What are the strengths of the most powerful armies in the world. India chooses Israeli air defense systems as the best in the world The best missile defense and air defense systems in the world
"Harpoon", "Tomahawk", "Caliber", "Onyx" or "Brahmos": who can compete with them for the title of the best cruise missile in the world?
Recently, it is the cruise missile that has become one of the most deadly and sought-after types of weapons. To get the enemy with a scalpel-point strike, eliminate his command bunker, sink the flagship, or conduct a massive attack on enemy positions - only cruise missiles are capable of performing all these tasks at once. Cheap, angry, effective, and, most importantly, without any participation of the pilot. It is for these reasons that all the leading world powers and countries of lower rank are trying to effectively develop their technologies aimed at building new models of this formidable weapon. But who among them went the farthest? Whose gunsmiths created the most advanced cruise missile in the world?
Answers to this question in a special review of the ten best cruise missiles in the world.
10th place: RGM-84 Harpoon Block II (USA).
Opens our top "American old man", the development of the middle of the last century, one of the most common cruise missiles in the world, a kind of anti-ship "harpoon" - RGM-84 of the latest modification of Block II. A reliable, proven system is truly universal and can be based both on land and in the air, on water and under water. But only naval targets are capable of hitting, and even then at a very short distance, only 130 kilometers and with a not very high maximum speed of 860 km / h, and it carries only a little more than 200 kilograms of combat load. Agree, very, very modestly.
With similar parameters, all sorts of target approach modes and small missile dimensions will not help to break through a modern enemy missile defense system and sink a serious ship like an aircraft carrier. Yes, and the rocket carrier will have to approach a dangerous distance. Therefore, Harpoon takes an honorable tenth place, for the sake of respect for the former glory of the "old man".
9th place: RBS-15 Mk. III (Sweden).
Another "old man" from our review, the Swedish arms concern Saab began to develop at the same time as the RGM-84, but the development, alas, dragged on and the first modification of the rocket was put into service only in 1985. But it turned out better than the American competitor. Versatility to launch from all possible carriers, twice the flight range, almost the same mass of the warhead and higher flight speed: the RBS-15, the third modification, is more deadly than the Harpoon, but also cannot be used against ground targets. Therefore, the Swedish development and confidently pushes the American "harpoon" in our rating.
8th place: SOM (Turkey)
The Turkish armed forces, up to the present moment, did not have a cruise missile of their own production, but in 2012 they nevertheless adopted the latest development - the SOM missile. Created in Turkish design bureaus, SOM is a fairly compact universal cruise missile capable of hitting not only sea, but also ground targets. The latest electronics, various target engagement modes, firing range and maximum flight speed above the level of the legendary RGM-84 - all this was realized by the Turks in metal. But still, Turkey still lacks experience in the development of such weapons systems. Therefore, it was possible to surpass the Swedish and American analogues of SOM, but nothing more. Diagnosis: study and study again, development experience comes with time.
7th place: Naval Strike Missile (Norway)
The Norwegians, first of all, care about the protection of the maritime borders of their own state and, with their development in 2007, do not lag behind the world's leading manufacturers of cruise missiles. Naval Strike Missile puts Harpoon, RBS-15, and SOM in the belt. The missile flies further, almost reaches the speed of sound, is assembled from composite materials, destroys all targets and itself can actively interfere with the enemy. Therefore, such a “gift” is extremely difficult to intercept by the missile defense system.
But for now, the Naval Strike Missile can only be based on ships, and it carries only 125 kilograms of combat load. Not enough - the lowest indicator from our rating, therefore only 7th place.
6th place: BGM-109 Tomahawk Block IV (USA)
So, meet the legendary Tomahawk. Where would we be without it ... An ageless veteran and one of the most famous cruise missiles in the world opens the list of heavyweights in our ranking.
The longest range of destruction, the richest history of combat use, a very serious warhead mass of 450 kilograms - the American "tomahawk" is the most serious threat to the enemy. For an adversary who does not have the same modern air defense system, for example, third world countries. Subsonic speed, coupled with the inability to maneuver with large overloads, make the American "miracle weapon" an easy target for the latest enemy anti-aircraft missiles.
