As it became known the other day, Russia continues to develop and test advanced types of weapons designed to protect against possible attacks. Last week, there were reports of another test launch of Russia's latest anti-missile missile. As several times earlier, the first information about tests of Russian-developed weapons was published by foreign media. The data on the launch, according to the foreign press, were obtained from sources in the American intelligence structures.
The next tests of Russian weapons were reported on December 21 by the American edition of The Washington Free Beacon in the article “Russia Conducts Fifth Test of New Anti-Satellite Missile” (“Russia conducted the fifth test of a new anti-satellite missile”). The author of this publication is the military columnist for the publication Bill Gertz, known for his attention to foreign, including Russian, projects in the field of strategic weapons.
From unnamed representatives of the American military department, B. Gertz received information about a new test launch of a promising Russian missile intended for use in the anti-missile defense system. The American author suggests that such weapons can be used to destroy spacecraft in order to destroy the communications infrastructure of the United States.
Possible appearance of the Nudol missile launcher. Figure Militaryrussia.ru
The American special services have information that on December 16, at one of the test ranges in the central part of Russia, a test launch of a Nudol-type rocket took place. The product has the American code designation PL-19 (according to known data, the letters "PL" designate the missiles tested at the Plesetsk test site). According to official data, the new missile is intended to be used as part of missile defense systems and to protect the country from a possible attack.
According to B. Gertz and his sources, the fifth test launch of the newest Russian missile took place in mid-December. At the same time, he was the third, which ended in success. The exact location of the tests has not been specified. Previously, similar launches took place at the Plesetsk cosmodrome in the Arkhangelsk region, but this time a different test site has become a test site. Also, the technical features of the launch are not specified. In particular, it is not known whether the experimental rocket went into space or flew along a suborbital trajectory.
The author of The Washington Free Beacon tried to get an official comment from the US military. However, Pentagon spokeswoman Michelle Baldance noted that the US Department of Defense usually does not comment on the capabilities of other countries.
B. Gertz recalls that the two previous test launches of the PL-19 / Nudol rocket took place on May 24 and November 18 last year. It is noted that the first reports about these interesting events appeared in The Washington Free Beacon in the materials of B. Hertz himself.
The current course of testing a promising missile, according to the American author, shows that the Nudol program has a high priority and is actively moving towards the future adoption of missiles into service with the subsequent development of their operation. At the same time, a new type of interceptor missile is one of several models of promising strategic weapons currently being created by the Russian defense industry.
Specialists of the US military are inclined to see in the Nudol product a direct ascent anti-satellite missile. Russia, in turn, seeks to disguise such a purpose of the project and argues that the new complex is necessary to combat ballistic missiles, but not spacecraft. The current work and the progress achieved are of concern to the US military leadership. At the same time, both Russian and Chinese developments in the field of anti-satellite systems are cause for concern.
The existing concern is expressed in the form of relevant statements by high-ranking officials and military leaders. B. Gertz cites some similar statements about Russian and Chinese projects in his new article.
The head of US Strategic Command, General John Hayten, formerly the Air Force Space Command chief, previously said that Russia and China are currently building their own systems for war in space. These countries receive new opportunities that directly affect American security.
In March this year, the head of the Strategic Command's Joint Space Operations Command, General David J. Buck, said that the Russian industry was busy developing new weapons with anti-space capabilities. According to the general, Russia views the United States' dependence on space systems as a vulnerability that can be used for military purposes. In this regard, the Russian military intends to take purposeful actions to enhance the potential in the fight against the space systems of a potential enemy.
Another interesting statement was made earlier by Mark Schneider, who in the past participated in the formation of the Pentagon's strategic arms policy. He argues that the current imbalance in anti-satellite weapons between the United States and other countries is of paramount importance. According to M. Schneider, in the future, such a situation can lead to defeat in a conflict of high intensity. Thus, the loss of satellites of the GPS navigation system, including the complete destruction of their grouping, will worsen the capabilities of the existing American high-precision weapons, and also exclude the effective use of long-range cruise missiles.
Another target of promising anti-satellite missiles can be communication space vehicles. According to M. Schneider, the United States has already begun to take the first steps in reducing its dependence on GPS satellites. Nevertheless, while these works are far from the final result.
