Following the Russian invasion in 2022 and the disruption of Ukrainian communications infrastructure, Starlink quickly provided critical high-speed internet connectivity to civilians and the government, as well as the Ukrainian military. This concrete and vital demonstration for Ukraine of the military use of a commercial constellation of satellites in low Earth orbit, however, also led to the emergence of new vulnerabilities. Russia, in particular, is intensifying its efforts to develop and deploy sophisticated countermeasures capabilities, effectively placing SpaceX satellites at the center of its strategic concerns.
Starlink, a legitimate and priority target for Moscow
On the ground, Ukrainian military units have reported regular interruptions to Starlink services since May 2024, which Ukrainian officials attribute to Russian testing. A report recently published by the Secure World Foundation (SWF) highlights two Russian systems apparently heavily involved in these disruptions: Tobol and Kalinka.
Initially designed to protect Russian satellites from electronic jamming, the Tobol system was repurposed by Moscow to interfere with satellite communications and GPS navigation systems. At least seven Tobol complexes are spread across Russian territory, and US military documents suggest that Moscow is using three of these facilities to specifically target Starlink signals over eastern Ukraine.
The Kalinka system, for its part, is presented as a newer – and more sophisticated – initiative designed to detect and disrupt signals to and from Starshield terminals (Starlink’s military counterpart). This system is also said to be able to locate drones, boats, and other devices connected to this satellite communications network. This is further evidence that the military utility of the Starlink network in Ukraine is pushing Russia to consider it a legitimate and priority target…
Space, an area of military conflict for China
China, however, is not far behind when it comes to challenging American space supremacy. The Middle Kingdom is indeed investing massively in capabilities similar to Russian systems, anticipating potential future conflicts. The Chinese People's Liberation Army's Strategic Support Force explicitly recommends the development of capabilities targeting commercial satellite constellations such as Starlink in the event of an armed conflict with the United States: Chinese military doctrine places considerable importance on seizing the initiative from the outset of a conflict, which would likely involve attacks on satellite networks to disrupt the adversary's access to communications and navigation.
China's ambitions in space conflict are not limited to electronic warfare. Laser-equipped submarines with retractable masts that could surface to target Starlink satellites, or other space surveillance systems, are also under consideration, for example. Both Russia and China have shown interest in these types of directed energy weapons as potential means to disable or disrupt satellites, whether from the ground or directly from space.
Chinese research teams have documented the creation of lasers and microwave weapons small enough to be carried on satellites, with increasing power and improvements in the power-to-weight ratio. The peaceful and sustainable use of space and its sanctuary could soon be a distant memory...
Source: Secure World Foundation
0 Comments