How the Americans created anti-satellite weapon strike systems
Speaking in April 2022 at the Vandenberg Air Force Base, Vice President of the United States Kamala Harris announced that Washington was declaring a moratorium on testing anti-satellite weapons. At the same time, she added that in this way the White House administration intends to form some new rules and establish some new norms of work in space.
What exactly these "rules" and "norms" will consist of, she did not tell in detail. But, as it seems, all these actions are just a screen designed to cover the activation of the Pentagon's work on the creation of various combat and support systems for waging war in space, through space and from space. It is impossible to trust a country that, from the very beginning of the space age, has actively begun to create offensive combat systems designed to destroy orbiters or disrupt their operation. Moreover, the US military does not even hide the facts of the development of various systems of this class and conducts large-scale exercises on their use.
THE FIRST AMERICAN "DRUMMERS"
The United States began work on the creation of offensive-type anti-space weapons systems at the turn of the 1950s and 1960s. And although many such programs have not even left the stage of conceptual elaboration, a number of them have been put into trial operation or have had a significant impact on the further development of anti-space shock systems. And some systems went into mass production and entered service in the American armed forces.
Among the most well–known programs aimed at creating anti-satellite weapons systems, first of all it is necessary to note "Project SAINT", where SAINT is an abbreviation of SAtellite INspecTor, which can be translated from English as "satellite inspector".
This project, known as the "Satellite Inspector Program", was carried out under the auspices of the US Air Force and initially aimed at creating a special spacecraft designed to "inspect" primarily enemy satellites.
However, later the concept of the program was adjusted towards the creation of a co-orbital anti-satellite weapon system (co-orbital ASAT weapon).
The command of the American Air Force considered the possibility of creating a combat vehicle in three directions at once:
– an uninhabited satellite inspector and killer of other satellites, launched using a ground launch vehicle (RN);
– a similar purpose and also uninhabited spacecraft (spacecraft), but already launched from the carrier aircraft;
– manned combat spacecraft- "killer".
It was planned to start testing the new PKO in 1963, and put it on combat duty in 1967. But already in 1962, the program had to be closed due to lack of funds.
However, the idea of creating an anti–space weapon of this class did not leave the American generals - work in this direction continued. In particular, on September 5, 1986, within the framework of the Strategic Defense Initiative (Strategic Defense Initiative – SDI), the Delta 180 project was carried out, which was carried out with the aim of a more thorough study of issues related to the detection, tracking, guidance and controlled interception of a high-speed enemy target in outer space.
As part of the experiment, the Delta 2 PH was involved. A tracking system consisting of a laser locator (lidar) and optical, infrared and ultraviolet sensors, as well as a combat load, was placed on the modified second stage of this carrier (D2). The latter was presented in the form of a special satellite support platform PAS (Payload Assist System) developed by McDonnell Douglas. A warhead (warhead) and a homing head (homing) borrowed from the American long-range guided missile (UR) of the air-to-air class AIM-54 Phoenix, as well as its own propulsion system based on engines from the Delta 2 rocket launcher, were placed on the platform.
The launch of the rocket, designated "Delta 180" (hence the name of the entire project), was carried out on September 5, 1986 from the US Air Force base at Cape Canaveral. As a result, two objects were launched into a 220-kilometer circular orbit – the D2 stage and the PAS platform. The latter separated from the stage and moved about 200 km away .
90 minutes after the launch, the D2 stage equipment successfully detected the Ares target missile launched from the White Sands missile test site. And 205 minutes after the launch, D2 and PAS turned on their propulsion systems and rushed towards each other, simulating the interception of an orbital target. After a collision at a speed of about 3 km/s, they collapsed into 16 large fragments, the last of which descended from orbit and burned up in the upper atmosphere on April 4, 1987. Thus, the possibility of detecting an enemy launching missile and intercepting an orbital high-speed target was confirmed.
HUNTER ORION
Speaking about the programs for the creation of offensive anti-space weapons in the United States, it is worth focusing on two of them. Both were aimed at creating Direct Ascent (DA-ASAT) class anti-space strike systems based on ballistic missiles for the direct physical destruction of enemy spacecraft (for more information about classes and types of anti-space weapons, see: "Space Hunters, Orbital Killers", "HBO" from 18.11.22).
