The first satellite of the new space-based early-warning system, EKS, is expected to take place in November 2015, according to Oleg Maydanovich, the commander of the Space and Air Defense Forces.

A year ago, the launch of the new satellite, reportedly named Tundra, was expected to happen in 2014. Indeed, initial report about EKS suggested that the flight tests of the system would begin in 2009.

The system is believed to include ten satellites deployed on highly-elliptical orbits (and maybe on geosynchronous orbits as well). In addition to early-warning, EKS is expected to work as an element of the space situational awareness system (hence the E in EKS, for ""Edinaya Kosmicheskaya Systema" or "integrated Space System").

Russia has had no functioning early-warning satellites in orbit since the fall of 2014.