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The National Interest (USA): The American THAAD missile defense system is approaching the borders of Russia. The State Department approved the delivery of THAAD anti-missile systems to Saudi Arabia

In modern realities, the countries of the world are paying more and more attention to the issues of air and missile defense. The army, which is armed with systems that allow it to provide reliable protection of troops and ground facilities from air strikes, receives a huge advantage in modern conflicts. Interest in air defense and missile defense systems is growing, and this topic is accompanied by a large flow of news. The most discussed of them are Turkey's purchase of a Russian anti-aircraft missile system and Saudi Arabia's statements about the desire to purchase this system, after which the United States almost immediately approved a deal to sell its THAAD anti-missile system to the kingdom.

Saudi Arabia's interest in such a system is understandable. On December 19, 2017, Saudi air defense intercepted a Burkan-2 ballistic missile launched by the Houthis from Yemen in the south of Riyadh, which was similar to the one that was shot down near the capital of the kingdom on November 4, 2017. Whether the rocket was really shot down or whether it simply deviated from the course and fell in an uninhabited area is not known for certain. No one was reportedly injured in the incident. The Houthis themselves acknowledged the fact of the missile attack. According to the group, the target of the launch was the royal palace of al-Yamama in the capital of Saudi Arabia.

This attack was already the second carried out from the territory of Yemen in the last few months. A military conflict continues in Yemen, which is comparable in scale to the hostilities in Syria. Saudi Arabia acts as the main ideologist of the military operation, which is being carried out on the territory of a neighboring state. The ballistic missile used by the Houthis is an Iranian-made Burkan-2. The missile has a detachable warhead (unlike the Burkan-1 missile, which is a modernized Soviet R-17). Judging by its tactical and technical characteristics, this ballistic missile can indeed reach Riyadh, as well as the country's numerous oil fields. On December 23, 2017, the UN Security Council condemned this rocket attack on the Saudi capital by Yemeni rebels.

Today, Saudi Arabia is also threatened by operational-tactical missiles of the Soviet-made R-17 Scud, as well as tactical missiles Kahir and Zelzal, created on the basis of another Soviet missile system, Luna-M. The Houthis are also quite actively using these missiles for attacks on the territory of the kingdom, in some cases they really lead to a large number of casualties among the military. They use the Houthis and converted missiles of the S-75 air defense systems, which are not intended for striking ground targets.

Against this background, Riyadh's interest in modern air defense and missile defense systems is quite understandable. Saudi Arabia is showing a substantive interest in the American THAAD mobile missile defense system, and options for buying a modern S-400 Triumph air defense system in Russia were also voiced. It is believed that the issue of the supply of Russian air defense systems was discussed during a personal meeting of the King of Saudi Arabia with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow in October 2017, where a positive decision was reached on their sale.

This news has generated interest in comparing the two systems THAAD and S-400. However, this comparison is not correct, since we are talking about systems with different specializations. The American THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) system is a mobile ground-based anti-missile system designed for high-altitude exoatmospheric destruction of medium-range ballistic missiles. At the same time, the Russian S-400 anti-aircraft missile system is designed primarily to destroy aerodynamic targets (aircraft, helicopters, drones, cruise missiles), its ability to deal with ballistic targets is limited in range and altitude. At the same time, of course, the Russian system is more universal. The capabilities of THAAD in the fight against maneuverable targets and aircraft are minimal, while such use of a missile defense system would be tantamount to hammering nails with a "microscope", especially given the cost of American anti-missiles.

The THAAD mobile ground-based anti-missile system, designed for high-altitude transatmospheric interception of medium-range missiles during the creation of a zoned missile defense system in a theater of operations, has been developed in the United States since 1992. The system was developed by Lockheed Martin Corporation. The cost of R&D to create an anti-missile complex is estimated at about $15 billion. Currently, the THAAD anti-missile system is in service with the United States and the United Arab Emirates. In 2017, the battery of the THAAD complex was deployed in South Korea, and their deployment in Japan is also planned. The appearance of the THAAD complex in South Korea was explained by the United States by the need to protect the country from the missile threat from the DPRK, while China and Russia reacted extremely negatively to this step.