As part of the Bold Orion program, the name of which can be translated as "Brave Orion" (the name of the ancient Greek mythical giant hunter), the "Weapons System 199B" (Weapons System 199B, or WS-199B) was created in the interests of the American military. It was based on an air–launched ballistic missile - in fact, the first combat missile of this class in the world.
The development of this weapon system was led by the Glenn L. Martin Company, better known as the Martin Company. Later, together with American-Marietta Corporation, she formed the Martin Marietta company. And that, in turn, in 1995, after merging with Lockheed Corporation, formed a new military-industrial corporation – Lockheed Martin.
The rocket, which at first had one stage, but later received an additional one – the second, was intended to defeat attacking enemy nuclear ballistic missiles and destroy enemy spacecraft in low Earth orbits. It was to be placed on specially equipped pylons in the lower side parts of the fuselage of the converted strategic bomber B-47B "Stratojet" (Stratojet) for these purposes.
However, the development, carried out by order of the US Air Force command, was not crowned with success for the creator of this weapon. Although almost all but one of the anti–satellite missile launches were recognized as successful, this anti–space combat system was not adopted.
THE BLOODTHIRSTY MAIDEN
In turn, within the framework of the High Virgo program, the name of which can be translated as "Virgo at the Zenith" (Virgo in this case is the name of the constellation), Lockheed specialists, commissioned by the US Air Force, developed an anti–space weapons strike system, which was designed to destroy enemy satellites in low-Earth orbits.
It was also based on an air-launched ballistic missile. However, unlike the Bold Orion system, in this case, the placement of the satellite killer rocket was assumed to be singular on the ventral suspension unit of the specially modified for this purpose strategic bomber B–58A "Hustler" (Hustler).
The rocket was made two-stage, a few seconds after the suspension was reset, the engine of the first stage was started. The anti-satellite missile itself, the aircraft launcher, the missile guidance system integrated into the onboard weapons control system (the developer of the launcher and guidance system and the integrator of all systems on the carrier aircraft – Convair company), together with the carrier aircraft, formed a system that was assigned the US Department of Defense code WS-199C (Weapons System 199C, "Weapon system 199C").
As part of the flight test program, which took place from September 1958 to September 1959, four launches of the satellite killer rocket were carried out, which were carried out during the flight of the carrier aircraft at supersonic speed.
The test results were, as they say, mixed. The first launch was a failure, the second and third were successful. But the fourth one, a combat one, carried out on September 22, 1959 and provided for the destruction of a real orbital target, ended in failure. Half a minute after the reset, the on-board telemetry equipment of the rocket failed, and then the search team could not find the crash site of the rocket head with a lot of cameras and films taken by them.
It is noteworthy that the role of the "victim" in this last test was performed by the American satellite for the exploration of the Earth and near-Earth space Explorer-6, from which a photograph of the Earth from orbit was transmitted for the first time.
The failure actually ended and implemented in the interests of the US Navy similar in nature programs NOTSNIK (also known as Project Pilot), HiHo and SIP (Satellite Interceptor Program, "Satellite Interceptor Development Program"). Putting the combat systems created within the framework of these projects into service and transferring them to mass production was considered impractical.
However, despite the negative results of all these projects, the knowledge, experience and technical developments obtained during the work on them were then, as they say, fully used by American specialists. For example, in the process of creating the first more or less successful anti-space offensive weapons system of the DA-ASAT class. It was created in the interests of the US Armed Forces on the basis of the well-known air defense and missile defense system "Nike Zeus".
Launch of the ASM-135 ASAT anti-satellite missile from an F-15 fighter. Photos from the website www.af.mil
ZEUS THE AUTOCRAT
The development of the idea of creating an offensive anti-satellite weapon system in the interests of the US Armed Forces was the consistent implementation of two programs in which modified ballistic missiles (BR) "Thor" (Thor) were used as a launch vehicle to launch a payload into space orbit. Let's consider both of these weapons systems in more detail.
First of all, we will talk about the program for the creation of the Nike Zeus ASAT anti-satellite weapon system (Nike Zeus ASAT Program), which was developed on the basis of an air defense and anti-missile defense missile system that had a similar designation/ABM) of the US Army and later received the designation "Program 505".
