The meaning of "multipoint SK" is not entirely clear to me, I'm guessing its something like MFSK or QPSK?
Quote from: Quneitra on 11/15/2020 09:11 pmThe meaning of "multipoint SK" is not entirely clear to me, I'm guessing its something like MFSK or QPSK?My guess is that "multipoint SK" refers to any digital modulation scheme that modulates the amplitude and phase of a signal. For satellites communications, these can range from BPSK (binary phase shift keying), QPSK, 8PSK, 16APSK, 32APSK and above. See below for what these signal sets look like.https://www.researchgate.net/figure/The-four-DVB-S2-constellations-QPSK-8PSK-16APSK-and-32APSK-before-PLScrambling_fig2_319651224By the way, I design error control decoders that use these types of signal sets.
Its been a while, but I've got some news related to the unknown jammer in the TSR article! Though, unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your POV), its not anything to write home about.
In cooperation with the prime contractor, a promising electronic warfare complex has been developed comprising a mobile jamming station.Purpose:-to jam the communication lines of the likely adversary-to carry out microwave and satellite communications with the possibility of creating wireless interactive information networks-to counter the orbital constellations of the likely adversaryField of application: in accordance with the technical specificationsComposition: in accordance with the technical specificationsTechnical features: in accordance with the technical specifications
АППАРАТНАЯ УПРАВЛЕНИЯ И СВЯЗИ КСС (КОМПЛЕКС СПУТНИКОВОЙ СВЯЗИ)НАЗНАЧЕНИЕ:Управление элементами КСС (комплекс спутниковой связи) и осуществление в составе комплекса РЭБ (радиоэлектронная борьба), радиорелейной и тропосферной связи.
There was also a picture on the page, but that doesn’t appear to be visible on the archived website (all I see is a question mark). The title is hard to translate because it has some grammatical errors in it, but basically refers to a “satellite communications complex” (KSS). The purpose of the system is “to control elements of a satellite communications complex and ensure microwave and tropospheric communications as part of an electronic warfare complex.”
So this might actually be the first look we have at Tirada-2, and now we have confirmation that NPP Inprokom is part of the project?
On that note, I don't know if you've noticed, but it seems like both photos have been edited to remove the background, probably to prevent geolocation. But, the image of the control van isn't as cleanly edited as the one of the jammer, with a little bit of land (and concrete?) and sky visible. I wonder if this could be located in some way? At least the general area, maybe.
One can only guess what applications the Russians have in mind for the Tobol follow-on system being studied under “Rasshireniye”. In 2019 Tobol’s chief designer Vladimir Vatutin did co-author an article in Russian Space Systems’ journal that discusses the possibility of using electronic warfare systems to prevent optical and radar reconnaissance satellites from sending their images to geostationary data relay satellites. This could potentially deny an enemy the opportunity to take high-resolution images of Russian territory. The issue containing the article was removed from the website of Russian Space Systems not long after it caught the attention of some Russian media outlets. The article (with an English abstract) is still available here:
Quote from: B. Hendrickx on 02/11/2022 09:56 pmOne can only guess what applications the Russians have in mind for the Tobol follow-on system being studied under “Rasshireniye”. In 2019 Tobol’s chief designer Vladimir Vatutin did co-author an article in Russian Space Systems’ journal that discusses the possibility of using electronic warfare systems to prevent optical and radar reconnaissance satellites from sending their images to geostationary data relay satellites. This could potentially deny an enemy the opportunity to take high-resolution images of Russian territory. The issue containing the article was removed from the website of Russian Space Systems not long after it caught the attention of some Russian media outlets. The article (with an English abstract) is still available here: A problem I have with this is that it has long been reported that American reconnaissance satellites communicate at a frequency that does not penetrate the atmosphere. If the Russians wanted to jam that communications link, I assume they would have to do it with another satellite. If the communications frequency won't penetrate Earth's atmosphere from above (satellite to the ground), presumably it cannot be broadcast from the ground into space for the same reason.Now they might try to jam the downlink from the communications satellite to the ground, but that's going to come down over the United States, not Russia.
And even if they can't jam the American government satellites, there are plenty of commercial imagery satellites that don't use rely satellites that could be jammed. Especially if they want to prevent the public from seeing imagery about Russian military activities, which is much more likely to come from commercial satellites rather than classified US government satellites.