Following the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian Warfare in February 2022 the worth NATO’s huge satellite tv for pc community contributed to countering Russian forces rapidly grew to become obvious, offering benefits from communications and command and management to concentrating on and surveillance which gave Ukrainian forces and the Western floor items preventing alongside them important benefits. Though Russian lawmakers have a number of occasions raised the probably that Western house belongings contributing to the Ukrainian struggle effort could possibly be reputable targets, Moscow has stopped in need of taking such steps or of partaking Western surveillance plane working simply exterior Ukrainian airspace which have additionally performed key roles within the struggle effort. The struggle has nonetheless renewed the perceived significance of anti satellite tv for pc capabilities to any future Russian effort to have interaction NATO forces, which has turn out to be notably necessary amid rising fears in Moscow that Western forces might intervene within the battle rather more straight resulting in uncontrolled escalation. Whereas a number of weapons applications for countering satellites are below growth in Russia, all of which might play key roles in denying enemy forces the sorts of benefits Ukraine has not too long ago loved, 5 of probably the most important are assessed beneath.
MiG-31D
Three years after the MiG-31 Foxhound heavyweight interceptor entered service within the Soviet Air Defence Forces in 1981, the USSR started growth of a brand new variant of the plane with a really completely different function. Though maturing significantly over the following 5 years, work on the MiG-31D anti satellite tv for pc warfare variant would stall following the tip of the Chilly Warfare and would solely obtain renewed consideration within the late 2010s. Other than a picture launched in 2018 displaying a MiG-31 carrying an unknown anti satellite tv for pc missile, little is understood of the stage which growth of an anti satellite tv for pc Foxhound variant has reached, what numbers it might at the moment be deployed in, or whether or not it has retained the MiG-31D designation.
The MiG-31 is prized for its very excessive pace and endurance, and is the quickest fight plane operational wherever on the earth right this moment. It was notably designed to have the ability to function in house carrying outsized missiles and, unusually, to have the ability to hearth all its weapons from its most altitude. This offered beneficial capabilities as an interceptor and successfully complement the efficiency of its sensor suite and really lengthy attain of its air to air missiles. These capabilities additionally make it an optimum plane to hold giant anti satellite tv for pc weapons, with the missile developed for the Foxhound reportedly named ‘Kontakt.’ Russia at the moment fields over 100 MiG-31s as interceptors and shut to a few dozen because the MiG-31K and MiG-31I strike fighter variants carrying ballistic missiles, and will discipline a number of dozen outfitted for anti satellite tv for pc warfare drawing on its reserves of a whole lot of Foxhound airframes. Many of those noticed comparatively little service earlier than being positioned in storage as a consequence of sudden and deep publish Soviet finances cuts. A successor to the MiG-31 at the moment being developed below the PAK DP program is predicted to enhance on the category’ house warfare capabilities significantly.
Il-76 with Peresvet laser
The Peresvet laser was one in every of six Russian strategic weapons methods unveiled in March 2018 alongside a variety of nuclear succesful hypersonic and submarine supply methods, and has at the least 5 items in lively service right this moment primarily relied on for anti satellite tv for pc warfare missions. The system started its first experimental fight responsibility in December 2018, and has been deployed with the road-mobile ICBM launchers previously. An airborne variant of the laser weapons system is predicted to offer considerably better effectiveness in opposition to satellites, with a spinoff of the Il-76 transport which kinds the spine of the Russian airlift functionality anticipated to carrying it. Improvement of a laser weapons system mounted on the Il-76 dates again to the Soviet Union with work starting in 1981, though this system stalled after the USSR disintegrated solely to be restarted within the 2010s. The President of the St. Petersburg department of the Tsiolkovsky Cosmonautics Academy Alexander Kovalyov referred to the airborne anti satellite tv for pc system in a distinguished article in early April as “a ready-made fight module and a menace to enemy satellites.” Intensive testing for growth of such a laser system has been finished by two A-60 analysis plane, that are extensively modernised Il-76s designed particularly for such assessments.
S-500 and S-550
Coming into service in September 2021 the S-500 cellular air defence system offered the Russian Air Pressure with a 600km engagement vary in opposition to enemy plane from a street cellular asset, in addition to the power to have interaction strategic targets together with intercontinental vary ballistic missiles, house plane and low orbit satellites. Its entry into service has been delayed by over 4 years, which is alleged to be a results of the system’s required specs changing into extra formidable to counter rising threats from house and hypersonic weapons. The S-500 just isn’t a direct successor to any previous Russian asset, and as a substitute gives a brand new tier to Russia’s air defence community which could be deployed very broadly throughout the nation to intercept ballistic missiles and different excessive finish threats. It’s anticipated that within the occasion of a significant effort to neutralise NATO’s satellite tv for pc community, the S-500 can be accountable for firing nearly all of the photographs because of the very giant numbers it’s anticipated to be fielded in, with its use of a floor based mostly cellular launcher permitting it to be operated at a a lot decrease value than airborne belongings just like the MiG-31D. Its capability to have interaction different belongings reminiscent of bombers and house planes may help justify giant funding in this system which might be tougher if it had been designed for anti satellite tv for pc warfare completely. A extra specialised spinoff of the S-500 was introduced in November 2021 to be below growth and specialised in defence in opposition to intercontinental vary ballistic missiles, with this method anticipated to additionally play a significant function in anti satellite tv for pc warfare efforts.
A-235
Starting growth within the late Nineteen Eighties the A-235 anti missile system was anticipated to offer the Soviet Union with its first street cellular missile system able to intercepting intercontinental vary assaults, whereas introducing multi layered defence with three completely different courses of missile. The longest ranged of those the 51T6 missile would be capable of interact targets 1500km away at 800km altitudes, and will threaten house plane and satellites together with these in increased orbits unreachable for methods such because the S-500. After growth stalled when the Chilly Warfare ended work on the A-235 resumed in 2011 with flight testing resuming in 2014. As the best tier in Russia’s air defence community, its a lot increased mobility than the previous A-135 system gives considerably better survivability whereas the collapse of the Anti Ballistic Missile Treaty within the 2000s probably permits the brand new system to be deployed rather more broadly – relatively than solely to defend Moscow. It stays unsure how broadly the A-235 can be deployed as a consequence of its super value, or whether or not its deployment might see the previous A-135 system at the moment guarding Moscow reassigned to a different excessive precedence location within the nation.
Porubshchik 2 and Il-22PP
The Porubshchik 2 digital warfare plane at the moment below growth was reportedly designed with anti satellite tv for pc missions strongly in thoughts, and can present a successor to the Il-22PP that joined the Russian Air Pressure from the mid 2010s. The Il-22PP was developed to disrupt radars, anti plane and cruise missile steerage methods and tactical knowledge sharing networks, however based on some experiences also can disrupt the electronics on enemy satellites. Reliance on these comparatively low value belongings gives an uneven technique of inhibiting the operations of a really expensive class of enemy asset, and displays a broader Russian emphasis on digital warfare to compensate for a variety of standard disadvantages. With the Russian Army anticipated to start bringing a few of its first house plane into service within the 2030s, it’s anticipated that these might combine highly effective digital warfare suites which might additionally play main roles in non kinetically disrupting adversaries’ capability to make use of their satellite tv for pc belongings. Components from the digital warfare suites developed for the Porubshchik 2 might probably be broadly deployed throughout the Russian fleet.
