SATELLITE KILLERS
The fact is much less dramatic however no much less worrisome. The probably use could be to destroy an enemy’s army satellites. Damaging navigation satellites would hinder an adversary’s capability to struggle a warfare. Each precision-strike weapons and ground-based forces depend on satellite tv for pc constellations like GPS or the Russian GLONASS system to search out and attain targets.
Nations may need the flexibility to destroy an enemy’s house weapons, together with space-based missile defenses. Whereas no nation has deployed these weapons but, leaders could worry future capabilities and deploy house weapons first to hedge in opposition to this menace.
Most dangerously, these weapons might destroy or harm satellites important to an enemy’s nuclear command, management and communications system, together with early warning satellites that observe missile launches and communication satellites that relay army orders.
Nuclear weapons harm satellites due to a wave of gamma radiation that’s created by a nuclear detonation. This radiation damages important subsystems inside a satellite tv for pc.
However such weapons produce vital drawbacks. A detonation would harm any satellites inside vary of the gamma radiation – together with these of the attacking nation, its allies and impartial international locations.
Nevertheless, a space-based nuclear anti-satellite weapon could have some benefits over different choices for attacking international locations. Floor-based anti-satellite techniques can solely attain targets in low Earth orbit.
Even a nuclear-powered anti-satellite weapon in house would create a novel menace with out a nuclear warhead. Such a tool would have a higher vary than anti-satellite weapons on the bottom and will carry out its mission over an prolonged time frame. Each elements would improve the variety of satellites it might harm or destroy.
Most of the satellites a rustic could need to take out are situated at increased orbits past the vary of ground-based techniques. That is true for a number of the US techniques that Russia could need to goal.
The Kremlin’s curiosity in house weapons might be an try to cut back America’s functionality to struggle a warfare; threaten nuclear command, management and communications techniques; or hedge in opposition to space-based missile defenses. Alternatively, the Russian protection trade could drive their improvement for revenue.