But still, the flight range of 1600 kilometers plays a significant role, so place number 6.
5th place: Storm Shadow/SCALP EG (France-Italy-Great Britain).
The joint development of the leading arms concerns of the European Union should have led to something, at least grandiose. Thus was born the unique, electronically crammed, stealth-based cruise missile Storm Shadow. Its tandem-type warhead, weighing almost half a ton, can penetrate the most serious armor, and the combined guidance system with target recognition mode can hit the most hard-to-reach targets.
It would seem that Storm Shadow should be the leader of this rating, if not for one "but" ... maximum speed. The missile cannot overcome the supersonic barrier, which means that for the latest missile defense systems it remains a fairly easy victim.
4th place: R-800 Onyx/Yakhont (Russia)
The old man "of the Soviet development of the late 70s earned its place on the list thanks to one advantage - a supersonic flight speed of 3000 km / h. None of the above cruise missiles developed in the West has such a characteristic, which means that there are practically no equals in the breakthrough of modern Onyx missile defense systems. And the complete unification of the main types of carriers (surface, underwater, ground) and the possibility of using against targets of any base confidently put the Russian missile in 4th place.
3rd place: 3M-54 Caliber (Russia)
The latest Russian weapons system, developed at the turn of the century, recently shocked the whole world with its combat capabilities during the autumn missile launches at the positions of Daesh militants *. An amazing possibility of basing on all types of media, including in specially disguised containers. Amazing maximum flight speed, almost three times the speed of sound. Incredible targeting and hitting accuracy. One of the highest firing ranges and the largest mass of the warhead. "Caliber" certainly deserved the highest place in our rating!
But, alas, most of the data on the Russian cruise missile is classified and we can only be guided by approximate parameters. Therefore, bronze.
2nd place: YJ-18 (China)
In any rating there will always be a "dark horse", in ours - Chinese-made. Very little is known about the YJ-18 cruise missile: the Celestial Empire has always been able to keep its secrets, but, apparently, it is a serious modification of the Russian analogue 3M-54 Caliber, the technology of which went to the Chinese along with Project 636 submarines.
Well, what could be better and more lethal than the improved Caliber? That's right, practically nothing, which means - silver.
1st place: BRAHMOS (Russia-India).
Only mountains can be better than mountains, and only BRAHMOS is better than Caliber and the Chinese-modified Caliber. The latest Russian-Indian cruise missile, based on the R-800 Oniks, leads the ranking.
Maximum speed of 3700 km / h, a mixed flight profile that provides a completely unpredictable trajectory of approach to the target at ultra-low altitudes at supersonic speed, 300 kilograms of a warhead (penetrating, high-explosive fragmentation, cluster) and a launch range of 300 kilometers - save from BRAHMOS is unlikely to be able to any PRO. Well, if we add here the possibility of being based on any type of carriers and the possibility of hitting absolutely any targets, then it becomes clear why gold is behind the missile of Russian-Indian development.
Well, and finally - a short video with colorful launches of all the presented missiles.
* – The activity of the organization is prohibited on the territory of the Russian Federation by decision of the Supreme Court.
Israeli corporation Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd. published a video where, using computer graphics, it presented the capabilities of the latest AIR EW Systems radar warfare system, which is currently being developed by the Israeli defense industry.
The electronic jamming system (REW) consists of three components: the Sky Schield REP (wide-range radar suppression), the Light Schield REP (close-range radar suppression) and the X-Guard container towed on a cable. The last element, as conceived by the developers, should divert the missile defense missiles towards themselves.
According to the script of the video, a group of F-16 multifunctional fighters equipped with AIR EW Systems takes off into the air to attack enemy infrastructure facilities (a thermal power plant is chosen as a conditional target).
The system disorients the enemy's air defense - this role is played by air defense systems resembling the Russian S-400 and Pantsir-S.
The anti-aircraft missiles fired at the air group are diverted by the towed X-Guard container, as a result of which the missiles go astray, and the fighters strike at the civilian infrastructure of the imaginary enemy. The AIR EW Systems electronic warfare system is currently at the final stage of development.
