Aerospace

Russia Could Soon Shoot Down Satellites

Russia’s Mikoyan MiG-31 Foxhound interceptor was recently spotted with a new, large missile suspended underneath, which could be a Russian anti-satellite weapon.

The missile was spotted at the Gromov Flight Research Institute, near Moscow. The missile could potentially be an anti-satellite weapon, as well as a means of quickly placing small satellites in orbit.

The MiG-31 was photographed by a civilian aircraft spotter, both on the ground and in the air. However, according to nationalinterest.com, the photos drew the ire of the Russian Ministry of Defense, which was not happy that the images made it onto the Internet. Most of the photos were removed at press time.

The missile was previously unseen on the MiG-31 platform. This new combo is reportedly a restart of Russia’s anti-satellite weapon system.

As reported by popularmechanics.com, the original system, known as “Kontakt” (Contact), started in 1984 and involved a MiG-31D and the Fakel 79M6 missile. Later the MiG-31DM paired with the Fakel 95M6 missile. The 79M6 missile was guided by radar from the ground to its target, whereupon it detonated a small warhead.