Russian Space Weapon: A Real Threat Or A Deterrent?

The space race between the USA and the USSR in the mid-20th century became a symbol of technological confrontation between the two superpowers. Unfortunately, along with it came the Cold War, which launched the nuclear arms race. Not only the Earth but also outer space became a potential arena for military action. And even though the Russians eventually lost the space race, they made up for their failure by accumulating the strongest military potential on the ground and in the sky. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Russian space weapon threat seemed to have faded away, but today, we understand that it was a mistake to think so.

In May 2024, the Pentagon claimed that а secret Russian satellite weapon was probably launched into the same orbit where a U.S. government satellite is located. Does the Russian space weapon really exist? What is it, and is it a real military threat to world security or a guarantor of strategic balance? Let’s get to the bottom of it.

What Is A Space Weapon?

Space weapons are weapon systems and support equipment designed to be deployed and used in space. They include missiles, lasers, electromagnetic pulses, anti satellite and other technologies that can be used to destroy targets on Earth or in space.

The main application areas of space weapons:

1. Anti-missile defence: destruction of ballistic and other types of enemy missiles in their flight path
2. Jamming radio communications and disabling electronic equipment
3. Destruction of space objects such as satellites and orbital stations
4. Bombarding enemy territory from space using nuclear or non-nuclear weapons.

The militarization of space poses a direct threat to the population of the Earth, as it can affect not only the balance of power but also, in the event of military action, make near-Earth orbit unsuitable for peaceful research purposes. But is everything as dangerous as it seems?

Do We Have A Space Weapon?

Officially, “space weapons” in the classical sense of “weapons based in space” do not exist. But what about the reality? Do space guns exist? Since the beginning of the space race, the US and the Soviets have been actively working on the concept of creating space weapons and continue doing so to this day.

Is It Illegal To Weaponize Space? 

Formally, there is no ban on the development and use of space weapons. In 1967, the International Outer Space Treaty was ratified, prohibiting the placement of weapons of mass destruction in Earth orbit, on the Moon, or on any other celestial body, but this treaty does not prohibit the development and deployment of other types of space weapons. The leading space powers, which still include Russia as the legal successor to the USSR, have technologies that can potentially be used for military purposes in space, but there are difficulties defining those:

• high secrecy. Full information about existing developments is often unavailable.
• blurred boundaries between “peaceful” and “military” uses of technologies. For example, observation satellites can be used for scientific research as well as for reconnaissance and targeting.

Thus, the existence of weapons in space remains an open question that requires further international discussion and regulation. Ongoing military conflicts and proxy wars involving Russia indicate that the arms race is back, and Russian space weapon technologies may play a key role in it.

Are There Any Nuclear Weapons In Space?

The aforementioned 1967 Outer Space Treaty primarily concerned the use of nuclear weapons, so it is believed that there are none in orbit. But the problem is that, unlike space combat lasers, kinetic and pulse guns, nuclear weapons do exist and have been available, in large quantities, for a long time. In particular, Russia is the leader in the number of land-based nuclear missiles with flight trajectories that can reach orbit.

So does Russia have nuclear weapons in space? We can only hope that the Russians have not yet developed and deployed space-based platforms capable of carrying and launching nuclear missiles. But such a possibility exists, given the rich history of Russian space weapon systems.

What Space Weapon Did The USSR Use? 

(Author’s note: All information below is taken from publicly available sources and may contain inaccuracies due to the high secrecy of the described Russian space weapon systems)

At the height of the Cold War, when the world teetered on the brink of nuclear war, the Soviets were ardently searching for new ways to achieve military superiority over their main enemy, the United States. Space seemed to offer unprecedented opportunities for this.

А Birth Of A Monster: FOBs 

“Fractional Orbital Bombardment System” (FOBS) was the first sign of Russian nuclear space threat. This system was developed by the Ukrainian Yuzhnoye Design Bureau under the leadership of Mikhail Yangel in the early 60s as an “asymmetric response” to American missile defence systems, capable of bypassing the American tech and guaranteed to hit a target on US territory.

Unlike traditional intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), FOBS used an R-36 ICBM to launch a nuclear warhead into LEO, where it could remain for extended periods of time, awaiting a guided attack on a target. This allowed it to bypass existing warning systems designed to detect missiles flying on a ballistic trajectory. FOBS could attack from any direction, making the warhead virtually invulnerable to interception.

The first FOBS tests started in 1965 and continued until 1968. Several missile launches with dummy nuclear warheads were carried out. The system turned out to be less accurate than traditional ICBMs, very expensive and difficult to operate, but this did not stop the USSR. Neither did the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which called into question the legality of FOBS.

