Russia Developing 'Stratospheric' Recon Complex to Guide Missiles: ISW

Russia is developing "a stratospheric strike and reconnaissance complex" ("razvedivatelno udarni kompleks" or RUK) that will allow high-altitude aircraft to guide missiles on the battlefield, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) has noted, citing a Kremlin-friendly newspaper.

Izvestia reported this month that Russia is testing whether the M-55 "Geophysica" high-altitude supersonic aircraft can carry suspended containers of radars, electronic reconnaissance systems and optical-electronic stations that will be able to detect battlefield targets.

The paper said that Russia aimed "to combine stratospheric reconnaissance aircraft with strike weapons systems" and that similar versions existed in the U.S. and were being developed in other NATO countries.

Izvestia did not reveal when the system is expected to be finished and it comes amid reports of the failure of Russian missile tests, such as the nuclear-capable Sarmat, which Vladimir Putin said in July would be soon deployed, ramping up nuclear tensions surrounding the war in Ukraine that he started.

First flown in 1988 and made to intercept high-altitude reconnaissance balloons from the U.S., the M-55 "Geophysica" can fly at an altitude of up to 70,000 feet.

The RUK is expected to be able to detect battlefield and rear-area targets in real-time and provide target designations to artillery, aviation, and naval systems, the paper said. Also, different systems will be able to be installed or removed from the RUK, depending on the assigned mission.

Military expert Dmitry Kornev told the publication that Russia's stratospheric complex would be able to provide target designations for ground crews of the Smerch and Tornado-S Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS), as well as missile brigades of the "Iskander".

It would also aid pilots of Sukhoi Su-34 and Su-34M bomber aircraft and MiG-31 planes armed with Kinzhal hypersonic missiles, which are among Moscow's most high-tech weapons and have been used to strike targets in Ukraine during its full-scale invasion. Izvestia reported in 2020 that Russia's upgraded Su-34 aircraft would be ready by 2027.

"This complex can fire two types of missiles—ballistic, which will have a minimal flight time, and cruise, which fly more slowly," Kornev said. "The latter are suitable for destroying stationary objects."

Russian milbloggers praised the plans, with Telegram channel Paratrooper's Diary posting that when operational, the system will "be able to identify targets both on the battlefield and behind enemy lines, and then transmit coordinates to units of the Russian Armed Forces."

Another milblogger posted that the system will aid "the efficiency of receiving data from the battlefield" and "well-established communication between units" will aid command.

Newsweek has contacted the Russian defense ministry for comment.