Global Security Newswire

Russian First Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Sukhorukov announced on Thursday the ministry had inked purchasing agreements for space-based systems with the capacity to detect ballistic missile firings, RIA Novosti reported (see GSN, March 1).

"Several military satellites will be launched this year," the official said.

Deployment of the satellites is in accordance with Russia's plans to mount a cohesive air and antimissile defense system.

Russia is thought to presently have some 60 to 70 military satellites in orbit, according to the report. The nation plans to over the next decade send an additional 100 systems into space (RIA Novosti, April 19).

Sukhorukov also told journalists that the trial of a Russian long-range radar facility in the Irkutsk region has returned positive results, the Xinhua News Agency reported (see GSN, Feb. 13). 

"Preliminary tests of the [southern Siberia station's] already assembled equipment have shown very good results," he said.

Sukhorukov would not go into specifics about the assessment but said the Voronezh-class radar would track potential missile launches from the southeast (Xinhua News Agency, April 19).