Heritage Foundation defense analyst Mikaela Dodge argues that the new tests of the Russian missile defense underline the growing threats in the space environment. New test launches require the US to change its mind about space. Near-Earth space is now proving to be a "contested environment", free access to which cannot be guaranteed. In the presence of such threats, the Pentagon should create scenarios for working in conditions of impossibility of full use of space and satellite constellation. Also, Russian tests show the need to protect and diversify the space group.
With reference to unnamed representatives of American intelligence, B. Gertz writes that to deliver a serious blow to the satellite "infrastructure", which could seriously interfere with the conduct of military operations, a potential adversary will only need two dozen anti-satellite missiles.
Spacecraft of various classes and types are used by the Pentagon for communications and control, precision navigation, reconnaissance, etc. The dependence of the army on the space group is especially strong when solving combat missions in remote regions, where satellites are one of the few tools for one purpose or another. Russia and China have already understood the US dependence on spacecraft, which can be considered a real vulnerability. As a consequence, anti-satellite weapons are a convenient "asymmetric" weapon of war.
The American author is aware of various developments of the Chinese and Russian industries in the field of countering satellites. According to him, the two countries are creating laser and other "directed energy" systems, with the help of which the operation of satellites can be disrupted. Also, small spacecraft are being created with the ability to maneuver and counter enemy equipment.
B. Gertz recalls that the Russian command has already talked about the latest developments in this area. For example, the former commander of the Russian Aerospace Defense Forces, Colonel-General Oleg Ostapenko, argued that the promising S-500 anti-aircraft complex will be able to hit a variety of targets, including satellites in low orbits and various space weapons.
In May of this year, Professor of the Academy of Military Sciences Vadim Kozyulin said that the development of "space kamikaze" shows Russia's preparation for a possible conflict with the United States, the field for which will be near-earth space. The TASS news agency in one of its publications on the A-60 project mentioned that the laser systems of the experimental aircraft can also be used to combat spacecraft.
In October, the TASS agency raised the topic of the Nudol project. According to him, the project also has the designation A-235 and is being developed to replace the existing missile defense systems in Moscow. B. Gertz notes that anti-missiles and anti-satellite weapons should have similar characteristics. Missiles of both types must have a high flight speed and be distinguished by their guidance accuracy.
The Washington Free Beacon recalls that the United States does not currently have dedicated anti-satellite missiles. Nevertheless, interceptors from the existing missile defense system can solve problems of this kind. In 2008, a specially converted SM-3 interceptor missile was able to destroy a reconnaissance satellite located in near-earth space. This shows that even in the absence of special complexes, the Pentagon has anti-satellite systems that can be used to combat space groupings of a potential enemy.
The Defense Intelligence Agency, in one of last year's reports to Congress, mentioned the position of the Russian leadership on anti-satellite weapons. According to the Office, Russian leaders openly claim that the country has weapons to combat spacecraft and is conducting research in this area.
In addition to Russia, anti-satellite weapons are created by China. According to reports, the most recent test launch of a Chinese anti-spacecraft missile took place in early December. As in the case of the Russian works, information about the preparations for this launch was first published by The Washington Free Beacon. The tested Chinese missile was identified as a DN-3 product. Like the Russian project Nudol, the Chinese project is officially listed as a missile defense weapon. It should be noted that the Chinese Ministry of Defense called the publication of the American publication about the preparation for the launch groundless.
According to various sources, to date, the Russian industry has conducted five test launches of Nudol missiles. The first launch took place on August 12, 2014, but its results are not reliably known. According to various sources, it was successful or ended in an accident. The next rocket was launched on April 22, 2015, but it did not fulfill the task. On November 18 last year, the third launch was carried out, which, according to all available data, ended in success. The fourth overall and second successful start took place on May 25 this year. All these tests were carried out at the Plesetsk test site. On December 16, according to B. Gertz, the last launch took place at the moment, it is also the third successful one.
According to available data from domestic sources, the A-235 Nudol complex is a further development of the family of anti-missile systems designed to protect the Moscow area. The missiles of a new type with improved characteristics will replace existing products. It is assumed that in its finished form, the new anti-missile system will be able to hit the warheads of ballistic missiles at ranges of up to several hundred kilometers at high altitudes, including outside the atmosphere. At the same time, the exact characteristics of the Nudol system, for obvious reasons, are unknown.
The lack of full information about the new project leads to increased interest on the part of domestic and foreign experts, which, among other things, stimulates the emergence of new publications, such as the recent article by The Washington Free Beacon.
