Tundra Satellite

The Tundra Satellite system is a military satellite constellation of Russia. It is a missile early warning system that was established in 2015.

What are Tundra Satellites?

• Tundra is a Russian Early Warning anti – missile system.
• Russia had launched Tundra satellites in 2015, 2017 and 2019.
• These satellites carry secure emergency payloads that are to be used in case of nuclear war.
• The Tundra Satellites replaced Oko – 1 system. Oko means eye. The Oko satellite system is a missile defence early warning programme. It stopped operating in 2014. With this Russia completely relied on ground based missile detection system.
• In November 2021, the Soyuz rocket of Russia carried a classified payload from Plesetsk in northern Russia. The details of the launch was not revealed by the Russian Government. However, it is believed that the rocket carried a Tundra satellite.

Tundra – a part of KUPOL

The Tundra Satellites of Russia are a part of the Unified Space System called Kupol or Dome. The Kupol was designed to detect launch of ballistic missiles. Also, it tracks them to their landing site.

Other similar anti – missile warning systems

• Iron Dome was developed by Israel. It is mobile system that intercepts rockets with in the range of 4 – 70 km.
• Ashwin is an air defence interceptor missile system developed by DRDO. It can knock out ballistic missiles at an altitude of 60,000 to 100,000 feet.