Ukraine’s Defence Ministry Intelligence Directorate (HUR) has published data on 49 Russian and Belarusian companies involved in implementing Russia’s low-Earth-orbit satellite broadband data transmission system project, “Rassvet”.
The information has been published on the “War&Sanctions” portal.
The system includes an orbital constellation of low-Earth-orbit satellites, ground-based control infrastructure, gateway stations and subscriber terminals for stationary and mobile assets.
The production co-operation brings together IT companies, microelectronics manufacturers, research centres, Roscosmos entities and the Russian Ministry of Defence.
The lead company implementing the project is LLC “Bureau 1440”, which is part of the IT conglomerate “IKS Holding”. The holding’s companies supply components and manufacture solar panels, subscriber equipment, printed circuit boards, electronic modules and other elements of the system.
Roscosmos and other enterprises in Russia’s aerospace sector are responsible for the development and production of launch vehicles and upper stages, electric propulsion engines and other satellite components, as well as their adaptation, pre-launch preparation and insertion into orbit.
At Roscosmos, the “Rassvet” project is overseen directly by the corporation’s head, Dmitry Bakanov, who before taking the post headed Russia’s JSC “Gonets Satellite System”, including during the period of his co-operation with the British company OneWeb and the creation of a joint venture to develop low-Earth-orbit satellite communications services on the Russian market.
Structures within the Ministry of Defence ensure the operation of the cosmodrome, interaction and subsequent integration into Russia’s military communications infrastructure.
One of the investors that provided financial support for the development and creation of the “Rassvet” system was VTB Bank.
Twenty-three of the 49 companies and institutions, including Roscosmos itself, are still not under sanctions from any country in the sanctions coalition.
For Russia, “Rassvet” is primarily a military communications system. “In the future, the adversary plans to use it on a large scale in the interests of its armed forces – to provide strategic communications and command and control, to control strike platforms, to equip command posts and military hardware with subscriber terminals, to support the combat use of unmanned systems, and to enable the functioning of Russian Ministry of Defence facilities,” HUR said.
In particular, there are already known plans to integrate “Rassvet” satellites into the space-based system for providing target designation for missile weapons and to equip Iskander-M operational-tactical missile system command-and-staff vehicles with subscriber terminals.
The planned coverage primarily includes the territory of Ukraine and the EU. Once sufficient coverage is achieved, the system could be used by Moscow in hybrid acts of aggression against other countries.
Intelligence officers add that this is precisely why it is important to consolidate efforts now to block supply chains for the necessary technologies – the component base, equipment and software. The companies involved should be included on all “blacklists” – of countries, banks and businesses – with a complete ban on co-operation with them and real consequences for violations.
Read alsoHead of HUR: Russia Has Launched 32 “Rassvet” Satellites, but They Must Turn into a “Sunset”