The United States plans to track the launches of hypersonic missiles and, for this, decided to create a constellation of satellites in an unconventional medium near-earth orbit for such purposes. The first tests are scheduled for 2022, and if successful, the group will be deployed by 2029. How effective will this system be against the latest Russian ballistic and hypersonic missiles?
The U.S. Space Force plans to begin testing digital prototype early warning satellites for missile launches in November 2022. They will be designed for unconventional – middle earth orbit. According to Breaking Defense, the placement of satellites in a lower orbit, and not the usual geostationary, will allow observing the launches of cruise, ballistic and hypersonic missiles and increase the accuracy and resiliency of this system. The middle earth orbit is located between traditional low earth and geostationary orbits in the range of altitudes above the Earth from 5 thousand to 20 thousand kilometers.
New satellites The satellites are planned to be equipped with a new generation of continuous infrared radiation (OPIR) system. In May of this year, the military signed contracts with Raytheon and Millennium Space Systems (part of Boeing) to create digital models of the Missile Track Custody Prototype (MTCP) satellites. They will test the designs of the next generation OPIR sensors before creating real satellites. These sensors are supposed to detect infrared plumes when missiles are launched, and then transmit the coordinates to other satellites and ground stations to continuously track the missile’s flight.
Back in 2018, the US Air Force allocated $ 2.9 billion to Lockheed Martin to develop three OPIR satellites. Aerospace and defense company Northrop Grumman is building two more, designed for polar orbits. Using digital models, the US Space Force intends to conduct early orbital tests on the ground. If the project is recognized as successful, then, according to Breaking Defense, the second stage will begin with testing in medium earth orbit. The launch of the first such satellite is scheduled for 2025 or 2026, and by 2029, the Americans expect to commission the entire constellation.
Currently, the United States uses a relatively small number of large satellites in geostationary orbit, known as the Space Infrared System (SBIRS), for early warning from space. These satellites are optimized for warning of nuclear missile launches because they can “see” a bright infrared flash anywhere in the world.
However, these satellites cannot track the modern highly maneuverable hypersonic gliding vehicles that Russia and China already have. The fact is that hypersonic targets are 10-20 times dimmer than the heat trail left by a ballistic missile being launched. When such a missile is launched, there is no bright flash, and they fly too low to be seen by ground-based missile defense radars (radars).
Now the United States has the technical capabilities to create a system that will monitor the launches of hypersonic missiles. This requires small satellites with a wide field of view in low Earth orbit. The problem is that hundreds of satellites are required to cover a large area. That is why the United States is thinking about spacecraft in an unconventional orbit. It is worth noting that existing satellite early warning systems have difficulty tracking ballistic missile warheads when they detach from their boosters and become “cold” during the so-called intermediate flight. And thanks to OPIR, satellites in middle earth orbit will be able to offer improved tracking functionality.
The columnist for the Arsenal of the Fatherland magazine Dmitry Drozdenko believes that the Americans had plans to create a constellation of satellites in medium-earth orbit after they did not have enough money to create a low-orbit component of SBIRS. Therefore, in his opinion, the United States decided to implement this system in a different way.
“At launch, the rocket gives off powerful infrared illumination and satellites analyze these signals thanks to powerful optics. To detail the flight trajectory, we need vehicles that will be closer to the Earth, that is, in a near-earth orbit, and not geostationary”, the expert explained.
Igor Korotchenko, editor-in-chief of the National Defense magazine, believes that thanks to an almost unlimited military budget, the United States is thus trying to respond to emerging threats, including the emergence of hypersonic weapons:
“Such satellite systems will solve a number of tasks, including tracking launches strategic continental ballistic missiles, including various types of hypersonic missiles”.
However, he doubts that this system will be effective against hypersonic missiles.
“Unlike a ballistic missile, they have no A torch is a powerful source of infrared radiation. In the case of hypersonic missiles, everything will depend on the type and capabilities of the sensor equipment of the new American satellites”, the expert says.
Drozdenko has a similar opinion. According to him, Russian hypersonic missiles, for example, of the Zircon class, use not a rocket, but a jet engine, which makes the heat trace weaker.
“And by itself, this tactical missile is several times smaller than a ballistic one. Low-orbit satellites are needed to track its flight”, – the source said.
However, tracking the flight of a hypersonic missile is half the battle. The main difficulty is how to destroy it.
“In addition to tracking the launch, it is also necessary to transmit information and aim an anti-missile defense device at the missile. To intercept a hypersonic missile at a speed of Mach 5, the interceptor missile must move in the opposite trajectory or develop even greater speed – for example, Mach 8. And for this, it is necessary to place air defense and missile defense systems in a certain way, for which there will not be enough money”, Drozdenko is sure.
He is also not sure about the effectiveness of such a complex and from the newest Russian ballistic intercontinental missiles “Sarmat”, which are now being tested and then should be put into service.
“There is no defense against them yet. This rocket uses orbital bombardment technology, which means that the Sarmat can fly through the South Pole. Therefore, for protection, it will be necessary to install anti-missile systems not in Europe and Alaska, but along the perimeter of America, which is unrealistic in terms of financial costs”, the source emphasizes.
However, he believes that the deployment of such a system will not be completely useless.
“Even having information about a rocket’s flight is a huge advantage. At the beginning of World War II, our pilots suffered from the fact that the fascist Luftwaffe and tank crews had walkie-talkies. This was a huge tactical advantage of the fascist army”, the expert explained.
Andrey Rezchikov, VZGLYAD