The USSR agreed to close the program only in 1979 under the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT). At that time, 18 FOBS missile silos were deployed. According to SALT II, ​​12 of them were to be destroyed, and the rest were to be converted for other purposes. The FOBs project was finally closed in 1984, fortunately never having been used in a real situation.

Escalation Of Madness: Polyot Satellite Destroyer

In 1968, the USSR demonstrated the first Russian satellite weapon to the world. The co-orbital anti-satellite system Istrebitel Sputnikov (IS), “Satellite Destroyer”, or “Fighter Satellite”, developed in OKB-52 under the leadership of Vladimir Chelomey, was an interceptor satellite to be launched into orbit near the target. After approaching the enemy satellite, the IS exploded, destroying both itself and the target.

Between 1968 and 1982, over 20 system tests were conducted, most of which were considered successful. The “satellite destroyer” was officially accepted into service in 1978 and remained on combat duty until 1993. The system’s ‘legacy’ is over 900 fragments, some of which are still drifting in orbit.

Shot In The Void: Rikhter’s Space Gun

In 1975, the 23-mm automatic gun “Kartech” (Russian for buckshot) designed by Nudelman-Rikhter was installed and tested on the space station “Salyut-3” (military program “Almaz”). The new Russian space weapon was based on the 23-mm aircraft gun Rikhter R-23, which had already been successfully used on the aircraft MiG-21, MiG-23, and Tu-22.

The gun was modified for use in orbital conditions. In particular, the design was reinforced, a barrel cooling system was installed, and the reloading mechanism was adapted for operation in zero gravity. The ammunition received an increased powder charge to compensate for the lack of atmospheric resistance. The R-23M was installed in the nose of the Almaz-2 station (aka Salyut-3) and could be aimed along two axes.

In January 1975, the station crew Pavel Popovich and Yuri Artyukhin tested the weapon, firing several shots at a special target. The gun demonstrated good accuracy and shooting efficiency. However, after the tests, it was dismantled, returned to Earth, and was no longer used. 

This one-time use of firearms in space symbolised the absurdity of the arms race that had even invaded Earth’s orbit. Although the Rikhter gun was declared as a means of self-defence for the orbital station, its deployment could have been seen as a provocation, further escalating the already tense relations between the US and the Soviets.

Illusion Of Power: Skiff Laser Station

In the 1980s, the Cold War tensions reached a new peak. The American SDI program (Strategic Defense Initiative), announced by President Reagan, envisaged the creation of a multi-level missile defence system using space platforms. The USSR, fearing the loss of strategic parity, threw all its efforts into developing its own space weapons systems.

This is how the SKIF program came about, which involved creating a heavy orbital platform with a powerful laser weapon capable of destroying American satellites and ballistic missiles at a great distance. However, the project faced enormous difficulties.

SKIF turned out to be very massive and energy-intensive. The orbital platform, weighing over 80 tonnes, got equipped with a powerful laser gas-dynamic installation and was powered by a nuclear reactor. In 1987, a dynamic model (DM) of SKIF was launched, called “Polus”. The launch was carried out using the “Energia” launch vehicle. Due to an error in the control system, “Polus” did not reach its calculated orbit and was destroyed in the atmosphere.

After the collapse of the USSR, SKIF development was stopped due to financial difficulties and a changing political situation. The program symbolised the failure of the Soviet cosmic program in its final years.

Ghosts Of The Past And Threats Of The Future

After the USSR collapsed, Russia inherited not only the achievements of the Soviet cosmic program but also its dark side — the desire to militarise space. Despite economic difficulties and political changes, numerous space companies in Russia continued to develop new types of space weapons, demonstrating the country’s readiness to use near-orbit for military purposes.

Nudol Anti-Missile And Anti-Satellite Defense System

The A-235 multi-layered territorial missile defence system, known as Nudol, was first developed in 1978 to protect the Soviet capital, Moscow, from ballistic threats. After the Soviet Union’s collapse, the program was paused and revived in 2011 as a multifunctional missile and space defence system. Nudol is a mobile missile system launched from ground-based launchers capable of striking air and space targets, particularly communications, navigation, and reconnaissance satellites. Nudol likely uses new high-tech radars to detect and track targets.

In 2018, US intelligence reported two successful tests of an anti-satellite missile fired from the Nudol system. However, Russia has not officially confirmed that Nudol has anti-satellite capabilities.

