The Dates for Russia's Anti Satellite Weapon Tests

As it turns out, information about tests of the Nudol ASAT system has been hiding literally in plain sight - in Jonathan McDowell's log of suborbital launches. A colleague alerted me to the fact that dates and times in the list are quite accurate. "GNIIP" in the table is the GNIIP-53 test site otherwise known as Plesetsk.

The list includes three tests of a 14Ts033 (14Ц033) system, which is apparently the designation of the entire system (rather than 14А042, which appears to be the missile). There were three test launches - on 12 August 2014, 22 April 2015, and 18 November 2015. As we know, only the third one was successful (although none of them involved an intercept).

link.

Russian Claim to be Deploying ASAT/ABM Capable Air Defense S-500 Missile in 2017

Russia's defense ministry plans to deploy in 2017 a sophisticated new air missile defense system that can hit targets in space, a senior ministry source told Russian news agencies on Friday.

"The promising S-500 air defense missile system is at the development stage. It's planned to be deployed in 2017," the source was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency.

The long-range system will be able to destroy targets even if they are in space and cover the whole Russian territory, the source added.

Russia is developing more and more effective missile defense systems for use as a deterrent while opposing plans by the United States to build a missile defense shield in Europe.

link.

If that's a mobile missile I'll shocked.  

I would not be shocked if this was vaporware.

Russia Working on ASATs to Match US, China?

Russia is working to develop anti-satellite weapons to match efforts by other nations, a deputy defense minister was quoted as saying Thursday.

Gen. Valentin Popovkin said Russia continues to oppose a space arms race but will respond to moves made by other countries, according to Russian news reports.

"We can't sit back and quietly watch others doing that, such work is being conducted in Russia," Popovkin was quoted as saying.

Russia already has some "basic, key elements" of such weapons, but refused to elaborate, Popovkin said.

Popovkin, who previously was the chief of Russian military Space Forces, reportedly made the statement at a news conference in response to a question about U.S. and Chinese tests of anti-satellite weapons.

How much of this is Russian me-too-ism, IDK. However, it ought to be noted that the Soviet Union had a very functional coorbital ASAT system and some satellite blinding lasers (supposedly): how much is still viable, IDK, but possibly not much at all. It ought to be noted that the power needed for blinding lasers (temporary blinding) is not much. It's more a pointer-tracker accuracy problem than a laser output issue: it's just like shining a spot light in someone's face...just further away.