“As Russia has seen the effectiveness in satellite surveillance tracking their troop movements during the invasion of Ukraine, putting their forces at risk and being exposed to attacks, it is ramping up work on a laser to counter it.
The project known as Kalina is a ground-based laser that is intended to blur imaging satellites, The Space Review reported.
The report found evidence of once-stalled construction of a space surveillance complex picking up of late in Russia’s North Caucasus.
The laser will have range over foreign satellite imaging and optical systems flying over Russian territory, according to the report.
The project had started in 2011, according to documents from Russian government, but the surveillance of the project had showed progress had stalled and suffered numerous delays in recent years, according to the report.
The report noted Google Earth imagery shows construction has resumed of late.
Russia has had a mobile laser dazzler know as Peresvet in operation since lat 2019, according to the report, but his Kalina complex is more robust.”
Comment: OK. Two can play this game. Russia must know that the US has a “robust” anti-satellite system in waiting. That was part of what creation of the Space Force was about. “You kill my bird. I kill your bird” would be the name of the game. And then what, the Russians go after Starlink? pl
Russia Prepares Laser Base to Target Satellites | Newsmax.com
I don’t believe any of this. A cartoon show. Send Mothra. No, send Godzilla. Captain Video and Buck Rogers are more realistic. Maybe some corporation will get a lucrative contract to combat another nonexistent threat.
My first thought, reading this was of all the USA Gamer and Tech talent could make short work of this kind of thing…
Apparently the Russians are not in Mexico, egging them on to grab Texas, so they would have less need of US satellite coverage.
Colonel Lang,
As it happens I landed upon a post on another blog and Elon is mentioned in the first cited paragraph:
https://www.isegoria.net/2022/07/no-western-artillery-system-is-as-capable-and-none-apparently-has-the-accuracy-offered-by-gis-arta/
(As the host infrequently posts I likewise infrequently visit there.)
As a longtime member of the Navy League I have been around a lot of Sea Cadets and especially those who gained higher ranks are some impressive youngsters. Some of them return briefly after being deployed and my take on the ones who are fighter pilots are built a lot like NASCAR drivers and for the same reason. But they seem to be able to play three video games at the same time. Many of the others are just as impressive and many of them are going into the Space Force, so I have a lot of faith in them dealing well with any challenges in front of them.
The only peer competitor we should tolerate here on Earth, or elsewhere, is China – they can have the eastern part of that land mass to their north. Kill it, and that fat sub (and their entire offensive naval capacity), too.
“…it can ‘blind’ all reconnaissance satellites of ‘the likely adversary’ up to an altitude of 1,500 kilometers, ‘disabling’ them as they pass over Russian territory.”
So, presumably the DSP satellites would not be affected by their potential dazzling operation ?
This can get out of hand quickly.
Borko –
Much too high for the dazzle effect probably, but would it give false positives for ICBM launches?