One of the US-KS early-warning satellites, Cosmos-2393 (NORAD 27613), appears to have ended its operations. The satellite, launched on 24 Dec 2002, did not perform an orbit-correcting maneuver that would normally take place in the first days of February 2007. It is still possible, however, that the satellite would return to normal operations, so for the time being it will continue to be listed as operational.
If Cosmos-2393 ended its operations, the space-based segment of the Russian early-warning system would be left with just two satellites - Cosmos-2422 (29260), launched on 21 Jul 2006, on the highly-elliptical orbit, and Cosmos-2379 (26892, 24 Aug 2001) - on the geostationary orbit.
In 2007, the Space Forces are planning to launch a new US-KS satellite into the highly-elliptical orbit. The date of the launch has not been announced yet.
UPDATE: The satellite re-entered the atmosphere at about 00:00 UTC on 22 December 2013, probably over the Pacific Ocean.
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Just 2 satellites for Early Warning , I guess for many hours in a day , Russia hardly has any satellite based Early Warning available.
Pavel what would be the bare minumum early Warning satellite that Russia would need to provide 24x7 coverage over worlds Land Mass and Ocean ?
Do they have any plans to move forward in that direction ?
Pavel:
Off topic I know but did you see the brief posted about the US Air Force planning to scrap the Advance Cruise Missile (ACM)? Hans M. Kristensen “broke the story”. If you’ll remember back, I read the Department of Energy had ended the refurbishing and upgrade project for the W-80 warhead and was curious. Did that mean the W-80 passed the 20-year test and didn’t need an upgraded or did that mean the United States didn’t intend on keeping its inventory of ALCM? I pestered Hans on his “Nuclear Website” to no avail and mentioned it here. So, is the United States getting out of the nuclear cruise missile business or is the new Reliable Warhead Program intending to provide the successor? How does that affect Russian military policy? Thoughts?
Frank Shuler
USA
Austin: On the bare minimum, the answer is, it depends on what kind of reliability etc. one expects from the system. The two satellites that are now in orbit still provide some coverage.
Frank: Quite frankly, I don't know. Try ask Hans in his blog: http://www.fas.org/blog/ssp/2007/03/us_air_force_decides_to_retire.php
I doubt this would affect anything in Russian policy. Why would it?
Pavel:
The prototype MIG-35 has been touted as a cruise-missile killer and Russia is thinking about a big order for domestic air defense that may now not be justified. Resources perhaps better spent on SS-27s, for example. What do critics of the United States’ foreign policy to Russia say about America’s decision to scrap the Peacekeeper (MX) ICBM and the Advanced Cruise Missile (ACM) while under no treaty obligation to do either?
By the way, Hans never replies. No dialog.
Frank Shuler
USA
Why to retire ACM and retain ALCM? It seems ilogical
Kolokol:
The general thought has always been the remaining inventory of ALCM would be rebuilt as conventional weapons. Perhaps the United States is getting out of the nuclear cruise missile business. Or, perhaps its successor is in the "black world” and has not be publicly acknowledged yet. Does the United States really need a nuclear cruise missile? No.
Frank Shuler
USA
Or may be the reverse statement hold: convert the stealthy ACM to a conventional role, may be thinking in someone like, mmmm... Iran? Anyway, it the task will take a couple of years. Just an idea.
Frank Shuler:
Just to show that one good deed deserves another(while on ACM subject)if one were really to be technical, latest production ss-20 had a range greater than the 5000km maximum range for medium range weapons. Russia wasn't a stickler for this detail and scrapped all ss-20s.
As for Peacekeeper, its limited numbers means that any refitting program will be very expensive. However it is commendable that warheads are getting reduced.
Back to the satellite possibly mission ending. With the Russian missile defense satellite constellation now down to two satellites, has there been any talk in Russia about a next gen missile warning satellite being developed/launched as part of the Defense spending plan Ivanov presented to the Duma last month? It seems to me with my basic analysis of the satellites on orbit and ground radars using STK that Russia is severely limited in tracking Pacific missiles while focusing most of their development on European and Western trajctory US missiles. Does Russia not worry about China / North Korea / US missile defense launches in the Pacific?
Tim
USA
Russia is planning to launch a new US-KS/Oko satellite this year, but there is nothing about the plans to build up the US-KMO constellation, which would give it the capability to see launches from the Pacific.
What about the “new air-space defence system much superior than the S-400” Any idea? More pre-electoral rhetoric?
I think funds should be better allocated in putting S-400 in its full configuration, That’s means with the 400 km reach 40N6 missile and the passive tracker. The system near Moscow have just the 250 km reach 48N6DM missile.