The properties of near-earth space open up great prospects for armed confrontation
Outer space has many uses, and the military is no exception. One satellite image can contain overview information equal to a thousand images obtained during aerial photography. Accordingly, space weapons can be used in the line of sight over a much larger area than terrestrial weapons. At the same time, even greater opportunities are opening up for space reconnaissance.
The high visibility of near-earth outer space (CP) allows for global observation by space means of all areas of the earth's surface, air and outer space in almost real time. This makes it possible to instantly react to any change in the situation in the world. It is no coincidence, in the opinion of American specialists, that during the preparatory period, space reconnaissance systems make it possible to obtain up to 90 percent of information about a potential enemy.
Geostationary radio transmitters located in space have half of the earth's radio visibility. This property of the CP allows for continuous communication between any receiving means on the hemisphere, both stationary and mobile.
The space constellation of radio transmitting stations covers the entire territory of the Earth. This property of the command post allows you to control the movement of enemy targets and coordinate the actions of allied forces throughout the entire globe.
Visual and optical observations from space are characterized by the so-called supervisibility property: the bottom from the ship is viewed to a depth of 70 meters, and in images from space - up to 200 meters, while objects on the shelf are also visible. This makes it possible to control the presence and movement of enemy resources and makes useless means of concealment, effective against aerial reconnaissance.
From observation to action
According to expert estimates, space strike systems can be moved from a stationary orbit to the point of striking objects located on the Earth's surface in 8-15 minutes. This is comparable to the flight time of submarine ballistic missiles striking from the water area of the North Atlantic into the central region of Russia.
Today, the line between air and space warfare is blurring. So, for example, the Boing X37B unmanned aerospace aircraft (USA) can be used for various purposes: observation, launching satellites and delivering strikes.
From the point of view of observation, near-earth space creates the most favorable conditions for collecting and transmitting information. This makes it possible to effectively use information storage systems located in space. The transfer of copies of the earth's information resources into space increases their safety in comparison with storage on the earth's surface.
The extraterritorial nature of near-earth space allows flight over the territory of various states in peacetime and during the conduct of hostilities. Almost every space vehicle can be over the zone of any conflict and be used in it. In the presence of a constellation of spacecraft, they can constantly monitor any point on the globe.
In near-earth space (OKP), it is impossible to use such a damaging factor of conventional weapons as a shock wave. At the same time, the practical absence of the atmosphere at an altitude of 200-250 kilometers creates favorable conditions for the use of combat laser, beam, electromagnetic and other types of weapons in the OKP.
Taking this into account, in the mid-90s of the last century, the United States planned to deploy about 10 special space stations in near-earth space, equipped with chemical lasers with a power of up to 10 MW to solve a wide range of tasks, including the destruction of space objects for various purposes.
Spacecraft (SC) used for military purposes can be classified, like civilian ones, according to the following criteria:
by inclination angle - in geostationary orbits (0º and 180º), in polar (i = 90º) and intermediate orbits.
A special characteristic of combat spacecraft is their functional purpose. It allows distinguishing three groups of CAs:
combat (for striking targets on the surface of the Earth, missile defense and anti-missile defense systems);
special (electronic warfare, radio line interceptors, etc.).
Currently, the complex orbital constellation includes satellites for aerial and electronic reconnaissance, communications, navigation, topogeodetic and meteorological support.
From SDI to ABM
At the turn of the 50s and 60s, the USA and the USSR, while improving their weapons systems, tested nuclear weapons in all natural spheres, including space.
According to the official lists of nuclear tests published in the open press, five American ones, carried out in 1958-1962, and four Soviet ones, in 1961-1962, were classified as space nuclear explosions.
In 1963, US Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara announced the start of work on the Sentinel (sentinel) program, which was supposed to provide protection against missile attacks on a large part of the continental United States. It was assumed that the anti-missile defense (ABM) system would be a two-echelon, consisting of high-altitude long-range interceptors LIM-49A Spartan and short-range intercept missiles Sprint and associated PAR and MAR radars, as well as computing systems.