The THAAD anti-missile system was originally designed to fight medium and short-range ballistic missiles. The system is able to destroy ballistic targets at an altitude beyond the reach of conventional air defense systems - 150 kilometers and a distance of up to 200 kilometers. With the help of this mobile complex, you can create the first line of zonal missile defense. The characteristics of this anti-missile system allow it to sequentially fire two anti-missiles at one ballistic target according to the “launch-evaluation-launch” principle, that is, the second missile is launched if the first one failed to hit the target. In the event that the second missile cannot hit a ballistic target, the usual air defense system, the Patriot air defense system, comes into play, which receives target designations from the THAAD system radar on the broken missile. According to calculations by American experts, the probability of hitting a ballistic missile with such a layered missile defense system is more than 0.96 (while the probability of hitting a target with one THAAD anti-missile is estimated at 0.9).

The THAAD anti-missile consists of a warhead and an engine, the only (separating) stage is a solid-propellant starting engine. The characteristics of this engine make it possible to accelerate the missile to a speed of 2800 m / s, which made it possible to realize the possibility of re-firing a ballistic target with a second interceptor missile. The warhead of the missile is a highly maneuverable direct-hit interceptor, it is also called the "destroying apparatus" (Kill Vehicle).

All this makes obvious the differences between THAAD and the S-400 and the obvious tension in comparing these two systems. The newest anti-aircraft missile 40N6E of the Russian complex "Triumph" is the most long-range missile of the complex, the range of targets hit with its use increases to 400 kilometers, but at the same time we are talking about aerodynamic targets. The range of destruction of ballistic targets using the S-400 complex is limited to 60 km, and the flight altitude of the targets to be hit is 30 km. At the same time, experts note that the indicator of the height of the defeat, if we are talking about the interception of operational-tactical missiles, is not a critical indicator. “In theater missile defense, targets are destroyed on descending trajectories, and not in space,” Lieutenant General Aitech Bizhev, former deputy commander-in-chief of the Air Force for the joint air defense system of the CIS member states, said in an interview with RIA Novosti.

It is easy to see that the American THAAD has a noticeable advantage in the range and height of the destruction of ballistic targets, which is due to the tasks for which it was created - the destruction of medium-range ballistic missiles. At the same time, the Russian S-400 air defense system with a shorter range in altitude is armed with missiles with a longer range to destroy all types of aerodynamic targets - at a distance of up to 400 kilometers and tactical ballistic targets at a distance of up to 60 kilometers, flying at a speed of up to 4800 m/s.

The second important difference between THAAD and the S-400 is the method of hitting the target.. An American missile hits the target with a kinetic effect, that is, it hits the missile itself. Its warhead is a highly maneuverable interceptor. It is a technically complex device that searches, captures and defeats a target, using only the kinetic energy of a high-speed impact. One of the main features of this interceptor is a gyro-stabilized multispectral infrared homing head (IR-GOS). In addition to the IR-GOS, the THAAD single-stage missile interceptor is equipped with an inertial command and control system, a power supply, a computer, as well as its own maneuvering and orientation propulsion system. At the same time, anti-aircraft missiles of the Russian S-400 Triumph air defense system hit air targets due to a cloud of fragments formed after the missile warhead explodes in the immediate vicinity of the target.

A common feature of all modern air defense and missile defense systems is the requirement placed on them to destroy the payload of attack weapons of a potential enemy. The result of target interception should be, for example, a guarantee that the combat load of the attacking missile will not fall directly in the area of the object being defended. This possibility can be fully excluded only if the target's combat load is destroyed in the process of intercepting it with an anti-aircraft missile. This result can be achieved in two ways: a direct hit of a missile in the target warhead compartment, or with a combination of a small miss and an effective impact on the target by a cloud of anti-aircraft guided missile warhead fragments. In the USA, the first approach is chosen for THAAD, in Russia for the S-400 the second.

It is also worth noting the fact that the S-400 can fire 360 degrees, while the THAAD has a limited firing sector. For example, Russian anti-aircraft missiles 9M96E and 9M96E2, optimized to deal with modern high-precision weapons, cruise missiles and ballistic targets, including stealth ones, use a "cold" vertical launch. Immediately before launching their propulsion engine, rockets are ejected from the container to a height of more than 30 meters. After rising to this height, the anti-aircraft missile is inclined towards the target with the help of a gas-dynamic system.

