[Seoul Yonhap News]It seems that the South Korean military is considering borrowing a “satellite constellation” that links many ultra-small synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellites from overseas companies and using it for surveillance and reconnaissance. I found out on the 12th from a military official. The aim is to reinforce the “kill chain” that preemptively strikes North Korea in the event of an emergency in the “South Korean-style three-axis system” aimed at responding to North Korea’s nuclear weapons and missiles.
A model of an ultra-compact SAR satellite from the Korea Defense Science Research Institute (file photo) = (Yonhap News)
Government officials recently contacted a European company specializing in SAR satellite constellations, although the military said it was still in the planning stages. The company’s satellites are being used by Ukraine, which is currently at war with Russia, and its effectiveness has been confirmed.
The SAR satellite irradiates radio waves on the surface of the earth and sea, and images and observes the reflected waves. Unlike optical cameras, precise reconnaissance is possible regardless of day or night and weather. A satellite constellation, in which a large number of ultra-miniaturized SAR satellites are launched and function together, enables fixed-point observation and reduces costs.
By using this, it is possible to grasp in near real time the movements of North Korea’s mobile missile launcher (TEL), the movement of people and materials around nuclear facilities, and the injection of liquid fuel into ballistic missiles.
In order for the South Korean military to strengthen its kill chain, it is necessary to quickly detect signs of provocation by North Korea, and to that end, it is essential to strengthen intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) activities. The military currently does not have its own spy satellites and relies on the United States for much of its satellite imagery of North Korea.
In the plan to secure reconnaissance satellites, called the 425 Project, which will strengthen the kill chain, five medium-sized and large reconnaissance satellites will be secured, and many microsatellites will be launched to complement the long satellite revisit cycle. . The first reconnaissance satellite is scheduled to be launched by the end of the year, but most people believe that it will take a considerable amount of time before the microsatellite is actually put into operation.
For this reason, the military plans to borrow satellites for military use from outside in times of emergency to make up for insufficient reconnaissance until the project gets on track.
