Moscow:
Of great concern to Ukraine and its allies, as well as US billionaire Elon Musk, the Russian military can detect and locate signals from enemy unmanned combat aircraft (UAVs) that connect to satellite systems such as Starlink. It is reported that they have developed an advanced system that can do this. . Russia’s new system, dubbed the Starlink Killer, is officially known as the Kalinka Surveillance System.
After the Russian offensive escalated in February 2022, the United States provided the Ukrainian military with a large number of Starlink communications terminals from SpaceX, owned by Elon Musk. The Ukrainian military actively uses Starlink to coordinate military operations and connect with air and naval drones. Kiev is using it to attack Russian civilian infrastructure.
About “Starlink Killer”
The new state-of-the-art Kalinka surveillance system was developed by Russia’s Center for Unmanned Systems Technology (CBST), the Sputnik news agency reported.
CBST Board Chairman Andrei Bezrukov claimed on Saturday that the Russian military is currently testing a new system in Ukraine that can detect drones in the air and sea up to 15 kilometers away.
He said the Kalinka system will help the Russian military quickly detect and target Starlink terminals because “the basic principles of radio signal transmission have not changed since the invention of radios.” This reportedly could make it possible to identify things like unmanned boats and so-called “Baba Yaga” drones.
Bezrukov claimed that Kalinka could also direct communications terminals from Starshield, a militarized version of Starlink. He explained that the detection range of the new system is mainly determined by the topography of the search area and the use of other electronic systems by enemy forces.
Regarding the time it will take to begin mass production of the Kalinka system, Bezrukov said it will depend on the demands of the Russian military operating in conflict areas.
What is Starlink?
SpaceX’s Starlink is a satellite-based internet service that provides high-speed broadband internet access around the world. It works by transmitting data through light, similar to fiber optic cables, and using a constellation of small satellites in low Earth orbit to transmit the internet directly to users on the ground.
The Starlink program aims to provide internet access to areas with limited communications infrastructure and has proven beneficial to Ukraine’s military, which has been battered by Russian attacks. The Ukrainian military used the Starlink network to connect and fly drones to attack Russian forces. It was also used to send back video to fix artillery fires and to enable a mobile network with encrypted group chats that connected Ukrainian commanders and soldiers on the battlefield.
