Is Russia playing with airborne lasers again? A-60 ABL system

Being more active lately in my search of interesting things I restumbled across an old weapons system that I had forgotten about upon checking for any new info on said system I came across something that I personally had missed completely and my attempt at searching it out on here came up nil so I figured I would throw it up and see what y’all fine folks think.

Now with my preamble out of the way we get to a special variant of the old obnoxious IL-76 cargo craft, this variants distinction being a test bed for an airborne laser system the variety was the A-60. And was actually up and flying before the converted 747 laser testbed of the US the YAL-1. Pretty boring been around for quite a while and last I checked they had abandoned the A-60. Much to my surprise I see reports that this system is once again being played with under the Russian Aerospace Defense Forces. Apparently as early as 2009 this strange IL-76 variant was spotted flying in Russia and ALMAZ is said to be working on the project.

Military Watch Article
A-60 Wiki

Military Watch Excerpt:

Entering service in the early 1980s, the Soviet Beriev A-60 airborne laser laboratory was based on the Ilyushin Il-76MD transport and was designed to test lasers while in the air and facilitate research on the distribution of laser beams in the upper atmosphere. Reports in Russian media, citing informed sources, indicated that the military has developed a new laser weapon based after extensive testing undertaken using the Beriev A-60. The new laser has been developed to target satellites in near space, and comes amid Russia's growing efforts to develop anti satellite weapons systems - a critical asset in a major war with the Western bloc with which tensions have fast been on the rise.

In 2016 Russian defense R&D enterprise NPO Almaz had announced that they were working on an airborne military laser system with similar capabilities to those recently tested by the A-60. The Chemical Automatics Design Bureau and the Beriev Aircraft Company are also involved in the development of the 'flying laser' program. The A-60 laser laboratory has been used by the Soviet Union in the late 1980s to test an anti satellite laser weapon, though work on this project stalled following the USSR's collapse. Russia's military resurgence in the 2010s saw the program restored, and though several years were lost in the post Soviet era significant progress has since been made.

upload.wikimedia.org...
(Can’t seem to get the pic working as I’m pecking this out via iPhone)

I have been wondering if the role has covertly switched to an anti-missile system instead of its original satellite killer goal? It seems strange with Anti-satelite missile systems maturing nicely that they would drag the old bird out mothballs especially seeing as the S-500 is deep into the pipeline that an economically stretched Russia would run both programs in unison with Anti-satelite capability. In my mind it seems to make sense for them to refocus the program to counter the US’s advancing anti-missile systems. Is the me just being blithering idiot or could there be more to this old bird than what is being said?

What say you gents, worth a look? Old News?

a reply to: BigDave-AR

Wow, although I never really looked before, I guess I always thought the US ABL was an anti-missile system (not anti-satellite). In fact, I never even considered that concept before. Hmmmmph, it's actually a pretty spooky thought, an ABL used for an anti-satellite system. Yikes!

First of all , I dont think its ever old news.

We know Russia seems to like to resurrect things to see if they can improve or re-purpose them.

I would be interested to see what they do with this, and where they deploy it, we know they pushed out their new airframe what, a few months ago in syria before it was supposedly battle tested.

I almost feel like they are playing the old Ronald Reagan game, boasting about tech they have when they might not be what they say.

Id be curious if this is just for a show, knowing we are watching or if , like you say they have done something else with it.

Im still waiting to see more about their missile system they claimed to have that can defeat any defense otherwise that we have.

originally posted by: Flyingclaydisk
a reply to: BigDave-AR

Wow, although I never really looked before, I guess I always thought the US ABL was an anti-missile system (not anti-satellite). In fact, I never even considered that concept before. Hmmmmph, it's actually a pretty spooky thought, an ABL used for an anti-satellite system. Yikes!

Our ABL was purposed for anti-missile, the soviets orientated theirs towards anti-satelite.

Sailor-
I think the S-500 is the system you’re referring to. I don’t think they’ll forward deploy it any time soon especially if there staying focused on anti-satelite, no need to leave the mother land to zap most of the satelites they would find to be inviting targets for the system.

Here's kind of a strange thought; in some respects I hope someone does actually develop an anti-satellite laser. Because the even spookier thought of anti-satellite technology is the continued development of kinetic or explosive type anti-satellite technology. Using that kind of technology it wouldn't take very long at all to render vast sections of space unusable for satellites at all. Then what? Yeah sure, you took out the 'other' guy's satellites but now the entire planet will not be able to use satellites for things like weather and mapping for 300 years while they figure out a way to clean up the cascade effect of flying debris in space shredding everything at that altitude.

Lasers would avoid this problem by just taking out the satellite but leaving it intact for the most part. The satellites would remain in orbit (for a while), dead of course, but not turn into 25,000 mph waves of shrapnel flying around in every direction.

originally posted by: Flyingclaydisk
Here's kind of a strange thought; in some respects I hope someone does actually develop an anti-satellite laser. Because the even spookier thought of anti-satellite technology is the continued development of kinetic or explosive type anti-satellite technology. Using that kind of technology it wouldn't take very long at all to render vast sections of space unusable for satellites at all. Then what? Yeah sure, you took out the 'other' guy's satellites but now the entire planet will not be able to use satellites for things like weather and mapping for 300 years while they figure out a way to clean up the cascade effect of flying debris in space shredding everything at that altitude.

