issue 13 | 20 December 2020
The integrity flash
Analysis of Developments in the Space Domain
in this issue
Russia Space Overview
- Russia Space Overview: Russia is working to expand its anti-access/area denial approach in outer space.
- Russia has more than 160 satellites; this number includes about 100 military Russia tries to maintain at least the third-largest military satellite
constellation in orbit. China has 320+ satellites (~105 military).
- Russia’s economy is less dependent on space infrastructure than that of America or China. Russia’s military space budget is ~$1.6 billion.
- Russia’s military satellite inventory consists of 51 communication spacecraft, with 16 Earth-observation By comparison China has
57 Earth-observation satellites and only three communication satellites.
Russia is focusing its military space capabilities on following: 1) jamming and radio intelligence;
2) sustainability of its command, control and communication systems; and 3) offensive capabilities against ground-based space infrastructure.
Second MiG-31BM with tail number 82 was pictured carrying the black "293" rocket
02 November 2020: Second MiG-31BM with tail number 82 was pictured carrying the black “293” rocket. The 293 rocket has been associated with the Burevestnik Russian Air Launched Anti- Satellite system.
- Previously only one MiG-31BM aircraft, tail number 81, was modified to carry the 293 rocket.
- Burevestnik (“Stormy Petrel”) seems to use interceptor satellites rather than direct-ascent ASAT In February 2017, a squadron commander of the Russian Aerospace Forces,
Yevgeny Polyakov, was quoted as saying by the Russian Ministry of Defense’s Zvezda TV channel that a new missile was being developed for the MiG-31BM “capable of destroying targets in near-space.”
- Available Burevestnik documents suggest that the project is still in its development phase and has not yet seen any flight tests.
- Air-launched ASAT advantages: 1) access to broader variety of launch azimuths and inclinations; 2) rapid launch preparation/reduced
If Burevestnik is indeed a space-based ASAT system, it would be only one of several ASAT projects that Russia is currently believed to be working on. These include ground-based and air-based direct-ascent systems as well as ground-based electronic jamming systems.
Russia merged its space force with the air force
- In 2015 Russia merged its space force with the air force in an attempt to consolidate command authority.
- The Russian Aerospace Forces combines elements of the space forces, air forces, as well as air and missile defense forces under a single command.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said the merger “makes it possible […] to concentrate in a single command all responsibility for formulating military and technical policy for the development of troops dealing with tasks in the aerospace theater and […] to raise the efficiency of their use through closer integration.”