Russia-Ukraine War: In a major concern for the United States and its allies, as well as Elon Musk– the world’s richest man, Russia has reportedly developed a state-of-the-art system, which has the ability to detect and counter signals from SpaceX’s Starlink satellites, that have proven crucial for Ukraine ongoing war effort against Russia.
Ukrainian forces have relied heavily on Starlink to direct aerial and sea drones to strike key Russian targets since the Russia-Ukraine war erupted in early 2022, but Moscow may soon nullify this technological advantage as it has reportedly developed what is being dubbed as a “Starlink killer”.
Russia’s ‘Starlink killer’
The ‘Starlink killer’, as it has been dubbed by experts, is officially called Kalinka monitoring system, which has been developed by Russia’s Center for Unmanned Systems and Technologies (CBST). The Kalinka system is specifically designed to locate, detect, and disrupt signals emanating from Starlink terminals, that have been supplied to Ukraine by Elon Musk-led Starlink, according to Russian state news agency TASS.
A report by TASS, quoted CBST Chairman of the Board, Andrei Bezrukov, saying that Kalinka is currently undergoing combat tests and would be able to identify unmanned boats and the “Baba Yaga” drones, among other objects. Bezrukov noted that before Kalinka, the unmanned boats were tracked visually.
“The Kalinka system can be used to pinpoint Starlink-directed drones and boats, which would allow Russian forces to target them at a distance of up to 15 kilometers,” experts stated, adding that the system has capability to detect moving as well as stationary Starlink communication nodes, and is being integrated into various platforms, including jet skis, boats, and helicopters.
The Kalinka technology, which has already entered small-scale production, can be also used to locate Starlink communication terminals deployed on the ground within conflict zones, they said.
TASS reported that the development of Kalinka is part of larger effort by CBST. Bezurkov showed a jet-ski equipped with a turret and a large-caliber machine gun, that has been specially crafted to enhance the effectiveness of the Kalinka system in targeting unmanned vessels, the report said.
China concerned over Starlink
Starlink, which undoubtedly has had an impact in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, is also raising concern for China as the SpaceX-made satellite system poses crucial security threats to Beijing.
China is closely monitoring and scrutinizing the capabilities and weaknesses of the Starlink system, and some researchers have even proposed to disable the satellites if Beijing’s national security is threatened.
Starlink is highly-resilient to jamming, which is a major cause of concern for Chinese security agencies. Additionally, China is worried that Starlink could potentially hinder a future Chinese military operation in Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its territory.
Chinese analysts believe that Starlink is either US Department of Defense asset or heavily funded by the Pentagon for military use under the garb of commercial use. They assert that Starlink is closely intertwined with US defense interests, a perception which gained credence after SpaceX was given a Pentagon contract to develop, Starshield, a defense-oriented adaptation of Starlink, which will
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