[FPSPACE] Russia Today TV reports on space-based weaponry

[Peter Pesavento]

Considering that there is not any independent news organizations allowed
access to a TV station in Russia nowadays, can we interpret the following
article as a consequence of Vladimir Putin's direct inputs?  It is known
that the PM has great influence on whether stories are approved or not for
dissemination on television in Russia.

 

http://www.rt.com/Sci_Tech/2009-08-13/deter-space-strikes-russia.html?fullst
ory

 

Air Forces to deter space-based strikes on Russia

13 August, 2009, 10:10

By 2030, some nations, namely the USA, will have space-based weapon systems
capable of delivering a strike anywhere in Russia, predicts Russian Air
Forces Commander Aleksandr Zelin.

In 20 years, technologically advanced countries will have a new generation
of military aircraft and spacecraft, the Colonel General told the media on
Tuesday. They will be unmanned, capable of flying at hypersonic speeds and
probably be armed with weapons working on different physical principles as
compared to weapons used now.

The new armed forces will be able "to deliver synchronous precision strikes
on a global scale almost at any target in Russia's territory," Zelin is
cited as saying by Interfax news agency.

 
<http://www.rt.com/Sci_Tech/2009-08-13/deter-space-strikes-russia.html/?full
story> Read more

The senior officer says Russia will need a range of new weapon systems to
deter this potential threat. The country's plan for defense from space and
aerial attacks is expected to be shaped out by 2020, he announced.

One weapon Zelin named specifically is the S-500, a long-range air defense
system now in development, which will be able to hit targets in space as
well as in the atmosphere. Hypersonic-speed missiles and aircraft will also
be legitimate targets for the future system.

Another project hinted at by the top military is a strike drone with a
cruise speed of about Mach-6, or 6 times the speed of sound. He said that
"while there are no concrete orders for it, we have theoretical research in
this area."

Later, the Defense Ministry's press service told ITAR-TASS that Zelin was
referring to research into pulse detonation engines (PDE) as possible
technology for a future Russian unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). It's a kind
of jet engine where fuel is detonated in rapid pulses rather than simply
burnt. This allows greater efficiency but poses a great challenge in
controlling the vibration from detonation, which engineers are trying to
solve by increasing the frequency of detonations. Current working prototypes
have a frequency of dozens to a couple of hundred detonations per second,
while for smooth operation, a pulse detonation engine will need to make
thousands of detonations per second.

Russia is lagging behind in UAV technology, and has recently bought several
drones from Israel to "test their tactical capabilities", and as Zelin said,
may purchase more. The Air Forces see UAVs as one of the prime areas of
investment. Earlier in August, General Zelin said he expected up to 40% of
Russia's military fleet to unmanned craft in a matter of a decade.

Speaking on closer plans, the senior officer said Russia's fifth-generation
fighter jet will see its maiden flight later this year, "in November, or
probably in December." So far three prototypes of the PAK FA have been built
for land tests, and a machine for aerial tests is on its way. PAK FA is a
multipurpose super maneuverable stealth aircraft designed by Sukhoi.

 

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