The start of work with the aim of turning the Nike Zeus missile defense system being worked out at that time into a multi-purpose weapon complex capable of solving the tasks of destroying enemy orbital spacecraft was given back in 1957. At first it was search work. And in 1962, the Pentagon, having received positive results of the research, approved a work plan for a new program, which was originally designated "Project Mudflap" (Project Mudflap, where mudflap means "mudguard" – meaning a well-known part of a car or motorcycle).
The anti–satellite weapon complex included a combat vehicle - a three-stage Nike solid-fuel rocket with a nuclear warhead (NBC) with a capacity of 1 megaton. The detonation of the latter in the immediate vicinity of an enemy satellite (as in the case of the defeat of the enemy's ballistic missile combat units) was supposed to ensure either its complete destruction or incapacitation due to damaging elements or electromagnetic radiation.
The Nike Zeus anti-missile program, at the suggestion of the then US Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara, was closed in 1963. But the anti–satellite program lasted a little longer - in the period 1964-1967, there was one weapon system on combat duty, located at the training ground on Kwajalein Atoll.
FROM ATOLL TO ATOLL
The further development of the "505 Program" ("Nike Zeus") was the "437 Program". But here, a ballistic missile "Tor" was used as a combat weapon, which had a long interception range and was equipped with a W49-type YABCH with a capacity of 1.4 megatons. This anti-satellite weapon system could hit spacecraft at altitudes up to 1300 km above the Earth's surface. At the same time, according to the published calculations, the radius of destruction of satellites should have been up to 8 km (apparently, it was about the impact of an electromagnetic pulse of a nuclear explosion at such a range).
In 1963, after closing the Nike Zeus program, American President John F. Kennedy simultaneously gave the 437 Program the status of a priority project in this field of weapons.
It should also be noted that within the framework of the "Program 437", a subprogram was implemented for the creation of a special orbital system for the inspection of enemy satellites in orbit. It received the name "437 Alternate Payload", which can be translated from English as "Alternative payload developed under the 437 program".
The DSV-2J Tor missiles were used as carriers of this inspection system. In the period from February 14, 1964 to November 6, 1975, 18 DSV-2J Tor missiles were fired from the test site on Kwajalein Atoll.
After the completion of the flight test program, which was generally recognized as successful, the anti-satellite weapon system created within the framework of the "437 Program" was put on experimental combat duty.
Geographically, it was located on Johnston Atoll, a group of islands in the North Pacific Ocean located about 1300 km southwest of Honolulu (Hawaiian Islands). Moreover, the interceptor missiles themselves and their YABCH were stored in the arsenal at the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Therefore, it took at least two weeks to deliver them from the storage area to the starting position on Johnston Atoll.
During the entire time in operation in the US Armed Forces, this anti-satellite weapon system, judging by the materials available in open sources, has not been tested for real targets.
Gradually, the anti-satellite weapon system developed on the basis of the Tor missiles has lost its relevance. Eventually, on March 6, 1975, by order of the head of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) she was officially removed from combat duty and from service. And on April 1 of the same year, interestingly, the Pentagon decided to completely stop funding all programs for creating anti-satellite weapons systems of any type. Apparently, the reason was that the US military no longer considered such weapons complexes to be any effective in war.
However, as often happens, the situation soon changed dramatically. After the successful demonstration by Soviet specialists of their own coorbital anti-satellite system, Washington, which was the first to start the anti-satellite arms race back in the 1950s, quite unexpectedly found itself an outsider in it. In order not to lose face in front of NATO allies, the US military had to step up work on this topic. And it gave results.
THE PENTAGON'S GRAND SUCCESS
The most successful attempt to create a high-precision offensive combat system designed for the physical destruction of spacecraft in the interests of the US Armed Forces was the ASM-135 air-based anti-satellite weapon system. (Initially, this program was designated as the Air-Launched Miniature Vehicle program (ALMV), which can be translated as "A program for creating a small-sized air-based vehicle"). Its main distinguishing feature was the use of a conventional warhead, not a nuclear one, as part of a satellite killer rocket.
The rocket itself was suspended on the central ventral suspension unit of the F-15A fighter specially modified for these tasks and was supposed to hit enemy spacecraft located in low Earth orbit. It could reach speeds of up to 24 thousand km / h, fly at a range of up to 648 km and hit targets at an altitude of up to 563 km above the Earth's surface.
