SIPRI Research Policy Paper - ESCALATION RISKS AT THE SPACE–NUCLEAR NEXUS

This is evident in its joint initiative with China in the Conference on Disarmament—first submitted in 2008, then revised and re-submitted in 2014—to negotiate a draft treaty on the prevention of placement of weapons in outer space and the threat or use of force (hereafter referred to using the abbreviation PPWT).72 In response, the USA argued that the definition of ‘weapon in space’ contained in. [...] 73 Conference on Disarmament, Letter from the Permanent Representative of the USA addressed to the Secretary General of the Conference transmitting comments on the draft Treaty on Prevention of the Placement of Weapons in Outer Space and of the Threat or use of Force against Outer Space Objects (PPWT) as contained in document CD/1839 of 29 Feb. [...] 74 Conference on Disarmament, Letter from the Permanent Representative of China and the Perma nent Representative of Russia addressed to the Secretary General of the Conference transm itting answers to the principal questions and comments on the draft Treaty on Prevention of the Placement of Weapons in Outer Space and of the Threat or Use of Force against Outer Space Objects (PPWT) introduced by. [...] The statement openly mentions the USA and explicitly names NATO, the US Indo-Pacific Strategy and AUKUS (the trilateral secur ity partnership between Australia, the UK and the USA) as concerns, and criticizes the US withdrawal from arms control agreements including the 1987 Treaty on the Elimination of Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range Missiles (INF Treaty).107 The statement refers to US develo. [...] Given the varying effects of counterspace capabilities on space systems, however, the nature of an actual response—and accompanying potential for escal ation—is likely to depend on a combination of the effect of the use of the capability, the value (real or perceived) of the target and the broader strategic context.127 Therefore, the use of a counterspace capability may not neces- sarily result in.