American space drone poses a serious threat to Russia

13

Now it's finally time to take off the masks. It turns out that the Boeing X-37 unmanned reusable experimental space plane was created for military purposes and can be used by the United States for orbital nuclear bombing of the enemy. This was bluntly stated by the head of the Almaz-Antey defense concern, confirming that the American shuttle poses a real threat to Russia. How can we answer this challenge?

General Director of the Almaz-Antey VKO concern Yan Novikov said that the Pentagon intends to bring the total number of its space drones to eight, and each of them can be used as a carrier of nuclear weapons:



It is officially stated that these devices are created for scientific purposes, and of intelligence. But we understand that with such capacities free and opportunities, according to our estimates, a small device can carry up to three nuclear warheads, a large one - up to six.

Previously, numerous military experts and analysts wrote about such scenarios, but now this has been officially confirmed by a representative of our defense concern. How did it happen that the RF Ministry of Defense slept through such a threat, and if not, then how does it intend to cover the country from a new space threat?

First of all, let's understand what the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV) is. It is a reusable unmanned shuttle capable of autonomously staying in space for a long time at altitudes from 200 to 750 kilometers, actively moving, changing orbits, and maneuvering. The United States did not particularly spread about the purpose of creating such an apparatus, explaining that its function could be the delivery of some small cargoes into orbit. It was also suggested that the X-37B could be used for reconnaissance and as an interceptor that destroys enemy space infrastructure. Allegedly, American shuttles should monitor Chinese and Russian military satellites and orbital stations and, if necessary, quickly neutralize them.

However, all this seems to be "childish pranks" in comparison with their real purpose, which was announced by the head of the concern "Almaz-Antey" Novikov. Eight orbital shuttles carrying on board from 3 to 6 nuclear warheads capable of being in space for a long time in an autonomous mode. At the start of this program, the Pentagon assumed that the X-37B would be able to stay there for over 270 days, but this record was repeatedly broken: during the fourth flight, the experimental drone was in orbit for 718 days, the next - for 780 days. This means that we have overhead, each X-37B will be able to carry out combat duty for two years, upon receipt of an order, dropping from a height of 300-320 kilometers from 3 to 6 nuclear warheads. And what do you want to do with it? This is not the start of intercontinental ballistic missiles, the launch of which we are able to track and have spent Technology intercepting them. And what does Russia have against a potential orbital nuclear bombardment?

In fact, everything is pretty sad. We have the largest country in terms of territory, and only Moscow is really covered with an anti-missile umbrella. It was created in the seventies of the last century, when the USSR and the USA agreed on the mutual limitation of missile defense systems in one positional area with a radius of 150 kilometers. The Americans decided to cover the launching positions of their ICBMs in North Dakota, and we - Moscow. Our anti-missile shield was named A-135 "Amur". Its exact tactical and technical characteristics are secret, but it is known that the Don-2N radar station was at one time the only terrestrial radar station that managed to find a tennis ball in space, which was fired from the Discovery shuttle for an experiment, and plot its trajectory. The nuclear "arrows of the Amur" reliably cover Moscow with an anti-missile shield. But what about the rest of Russia? St. Petersburg, Kazan, Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg, Sochi, Chelyabinsk, Vladivostok and other cities of our country? By the way, in 2002 the United States finally withdrew unilaterally from the ABM Treaty. With the emergence of American X-37Bs with several nuclear warheads on board in orbit on constant combat duty, the balance of power may change quite indecently. So what can we really counter this?

The first thing that comes to mind is the layered territorial missile defense system A-235 (Nudol), developed by the Almaz-Antey concern. Modern threats demanded a deep modernization of this system. Its performance characteristics are secret, but from open sources it is known that in the updated form, Nudol should become mobile, not tied to any stationary object, be able to intercept at an altitude of 500 to 750 kilometers, that is, in low earth orbit, in including non-nuclear anti-missiles. "Nudol" makes it possible to destroy the space shuttle, but what if a potential adversary launches a preemptive nuclear strike "without a declaration" by dropping warheads previously equipped with a maneuvering unit? Intercepting them will turn into an extremely difficult task for which the entire anti-missile defense system will have to be rebuilt.

The promising S-500 anti-aircraft missile system will be able to contribute to this. "Prometheus" should become the first air defense system in the world capable of working in near space. Its 40N6 ultra-long-range guided missile will be able to reach speeds of up to Mach 9 and intercept targets flying at Mach 15,6 at an altitude of 200-250 kilometers. The new architecture of the missile defense system should optimize the work of Prometheus: for different types of targets - airplanes and helicopters, cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, satellites - there will be a separate radar station, and anti-aircraft systems will be armed with specialized types of antimissiles for their maximum effectiveness. Obviously, the S-500 will have to be adjusted to intercept possible attacks from orbit.

Thus, we have technical groundwork for stopping a new threat from space, but in order to really cover the whole country with them, or at least key cities with a population of over one million and strategically important infrastructure, it is necessary to invest colossal financial resources, and the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation will have to constantly monitor the situation. in orbit to exclude a preemptive nuclear strike. In fact, this means a new round of the arms race, ruinous for Russia. It is necessary to calculate whether it would not be more expedient to create a symmetrical threat for the United States by launching its own "mini-Burans" into orbit. Which solution would be more rational: to try to create an impenetrable anti-missile shield over a huge country, or to invest in the restoration of the production of miniature unmanned space shuttles for dual use?
Our news channels

Subscribe and stay up to date with the latest news and the most important events of the day.

