Military Satellite Market

Space: Warfare’s Ultimate High Ground

Comint satellites in geostationary orbits, such as VORTEX, are capable of intercepting terrestrial microwave spillage

Satnews/ -- Warfare’s ultimate high ground now lies some 23,000 miles in space. That’s the orbital plane of the geosynchronous satellites used by the American and Russian military to spy on anyone or anything they perceive as a threat to their national security.

From this virtually unassailable perch in outer space, American signals intelligence (SIGINT) satellites such as its fleet of “Magnum” and “Vortex” birds intercept and track individual mobile phone conversations, radio signals and microwave transmissions from half the world at any one time.

Closer to earth, imaging (IMINT) satellites such as “Advanced Keyhole” use state-of-the-art optronics to take color or black and white high-resolution photographs of objects as small as three inches in diameter from 150 miles in space. And, in case clouds or nightfall get in the way, other satellites such as “Lacrosse” can use advanced synthetic aperture radar (SAR) to burn through obstructions and create images of ground targets.

It is estimated that the US has over 200 military satellites in orbit with four to five being added to this number every year. These satellites cost the Americans over US$100 billion, according to some estimates. The number of American military satellites has been growing, especially after the September 11, 2001 atrocities and Washington’s avowed intent to continue the fight against terrorism beyond Afghanistan’s borders. In a 40-day span beginning September 8, the Americans launched three military satellites with others being secretly launched afterwards.

Wherever America may next see combat, it is a certainty that intelligence gathered from IMINT, SIGINT and ELINT (electronics intelligence) satellites will provide much of the vital information required by military planners. Reconnaissance before attack is an ingrained tenet in warfare and the Americans have been masterful in exploiting their tremendous recon capabilities to inflict long-range damage on their foes.

The deadly use to which satellites can be put was aptly demonstrated in the assassination of Muslim Chechen leader Dzhokhar Dudayev in April 1996. Dudayev, a former General in the Soviet air force, had thwarted three previous attempts at detection by not talking too long on his satellite phone, which was a gift from Turkish friends. Russian SIGINT aircraft such as the electronics-packed Ilyushin IL-76 had tried in vain to lock onto Dudayev's phone signal since January.

This time, however, Dudayev and Konstantin Borovoy, a liberal deputy in the Russian Parliament who served as Dudayev's Moscow liaison, had to talk at length because of a peace offer from Russian President Boris Yeltsin. Available information shows the Russians had no SIGINT aircraft in the air that evening.

But one low flying Suhkoi Su-25 ground attack aircraft loitered in the vicinity. As the Su-25 circled, its pilot received the coordinates of Dudayev’s location. The Russian pilot quickly “painted” the target coordinates with his laser designator and fired his supersonic air-to-ground missiles.

One missile hurtled towards Dudayev who was still talking on his satellite phone. The missile’s 110-kilogram warhead exploded a short distance from Dudayev, who died minutes later. Dudayev was buried three days later and his death threw the Chechen rebel forces temporarily into disarray.

The “likely suspects” in the Dudayev episode are the “Chalet” and “Magnum” SIGINT satellites operated by America’s super secret National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). This agency, whose existence was only officially acknowledged in the 1990s, operates all the different satellites used by different agencies for taking pictures and listening to transmissions.

Some 12 Chalet and Magnum satellites are believed to be operational, and may have been secretly reinforced by others since the September 11 mass murders in New York and Washington DC.

Resembling huge umbrellas with their stalks pointed earthward, the Chalet (now known as “Vortex”) and Magnum satellites are basically passive radio receivers that intercept signals from cellular phones, satellite phones, military “walkie talkies” and other wireless communication devices.

From their geosynchronous orbital stations 23,000 miles in space, they “listen” to the electromagnetic signals of millions of low-powered radio and mobile phones everyday and relay this data to supercomputers at America’s National Security Agency (NSA) for analysis.

The four or six Magnum satellites, whose umbrella shaped receiving antennas span 50 meters in diameter, are equipped with “feed horn” arrays that allow them to intercept signals from widely different locations. During the 1991 Gulf War, one of the Magnums had a feed horn intercepting Iraqi communications in Kuwait, Baghdad, and other nearby locations at the same time.

The Magnums were also originally designed to intercept mobile telephone conversations among military leaders of the defunct Soviet and Warsaw Pact high commands, hence their ability to locate the source of a mobile phone conversation. Under favorable conditions, these satellites can apparently keep track of individual mobile phone conversations, as well.

The Chalet satellites, estimated at four in number, are older versions of the Magnums and are supported by a much older SIGINT fleet of some six satellites that goes by the name of Rhyolite. The alleged use of either a Chalet or Magnum satellite in the Dudayev episode illustrates the extreme vulnerability of electronic communications to clever spies such as the NSA. While not intended specifically to kill people, SIGINT satellites have revealed capabilities probably not envisioned in their original designs.

The week after September 11, an unknown number of America’s SIGINT satellites were reported to have been “re-tasked” to hunt down bin Laden. Previously, many of these satellites kept watch on America’s strategic competitors such as Russia and China and avowed enemies such as Iraq.

The re-tasking of some SIGINT satellites—probably the Magnums—was unusual and underscored the seriousness of America’s resolve to battle terrorism. The re-tasking probably involved adjusting the satellites’ orbits so the satellites’ feed horns pointed at Afghanistan.

American SIGINT satellites are part of an overall intelligence gathering campaign that also embraces IMINT satellites whose cameras can identify surface objects less than three inches in size from 300 miles up while traveling at more than 20,000 miles per hour. The newest “Keyhole” IMINT satellites also have heat-sensing infrared capabilities that allow them to see targets on the ground at night. A new generation of in-orbit radar imagery satellites, called “Lacrosse” or “Vega,” also make it possible to obtain high-resolution images of the ground even through heavy cloud cover.

ELINT satellites are also included in this intelligence mix. A primary ELINT program is “White Cloud,” a satellite constellation that is the US Navy’s principal means of over-the-horizon reconnaissance and target designation for its weapons systems that include surface-to-surface missiles.

SIGINT, IMINT and ELINT satellites provided the long-distance ears and eyes of a combined effort that successfully ferreted out bin Laden and Al Qaida in Afghanistan’s inhospitable terrain. They gave the Allies a significant technological edge and were vital in producing victory in Afghanistan.

A new generation of smaller and cheaper satellites are on the drawing boards to fight tomorrow’s wars. These satellites will be more difficult to track while providing nearly constant, real-time imagery of any target on Earth. One proposed system, known as Discoverer II, could involve as many as 48 radar-imaging satellites monitoring selected targets nearly continuously, according to a recent Pentagon document.

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