Space Security Index

Space Support for Terrestrial Military Operations
organizations. 30 e latest Gonets satellite to be launched, Gonets M-5, was placed in orbit
on 8 September 2010. 31 e Molniya-1 and -3 communications satellites in Highly Elliptical
Orbit (HEO) serve as data relay satellites for both military and civilian use and are to be
replaced by the Meridian series of communications satellites. 32
Table 6.2: Russian dedicated military satellites launched in 201033 Satellite Operator Function Orbit Launch Date Contractor
Raduga 1-M2
(Raduga 1-9)
Parus-99
(Cosmos 2463)
Strela 3
(Cosmos 2467)
Strela 3
(Cosmos 2468)
US-KS Oko 90
(Cosmos 2469)
Ministry of Defense Communications GEO 1/28/2010 Applied Mechanics
(NPO)
Ministry of Defense Navigation LEO 4/27/2010 Information Satellite
Systems
Ministry of Defense Communications LEO 9/8/2010 OAO ISS
Ministry of Defense Communications LEO 9/8/2010 OAO ISS
Ministry of Defense Early Warning Elliptical 9/30/2010 NPO Lovochkin
Early Warning
e USSR launched its rst early warning Oko satellite in 1972 and by 1982 had deployed
a full system of four satellites in HEO to warn of the launch of U.S. land-based ballistic
missiles. Over 80 Oko satellite launches allowed the USSR/Russia to maintain this capability
until the mid-1990s. By the end of 1999, the Oko system was operating with four HEO
satellites — the minimum number needed to maintain a continuous capability to detect
the launch of U.S. land-based ballistic missiles. e Oko system provides coverage of U.S.
intercontinental ballistic missile elds about 18 hours a day, but with reduced reliability; it
is capable of detecting massive attacks but not individual missile launches. 34 e Oko system
is complemented by an additional early-warning satellite in GEO, which is believed to be
a next-generation US-KMO or Prognoz satellite capable of detecting missiles against the
background of the Earth. 35 On 30 September 2010, the latest satellite in the system, US-KS
Oko 90, was placed in orbit by the Molinya-M launch vehicle.
e importance of adequate early warning capabilities was highlighted in 1995 when Russian
early warning radars mistakenly warned of a potential incoming Trident nuclear missile.
Russian President Boris Yeltsin made a decision not to retaliate with a nuclear launch,
averting disaster. 36
Intelligence
e USSR began using lm-based optical imagery satellites in 1962 and by the 1980s
could electronically transmit images while still maintaining a lm-based system. 37 Russia’s
optical imaging capabilities have declined since the Cold War. e three Russian lm-based
and opto-electronic reconnaissance systems used today are the Kobalt, Arkon, and Orlets/
Don systems, which in 2008, 2002, and 2006 respectively received new satellites, but
with lifespans of only 60-120 days. In 2005, Russia announced plans for a constellation of
high-resolution space radars in the next few years, using Arkon-2 and Kondor-E satellites.
e Arkon-2 satellite can provide photos with a resolution of up to one meter, while the
Kondor-E satellite has multirole radar that provides high-resolution images along two
500-km sectors to the left and right of its orbit. 38 Russia maintains two signals intelligence
satellite systems, neither of which is fully operational; US-PU/EORSAT is dedicated to
detecting electronic signals from surface ships, while Tselina is used for more general signals
intelligence purposes.
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