The rocket was equipped with an infrared homing system and included three stages:
– the first is a modified Lockheed LPC–415 solid-fuel rocket engine, borrowed from Boeing's AGM-69 SRAM short-range air-to-surface aeroballistic guided missile;
– the second is the solid–fuel propulsion system FW-4S developed by Thiokol, borrowed from the Altair 3 rocket of Ling-Temco-Vought (LTV) Aerospace and equipped additionally with low-power hydrazine engines for accurate correction of the missile flight path during targeting;
– the third is a small–sized homing interceptor MHV (Miniature Homing Vehicle), developed by LTV Aerospace specialists and equipped with 63 small-sized rocket engines for precise targeting of the warhead.
As part of the flight test program of the new weapon system, five test launches were conducted in January 1984 - September 1986, of which only one was deemed unsuccessful. At the same time, the most significant was the third test in a row, which took place on September 13, 1985. Within its framework, the rocket of the ASM-135 complex successfully hit the American satellite "Solwind" P78–1 (Solwind P78–1), which was assigned to the role of "victim", located at an altitude of about 555 km.
It is noteworthy that in the recently declassified memo SWBJ-10062 "Soviet Satellite defense System against the American anti-satellite weapon system with a small-sized device" (Soviet Satellite Defense Against the US Miniature Vehicle Antisatellite Weapon), prepared in September 1983 by the CIA, it was noted:
"The Soviets will have only limited capabilities to protect their satellites from attacks using a small–sized air-based vehicle (ALMV) - an American anti-satellite weapon system, which should go on combat duty in 1987. The anti-satellite weapon system will be capable of striking low-orbit satellites, including most of the Soviet reconnaissance satellites. At the same time, in the event that the Soviets discover the fact of an attack, the most likely tactic that they will be able to use to protect their satellites will be to maneuver in order to avoid interception, although the fuel reserves available on board (spacecraft. – V.S.) and their characteristics will limit these possibilities. Therefore, an alternative to protecting individual satellites may be to protect the entire network by replacing damaged or destroyed satellites and placing additional satellites in orbit (possibly in orbits outside the ALMV's reach)."
HOPES AND FEARS
At the same time, CIA specialists specifically pointed out in the mentioned document that, in their opinion, the Soviet military had at that time "sufficient information" about the anti-satellite weapon system being created by the Pentagon. And thus, they had all the necessary capabilities to create means of countering it in order to increase the survivability of their orbital satellite grouping.
"The messages about the ALMV system posted in open sources contain information about possible Soviet satellite targets for it, data on the physical dimensions of the ALMV apparatus, the main components of the weapon system, primary locations for the placement of F–15 fighters modified for the launch of ALMV, as well as information about the main contractors and budget (programs) and even detailed drawings of the ALMV apparatus, – it is noted in the mentioned memo. "We believe that this information can allow the Soviets to simulate the anti–satellite weapon system so accurately that they will be able to predict attack trajectories and identify those satellites that are designated targets for a specific attack."
In general, roughly speaking, analysts of American foreign policy intelligence almost openly warned their leadership and military officials from the Pentagon that all their efforts to create a "secret" anti–satellite weapon system thanks to "chatter in the press" (and, as we remember, a chatterbox is a godsend for a spy), most likely they will be useless. Because Moscow already knows about this program – and they know it in such detail that they will be able to develop means, as well as methods and methods of countering overseas "satellite killers" quickly enough.
It is also noteworthy that in the table of this memo analyzing the capabilities of various types of Soviet spacecraft to resist an attack using ASM-135 ASAT anti-satellite missiles, along with reconnaissance, navigation and military communications satellites, for some reason, the orbital manned station Salyut was also indicated. Although, as we know, the spacecraft of this series were actually used as part of the civil space program of the Soviet Union. Perhaps the American "knights of the cloak and dagger", who did not really try to understand the features of Soviet spacecraft and ships, simply confused the Almaz combat station with the civilian Salute.
The Pentagon planned to purchase 112 ASM-135 ASAT missiles, which were planned to be converted into carriers for 20 F-15 fighters. In fact, however, they managed to buy only 15 missiles, of which five units were spent during flight and firing tests of the complex. And in 1989, President Ronald Reagan closed the program – for financial, technical and political reasons.
But this is not the end of the history of the Pentagon's creation of anti-space combat systems.
Vladimir Shcherbakov
Deputy Executive Editor of HBO
Vladimir Leonidovich Shcherbakov is a military expert, historian, and writer.