An important difference between the two complexes is also their radar.. The American system has the best vision. The detection range of the AN / TPY-2 radar is 1000 kilometers against 600 kilometers for the S-400 complex. The multifunctional radar AN / TPY-2 operates in the X-band and consists of 25,344 active PPMs. This is an active phased array radar (AFAR). APAA consists of active radiating elements, each of which consists of a radiating element and an active device (transceiver module - RPM). The very high resolution and vigilance of the American radar is achieved by a huge number of PPMs and the most complex signal processing algorithm. At the same time, the American radar costs a pretty penny, the cost of an innovative radar can exceed $ 500 million.

Radar AN / TPY-2

Experts believe that despite the decision to purchase the THAAD missile defense system, Saudi Arabia may also purchase Russian S-400 systems. It will be impossible to control these systems from a single command post in an automated mode, but this does not exclude their combat use separately. The systems can be deployed in different parts of the country or even as part of the protection of one important facility, while solving different tasks and thus complementing each other, military expert Mikhail Khodarenok noted in an interview with RIA Novosti.

According to him, the desire of Saudi Arabia to buy both American and Russian systems may be dictated by different considerations. For example, after Operation Desert Storm, during which the French anti-aircraft missile systems in service with Iraqi air defenses suddenly became inoperable, potential buyers treat weapons purchased in the West with a certain degree of caution. Mikhail Khodorenok notes that there may be “bookmarks” in American weapons, for example, the F-16 of the Jordanian Air Force cannot shoot down the F-16 of the Israeli Air Force. In this case, the purchase of the S-400 can help diversify the risks. If American tactical ballistic missiles or medium-range missiles are used to attack the territory of Saudi Arabia, then the S-400 will be able to shoot them down.

Experts believe that the contract between Saudi Arabia and the United States is not an alternative to the contract with Russia on the S-400, since both systems are not mutually exclusive, but complement each other, they can be used autonomously. As a means of air defense to combat aerodynamic targets, the S-400 is significantly superior to the American Patriot air defense systems.

Price can also play a role. The cost of the S-400 division with 8 launchers is about $500 million. So in December 2017, the details of the contract for the supply of S-400 Triumph air defense systems to Turkey became known. Ankara should receive 4 S-400 divisions for a total amount of about $2.5 billion. At the same time, the Pentagon's Department of Defense Cooperation and Security stated that the cost of the deal with Saudi Arabia for the supply of THAAD missile defense systems was about $15 billion. Under the contract, the kingdom will receive from the United States 44 launchers, 16 command posts, 7 radars, and 360 interceptor missiles for this complex.

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D To overcome the risks that Europe faces after the emergence of new regional conflicts, a common defense policy and common efforts in the field of defense technologies are required. A separate area in this regard is reliable air defense (AD) with such an important element as the anti-missile defense system (ABM).

Ensuring European Security - Situation and Threat Analysis

Crisis processes and new air threats have initiated a discussion in the West regarding the improvement of European air defense.

On the one hand, it is believed that the spread of tactical ballistic missiles ( Tactical Ballistic Missiles, TBM) from so-called "rogue states" such as North Korea, Iran and Syria lead to potential regional conflict situations that threaten the Old World.

On the other hand, Western experts note a clear increase in the conflict potential with Russia in recent years. The emergence of the latter was facilitated by the anti-missile defense system created by the United States in Europe and the deployment of corresponding facilities in Poland (Redzikovo) and Romania (Deveselu).

Under these conditions, Russia sees a threat to reduce the operational value of its strategic weapons systems and, as a result, carries out further modernization of offensive weapons. In turn, Moscow's policy in Ukraine, in the Arctic and the Baltic Sea region is recognized by the military-political leadership of the NATO countries as aggressive and causing concern.

The existing tools for localizing possible risks in the Euro-Atlantic region were considered at the practical conference “Aerospace Forces and Facilities” that opened on October 11, 2017 in Essen (Germany) ( Joint Air and Space Power Conference). As one of the participants stated, there are two such tools, air power ( air power) and advanced air defense ( Advanced Air Defense, in fact missile defense) are understood as "means of deterrence".

Their importance for reliable defense against tactical ballistic missiles (TBR) in Europe is growing with the level of threat from new means of attack. An understanding is being formed that only a single system, including early warning and engagement subsystems, is capable of providing adequate protection against TBRs and their warheads (warheads).

At the same time, great risks are associated with the threat of tactical and strategic aerodynamic offensive weapons (cruise missiles, KR). Experts consider the current assessment of the development and proliferation of such weapons systems insufficient. As a result, the threat posed by the CD remains largely hidden from the public.