On May 26, 1972, the USA and the USSR signed the ABM Treaty (entered into force on October 3, 1972). The parties pledged to limit their missile defense systems to two complexes (with a radius of no more than 150 kilometers with the number of anti-missile launchers of no more than 100): around the capital and in one area of the strategic nuclear missile silos. The treaty obliged not to create or deploy missile defense systems or components of space, air, sea or mobile-ground based.
On March 23, 1983, US President Ronald Reagan announced the beginning of research work, which aimed to study additional measures against intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) (Anti-Ballistic Missile - ABM). The implementation of these measures (placement of interceptors in space, etc.) was supposed to protect the entire US territory from ICBMs. The program was named the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI). It provided for the use of ground and space systems to protect the United States from ballistic missile attacks and formally meant a departure from the earlier doctrine of "mutual assured destruction" (Mutual Assured Destruction - MAD).
In 1991, President George W. Bush put forward a new concept for the missile defense modernization program, which involved intercepting a limited number of missiles. From that moment on, the United States began attempts to create a national missile defense system (NMD) bypassing the ABM Treaty.
In 1993, the Bill Clinton administration changed the name of the program to National Missile Defense (NMD).
The US missile defense system being created includes a command center, early warning stations and satellites for tracking missile launches, guidance stations for interceptor missiles, and launch vehicles themselves for launching anti-missiles into space in order to destroy enemy ballistic missiles.
In 2001, George W. Bush announced that the missile defense system would protect the territory not only of the United States, but also of allies and friendly countries, not excluding the deployment of elements of the system on their territory. Great Britain was among the first on this list. A number of Eastern European countries, primarily Poland, have also officially expressed their desire to deploy elements of a missile defense system, including anti-missiles, on their territory.
Participating in the program
In 2009, the budget of the US military space program amounted to $ 26.5 billion (the entire budget of Russia is only $ 21.5 billion). The following organizations are currently participating in this program.
The United States Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) is a unified combat command within the US Department of Defense, founded in 1992 to replace the abolished Strategic Command of the Air Force. It unites strategic nuclear forces, missile defense forces and space forces.
The strategic command was formed with the aim of strengthening the centralization of management of the planning process and the combat use of strategic offensive weapons, increasing the flexibility of their control in various conditions of the military-strategic situation in the world, as well as improving interaction between the components of the strategic triad.
The National Geospatial Intelligence Agency (NGA), headquartered in Springfield, Virginia, is the Department of Defense's combat support agency and a member of the intelligence community. The NGA uses images from space-based national intelligence information systems, as well as commercial satellites and other sources. Within this organization, spatial models and maps are developed to support decision-making. Its main purpose is spatial analysis of global world events, natural disasters and military actions.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) oversees the policies, rules, procedures and standards for licensing and regulating missions for Department of Defense (DoD) satellites.
The National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) designs, builds and operates reconnaissance satellites in the United States. NRO's mission is to develop and operate unique and innovative systems for intelligence and intelligence missions. In 2010, the NRO celebrated its 50th anniversary.
The Army Space and Missile Defense Command (SMDC) is based on the concept of global spatial warfare and defense.
The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) develops and tests comprehensive, multi-layered missile defense systems to protect the United States, its deployed forces and allies across all ranges of enemy ballistic missiles at all stages of flight. MDA uses satellites and ground tracking stations to provide global coverage of the earth's surface and near-Earth space.
In the desert and beyond
Analysis of the conduct of wars and armed conflicts at the end of the 20th century shows the growing role of space technologies in solving the problems of military confrontation. In particular, such operations as Desert Shield and Desert Storm in 1990-1991, Desert Fox in 1998, Allied Force in Yugoslavia, Iraqi Freedom in 2003, demonstrate the leading role in the combat support of the actions of space information assets.
During military operations, military space information systems (reconnaissance, communications, navigation, topographic and geodetic and meteorological support) were used in a comprehensive and effective manner.