System struggle
It should be noted that the Israeli military has real experience in breaking through enemy air defenses. We are talking, in particular, about the air operation "Artsav-19", carried out during the conflict between Israel and the Syrian Arab Republic in 1982.
However, a whole arsenal of means of attack was involved in that operation. First, IAI Scout UAVs and Mastiff small-sized remotely piloted aircraft conducted reconnaissance, determining the location of Syrian anti-aircraft missile systems and airfields, which, based on the received data, were launched missile strikes. Shrike homing anti-radar missiles were also involved in the operation, with the help of which Israeli Air Force aircraft destroyed the Syrian air defense radar.
At the same time, an entire air group was responsible for the radar support of the operation, including the American E-2C Hawkeye carrier-based early warning aircraft equipped with a radar antenna and a friend-foe identification system. The result of a carefully planned operation was the victory of the Israeli side over the air defense systems of the SAR.
The scheme for breaking through the enemy’s layered air defense system even today represents a multi-stage and carefully coordinated operation using various UAVs, early warning aircraft, radar weapons and fighters. To detect and confuse enemy air defenses, the Israeli military, in particular, can use “false” ATALD (Advanced Tactical Air Launched Decoy & Aerial Target) missiles manufactured by the Israel Military Industries state corporation. The missile is designed to simulate the appearance of multiple targets on enemy radars. As expected, this will force him to switch his air defenses to combat mode, which will allow the radar detection systems of the attacking side to detect the position of enemy air defense systems.
After the enemy’s anti-aircraft systems are defeated by long-range cruise missiles and strike drones, fighters equipped with electronic warfare systems can join the operation.
As Aitech Bizhev, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Air Force in 2003-2007 for the Joint Air Defense System of the CIS Member States, explained in an interview with RT, the air defense system is a whole complex that includes systems for suppressing radio interference on-board equipment of attacking aircraft, fighter aircraft, as well as air defense systems for close and long-range combat.
An attack on such a system is impossible with the forces of one fighter air group, the expert explained.
“In commercials, each country presents its achievements in the best possible way. But a true assessment can only be given based on the results of a real battle, Bizhev emphasized. - If an attack and breakthrough of the enemy's air defense is planned, then, for example, a group of electronic suppression aircraft should participate in the operation, which will “blind” the air defense systems with interference. And only behind them is attack aircraft, which performs a combat mission. Such an algorithm is accepted all over the world, this is a classic scheme.”
sky protector
The fact that it is Russian air defense systems that appear as a conditional adversary in the commercials of foreign defense companies is a confirmation of the leadership of Russian developments, experts say.
“Of course, in materials aimed at promoting their products, the best weapons are selected as potential targets of destruction,” explained the head of the Department of Political Science and Sociology of the Russian University of Economics in an interview with RT. G.V. Plekhanov, expert of the Association of military political scientists Andrey Koshkin. - S-400 is the best air defense system in the world. This is also confirmed by the fact that countries such as Turkey and Saudi Arabia are eager to get them, despite the displeasure of Washington or NATO.”
The S-400 air defense system was developed in the 2000s by NPO Almaz im. A.A. Raspletin, in 2007 the Triumph complex was adopted by the RF Armed Forces. It is capable of detecting targets within a radius of 600 km, the reach of the S-400 for aerodynamic targets reaches 400 km, for ballistic targets - 60 km. "Triumph" is designed to destroy all types of air targets flying at speeds up to 4.8 km / s. The complex is simultaneously capable of striking at 36 targets, and thanks to the vertical launch of missiles, shelling can be carried out 360 degrees.
The S-400 can perform tasks under radio countermeasures. In 2016, the Izvestia newspaper, citing sources in the Ministry of Defense, reported on the supply of special stealth containers capable of hiding anti-aircraft systems from enemy radio reconnaissance.
The only real competitor to the S-400 today is the American Patriot air defense system. However, according to a number of indicators, the Russian Triumph is superior to the American complex, experts say.