Air defense of the ground forces - the missing potential

According to Western military experts, the absence or insufficient understanding by the leadership of most NATO countries of the need to additionally take into account the threat from cruise missiles leads to an alarming shortage of air defense. This is especially true at short and medium ranges and altitudes.

This issue was discussed at the symposium "Use of airspace by ground forces - operational and technical aspects" ( Nutzung des Luftraums durch die Landstreitkräfte – operativ und technisch). The event took place in mid-November 2017 at the Bundeswehr International Air Force Helicopter Training Center in Bückeburg.

The participants noted that short and shorter range air defense shortcomings ( SHORAD/ VSHORAD, Short-Range/Very Short-Range Air Defense) have been in place for several years. Modernization of ground air defense is considered a high priority project. In the medium term, preliminary research and initial development of a short-range anti-aircraft missile system (SAM) is estimated at 460 million euros. For the later phase of the project, an additional tranche of about two billion euros will be required. At the same time, it is not clear whether these funds will be enough and whether the European industry is able to use the already developed laser technologies and additional sensor components in the interests of this air defense system.

According to publications, the IRIS-T SL / SLS anti-aircraft missile system (SAM) or the upgraded NASAMS II air defense system can become the main favorites for adoption as air defense systems for ground forces. The first is a product of the German company "Dil Defense" ( Diehl Defense), the second is the joint development of the Norwegian Konsberg ( Norwegian Kongsberg) and the American Raytheon ( Raytheon).

The IRIS-T SL / SLS complex, as part of the overall IRIS-T SLM air defense system, can be adapted for ground launch in the same way as the configuration purchased by Sweden on the Bv206 / BvS10 vehicle. For IRIS-T SL ( Surface Launched) we are talking about an extended range version of the IRIS-T guided missile. The system is designed for use at an altitude of up to five km and a range of 10 km. The NASAMS II air defense system is already being used by the armed forces of Finland, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain and the United States.

Analysts note the advantages of each of the systems. There is also an opinion that it is too large to use the IRIS-T SL air defense system as a replacement for the Ozelot or Stinger systems. As a result, no decisions have been made yet.

Missile defense system - complexities and solutions

According to NATO analysts, the spread of tactical ballistic missile technology has reached a global scale. Some states of Central and Southeast Asia, as well as the Middle East, already at the beginning of the next decade will have more than 2,200 TBRs with different ranges and types of warheads. Of these, about 600 TBRs will have a range of more than 2,500 km and will be able to threaten Central Europe. In particular, North Korea's work on systems with a range of more than 9,000 km confirms this trend.

The current situation of the global spread of TBRs is aggravated by the fact that the air defense / missile defense systems currently in service are experiencing great difficulties in defeating them. At the same time, we are also talking about submunitions, which are separated from the carrier at high altitudes and enter the dense layers of the atmosphere as a combat warhead.

In NATO documents, tactical ballistic missiles approaching the target at supersonic speeds (with a high MAX number) are called extremely critical. Since their defeat is extremely difficult due to the increased range, improved accuracy, a sharp decrease in radiation indicators and relatively small areas of destruction.

Just as the interception of TBRs and their warheads in the exosphere (altitude 800-3000 km) is a technological challenge, their defeat in the lower atmosphere remains problematic. Firstly, high accuracy is required to destroy one TBR: either the electronic equipment of the missile or the warhead. Secondly, by this moment, the warheads (submunitions) that have already been separated and have fallen into the lower layers can become the target of interception.

In addition, experts note that the Western missile defense system is experiencing methodological problems. Until now, there are no uniform criteria that guarantee the safe identification of the position of the warhead in the TBR, the distinction between the approaching warhead and the decoy warhead, and the classification of the type of combat warhead.

In addition, hitting a carrier in the interception zone should ensure, as far as possible, the prevention of collateral damage on the ground from its submunitions. In this regard, chemical and biological (bacteriological) HS have long been considered especially dangerous. Since the destruction of their carrier (or the ammunition itself) at altitudes of more than 20 km leads to a significant radius of destruction on the ground.

sea-based missile defense

Currently, the NATO missile defense system has a complex "Patriot" (Patriot PAC-3). This complex and similar to it received the designation of systems of the final phase.

