The foreign reaction to Russia’s testing of an anti-satellite missile turned out to be so violent and far-fetched that it is just right to assume a planned information attack
The United States immediately rushed to accuse our country of what it is actively doing itself.
On the morning of November 16, the news feed was literally alarmed by the news that the ISS crew had taken refuge in the descent spacecraft due to the threat of a collision of the international station with some debris flying nearby. The debris passed by, the cosmonauts returned to their living quarters, and the Internet was blown up by a statement by State Department spokesman Ned Price, who accused Russia of testing anti-satellite weapons, which, according to the Americans, led to the formation of “only 1,500 large objects of space debris. It was not possible to count the small ones”.
After him, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken hurried to speak, who called the tests reckless and irresponsible. Then he added that “the United States will work with its allies and partners to try to respond to this irresponsible step.”
Almost immediately, a dive between the diplomatic departments of the United States and Russia began, during which the domestic ministry recalled the story of twelve years ago, when on February 21, 2008 by the Americans an SM-3 missile defense missile from the cruiser Lake Erie, located in the Pacific Ocean, “recklessly and irresponsibly” the emergency American spy satellite USA-193, located at an altitude of 246 km, was shot down. In 2020, the United States deployed space command and adopted a strategy with one of the main goals of creating a comprehensive military advantage in outer space.
“And to implement this strategy, the Pentagon, without any notification to anyone, is testing strike-combat weapons in orbit, including the launch of an anti-missile defense system into orbit,” said Foreign Minister Lavrov.
The point in the intrigue “was it or was not a test”, with a spectacular pause, was put by the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, which circulated an official statement, which, in particular, said: “Risks” for the astronauts of the International Space Station. November 15 of this year. The Russian Ministry of Defense successfully conducted a test, as a result of which the inoperative Russian spacecraft “Celina-D”, which had been in orbit since 1982, was struck. The United States knows for certain that the resulting fragments, in terms of test time and orbital parameters, did not and will not pose a threat to orbital stations, spacecraft and space activities. Fragments are included in the main catalog of the domestic space control system and immediately taken for tracking until their existence ceases.
So what kind of test did Russia conduct in space? The intercepted apparatus is a serious target. It is known from open sources that its total weight is almost 1.8 thousand kg. Was at the stage of deorbiting, slowly falling to Earth, dropping from an altitude of about 600 km to less than 500 km. Potential “killers”, according to military experts, could be two systems developed and undergoing final testing. These are the 53T6 interceptor missile, which is part of the A-235 Nudol missile defense system, and the anti-space defense aviation complex, designated 30P6 Contact, on which work was successfully carried out in the mid-1980s and resumed in the early 2000s. To the carrier (interceptor MiG-31D, “type 07”) could be suspended anti-satellite missile 79M6, developed by MKB “Fakel”.
The 53T6 anti-missile (according to NATO codification GAZELLE) of the A-235 “Nudol” system is already in service and, according to media reports, covers the Moscow industrial region from ICBM warheads. According to the terms of reference, it is initially capable of shooting down maneuverable manned and unmanned spacecraft. Apparently, it was she or a product derived from it that was used in tests on Monday.
One cannot help but be surprised at the emotional storm that has hit the Americans. You might think that Russia has tested some kind of prohibited weapon that has become a threat to humanity. But this is not the case. Much earlier than us, China tested its anti-satellite systems, shooting down the non-functioning Fengyun meteorological satellite in 2007 with a “medium-range ballistic missile” and then in 2014 launching a “scavenger satellite” into orbit, capable of using a manipulator to “push” “space debris” out of orbit.
American anti-satellite systems – the GBMD ground complex and the naval Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System – are already deployed and are on alert. It was Aegis that intercepted a satellite over the Pacific Ocean 12 years ago.
In 2019, India tested its PSO. This was announced personally by the Prime Minister of the country Narendra Modi. The weapon was launched as part of the Mission Shakti, he said. During the tests, Indian weapons hit a target satellite in low Earth orbit at an altitude of 300 km.
Even Israel has tested and can be used as a weapon to intercept satellites in low orbit, the Hetz-3 rocket, which is part of the state’s missile defense system.
And only Russian anti-satellite weapons were called a threat to the world. It seems that the Americans are transferring their own phantom pains of lost superiority to the entire planet.
Vladislav Shurygin, Izvestia newspaper