House defense bill includes amendment assessing impact of disclosure of Russia’s nuclear space weapon

The House Armed Services Committee (HASC) included an amendment to the annual defense bill that would require a report on the impact of detonating a nuclear weapon in space and the consequences of disclosing Russia’s alleged pursuit of a nuclear weapon based in space.

The amendment, agreed to on Wednesday night before the HASC passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and sent it to the House floor, includes language that requires a report from the U.S. government on whether the sources intelligence were “compromised or lost” after confidential information was leaked earlier this year about Russia’s development of a nuclear weapon in space.

It also calls for the report to include information about what options may have been lost to combat the weapon after it became publicly known, along with an assessment of the impact of detonating a nuclear weapon in space.

Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), who introduced the amendment, said it was vital to know the impact of leaking information about the Russian weapon.

“We should just understand the consequences of this for our nation’s response to a very serious threat to our national security,” he said.

Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio), chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, was the first to sound the alarm in February when he warned of a new threat to national security. His committee later voted to declassify information about the threat.

Turner, also a member of HASC, argued that the US had information about the Russian weapon “for some time.” The weapon, he said, threatened the economy and everyday life.

“There are things that need to be done. As time passes, we lose options and the world becomes less secure and vulnerabilities increase,” he said. “But without understanding the world you don’t have the ability to impact the outcome. You do not have the ability to change Day Zero.”

Still, before the Biden administration could publicly release details about the Russian weapon following Turner’s decision to declassify, several media outlets reported on it, which Moulton argued was concerning enough to assess the consequences.

The US warned this week that Russia has launched an anti-satellite weapon into space, but it does not appear to be a nuclear weapon.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has denied preparing to deploy a nuclear weapon in space, but Russia vetoed a measure last month at the United Nations Security Council that would have affirmed the commitment of all nations to respect the Outer Space Treaty. 1967 and prevent the deployment of nuclear weapons. weapons of mass destruction in space.

Russia introduced another resolution at the council this week to ban all deployment of weapons in space, but the measure was vetoed by the US, UK and France.

The HASC-approved NDAA must now go to the House floor, where amendments can be added, removed, and amended. It will then have to be reconciled with the Democratic-controlled Senate before Congress can pass the defense bill.

This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story