According to the technology of "impact defeat" ( Hit-to-kill HTK) requires a direct hit on an approaching target. At the same time, fire control of the PAC-3 is carried out from the ground. NATO experts are aware of the insufficient capabilities of the Patriot to destroy long-range TBR in the lower atmosphere, but consider it as a significant European missile defense potential in its current state.

Naval missile defense systems, in comparison with traditional ground-based systems, have a significantly larger guaranteed zone of control, due to more advanced technical capabilities. For this reason, Germany and the Netherlands are planning to compensate for the emerging gaps in their national missile defense systems by adapting the capabilities of their shipborne detection systems. In particular, the Dutch division of the international industrial group Thales ( Thales Nederland) is preparing the SMART-L MM/N radar system ( Multi-Mission /Naval), based on gallium nitride technology.

As a variant of a typical TBR defense scenario, the use of the F124 frigate (Saxony type) of the Bundeswehr Navy is considered as a rational platform integrated into a combined arms operation. The ship is used to receive, combine (merge) and exchange detection data (formation of the so-called sensor network) with other ships and aircraft of the German Navy and allied forces.

Prerequisites for the future improvement of maritime defense in the long term include improved computer processing performance of early warning data and real-time radar. The main idea for this is proposed by the American concept of coordinated interaction ( Coordinated Engagement Concept, CEC).

According to the concept, in the interests of early warning, target data from different sensor platforms are used. Such platforms can be:

sea-based systems such as AEGIS SPY-1 (in the future SPY-6);
airborne equipment E-2D AHE Advanced Hawkeye or JTIDS ( unified tactical information distribution system);
a ground-based missile defense system integrated with them into a single network on geographically distributed platforms.

The received and processed data is used to provide all consumers with a single picture of the air situation.

According to experts, from the point of view of today, early detection and destruction of TBRs and their warheads containing various submunitions is possible only with the help of CEC or a similar early warning system.

Sea-based missile defense systems, with their larger coverage areas compared to ground-based systems like the PAC-3, can make it possible to abandon ground-based early warning radars during combat operations. For example, if the phased shipborne radars are close to the positions of enemy TBRs in the coastal area. They detect a threat much earlier and can hit it in the take-off phase with their ship-based anti-missiles.

Comparative capabilities of missile defense systems

According to publications conducted in 2009, 2010 and 2012. in the West, research in the interests of missile defense gave a positive result regarding the possibility of destroying TBR in the lower atmosphere. The Patriot PAC-3 complex and the similar tactical air defense system MEADS / TLVS demonstrated a direct hit probability of more than 70 percent, and the probability of destroying a target with a double launch of PAC-3 anti-missiles was almost 90 percent.

It is noted that similar work was carried out by France and Italy. SAMP / T universal-based air defense system and the final phase system based on ASTER30 showed a predicted probability of a direct hit from 65 to 75 percent.

It has also been established that the maximum possible probability of a direct hit by these defense systems depends on the flight path and the speed of the incoming TBR. First, the vulnerability of a rocket increases after it is immersed in denser layers of the atmosphere. Secondly, the angle of such an entrance with an increase in the range of the rocket launch becomes more gentle.

It is considered confirmed that the speed of long-range TBRs, Russian ICBMs of the RS-12M1 / 2 Torol-M type, similar to North Korean, Iranian, Pakistani and Chinese developments, for example: Taepo-Dong 2, Shahab 3 or BM25 Musudan, Agni III and JL -2 (CSS-NX-5) - Slows down after reentry. For a TBR with a range of more than 2000 km, similar features are expected already at an altitude of about 30 km.

THAAD missile defense system

The defensive complex of transatmospheric interception (the level of the exosphere) is considered "Ted" ( Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, THAAD). The height of its effective use is more than 20 km. The complex uses kinetic MS ( Kinetic Kill Vehicles, KKV) with high kinetic energy (more than 200 MJ). A missile defense system based on THAAD or Patriot PAC-3 and MEADS/TLVS uses the same traditional HTK technology. But the size of the covered area varies greatly.

The long-range interception missile defense system adopted by the US Armed Forces ( Upper Layer System) THAAD must guarantee the destruction of tactical ballistic missiles approaching at various angles at high altitudes ( Upper Keep-out Altitude). The target detection range of its radar with a fixed antenna and electronic beam deflection can exceed 450 km. At the same time, the required early detection and identification of TBRs is allegedly provided, as well as the distinction between combat and false warheads, which was previously not achievable using systems of the past generation.

