Russia Tests First Military Space Surveillance Complex: Defense Official

Russia's new cutting-edge surveillance station has successfully undergone state tests. This system will join the Russian Aerospace shield capable of identifying and tracing down even small objects in space.

MOSCOW, December 1 (Sputnik) – The first surface complex of Russia's military space surveillance system has undergone state tests, Commander of Russian Aerospace Defense Forces Lt. Gen. Alexander Golovko told reporters Monday.

"The first new generation complex, created on the territory of Altai region, successfully underwent state tests," Golovko told journalists on Aerospace Defense Forces Day.

The commander explained that in 2014, Aerospace Defense Forces began operation of a series of specialized surface laser-optical and radio engineering complexes for identifying objects beyond the earth's atmosphere. These complexes provide an expansion of Russian space surveillance informational gathering capability, including a greatly increased observational range for significantly smaller objects.

Golovko also noted that tests of the Okno-M, a modernized optoelectronic space surveillance station, were completed this year. The station, located in Tajikistan, is an element of the Russian military space control system.

The Aerospace Defense Forces were formed December 1, 2011, to monitor Russian air and space borders. The military group commands a united outer space global monitoring system, focusing on Earth satellites and surveillance of all other space objects. It is expected that in excess of ten specialized space control complexes will be deployed by 2018 in the Russian south Siberia and far-east regions.