Modern Russian air defense systems are not capable of resisting old Western missiles. The Ukrainian military uses this to strike strategic targets of the aggressor country in the occupied Crimea.
Points of attention
- Modern Russian air defense systems are unable to effectively counter old Western missiles, as demonstrated by successful Ukrainian strikes in Crimea.
- Western cruise missiles like the ATACMS and Storm Shadow pose challenges due to stealth technology, making interception difficult for Russian defense systems.
- The need for continuous improvement and adaptation in defense systems is highlighted by the failures of Russian air defense against old Western missiles.
- Deployment of the advanced S-500 anti-missile defense system by Russia underscores the importance of enhancing air defense capabilities to protect strategic facilities.
- The Ukrainian military's strategic use of numerical advantage, planning of trajectories, and utilization of UAVs showcases the vulnerabilities of Russian air defense systems, leading to difficult decisions in defense priorities.
New Russian anti-aircraft systems proved ineffective against old Western missiles
According to the journalists of the publication, the Russians adopted the S-400 air defense system in 2007.
These complexes are among the most modern in Russia's arsenal and cost more than a billion dollars.
However, recent attacks by the Ukrainian military have shown that these air defense systems remain vulnerable to older American missiles, including the ATACMS, which have been in service with the US Army since 1986, and the British Storm Shadow, developed in the mid-1990s.
People have been exaggerating the importance of Russian air defense for years. In fact, we have seen in the past that they have not protected the Syrians in Syria. They did not protect the Iranians in Iran, and now they did not protect the Russians in Crimea, - emphasizes the director of military sciences of the Royal Institute of the United Armed Forces Matthew Saville.
It is noted that Western cruise missiles are more difficult to intercept than Russian ones.
According to Fabian Hoffmann, Ph.D. and missile technology specialist at the University of Oslo, Western missiles use stealth technology.
In particular, the British Storm Shadow flies at a low altitude, and its special shape makes it difficult to be detected by radars.
As the missile nears the end of its flight, it rapidly gains altitude and then dives toward the target.
There's a lot more planning involved in hitting with Storm Shadows. The Ukrainians really plan these trajectories, they carefully lay them out to bypass Russian air defense equipment. We also see that the Russian operators don't seem to be very skilled. Now they are very methodically and systematically bypassing these S-300 and S-400 air defense systems. And they know that it is reasonable. This is exactly what they should do, and NATO would do the same, - emphasizes Hoffmann.
Matthew Saville notes that long-range missile attacks by the Ukrainian military are accompanied by the use of a large number of UAVs, which gives a quantitative advantage that is very difficult for Russian air defense to repel.
Russia, meanwhile, was forced to deploy its weapons more compactly, given the 1,000-kilometer front line with Ukraine, as well as the need to protect Kaliningrad, the Kola Peninsula, the border with Finland, and the eastern part of the country, around Vladivostok.
The Ukrainians are now striking in all directions. The Russians have significant stockpiles of various types of weapons, but now they have to make difficult decisions about the arrangement of priorities, - emphasizes Saville.
A series of strikes on Crimea forced the Kremlin to take retaliatory measures.
For example, Russia deployed the S-500, the most advanced anti-missile defense system, to protect the Kerch bridge on the peninsula.
According to Seville, the Ukrainian strikes are "a headache for Putin."
It is more difficult for the Russians to base and launch planes from there. It is more difficult for them to store ammunition there and supply their troops. And this, to be honest, is inconvenient, - explains the analyst.
