EKS Kupol Missile Early-Warning Satellites

The Russian Defense Ministry has signed contracts on the development and construction of satellites capable of detecting launches of ballistic missiles, First Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Sukhorukov said on Thursday.

The new missile early warning satellites will be part of a unified aerospace defense network being formed in Russia.

“Several military satellites will be launched this year,” Sukhorukov said.

Russia, which reportedly operates a constellation of 60 to 70 military satellites, is planning to launch at least 100 new military satellites in the next 10 years to boost its reconnaissance and missile detection capabilities.

The expansion of the military satellite cluster will also boost global positioning and mapping capabilities of the Russian military, which is necessary to guide advanced high-precision weapons being developed in Russia.

http://www.en.ria.ru/news/20120419/172918299.html

So they will include... based on that article... a combination of more and better Glonass satellites (to improve accuracy of Russian guided weapons) plus satellites for precise mapping of the earth... there is no point having a working GPS system if you don't have accurate digital maps of various areas, and of course early warning IR satellites that can detects the launch plumes of ballistic missiles... such satellites might also be useful for tracking wild fires in Russia during the summer season.

I would rather suspect that the new Space and Air Defence force would be interested in space based monitoring of Russian territory too, while the Navy will have an interest in IR satellites able to detect ships at sea and the wakes of submarines as they churn up cooler water as they travel along.

Russia's only geostationary early-warning satellite, Cosmos-2479, launched in March 2012, has ceased operations. In March-April 2014 the satellite did not perform its regular station-keeping maneuver and, according to Kommersant, was formally declared nonoperational by the ministry of defense in April 2014.

Cosmos-2479 was a satellite of the 71Kh6 type that was developed as part of the US-KMO early-warning system, which was supposed to provide complete coverage of the northern hemisphere. However, the system never reached operational status and Cosmos-2479 was said to be the last 71Kh6 spacecraft. It was deployed at the point 166E (after a brief stop at 80E) and apparently worked with the Eastern Command Center that became operational in April 2012.

The loss of Cosmos-2379 leaves Russia's early-warning system with two satellites on highly-elliptical orbits - Cosmos-2422 and Cosmos-2446, launched in July 2006 and December 2008 respectively.

New-generation early-warning satellite, Tundra, to be launched in 2014

According to a report in Kommersant, Russia will launch a new-generation early-warning satellite, codenamed Tundra and identified as 14F142, by the end of 2014. The launch will begin deployment of a new system, EKS (Edinaya Kosmicheskaya Systema, Integrated Space System), which will provide early-warning as well as some other functions (probably space surveillance or, as some suggested, secure communication). Kommersant reports that the satellite will be delivered into orbit by a Soyuz-2.1b launcher with a Fregat booster stage. According to the report, the new system will have true look-down capability and will detect missiles launches originated from the sea as well as from the U.S. territory. Tundra will be deployed on a highly-elliptical orbit, but earlier reports suggested that the complete system could include geostationary satellites as well.

The flight tests of the EKS system were expected to begin in 2009, but it then slipped to 2011-2012. Now it looks like the system is finally ready for initial deployment.

EKS will replace satellites of the old US-KS and US-KMO systems - as of June 2014 only two 73D6 spacecraft of the US-KS (Oko) system, deployed on highly-elliptical orbits, were operational. The last 71Kh6 geostationary satellite of the US-KMO system was lost in March-April 2014.

New generation of Russian early warning satellites planned by the end of 2014   


New-generation early-warning satellite, Tundra, to be launched in 2014

New generation of Russian EW satellites is ready

Russian Federation will launch the first new satellites, missile warning in 2015

Russia to Create Space-Based Ballistic Missile Warning System

MOSCOW, October 9 (RIA Novosti) – Russia will create a space-based ballistic missile warning system capable of detecting launches of existing and test missiles, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Thursday.

"The creation of an integrated space system is one of the key directions in which Russian nuclear deterrent forces will be developed. As a result, we will be able to detect sea and ground launches of various types of ballistic missiles, including prototypes," Shoigu said.