13 comments
Information
Dear reader, to leave comments on the publication, you must sign in.
  1. +2
    23 May 2021 12: 05
    Article IV
    The states parties to the Treaty undertake not to launch into orbit around the Earth any objects with nuclear weapons or any other types of weapons of mass destruction, not to install such weapons on celestial bodies and not to stir such weapons in outer space in any other way.

    The moon and other celestial bodies are used by all States parties to the Treaty exclusively for peaceful purposes. It is prohibited to create military bases, structures and fortifications on celestial bodies, test any types of weapons and conduct military maneuvers. The use of military personnel for scientific research or any other peaceful purposes is not prohibited. The use of any equipment or means necessary for the peaceful exploration of the Moon and other celestial bodies is also not prohibited.

    What is the point of concluding an Agreement with other countries? States will easily violate any treaty. Are there any talks about a meeting between the presidents of the United States and Russia? What's the point of this meeting?
    1. -3
      4 June 2021 08: 44
      laughing
      They write from Ukraine and Georgia.

      What is the point of concluding an Agreement with other countries? Russia will easily violate any treaty. Are you currently talking about a meeting between the presidents of the United States and Russia? What's the point of this meeting?
  2. 123
    +2
    23 May 2021 12: 33
    In fact, everything is pretty sad.

    Is it sad? belay Polymers are gone again crying Everyone slept, again the adversary drove into expenses, goodbye power. smile
    Moscow is the only city protected by missile defense, the rest of the planet manages with protective amulets and spells. The Americans still have a missile attack warning system and are being created (with our help) in China. winked
  3. -1
    23 May 2021 13: 39
    Everything was gone, Almaz Antey opened his eyes straight ...
    From 2 to 12 warheads fit into an ordinary missile ... that is, a 1n mini-shuttle can be turned into a 1n missile ...

    But in a Boeing or IL warheads, you can shove dofig ...

    There was an article where it was suggested even in a promising civilian (that is, still non-existent) ekranoplan "Seagull" to cram missiles or warheads in some unknown way ... and scare the amers with them ...
  4. -3
    24 May 2021 05: 46
    Now it's finally time to take off the masks. It turns out that the Boeing X-37 unmanned reusable experimental space plane was created for military purposes and can be used by the United States for orbital nuclear bombing of the enemy. This was bluntly stated by the head of the Almaz-Antey defense concern,

    The fact that the Boeing's orbital drone had a military purpose was not concealed.

    But the fact that this drone can carry nuclear weapons is speculation. They feared the shuttle in the same way, but in the end it turned out that the Shuttles were not carrying any nuclear weapons.
    1. -1
      24 May 2021 20: 05
      But the fact that this drone can carry nuclear weapons is speculation.

      But where did such speculation come from?
      I will answer. Once Marzhetsky was sitting at the dacha of the general director of the Almaz-Antey concern Yan Novikov (at the very Marzhetsky dacha, and at the general manager - Dacha!) And there, with “cold vodka / home herring”, under the reasoning they had the idea to fill the voids of the shuttles with nuclear weapons. For some reason, they agreed to 8 shuttles, although after such a number of drunk the number of shuttles could be doubled. Where to get the money for amers - was not discussed, tk. everyone knows that they have a lot of money ...
      And if you publish this “drunken fantasy”, then you can earn money ... And Marzhetsky has a lot of such “gatherings” - sometimes he himself (it's dangerous to drink himself!), Sometimes with someone.
      Something like that ....
      1. -1
        31 May 2021 13: 55
        Why are you clowning, emigrant?
        1. 0
          31 May 2021 16: 25
          Why are you clowning, emigrant?

          Are you writing nonsense for survival?
          1. +1
            31 May 2021 17: 56
            Quote: cmonman
            Are you writing nonsense for survival?

            monman, in my opinion, this is how you write lie, for survival.
            However, in the United States it has long been a tradition to blame others for their sins, you are no exception. Yes
  5. +2
    25 May 2021 02: 14
    By creating such weapons, the United States violated the agreement on the non-placement of weapons in outer space. Now the Russian Federation has the legal right to create its own systems of a similar nature.
    1. -2
      31 May 2021 19: 58
      Quote: Bat039
      By creating such a weapon, the United States violated the agreement on the non-placement of weapons in outer space

      You cringe and do not read carefully. Here we are talking about the possibilities. Fantasizing, you can apply anything for military purposes.
      They will soon have another one from the Sierra Nevada Dreamchaser firm.



      Two reusable will be. There must be a shock for the RF. We must catch up.
  6. +1
    31 May 2021 14: 03
    Quote: Sergey Latyshev
    From 2 to 12 warheads fit into an ordinary missile ... that is, a 1n mini-shuttle can be turned into a 1n missile ...

    This shuttle is in orbit continuously, unlike the launched ICBM
  7. -1
    31 May 2021 14: 57
    If only this weapon would make life even richer.
    It should be noted that all the weapons of the USSR did not save him from collapse. And the end of the USSR was not because of the war.
    And who seriously believes that the United States will go to war with the Russian Federation now?
    1. The comment was deleted.
      1. The comment was deleted.
        1. The comment was deleted.