Tundra Satellite System: Russia
Russia has successfully placed into orbit a military satellite. The satellite is believed to be a Tundra Satellite, part of Russia’s early warning anti-missile system named Kupol or dome.
- Tundra satellite system is a constellation of Missile Early Warning Satellites established by Russia between 2015 and 2020.
- It carries a secure emergency communications payload to be used in case of a nuclear war.
- It is a series of satellites that are the next generation of Russian early warning satellites to replace the early warning satellites of the Oko-1 system.
- This final Oko (Eye) satellite (missile defence early warning program) reportedly stopped operating in mid 2014, leaving Russia relying on ground-based missile detection systems.
- They are part of the EKS or Unified Space System (USS-Also sometimes referred as Kupol or dome), which will also include several satellites in geostationary orbit.
- Unveiled in 2019, Kupol is designed to detect launches of ballistic missiles and track them to their landing site, though its exact configuration is unknown.