According to the defense minister, the system will replace Soviet-made ballistic missile early warning systems.

The integrated space system will comprise next-generation space vehicles and modernized space centers that would ensure control over the satellites and allow for automatic information processing.

Nice

Single space system in the Russian Federation for 2018 will include 10 satellites

Will 10 Sats be enough for Global EW Coverage ? Unless they are placed in Geo Orbit

Hopefully they use the reliable Soyuz-2 to launch this , Cant depend on Proton-M


Single space system in the Russian Federation for 2018 will include 10 satellites

http://ria.ru/defense_safety/20141129/1035744688.html

MOSCOW, November 29 - RIA Novosti. The single space system (CEN), created in Russia by 2018 will receive ten satellites, the first of which will launch into orbit in 2015, said Saturday the deputy commander of the Space Command Aerospace Defense (ASD ) Major-General Anatoly Nestechuk.

"Colossal developing rapidly work towards a unified system of space. If we talk about specific dates, in 2015 planned launch of a new spacecraft system, I think that the orbital group of 10 satellites of this system in 2018 will be fully operational" - Nestechuk said the radio station "Echo of Moscow" .

As stated earlier, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, creating a single space system (CEN) will allow Russia to detect launches of both existing and emerging ballistic missile from the world's oceans and from the country, conducting tests.

According to him, this system will replace the means of missile warning, developed in the Soviet era. The structure of CEN will new generation spacecraft, as well as modernized command centers that provide management constellation, reception and processing of information in an automatic mode.

They appear to be missile launch warning satellites... some in geostationary orbits will be OK but some covering the polar regions would be needed to check for SLBM launches/tests too.

EW usually means Electronic Warfare... rather than Early Warning BTW.

New Russian Space Anti-Ballistic Missile System On-Track for 2020: Engineer

Сhief engineer from the Russian defense corporation Almaz Antey stated that an improved early warning system in space for detecting ballistic missile launches will be in place by 2020.

MOSCOW, December 8 (Sputnik) – An improved early warning system in space for detecting ballistic missile launches will be in place by 2020, a chief engineer from the Russian defense corporation Almaz Antey said Monday.

“In the development of the space echelon, everything necessary has been accepted and the technical solutions have been tested, and we expect that the low-Earth orbit space echelon early warning ballistic missile system in its improved form will by 2020, or even earlier, provide the necessary characteristics of a constant warning of ballistic missile launches,” Pavel Sozinov said during a conference.

The possibilities to detect moving targets have significantly improved in recent years, Sozinov stated, speaking of the creation of an identification system over the territory of Russia at medium and high altitudes. When it comes to detecting enemy targets at low and very low altitudes, "the possibilities at this perimeter are, of course, very limited," the chief engineer said.

Sozinov also noted that the Russian defense industry has made significant progress in the creation of fuel for interceptor missiles and thermal barrier coatings that can withstand heat up to 3,500 degrees Celsius.

The creation of a unified space-based ballistic missile warning system in Russia was announced by Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu in October. The system is set to replace Soviet-made ballistic missile early warning systems and will comprise next-generation space vehicles and modernized space centers that would ensure control over satellites and allow automatic information processing.

Russia’s last satellites for identifying ballistic missile launchers cease operation

The launch of the first satellite Tundra of Russia’s unified space system will take place no earlier than in June, until then, there will be no satellites in Russia's missile warning system

MOSCOW, February 11. /TASS/. Two last satellites of the Oko program for identifying ballistic missile launchers ceased operating in January, the Kommersant daily wrote on Wednesday.

The launch of the first satellite Tundra of Russia’s unified space system will take place no earlier than in June, the daily said. Until then, there will be no satellites in the space echelon of Russia’s missile warning system.

"Oko-1 was part of Russia’s missile warning system. The system employed six satellites on geostationary and highly elliptical orbits. The last geostationary satellite got out of order in April last year. The two remaining satellites on highly elliptical orbits could operate only several hours a day. In the beginning of January, they also went out of order," Kommersant said.

