Military space. The future begins today
Launch of the Rokot rocket with three military spacecraft, July 3 2014, Photo by the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation / mil.ru
Mastered technology
Due to the overall complexity of the projects and due to known limitations, space technology is mainly used for reconnaissance and surveillance. Other spacecraft are also used, and all satellites as a whole form rather large groups. So, the Russian Ministry of Defense has about a hundred spacecraft for various purposes. Several dozens of spacecraft of other departments can be involved in the work in the interests of the army.
Satellites are currently used in several key areas. Satellite navigation systems, communication systems of a number of types, and many reconnaissance and detection systems are being built and are functioning. Developed countries have missile attack satellites.
Existing systems are maintained in the required state due to the timely replacement of obsolete spacecraft. New satellite systems are also being deployed. So, in recent years, Russia has completed the construction of the GLONASS navigation system, as well as modernized several communication systems and deployed new intelligence tools.
Obviously, further progress in the space industry will allow different countries to improve existing orbital groupings, and there will be no abandonment of cash types. However, existing spacecraft will be replaced by more advanced ones, as well as gradually introducing new technology.
Observers in orbit
In the context of military use of spacecraft, so-called satellite inspectors. These are special devices capable of changing orbits and moving closer to other objects to observe or perform any work. According to various sources, in recent years Russia alone has launched several satellite inspectors, and they regularly become reasons for accusations.
As far back as 2013, reports appeared in foreign mass media about the Cosmos-2491 maneuvering apparatus. Moving in the near-Earth space, he came close to various objects. As a result of this, there were speculations about the possible military use of the apparatus - for reconnaissance or even destruction of alien spacecraft by ram.
Subsequently, similar capabilities showed the spacecraft of the Cosmos series with numbers 2499, 2501, 2520 and 2521. In the case of the last inspectors, their size and weight became an additional concern. They are larger and heavier than their predecessors, which may indicate the presence of any intelligence equipment. It is possible that now the Russian military can not only track other people's spacecraft, but also monitor from a minimum distance, intercept radio signals, etc.
In July of this year, the military leadership of France made interesting statements about Russian spacecraft. It was alleged that one of the satellite inspectors over the past few months has been monitoring spacecraft from different countries. Eight of them were affected in one way or another by his actions. Such events became one of the reasons for the formation of the Main Space Command of France, which has to take on all the tasks of military use in near-Earth space.
Battle satellites
It is obvious and expected that spacecraft can be used not only for observation, but also for the purpose of hitting designated targets - primarily orbital ones. The unrest with respect to satellite inspectors is mainly related to the alleged availability of such functions. Maneuverable spacecraft can be a carrier weapons or be a striking element.
The defeat of the orbital target can be carried out by a direct collision with it. Concerns of this kind were expressed several years ago, after the first reports and the activities of Russian satellite inspectors. Spacecraft of limited size and mass cannot carry complex equipment, but in theory, other satellites are capable of attacking. However, while Russian or foreign spacecraft did not carry out an attack of another’s technology.
Larger devices can be carriers of various equipment or weapons that comply with existing restrictions. In the past, in our country and abroad, the issues of equipping the spacecraft with small arms, laser or other weapons were studied, however, things did not go beyond some experiments. Influencing enemy spacecraft, incl. with complete incapacitation, it is also possible with the help of radio equipment. A satellite can carry an electronic warfare complex or electromagnetic weapons.
The issue of creating combat satellites with weapons may again become relevant. Thus, the French leadership in the context of creating their space forces mentioned the intention to create new types of satellites. In the distant future, armed spacecraft with various systems for combat may appear. However, in the coming years, the main task of the Main Space Command will be updating the existing group of reconnaissance and communications apparatuses.
"Earth-space"
For several decades, work has continued on the topic of ground-based anti-satellite weapons. In recent years, this topic has again become relevant and attracts attention. To date, three countries in the world have managed to demonstrate their ability to shoot spacecraft in low orbits. The anti-satellite potential of another country is still in question - there is some information, but the launches and defeats of targets are unknown.
Interest in the topic of anti-satellite systems intensified in 2007, when China destroyed a failed satellite FY-1C using a proprietary rocket. Later it became known that the missile used was tested before. New reports on promising Chinese developments are still appearing in foreign media, but the PRC does not confirm or refute them.
In February 2008, the United States conducted a similar operation. The SM-3 missile launcher launched from a surface ship and a few minutes later destroyed the USA-193 reconnaissance spacecraft. As far as is known, new operations of this kind have not been carried out.
Launch of the Indian anti-satellite missile, 27 March 2019 Propulsion Photo Defense Ministry of India
In March 2019, India announced the successful testing of its anti-satellite missile. These weapons were able to hit a small target at an altitude of 300 km; the whole operation took several minutes. The Indian military intends to improve the existing missile and bring it to adoption.
According to foreign reports, Russia is also developing anti-satellite weapons. Now work is underway to create the Nudol missile defense system, which, according to various estimates, will be able to hit not only the combat units of ballistic missiles, but also orbital targets. Nothing is known about launching missiles at such targets. There is also a version about the development of anti-satellite missiles air-based. Detailed information about this project is also missing.
The future begins
The military of the leading countries continues to develop space systems of the main classes, which allows to maintain the required defense capability. In parallel, the development and implementation of fundamentally new complexes for other purposes is being carried out. At the same time, several main trends are traced. So, the main focus is still on communication, navigation and intelligence systems.
Combat systems also attract attention and are present in the plans, but the pace of work in this direction is not too high. They are affected by the complexity and high cost of projects, as well as restrictions of an economic, political and other nature. It also raises doubts about the appropriateness of deploying certain classes of weapons in space. At the moment, it is the support spacecraft that can bring the greatest benefit to armies, while the real potential of combat systems remains in question.
In general, orbital groups have long become an important part of the developed armed forces, and the attitude towards them is purely utilitarian. Measures are being taken to develop and improve them, as well as to gain new opportunities. Fundamental breakthroughs so far should be attributed to the distant future. However, the current state and capabilities of space groups once seemed an unattainable future.
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