The Franco-German side was still coordinating how to set up an air base in Croatia, and the Soviets had properly settled the task of keeping the last outposts in Eastern Europe. It is true that the Soviet economy is facing difficulties, but this does not mean that the Soviet Union will slacken its struggle in the international strategic environment, and if it is already embattled, what can it say about creating a stable and harmonious external international environment for its own development.

Marshal Ogarkov, the former head of the Directorate General of Strategic Deception, recently proposed to Yanayev a plan to continue to complete the GLONASS global navigation satellite system, which was launched by the Soviet Union in 1976 and will use 24 satellites to achieve global positioning services, provide high-precision three-dimensional space and speed information, and also provide timing services. According to the design, the GLONASS constellation satellite consists of 24 satellites in medium orbit, including 21 working satellites and 3 backup satellites, distributed in 3 circular orbital planes, GLONASS and GPS systems are different, GLONASS systems use frequency division multiple access, each GLONASS satellite broadcasts two signals, L1 and L2 signals.

"Between 1982 and 1985, we launched 3 simulated satellites and 18 prototype satellites for testing in Baiko-Nu-er. Because there is a big gap between the level of our satellites and electronic design and that of the United States, the design life of these test satellites is only one year. The construction of the GLONASS system began in 1985, and in 1985 and 1986, six real GLONASS satellites were launched, which improved the timing and frequency standards compared to the prototype satellites, and enhanced frequency stability, and then launched 12 more satellites, but half of them were lost due to launch accidents. ”

"By 1987. A total of 30 satellites, including early prototypes, were launched into the GLONASS system. Nine satellites are available in orbit. The outlook can be described as bright. The satellite, which began to be launched in 1988, is a further improved version, which is now commonly known as the GLONASS satellite. Using three-axis stabilization technology and precision cesium atomic clocks, the design life was further increased to three years, and between 1988 and 2000, as many as 54 of these versions of GLONASS satellites were launched. The satellites were launched into orbit using proton rockets at the Baikonur launch center. It's time to further refine the program on the GLONASS system, General Secretary Yanaev. ”

Field Marshal Ogarkov's fifteen-page report on the importance of the GLONASS satellite system was condensed into one short sentence in Yanayev's view: they needed money, and a lot of money.

It will cost at least $3 billion to complete the networking of 24 satellites. This was undoubtedly a considerable burden on the Soviet finances, and when he looked up at the former commander Ogarkov, he had no doubt that this old man was a spy sent by the United States to bring down the Soviet economy.

"General Secretary Yanayev, I hope you can see the important role that the GLONASS system has laid for the future development of the Soviet army, and today, when electronic information technology is becoming more and more important, our Soviet army also needs its own strategic satellite system to respond to the Americans' global positioning system." Marshal Ogarkov said conclusively, "In the Gulf War, the Americans' global positioning system played a role that cannot be underestimated, from calling air support to providing accurate positioning of Tomahawk missiles, which is basically the credit of strategic satellites." ”

Marshal Ogarkov was in a hurry. At the beginning, Yanayev promised that he would support the military's information transformation no matter what, so improving the global satellite positioning system was the top priority.

"I didn't turn down your plan. Marshal Ogarkov. But I need time to think about it, and, what budget do you think will be needed for this satellite networking plan? ”

Marshal Ogarkov was silent for a moment and quoted his price, "probably at least thirty-six billion dollars will be needed, including to upgrade and replace some aging satellites." This is already the most conservative estimate, and we need to address the short life of the GLONASS satellite. In this way, 3.6 billion is just barely enough. ”

If it was still the era when the Soviet Union's economy was growing by leaps and bounds, 3.6 billion dollars would indeed be nothing, but now let the Soviet Union take out so much money at once to allocate it to the Soviet space department, the budget is obviously insufficient. No wonder it is said that the Star Wars program dragged down the economy of the USSR.

"We will allocate funds for the new round of the GLONASS upgrade program, and Marshal Ogarkov can not worry about this issue, but we need some time to prepare funds for this program now. And completing this satellite networking work and replacing old satellites is not an action that can be completed in a short period of time, is it? Yanayev said that although he was somewhat reluctant, Yanayev was well aware of the importance of restarting the GLONASS project now, and that it would be too late to complete it until the Soviet economy really and completely improved.

If the total budget is $3.6 billion, then Yanayev could also consider allocating funds to the Soviet space sector in batches.

"Yes." Marshal Ogarkov admitted, "Three billion dollars is indeed the budget of the master plan." ”

"Okay, I guess there's always a way for us to solve this, don't we? However, even if the 3.6 billion yuan is paid in two or three years, it will be a huge burden. On the surface, Yanayev is actually thinking about a new round of arms sales, and arms revenues are always the most direct way to fill a country's finances. For example, the Soviet Navy's decommissioned Kiev-class aircraft carriers now have two left for sale, and Yanayev is thinking about which wronged person to look for to pay for his plan.

It is obviously impossible for India to refit the Gorshkov aircraft carrier, which has just made the Indian Navy's funds tight, and there is no spare money to buy a new type of aircraft carrier. And the countries in the world that can afford aircraft carriers basically look down on the Soviet Kyiv-class, and countries that cannot afford aircraft carriers will not be interested in Kiev-class aircraft carriers.

Obviously, this is a big problem for Yanayev, but in order to raise funds for the GLONASS project and reduce the financial burden on the central government, Yanayev no longer plans to continue to wait for which wronged person to take the bait, but directly asked the Soviet Black Sea Shipyard to post the news of the sale of the remaining Kiev-class aircraft carriers to see which guys will take the bait. (To be continued.) )