The new generation early warning satellite Tundra was planned to be launched in 2013. However, the launch was postponed several times as the apparatus was not ready to be put into operation, sources in the aerospace industry told the daily.

In October 2014, Deputy Defense Minister Yury Borisov said that despite the deterioration of the space echelon of Russia’s missile warning system, Russia "has almost no unprotected territories" thanks to radars. "Today we have a solid information space, we are protected well from all potentially dangerous directions," Borisov noted.

What are the disadvantages ?

I mean land based radar vs space ? My guess is awareness. So if you detect it later you get a shorter time frame to respond.

Russia definetly needs some modern eye in the sky to see potential ICBM/SLBM launches

Radar means you don't see it coming till it pops up into view, while satellites operate over enemy territory so get the earliest warning.

The radar provides precise information about trajectory and speed of of course...

Russia will launch first sattelite of Missile Attack Warning System in July-December 2015

The data such satellites will be receiving will be reported to the MAWS command center and then to the National Center for Control over State Defense

MOSCOW, April 2. /TASS/. Russian Defense Ministry has issued a report on a forthcoming expansion of the national orbital grouping of the space echelon of the Missile Attack Warning System (MAWS).

"The launch of the first spacecraft of the new generation has been scheduled for the second half of 2015," a spokesman for the ministry said. "The satellite will be taken into orbit by the Soyuz launch vehicle."

He indicated that the Angara carrier rocket would not be used for this particular launch, since the Angara’s next mission had already been planned for 2016.

"There are no gaps in the MAWS orbital grouping and there will never be," the spokesman said. "The new-generation satellites have a number of distinct features, like an extended service life and the performance characteristics that are better by a factor of several times."

The satellites have been created on a new component base designed and manufactured in Russia. "Just one satellite in the new family will be able to replace several five or six satellites of the previous generation."

"Simultaneously, we’re developing the ground-based elements of the MAWS through the commissioning of new radars of a high degree of factory-gate operational readiness, the spokesman said. "Both echelons will continue performing the previous tasks but doing so at a new level of quality and along a radically overhauled pattern."

Along with it, the space-based and ground-based components of the system will be functioning in maximum coordination with each other and will complement each other mutually.

The data they will be receiving will then be reported to the MAWS command center and then to, to the National Center for Control over State Defense.

The commander of Russia’s Aerospace Defense Force, Gen Alexander Golovko, said somewhat earlier that the military authorities hoped to begin the unfolding of the first stage of the Integrated Space System as of 2015 and this would help ensure the capability to control the areas with a high risk of missile attacks round the clock.

Russia to Launch First Satellite for New Space Defense Network in November



The first early warning ground-based station for the new network has been built in the Altay region and it has passed state trials.

KRASNOGORSK (Sputnik) — The development of Russia's new unified missile early warning network is proceeding on schedule, the first satellite of the space component will be launched in November 2015, a senior Aerospace Defense Forces (ADF) commander said Monday.

"Everything is going according to the schedule, approved by the Russian defense minister," said Maj. Gen. Oleg Maydanovich, chief of the ADF Space Command.

"We are practically ready to put the first satellite in high-elliptic orbit in November," Maydanovich said.

He added that the first early warning ground-based station for the new network has been built in the Altay region and it has passed state trials.

Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu annouced in October last year that Russia had started the development of a new unified network to detect ballistic missile launches, which would comprise new-generation satellites, new ground-based space monitoring stations and advanced computer networks.

Read more: http://sputniknews.com/military/20150629/1023991007.html#ixzz3eSuzywob

Russia will have a space-based missile approach warning system up and running by 2020

Nice

Russia to launch first satellite of new missile attack warning system this autumn

Russian Defense Ministry Receives New Early Warning Network Satellites

The Russian Defense Ministry has received two state of the art satellites as part of the country’s new missile early warning network, Deputy Minister Yuri Borisov said Friday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The Russian Aerospace Forces space command said this summer the network’s first satellite was expected to be launched into high-elliptic orbit in November.