Peresvet Laser Complex

Peresvet (translator’s note: pun that means both ’excessive light,’ ‘overexposure,’ and Russian legendary combat monk), the newest Russian space weapon, was first presented to the public personally by Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2018. Officially, the system is designed to counter reconnaissance satellites by “blinding” their optical systems with a laser. A high-energy laser beam is directed at the optical sensors of a satellite or other object, causing temporary blindness or permanent damage. The system can also be used to cover (camouflage) ICBM launch sites from optical reconnaissance assets.

Peresvet has been in service with the Russian Armed Forces since 2019. The exact number of deployed systems is unknown. The characteristics are classified.

Russian Satellite Weapon COSMOS

The Cosmos (Russian spelling Kosmos) satellites have been used by the USSR and Russia since 1962. The range of their capabilities is quite wide. These include navigation, communications, remote sensing, scientific research, meteorology, intelligence hints (detection of enemy ground targets). However, the Pentagon is confident that some modifications of the Cosmos satellites are capable of more. In particular, they can act as anti satellite weapon systems — destroy or suppress the operation of enemy satellites, as well as create an electromagnetic pulse that can damage objects in orbit. Cosmos satellites can be equipped with orientation engines for approaching other satellites, surveillance sensors, electronic warfare, lasers, and even kinetic weapons.

In 2019, the Kosmos-2542 and Kosmos-2543 satellites manoeuvred close to the American spy satellite USA-245, causing the US concern about the possible inspection or even attack.

In 2022, shortly after the start of the military operation in Ukraine, Kosmos-2558 was launched, which also demonstrated the ability to rendezvous with other satellites.

Finally, in May 2024, a Pentagon spokesman reported that the Russian satellite “Kosmos 2576″ had entered the same orbit as the American government reconnaissance satellite and was approaching it. The US Congress declared another Russian space weapon threat to national security. The Russian Foreign Ministry cynically commented on the situation: “The Russian space program is developing according to plan; the launches of spacecraft for various purposes, including devices aimed at strengthening our defence capability, are nothing new.”

New Russian Space Threat: At The Crossroads Of Peace And War

The history of Russian space weapon systems is a history of missed opportunities, unjustified ambitions, and dangerous illusions. Unfortunately, instead of becoming a symbol of peace and cooperation, Russia does not abandon its attempts to turn not only the Earth but also space into an arena of military operations, and other countries are forced to create effective counterweight systems to contain the Russian space threat. In the US, this is the GBI (Ground-Based Interceptor) Program, as well as the ambitious Rods from God (ex Thor) project. The problem is that huge resources are spent on ensuring security, which could otherwise be directed towards solving more pressing problems such as climate change, epidemics, poverty, and international terrorism. 

What future will we ultimately choose for ourselves? Will we turn space into a place of cooperation or confrontation? One can only hope that common sense will prevail.

Russian space weapon systems (1960 – present day)

Title	Period	Description	Status
“Fractional Orbital Bombardment System” (FOBS)	1962-1984	Launch of a nuclear warhead into low Earth orbit with the possibility of controlled release onto a target	Program was terminated after the signing of the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT)
IS Satellite Destroyer	1968- 1993	Launch of an interceptor satellite that maneuvers close to the target and destroys it with an explosion	Program was closed after the collapse of the USSR
Rikhter R-23 gun	1975	23mm automatic gun mounted on the Salyut-3 (Almaz-2) space station	The only example of using firearms in space, subsequent fate is unknown
SKIF program	1980s	Orbital platform with laser weapons	Program was closed after an unsuccessful launch in 1987.
Anti-satellite missile “Nudol”	2011- present day	Ground-launched anti-satellite missile	In service, exact specifications unknown
Peresvet system	2018 – present day	Mobile laser system believed to be capable of hitting satellites	In service, characteristics classified
COSMOS intelligence satellites	1962 – present day	Russian space satellite weapon with a wide range of applications	In service, characteristics classified

 References and Additional Information:

• The Soviet Fractional Orbital Bombardment System Program https://www.ausairpower.net/APA-Sov-FOBS-Program.html
• Rods from God: Kinetic and Tungsten https://mikekalil.com/blog/the-rods-from-god/
• IS anti-satellite system https://www.russianspaceweb.com/is.html
• Skiff” – a combat laser station https://en.topwar.ru/4817-skif-boevaya-lazernaya-stanciya.html
• Russia’s Peresvet laser weapon: Fact or fiction?https://www.forcesnews.com/technology/weapons-and-kit/russias-peresvet-laser-weapon-fact-or-fiction
• What to know about the ‘space weapon’ the U.S. says Russia recently launched https://www.npr.org/2024/05/30/nx-s1-4975741/what-to-know-russia-satellite-space-weapon-cosmos-2576