According to calculations based on the example of Germany, if THAAD was used in Europe, compared to PAC-3 and MEADS / TLVS, many times fewer launch sites would be required to cover the entire country.

Solution of technological risks remains in question

Despite certain achievements in the field of missile defense, Western experts state that the technological assessment of the capabilities of protection against long-range missiles is extremely difficult.

Range, accuracy and reaction time will be critical indicators of future missile defense. At the same time, the modern missile defense system is based, for the most part, on the developments of the early 1960s. However, there is still no system that guarantees extremely high accuracy requirements for complete protection against the entire modern TBR spectrum.

Approaches to currently developed ground-based anti-missiles ( Ground Based Interceptor) and THAAD in the USA, Arrow 2 in Israel and S-300 in Russia are similar.

It is also noted that technologically the ability to recognize targets with low radar reflection declared for the THAAD transatmospheric interception system remains controversial ( radarCrosssections,RCS). Since it is very difficult to distinguish combat warheads from neighboring false ones.

In addition to the above, for missile defense systems like the PAC-3, which are used against a wide range of threats and, due to their mobility and autonomy, are especially suitable for participation in joint military operations, the issue of target height dominates. The question is how to make the toxic substances in the MS harmless before they reach the surface of the territory of the defended, neutral or allied state in a concentrated form.

In this regard, experts are considering systems for interception in the so-called acceleration (rise) phase. Possible solutions include either the use of directed kinetic energy or the use of laser weapons. In any case, the principle is to eliminate the TBR threat already over enemy territory. The long-term option is considered to be the destruction of the rocket during the ascent stage using airborne high-energy laser systems. Thus, the risk of residual effects from submunitions is limited to enemy territory.

BymaterialsmagazineEuropäische Sicherheit & Technik.

The US Army has deployed one of its seven Terminal High Altitude Anti-Missile Defense (THAAD) batteries to Romania. This deployment coincides with the closure of Aegis Ashore, also located in Romania, for a planned upgrade.

The installation of THAAD anti-missile battery equipment began on May 17, 2019 near the location of the Aegis Ashore ground-based anti-missile system. The U.S. Army and the U.S. Department of Defense independently posted at least one photo of the installation in preparation for combat duty, and then quickly removed it. Some websites have saved this photo.

The deployment of the THAAD missile defense system is a controversial issue. This system, in theory, has the same capabilities as the Aegis Ashore anti-missile systems and helps close the gap created during the temporary shutdown of the Aegis complex.

However, the installation of THAAD batteries provokes a hostile reaction from the Russian leadership, as was the case with the Aegis Ashore ground system. Russia “does not understand what tasks the Aegis Ashore system will perform in the anti-missile field,” Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said at the end of April 2019.

The Pentagon and NATO have repeatedly tried to explain the reasons for the deployment of the THAAD anti-missile system. “At the request of NATO, the Secretary of Defense will deploy a U.S. Army final trajectory high-altitude interception missile defense system in Romania this summer to support the NATO missile defense system,” a spokesman for the US European Command said in early April 2019.

“The THAAD missile system from the 69th Artillery Air Brigade of the 32nd Air and Missile Command will be integrated into the existing missile defense architecture for a limited period of time this summer, when the planned maintenance and modernization of the Romanian-based ground-based missile defense system will be carried out. "Aegis Ashor".

As of early 2019, the US Army received about 200 missiles for its seven THAAD batteries and approximately 40 launchers. The US Missile Defense Agency on its website calls THAAD "a ground-based element capable of shooting down ballistic missiles both in and out of the atmosphere."

The US Army has THAAD anti-missile batteries on the island of Guam, as well as in South Korea. In March 2019, the US Army deployed one THAAD battery to Israel.

Context

Uncle Sam's Hidden Intentions

People's Daily 02.08.2016

Russia will wait: China will tell the USA everything

Ming Bao 04/05/2017

TNI: US anti-missile system heading to Europe

The National Interest 04/16/2019 The Aegis Ashore is a ground-based version of the US Navy's SM-3 anti-missile system. The US Missile Defense Agency, through NATO, operates the Aegis Ashore ground systems in Poland and Romania. These installations help protect Europe and the United States from limited missile attacks from Middle Eastern powers such as Iran.

However, the United States anti-missile system has been causing discontent in Russia for decades. Moscow sees US anti-missile systems as a threat to the global balance of power because, in theory, they could render Russian missiles armed with nuclear warheads ineffective. In fact, most US anti-missile systems lack the speed, range, and accuracy to intercept ICBMs.