"In the interest of the Defense Ministry and Roscosmos, military representatives received six Soyuz and Proton carrier rockets, two Briz-M upper-stage rockets, two satellites for the EKS Integrated Space System," Borisov said.

Up to 10 satellites are expected to enter into service by 2018.

Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced in October 2014 that Russia had started the development of a new unified network to detect ballistic missile launches. The system would comprise new-generation satellites, new ground-based space monitoring stations and advanced computer networks.

Read more: http://sputniknews.com/military/20151009/1028284804/russia-receives-new-warning-network-satellites.html#ixzz3oAEqMNXL

Which Rocket will launch the EKS warning system ?

Says right there in the article, Soyuz and Proton.

The first one will be launched by a Soyuz-2.1b.

First launch of the Tundra early-warning satellite




A Russian Soyuz-2.1b carrier rocket laden with the newest defense satellite was launched from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in the country’s northwest, the Russian Defense Ministry said Tuesday.


On November 17, 2015 at 09:34 MSK (06:34 UTC), the Air and Space Forces successfully launched a Soyuz-2.1b launcher from the launch pad No. 4 of the launch complex No. 43 of the Plesetsk site. According to the official statement, the launcher carried "a new-generation satellite for the ministry of defense." The satellite is being delivered to the orbit by a Fregat booster.

The satellite is believed to be the first Tundra spacecraft of the new early-warning system, known as EKS. The satellite was earlier identified as 14F142. The program is several years behind the schedule - the first public statement about the program suggested that the first launch were to take place in 2009. It was reported that Tundra satellites will be deployed in highly-elliptical orbits, but the constellation might include geostationary satellites as well.

Tundra satellites and the EKS system are expected to replace satellites of the old US-KS and US-KMO systems. Russia lost all its early warning satellites in the spring of 2014.

Second Early Warning Satellite to go up in 2016;
http://sputniknews.com/russia/20160103/1032627115/russia-early-warning.html

Eagle Eye: Russia Testing New Generation Missile Warning Satellite

Russia will orbit a second new generation satellite in 2016 to keep a closer eye on ballistic missile launches anywhere in the world, the Defense Ministry said, Zvezda TV channel reported.

The EKS-1 – the first such satellite of the unified space-based ballistic missile warning system launched late last year — is currently undergoing trials in orbit by the Russian Aerospace Defense Forces.

The new generation satellites will ensure much quicker identification of ballistic missile launches by detecting their engines’ exhaust plume in infrared light.

The first early warning ground-based station for the new network has been built in the Altay region and it has passed state trials.

More such stations will be built also in the Leningrad, Irkutsk, Kaliningrad and Krasnodar regions.

Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced in October last year that Russia had started the development of a new unified network to detect ballistic missile launches, which would replace the Soviet-made ballistic missile early warning systems and feature new-generation satellites, new ground-based space monitoring stations and advanced computer networks.

Read more: http://sputniknews.com/russia/20160108/1032829641/russia-satellites-missiles-warning.html#ixzz3wf0blfem

New GEO early warning satellite is said not to be ready


Interfax quotes an industry source as saying that the new-generation geostationary early-warning satellite will not be ready for launch in 2016. According to the report, the satellite is still in production and the manufacturers (RKK Energiya is the lead contractor) are awaiting results of the tests of the first satellite of the EKS system. The satellite, Cosmos-2510, was launched into highly-elliptical orbit in November 2015. According to the Interfax source, two HEO satellites have been manufactured so far, one of them is in orbit.

The Interfax report appeared shortly after other reports suggested that the new early-warning satellite will be launched by a heavy Angara-A5 launcher by the end of 2016. The launcher made its maiden flight (with a satellite mockup) in November 2015. The 2016 Angara-A5 launch would probably still take place, but with a different satellite, Angola's Angosat. The GEO EKS launch, which will probably use Angara-A5 as well, appears to be moved to at least 2017.