Secrets and secrets. What weapons are created for the US Space Force?
SM-3 rocket launch via USA-193 satellite, February 2008. Photo by the US Navy
Over the past few weeks, the specialized press has been discussing news on the development of some promising weapons for the US Space Force. It is argued that such a project was developed in an atmosphere of strict secrecy, and information about it is available only to a narrow circle of leaders and participants. However, in the very near future it may be presented to the public.
Exclusive news
The existence of an unknown project and the processes for declassifying it on August 20 was reported by Breaking Defense. The information was obtained from anonymous sources at the Pentagon. In addition, the scarce data available have provided the basis for some estimates and projections.
Breaking Defense reports that something new has been developed in the interests of the US Space weapon... At the same time, the class, capabilities and characteristics of such a sample are still unknown. The design work was carried out in the "special access program" mode - only the direct participants and a narrow circle of high-ranking officials from the military and political leadership knew about them.
According to sources, the new sample could have been declassified last fall during the Space Symposium 2020 conference. However, this event did not take place due to quarantine, and the premiere of the weapon was postponed indefinitely. It is curious that at that time the first demonstration of the new model was directly associated with the formation of the Space Forces - such weapons should be of the greatest importance for this type of troops.
Defeat of satellite USA-193. US Navy photo
According to the latest reports, the Pentagon and the White House have been trying to agree on disclosure plans over the past few months. These events are going well, and the first official statements could be expected in the near future. In particular, there was a possibility of a premiere at one of the conferences at the end of August - but this did not happen.
According to Breaking Defense, the first demonstration and demonstration of new weapons in the case is again shifted indefinitely. This time, the cause of the shift is the crisis in Afghanistan. Joe Biden's administration and the Department of Defense have focused their efforts on current issues, which is causing high-profile premieres to fade into the background.
At the moment, the media are talking about both the official announcement of the project and the testing, incl. with open publication of their results. At the same time, the nature of the project, the possibilities of a new sample, etc. remain unknown. All press inquiries in this regard have not yet received an official response.
Versions and Assumptions
What kind of weapons the Pentagon is ready to present is unknown. It is only reported that this sample is intended to combat targets in outer space. However, the intended range of goals, principles of operation and even the method of basing are not disclosed. All this allows us to put forward a variety of versions, and any of them may turn out to be correct in the end.
Experienced X-37B spaceplane after another flight, December 2017. US Air Force photo
It should be recalled that in recent decades, the Pentagon and the American industry have been actively working on various experimental models of anti-space weapons. Some of them even reached full-scale tests. It cannot be ruled out that the new secret project is a direct continuation of one of these programs. Which one is the big question.
Since the early 2018s, the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) has been focusing on maneuvering spacecraft. We have consistently developed and tested in orbit a number of survey satellites capable of changing orbit, approaching other vehicles and possibly performing various actions. The last known experiments of this kind date back to 19-XNUMX, when the EAGLE satellite dropped three smaller vehicles and accompanied other objects in orbit. In addition, a constellation of GSSAP satellites is being formed to monitor foreign equipment in geostationary orbits.
It is quite possible that the inspector satellites are capable of carrying one or another means of suppression or destruction, allowing them to solve full-fledged combat missions. These can be high-explosive or fragmentation warheads, electronic warfare systems, or even combat lasers. At the same time, the Pentagon officially declares its refusal to intentionally create unnecessary space debris, which may exclude the use of destructive methods.
In 2008, the Pentagon conducted Operation Burnt Frost. As part of this event, the cruiser USS Lake Erie (CG-70) shot down a faulty satellite USA-3 using an SM-193 rocket. At the time of the defeat, the target was at an altitude of 247 km and was moving at a speed of approx. 7,8 km / s.
GSSAP survey companions as seen by the artist. United States Air Force graphics
Other tests of this kind were not carried out, but this does not exclude the continuation of research and design work. Their result by now could be an improved modification of an existing ship-based missile or a completely new product. In both cases, the Navy can count on expanding its combat capabilities.
In recent decades, the Pentagon has been actively engaged in the direction of combat lasers. Similar technologies can be used in the anti-space sector. A high-power laser capable of damaging optics or even destroying structural elements can be installed on a satellite or made as a ground complex. Both options have their advantages and may be of interest to the Cosmic Forces.
Finally, it is worth remembering the secret project of the unmanned reusable spacecraft X-37B. A lot is already known about him, but the basic information still remains secret. He, too, can be presented to the public as a future element of the Cosmic Forces. However, unlike other hypothetical projects of anti-space weapons, the X-37B is well known to specialists and the public, and its practical demonstration is no longer required.
Secret potential
At the moment, a very interesting situation is taking place. There are reports of the completion of the development of a completely new type of weapon, and it is also claimed that it can be presented to the public. At the same time, the expected presentation dates have already passed, and new ones have not yet been announced. At the same time, the Pentagon does not comment on the latest messages in any way, and also dispenses with announcements.
Combat laser complex "Peresvet". Perhaps its analogue was created in the USA. Photo of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
In general, there are a lot of questions, and almost all of them remain unanswered. Both the nature of the new project and the expected opportunities are unknown. Moreover, even the very fact of its existence is not confirmed - due to its absence or, as the media claim, due to increased secrecy. Nevertheless, news about a secret project naturally attracts attention and is of certain interest.
The reliability of the latest news is indirectly confirmed by the fact that the United States was indeed actively engaged in the subject of anti-space weapons. In recent decades, several similar projects have been created, and individual samples have even reached testing or operation. For example, the GSSAP survey satellites have been in orbit for several years, but their combat capabilities are unknown.
It is obvious that the development of the anti-space direction sooner or later should lead to real results in the form of complexes of one purpose or another, capable of suppressing or destroying orbital and ballistic targets. Thanks to this, the newly created US Space Force will be able not only to conduct surveillance or solve other tasks, but also to carry out active actions, up to the destruction of designated targets. Most likely, they will receive such opportunities, and only the timing is in question.
However, in this context, uncertainty remains, and the main questions remain unanswered. Perhaps, in the near future, the Pentagon will reveal its plans, and then it will become clear when and with what they will arm the new branch of the armed forces - and what capabilities it will acquire. But so far everything comes down to only fragmentary messages from unknown sources and various assumptions.
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