Only US ground-based mid-trajectory missile defense systems in Alaska and California, both designed to intercept North Korean missiles, have demonstrated the ability to hit some intercontinental ballistic missiles in test tests.

Many Russians mistakenly believe that Aegis Ashore ground systems can be equipped with surface-to-surface missiles and therefore can be used in a surprise first strike. Aegis Ashore missile defenses “are causing a peculiar Russian fear,” said Jeffrey Lewis, a nuclear weapons expert at the Monterey-based Middlebury Institute of International Studies.

In his opinion, many Russians believe that the United States is secretly planning to equip its anti-missile installations in Poland and Romania with nuclear warheads, thus turning them into what Lewis calls a "covert" striking force whose true purpose is to launch a surprise nuclear attack. strike on Moscow in order to "decapitate" the Russian leadership.

“This is crazy, but they are 100 percent sure of it,” Lewis said, referring to the Russians.

NATO emphasizes that neither Aegis Ashore nor THAAD pose a threat to Russia. “The THAAD battery will be under the operational control of NATO and under the full political control of the North Atlantic Council,” the alliance said in a statement. - It will be in a combat state only until the Aegis Ashore complex returns to its place in Romania. As expected, the modernization and placement will continue for several weeks.

“In accordance with the NATO missile defense system, the work of THAAD batteries will be directed against potential threats that arise outside the Euro-Atlantic zone. The Aegis Ashore complexes deployed in Romania are purely defensive systems.”

David Ax is the Defense Editor for the National Interest. He is the author of the graphic novels (comics) War Drug (War Fix), War is Boring and Machete Squad.

The materials of InoSMI contain only assessments of foreign media and do not reflect the position of the editors of InoSMI.

The US Foreign Office has approved a deal to sell THAAD missile defense systems to Saudi Arabia. The contract amount is $ 15 billion. Earlier, a RBC source announced the sale of Russian S-400s to Riyadh

THAAD missile defense systems (Photo: U.S. Force Korea / AP)

The US State Department approved the sale of THAAD anti-missile systems to Saudi Arabia. This is stated in a press release (.pdf) published on the website of the Pentagon agency for defense cooperation and security.

As noted in the military department, the value of the contract will be $15 billion. This amount also takes into account the cost of maintenance, supply of spare parts and equipment. The supply of weapons is planned as part of a total batch of defensive weapons worth $110 billion.

Under the contract, Saudi Arabia will receive from Washington 44 THAAD launchers, 360 anti-missile interceptor missiles, 16 THAAD mobile tactical fire control and communications groups, seven AN / TPY-2 THAAD radars, 43 tractors, generators, electrical units, trailers, communication equipment, etc. The American side also undertook to train military personnel who will subsequently maintain anti-missile installations, as well as to provide contractor services for technical and logistical personnel, construction of facilities, and research.

It is precisely this kind of military support for the authorities of Saudi Arabia, the Pentagon division emphasizes, that was previously requested from Washington.

"This deal advances U.S. foreign policy goals and national security, and supports the long-term security of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf region against Iranian and other regional threats," the U.S. military said in a statement.

The Pentagon also assured that if the deal for the sale of THAAD is approved by Congress, then the deployment of THAAD complexes in Saudi Arabia "will not change the basic military balance in the region." The military also noted that the sale of installations "will not adversely affect US defense."

The announcement of the State Department's approval of the deal does not mean that the sale has already been legally completed. The next step will be the approval of the deal in the US Congress. Legislators will have 30 days to reject or approve the agreement.

After the visit of US President Donald Trump to Saudi Arabia at the end of May (it was the first foreign trip of a Republican as head of state), reports began to appear that the American side, during meetings with the Saudi government, discussed the possibility of selling American THAAD and Patriot complexes to Riyadh. . The press secretary of the White House after the trip said that in total Saudi Arabia is ready to buy weapons from Washington for almost $110 billion. In addition, the contract package includes the supply of 150 American Black Hawk helicopters.

