Russia’s Alternative to GPS Satellites Is Outdated and Outnumbered

(Bloomberg) -- Vladimir Putin needs better satellites.

While Ukraine has successfully deployed precision rockets guided by orbiting US spacecraft to hit targets deep behind the front lines – and has also used Elon Musk’s cutting-edge Starlink satellite constellation to stay connected to the internet — Russia is stuck with an aging network that has hindered its ability to use smart weapons. 

The Russian constellation of two dozen positioning, navigation and timing satellites — called Glonass — dates back to the 1980s, when the USSR created it as a rival to the US-run Global Positioning System. Today, that American constellation of about 30 GPS satellites, all controlled by the Pentagon, is essential for everything from Google Maps to commercial airliners.

For the Kremlin, a homegrown global navigation satellite system offers protection against US efforts to deny Russia’s military from accessing GPS for precision-guided missiles. But while Russia has updated its satellites over the y...
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