Russia's anti-satellite weapons: A hedging and offsetting strategy to deter Western aerospace forces

IF 4 1区社会学 Q1 INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

Contemporary Security Policy Pub Date : 2022-06-22 DOI:10.1080/13523260.2022.2090070

Jaganath Sankaran

引用次数: 1

Abstract

Abstract Russia has recently tested several anti-satellite weapons. The Russian military literature reveals hedging and offsetting strategies behind these actions. First, Russians cast their weapons as a mirror response to American experiments. Russians fear a technological surprise and suggest that their experimentation hedges against significant advantages that may accrue to the United States from dominating space. Second, Russians perceive satellites providing vital targeting and navigation information as crucial enablers of U.S. and NATO aerospace precision strike weapons. Therefore, dependence on space-based assets is a vulnerability that Russia cannot fail to take advantage of in a crisis to offset U.S. and NATO military superiority. Some unilateral measures such as deploying cheaper and distributed small satellite constellations can reduce U.S. and allied vulnerabilities. Bilateral behavioral norms can offer reassurances to both the United States and Russia. However, deeper regulation and limits on emerging strategic aerospace weaponry may also be required.

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俄罗斯的反卫星武器:一种对冲和抵消战略，以威慑西方航空航天力量

俄罗斯最近测试了几种反卫星武器。俄罗斯军事文献揭示了这些行动背后的对冲和抵消策略。首先，俄罗斯人将他们的武器作为对美国实验的镜像反应。俄罗斯人担心出现技术上的意外，并表示，他们的实验可以对冲美国可能从主导太空中获得的重大优势。其次，俄罗斯人认为卫星提供了重要的目标和导航信息，是美国和北约航空航天精确打击武器的关键推动因素。因此，对天基资产的依赖是俄罗斯在危机中不可能不利用的弱点，以抵消美国和北约的军事优势。一些单边措施，如部署更便宜和分布式的小型卫星星座，可以减少美国及其盟国的脆弱性。双边行为规范可以让美国和俄罗斯都放心。然而，可能还需要对新兴战略航空航天武器进行更深入的监管和限制。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Contemporary Security Policy Multiple-

CiteScore

14.60

自引率

6.80%

发文量

期刊介绍： One of the oldest peer-reviewed journals in international conflict and security, Contemporary Security Policy promotes theoretically-based research on policy problems of armed conflict, intervention and conflict resolution. Since it first appeared in 1980, CSP has established its unique place as a meeting ground for research at the nexus of theory and policy. Spanning the gap between academic and policy approaches, CSP offers policy analysts a place to pursue fundamental issues, and academic writers a venue for addressing policy. Major fields of concern include: War and armed conflict Peacekeeping Conflict resolution Arms control and disarmament Defense policy Strategic culture International institutions. CSP is committed to a broad range of intellectual perspectives. Articles promote new analytical approaches, iconoclastic interpretations and previously overlooked perspectives. Its pages encourage novel contributions and outlooks, not particular methodologies or policy goals. Its geographical scope is worldwide and includes security challenges in Europe, Africa, the Middle-East and Asia. Authors are encouraged to examine established priorities in innovative ways and to apply traditional methods to new problems.