[Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club] Rising North Korean Provocation Levels... Urgent Need to Reinforce Reconnaissance Assets

Five Medium Reconnaissance Satellites Targeted for Launch Next Year but Insufficient for Reconnaissance
Various Methods Such as Leasing and Consignment Should Be Considered Before Introducing Microsatellites

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] As North Korea's military provocations have recently escalated, calls to expedite the introduction of reconnaissance satellites for our military are growing louder. North Korea is also accelerating its reconnaissance satellite development, emphasizing the need not to fall behind in the information warfare.

In February, North Korea claimed that the suspected launch of a medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM) was a test for developing a "reconnaissance satellite." North Korea's reconnaissance satellite development essentially implies bringing the launch of intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launch vehicles within sight. On the surface, it appears to be an attempt to improve and demonstrate ICBM capabilities without breaking the "moratorium" (a suspension of nuclear tests and ICBM test launches).

There is also analysis that North Korea's satellite launches are intended to attack other satellites. The Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) of the U.S. Department of Defense stated in its "2022 Space Security Challenges Report" released in April that North Korea's ballistic missiles and satellite launch vehicles (SVL) like the Unha-3 could theoretically be used to attack other satellites in the event of armed conflict. The report also noted that North Korea has launched two satellites into orbit and clearly expressed additional space ambitions.

Our military is also putting full effort into satellite acquisition. Although we launched the military-exclusive communication satellite ANASIS-II in 2020, reconnaissance satellites are urgently needed to monitor North Korea. To this end, the military aims to launch five high-resolution medium-sized military reconnaissance satellites followed by microsatellites by November 2023. Currently, our military lacks reconnaissance satellites and relies on images taken by U.S. reconnaissance satellites.

However, while medium-sized reconnaissance satellites have excellent performance, they are expensive and limited to five units, making it impossible to monitor North Korea 24/7 without gaps. With five reconnaissance satellites, it takes two hours for the satellites to pass over and return to the Korean Peninsula (revisit time). Operating 32 microsatellites in low Earth orbit can reduce the revisit time to about 30 minutes. Microsatellites can identify 1-meter-sized objects from an altitude of 510 km, enabling detection of North Korean missile transporter erector launchers (TELs).

Experts evaluate that medium-sized reconnaissance satellites in geostationary orbit operate at an altitude of 36,000 km, with one satellite able to observe 34% of the Earth, but microsatellites in low Earth orbit can only see 2% of the Earth. At least 500 satellites are needed for global service. This is why there are calls for satellite constellations.

Countries are also accelerating their satellite constellation efforts. According to the status of the "Advanced Space Nations' Civil-Military Low Earth Orbit Satellite Constellation Construction Plans" revealed by the Air Force Space Center in July, the total number of planned low Earth orbit satellite constellations by space-advanced countries such as the U.S., China, the U.K., Russia, and Canada approaches 67,000.

Some argue that amid ongoing North Korean military provocations, until domestic development of microsatellites is achieved, leasing foreign civilian satellites to intensively monitor North Korean areas is necessary. This method has been used by our overseas deployed forces leasing civilian satellites like Iridium and Thuraya. Considering that companies like the U.S. 'Capella' and Finland's 'ICEYE' have already launched microscale SAR satellites with resolutions of 50 cm to 1 m and sell commercial images, technology transfer from overseas companies is worth considering.

The most proactive company for our military is Europe's ICEYE. ICEYE signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with LIG Nex1 in the satellite industry sector and another MOU with Hanwha Systems to jointly promote microsatellite projects at the "Defence Expo Korea 2022."

ICEYE attracted market attention by providing information on Russian troop movements via satellites during the Ukraine war.

Ukraine's Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said on social media on the 1st (local time), "We operated ICEYE's microsatellite for only two days but discovered over 60 Russian military vehicles," adding, "The synthetic aperture radar (SAR) enabled us to detect Russian military equipment camouflaged behind forests or obstacles."

He also said, "In just two days, we inflicted more losses on Russia, including armored vehicles, than the rental cost of the 'satellite project.' The important thing is that it saved the lives of our soldiers."

ICEYE succeeded in launching the world's first SAR satellite under 100 kg, ICEYE-X1, in 2018 and currently owns a total of 21 satellites. It is the world's largest fleet of microscale SAR satellites. ICEYE's satellites are also purchased and used by the U.S., Canada, and Brazil. Recently, ICEYE announced that it would propose selling SAR radar image satellites to our military or suggest ways to manage them on their behalf.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.