Athene - missile early-warning system
The existing situation
International proliferation and arming activities are resulting in a heighted risk of attack by ballistic missiles and weapons of mass destruction. In addition to the well known major powers, more and more countries with instable structures led by regimes whose actions are difficult to predict must be monitored.
During the Cold War, counteractivities primarily comprised missile defense. During that era, the major powers of the time held large arsenals of operational ballistic missiles. This is no longer the case for a series of countries which are causing concern as a result of missile arming activities. They are in the throes of a development process which may take years to complete.
Accordingly, at
this stage it is opportune not to confine a possible counter-strategy to an
armed conflict but to engage in political and diplomatic activities on the
basis of information which can be obtained as quickly as possible. This
provides a realistic view of potential threats, allowing their existence or
non-existence to be documented.
At this same time, it is necessary to develop technical approaches which are
financially viable from the outset.
Athene - the new German approach
OHB-System AG has designed a solution based on the
requirements of the current situation. The Athene system is able to track
missile flights during the combustion phase and even after they have been
extinguished. Although it does not achieve global coverage, it is targeted at
all countries expected to be engaging in potentially dangerous missile
proliferation over future decades. Thus, for example, the fact that it is no
longer necessary to monitor Russian territory today can be seen as an advantage
given that the possibility of disruptions in international political relations can
be ruled out.
Athene comprises an equatorial rink of satellites in a low earth orbit (LEO).
Unlike other LEO systems, only a maximum of 10 satellites are required. In this
array, the satellites make use of the ability to detect the heat given off by a
missile against the cold backdrop of space. This addresses the main problem of
satellite-based early detection, namely the unambiguous identification of a
missile with a low error rate against the bright background radiation of the
earth at a distance of around 40,000 km. In this way, it is possible to
eradicate further cost drivers. In addition to the relatively straightforward
requirements with respect to the sensory system, the overall communication link
can also be simplified. The low orbit also means that small satellites and
launch vehicles can be used, while the satellites themselves can be based on
the proven SAR-Lupe platform. The estimated cost of a system of such
capabilities is a remarkably low EUR 500 million or so.
Benefits for Germany/Europe
The aim is for Germany/Europe to utilize the theoretical lead gained with Athene. In this way, it would have its own capacity for detecting the existence or non-existence of potentially dangerous missile developments months or even years in advance, thus providing greater scope for diplomatic action. In an alliance, Athene would open up new possibilities which no other partner has at the moment. At the same time, synergistic benefits from related areas could also be harnessed. Looking forward, military and civilian experts consider a space monitoring system to have great significance in national defense. Athene could monitor and catalog the entire LEO region with a time delay of around 20 minutes.