Lasers would avoid this problem by just taking out the satellite but leaving it intact for the most part. The satellites would remain in orbit (for a while), dead of course, but not turn into 25,000 mph waves of shrapnel flying around in every direction.

This is pretty dependent on the power and how it hits a satellite if it hits any kind of pressured gases or air is going to be quite violent on the satellite and could cause it go off course and careening into other satelites for the same effect.

a reply to: BigDave-AR

Well, it's possible, but a lot less likely. With kinetic and explosive technology you KNOW that's going to happen. With lasers all you'd have to do is disable the guidance, electrical or instrumentation elements of the satellite to achieve the same strategic outcome.

ETA...I don't think most people truly understand just how serious of a problem this is in space, nor how long-term it is. Someone would only have to blast probably less than a dozen satellites to create a cascade. Then the cascade takes over on it's own. Debris from one hits three, and three hit twenty and twenty hit a hundred.

originally posted by: Flyingclaydisk
a reply to: BigDave-AR

Well, it's possible, but a lot less likely. With kinetic and explosive technology you KNOW that's going to happen. With lasers all you'd have to do is disable the guidance, electrical or instrumentation elements of the satellite to achieve the same strategic outcome.

This is true I would just rather satellites not be target, but that’s wishful thinking. China started a dangerous precedent when they performed the first kinetic kill on a satellite.

The other spooky thing about a cascade which many don't think about is, a cascade could effectively END man's exploration of space for centuries! It is the ultimate anti-aircraft system, nothing can get through it, anywhere...ever.

originally posted by: Flyingclaydisk
The other spooky thing about a cascade which many don't think about is, a cascade could effectively END man's exploration of space for centuries! It is the ultimate anti-aircraft system, nothing can get through it, anywhere...ever.

It would become a literal “space fence”!

a reply to: BigDave-AR

Yeah, talk about ..."Playing with FIRE!"

originally posted by: Flyingclaydisk
a reply to: BigDave-AR

Yeah, talk about ..."Playing with FIRE!"

Ffffiiiiyyyyaaaa!!!
It’s not even funny how bad our military power would be diminished without those satelites.
ETA: sadly Zaph hasn’t rung in yet I’m very interested in his opinion.

About two years ago, the Pentagon slipped and let someone into the planning office without getting their mandatory lobotomy. This person realized that China and Russia are pushing hard on ASAT weapons, both kinetic and energy, and that if e were to go to war, we'd be screwed, because everything we do requires a satellite of one kind or another.

He went on to prove that he hasn't undergone his lobotomy by implementing GPS denial exercises that involve massive blackouts of the system, covering hundreds of square miles. These are major exercises, involving large numbers of aircraft and systems.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
About two years ago, the Pentagon slipped and let someone into the planning office without getting their mandatory lobotomy. This person realized that China and Russia are pushing hard on ASAT weapons, both kinetic and energy, and that if e were to go to war, we'd be screwed, because everything we do requires a satellite of one kind or another.

He went on to prove that he hasn't undergone his lobotomy by implementing GPS denial exercises that involve massive blackouts of the system, covering hundreds of square miles. These are major exercises, involving large numbers of aircraft and systems.

GPS isn’t my biggest concern I’d be more concerned about surveillance, coms, and launch detection sats GPS jamming and spoofing isn’t difficult without going to the extremes of swatting down military sats and suffering the hellfire that would be brought down in response.
ETA- Zaph would you mind fixing the picture I had to hit the road before I could get on my desktop and work on it, I’d appreciate it good sir.

a reply to: BigDave-AR

I asked one of the other mods to fix the link.

It's more than GPS. We only hear about that though, because civilians don't use any of the other denied systems.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: BigDave-AR

I asked one of the other mods to fix the link.

It's more than GPS. We only hear about that though, because civilians don't use any of the other denied systems.

Oh I realize that it’s just my bigger fear being say blinding the launch detection sats and similtaniously launch a “preemptive retaliatory (because Russia would never shoot first of course ) nuclear strike and thus make our response time and interception window would be diminished and it’s already too little time to make anything but gut calls (more or less). It would not be pretty I still realize we would get shots off but not as many (still enough to kill of the planet though) but that’s real real nightmare fuel to me. I know it’s a little far fetched but there’s always the chance..
Thank you kind sir.

a reply to: BigDave-AR

We have too many SBIRS in a dispersed network that would detect the launch for them to be able to blind them all simultaneously.

Droppin this right here:

www.abovetopsecret.com...

originally posted by: anzha
Droppin this right here:

www.abovetopsecret.com...

Well Damn I tried searching. Go ahead and delete if you wish mods.

a reply to: BigDave-AR

Happens to me, too. I don't see a need to delete. There's a different commentary here than there.