Russia’s Rassvet satellite communications system could be used to exchange tactical information, control frontline units and guide drones in real time. This was stated by aviation expert Valeriy Romanenko, as quoted by UNIAN.
According to him, the system poses a risk not only to military formations but also to transport vehicles, particularly when military equipment is being moved. The reason is the possibility of changing a drone’s target during flight.
“This is not a lethal system, but it provides information to numerous lethal weapons,” Romanenko said.The expert claims that through Rassvet, the Russian army could control cruise missiles and low-cost drones in real time. He also links the project’s development to Russia’s problems following the loss of access to Starlink, which, he says, was a serious limitation for Russian forces.
Two launches and orbital problems
So far, Russia has carried out two launches of groups of 16 satellites each. Romanenko noted that the propulsion systems on two of the spacecraft failed. They descended into the denser layers of the atmosphere and burned up.
The remaining satellites were supposed to reach an operational orbit at an altitude of 800 kilometers, but remained at around 508 kilometers. According to the expert, this shows that the program is encountering technical difficulties.
In its current form, Rassvet can provide coverage of individual areas of Ukraine for about one hour. A permanent connection with strike assets has not yet been established.
Plans for hundreds of satellites
Russia plans to deploy 250 satellites to provide full coverage over Ukraine. According to Romanenko, by 2031 the constellation is expected to reach nearly 1,000 spacecraft.
The expert also stated that Ukrainian strikes on a facility producing launch vehicles for the satellites had delayed new launches. According to him, Russia should already have carried out more than two launches.
At the same time, Moscow is developing Rassvet-4 as an upgraded version of Rassvet-3. The project envisages 374 satellites at an altitude of 800 kilometers, distributed across 17 orbital planes with 22 spacecraft in each.
Sources: unian.net