Earlier, on September 5, Al-Arabiya TV channel, that during a visit to Moscow, the Saudi king agreed with the Russian authorities on the purchase of S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems. RBC's source in the Almaz-Antey concern, which produces these air defense systems, confirmed this information. Interlocutors of Kommersant, who are familiar with the course of negotiations, that the Saudi military can buy “at least four divisions” of S-400s from Moscow, the total amount of the transaction will be about $ 2 billion. The Kremlin reports on the deal

MOSCOW, December 27 - RIA Novosti, Vadim Saranov. Rockets began to fly into Saudi Arabia frequently. Recently, the UN Security Council condemned the Yemeni Houthis strike on Riyadh. The target of the attack was the royal palace of Al-Yamama, but nothing happened. The missile was either shot down, or it deviated from the course. Against this background, Saudi Arabia intends to significantly strengthen missile defense. The main candidates for the role of "umbrella" are the American THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) system and the Russian S-400 Triumph air defense system. About the advantages and disadvantages of competitors - in the material of RIA Novosti.

S-400 hits further, THAAD - higher

Objectively, THAAD and the S-400 Triumph air defense system are conditional competitors. "Triumph" is primarily designed to destroy aerodynamic targets: aircraft, cruise missiles, unmanned vehicles. THAAD, on the other hand, is a system originally designed to combat short and medium-range ballistic missiles. "American" is capable of destroying targets at altitudes beyond the reach of conventional air defense systems - 150 kilometers, and according to some sources, even 200 kilometers. The newest anti-aircraft missile 40N6E of the Russian "Triumph" does not work above 30 kilometers. However, according to experts, the indicator of the height of the defeat, especially when it comes to the fight against operational-tactical missiles, is not critical.

"In theater missile defense, targets are destroyed on descending trajectories, not in space," Lieutenant General Aitech Bizhev, ex-deputy commander of the Air Force for the joint air defense system of the CIS member states, told RIA Novosti. "In the late 1980s, in missile defense capital, it was supposed to use two regiments of S-300V2. At the Kapustin Yar training ground, they created a model of the defense of Moscow with the same geometric dimensions and launched targets from the stratosphere. All of them were destroyed at a distance of 120 kilometers."

By the way, the main danger for Saudi Arabia today is precisely the R-17 Scud operational-tactical missiles and the Kahir and Zelzal tactical missiles, created on the basis of the Soviet Luna-M complex.

Another key difference between the American and Russian complexes lies in the principle of operation. If the Triumph hits targets with shrapnel after detonating the missile warhead near the target, then the THAAD, devoid of the warhead, hits the missile exactly with a kinetic block. Meanwhile, despite the apparent complexity of this decision, the Americans managed to achieve good results during the tests - the probability of destroying a target with one anti-missile is 0.9, if THAAD insures the complex more simply, this figure will be 0.96.

The main advantage of the Triumph in the case of its use as an anti-missile system is its higher range. For the 40N6E missile, it is up to 400 kilometers, while for THAAD it is 200 kilometers. Unlike the S-400, which can fire 360 degrees, the deployed THAAD has a field of fire of 90 degrees horizontally and 60 degrees vertically. But at the same time, the “American” has better eyesight - the detection range of its AN / TPY-2 radar is 1000 kilometers against 600 kilometers for the Triumph.

Combine incompatible

Apparently, Saudi Arabia intends to build its missile defense on two completely different systems. This approach may seem somewhat strange, because serious compatibility problems can arise during their operation. However, according to experts, this is a completely solvable issue.

“These two systems cannot be controlled in an automated mode from a single command post,” military expert Mikhail Khodarenok told RIA Novosti. “They have completely different mathematics, completely different logic. But this does not exclude the possibility of their combat use separately. They can be deployed in different places or even within the framework of the defense of one object, if for them the tasks are divided by heights and sectors. They can simply perfectly complement each other, being in the same grouping."

Saudi Arabia's desire to acquire both Russian and American systems may be dictated by other considerations. After Operation Desert Storm, during which the French anti-aircraft missile systems in service with Iraqi air defense suddenly turned out to be inoperable, potential buyers began to be more cautious about purchasing Western-made weapons.

“There may be bookmarks in American weapons,” says Mikhail Khodarenok. able to work on conventional aerodynamic targets. It is possible that this is the only reason they buy the Russian system."

The most important difference between THAAD and Triumph is the price. The cost of one THAAD battery, which consists of six launchers for eight interceptor missiles each, is about $2.3 billion. Another 574 million is the innovative AN / TPY-2 radar. The cost of the S-400 division with eight launchers of four missiles is about $500 million. The Russian complex costs almost six times less, while the benefits of THAAD, at least for now, are not obvious.