In particular, in the Persian Gulf zone in 1991, from the side of the coalition forces, an orbital group of 86 spacecraft was involved (29 - reconnaissance, 2 - missile attack warnings, 36 - navigation, 17 - communications and 2 - meteorological support). By the way, the US Department of Defense then acted under the slogan "Power to the periphery" - the very same thing that the Allied forces used in World War II to fight in North Africa against Germany.
US space reconnaissance assets played a significant role in 1991. The information received was used at all stages of operations. According to American experts, during the preparatory period, space systems provided up to 90 percent of information about a potential enemy. In the combat zone, together with the regional complex for receiving and processing data, receiving terminals of consumers equipped with computers were deployed. They compared the received information with the information already available and presented the updated data on the screen within a few minutes.
Space communication systems were used by all command and control levels up to a battalion (division), inclusive, a separate strategic bomber, a reconnaissance aircraft, an AWACS (Airborne Warning End Control System) early warning aircraft, and a warship. The channels of the international satellite communication system Intelsat (Intelsat) were also used. In total, more than 500 receiving stations were deployed in the war zone.
An important place in the combat support system was occupied by the space meteorological system. It made it possible to obtain images of the earth's surface with a resolution of about 600 meters and made it possible to study the state of the atmosphere for short-term and medium-term forecasts for the area of military conflict. According to the meteorological reports, the planned tables of aviation flights were compiled and corrected. In addition, it was planned to use data from meteorological satellites to quickly determine the affected areas on the ground in the event of the possible use of chemical and biological weapons by Iraq.
The multinational forces made extensive use of the navigation field created by the NAVSTAR space system. With the help of its signals, the accuracy of aircraft reaching targets at night was increased, and the flight trajectory of aircraft and cruise missiles was corrected. Combined use with an inertial navigation system made it possible to perform maneuvers when approaching the target both in height and along the course. The missiles went to a given point with coordinate errors at the level of 15 meters, after which precise guidance was carried out using a homing head.
Space is one hundred percent
During Operation Allied Force in the Balkans in 1999, the United States for the first time fully used practically all of its military space systems to provide operational support for the preparation and conduct of hostilities. They were used in solving both strategic and tactical tasks and played a significant role in the success of the operation. Commercial spacecraft were also actively used for reconnaissance of the ground situation, additional reconnaissance of targets after air strikes, assessing their accuracy, issuing target designation to weapon systems, providing troops with space communications and navigation information.
In total, in the campaign against Yugoslavia, NATO has already used about 120 satellites for various purposes, including 36 communications satellites, 35 reconnaissance satellites, 27 navigation and 19 meteorological satellites, which is almost twice the scale of use in Operations Desert Storm and Desert Fox »In the Middle East.
In general, according to foreign sources, the contribution of the US space forces to increasing the effectiveness of military operations (in armed conflicts and local wars in Iraq, Bosnia and Yugoslavia) is: intelligence - 60 percent, communications - 65 percent, navigation - 40 percent, and in the future, it is integrally estimated at 70–90 percent.
Thus, an analysis of the experience of US and NATO military operations in armed conflicts at the end of the 20th century allows us to draw the following conclusions:
the necessity and high efficiency of the use of space support groups created at various levels of command were confirmed;
a new character of troop actions is revealed, which is manifested in the appearance of the space phase of military actions, which precedes, accompanies and ends a military conflict.
Igor Barmin, Doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, President of the Russian Academy of Cosmonautics. E. K. Tsiolkovsky, General Designer of FSUE "TsENKI"
Victor Savinykh, Doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Academician of the Russian Academy of Cosmonautics. E. K. Tsiolkovsky, President of MIIGAiK
Viktor Tsvetkov, Doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor, Academician of the Russian Academy of Cosmonautics. E. K. Tsiolkovsky, advisor to the rector of MIIGAiK
Viktor Rubashka, Leading Specialist of the Russian Academy of Cosmonautics. E. K. Tsiolkovsky
