Continuous events across the globe involving the deployment of military and security forces highlights the importance of having precise situational awareness with accurate and reliable information to support the decision-making process. We at SpaceKnow are aware of it and we want to provide our clients with a cutting edge solution tailored to their specific needs.
We went through the latest defense news and the announcement that Russia intends to bolster their intercept capabilities along the north-eastern border by increasing the number of Mikoyan MiG-31 supersonic interceptor aircraft (pictured above) has caught our attention. After being modernized to MiG-31BM specification, these aircraft will join the 317th Composite Aviation Regiment at Yelizovo Air Force Base located close to the Avacha Bay on the Kamchatka peninsula.
This region is of high strategic importance due to its location at the western edge of the North Pacific Ocean and the Bering Sea, which is an intersection of many global powers’ spheres of influence. The United States, Japan, and Russia all bear a strong military presence in this part of the globe.
Our team has developed AI/ML algorithms designed to precisely classify military equipment using high-resolution satellite imagery. We analyzed Yelizovo Air Force Base and Avacha Bay to see if we could validate what was reported by the press.
The image above contains our analysis of images taken by Maxar’s World View and GeoEye satellites over the last couple of months over the Yelizovo Air Force Base. SpaceKnow clearly detected the presence of a high number of MiG-31 interceptors, anti-submarine warfare assets, and more. The image below zooms in on classifications made by our algorithms, showing an example of four MiG-31 interceptors and one Il-38AWS aircraft.
We also managed to catch some of the temporary visitors such as one Tu-95 strategic long-range bomber that was present at the base as of two days ago (7th of July), as well as a Beriev-50 AEW aircraft that is a modification of the Il-76 transport aircraft. These detections are featured in the images below.
The Avacha Bay also hosts a strong naval and army presence, including a dedicated air defense position to protect all these important military assets, which clearly demonstrates the region’s strategic importance. Our algorithms detected S-400 systems close to the famous Rybachiy Nuclear Submarine Base, along with Project 949A Antey submarines. Movement of additional S-400 systems from the testing range Kapustin Yar to Kamchatka has been confirmed by this official report from the Russian Ministry of Defense.
SpaceKnow’s proprietary algorithm suite made these detections possible in an unsupervised, automated fashion. We can detect and classify a large and growing number of land, air, and maritime assets.
This is just a taste of our defense and intelligence capabilities. SpaceKnow’s seasoned defense sector experts are ready to get in touch with you to discuss your specific needs to develop the most effective bespoke solution. Reach out to us at info@spaceknow.com, or visit us at our website.
Published by Jakub Broz