At the same time, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation stressed that they consider such statements hypocritical. The department drew attention to the fact that Russia “for a number of years has been calling on the United States and other space powers to sign a treaty to prevent the placement of weapons in space.”
The Ministry of Defense said that on November 15, Russia successfully conducted tests, as a result of which the inactive Russian spacecraft Tselina-D was hit.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on the same day stated that there were no facts that Russia allegedly created risks for space activities. The Minister also pointed out that the United States is actively developing an arms race in space.
Source: IZ
Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.