Russia is actively exporting S-400s abroad: China became the first buyer, the contract for the supply of air defense to China was signed back in 2014. Turkey showed interest in the Triumph: in September 2017, a supply agreement was signed. In addition, Saudi Arabia and India are planning to purchase Russian air defense systems.
Political emphasis
In 2015, Russia deployed the Triumph air defense system in Syria, near the Khmeimim air base. The appearance of the S-400 in the Middle East cannot but disturb Israel, which has very tense relations with a number of regional powers. Tel Aviv's main regional adversary, the Islamic Republic of Iran, received S-300s in 2016. And although there is no talk of deliveries of the S-400 to Tehran so far, such a possibility cannot be ruled out in the future. Therefore, the issue of countering such systems is extremely relevant for the Israeli defense industry.
As the former head of the Israeli missile program, Uzi Rubin, said, any air defense system can be dealt with in the future.
- Uzi Rubin, founder and first director of the Israel Defense Ministry's Anti-Missile Defense Organization
- cyclowiki.org
“To cope with such a system, it takes years. The threat to our Air Force posed by the S-300 and S-400 is nothing new.<…>Time works for us. If you do not have funds today, they will appear tomorrow. There are no unsolvable problems, ”Newsland.com quotes Rubin.
However, the development of air defense systems also does not stand still. Currently, the Russian air defense concern Almaz-Antey is developing the S-500 Prometheus air defense system. It is assumed that the latest complex will be able to deal with low-orbit satellites and space weapons, cruise hypersonic missiles and UAVs. As Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Aerospace Forces, Lieutenant-General Viktor Gumenny, said earlier, the Russian military could receive the S-500 by 2020. However, it is too early to talk about the export of these latest systems. According to Alexander Mikheev, General Director of Rosoboronexport, at the moment foreign deliveries of the S-500 are not in the company's plans.
In early 2017, a number of online media disseminated information that Israeli F-35 fighters were allegedly able to strike on Syrian territory without being noticed by the Triumph air defense system. Rumors circulated with reference to Defense News, although no such publication was subsequently found on the pages of the publication. As experts explained, in reality, Russian anti-aircraft gunners deliberately do not target Israeli aircraft in the SAR in accordance with the current agreements, and there is no need to talk about any “breakthrough” in this case.
Bizhev believes that the dissemination of information about the possibilities of overcoming the S-400 pursues advertising purposes - arms manufacturers would like to convince potential buyers of the effectiveness of their products.
“In view of the fact that the S-400 is exported abroad, it can be assumed that we are talking about commercial, marketing tricks designed to belittle the value of the Russian complex,” the expert explained.
In reality, foreign experts simply do not have information about the capabilities of the S-400: talking about whether any system can overcome the S-400 makes no sense - the system has not yet taken part in real hostilities anywhere, the expert notes.
“All the intelligence agencies of the world would like to know the performance characteristics of the Triumph,” Bizhev emphasized. — There are peacetime frequencies, there are wartime frequencies. No one turns on military frequencies outside of hostilities so that they are not recognized by reconnaissance aircraft of other countries.
However, this story has not only commercial, but also political background, Koshkin believes. According to the expert, Tel Aviv respects Russia and its armed forces, but at the same time, the Israeli side seeks to show that it is able to overcome even the best air defense system.
“The Israelis would like to show their power, to demonstrate to the Arab countries, Iran: despite the fact that the Islamic world is acquiring anti-aircraft missile systems that are considered the best in the world, Israel is still a formidable force,” summed up Koshkin.
Thanks to huge profits from the sale of oil and gas, a large-scale modernization of the Russian military is in full swing, and as Vladimir Putin promises, military spending will be increased by $ 770 billion from 2014 to 2020.
At first glance, this is a huge amount, and it is true, the Russian military budget doubled from 2006 to 2009 from $25 billion to $50 billion, but this is only a tenth of the budget of the United States military, which is about $600 billion. per year.
An interesting feature of Russian military production, and a possible reason for its lagging behind the American one, is that it is more dependent on the conditions of capitalism and less supported by the state.
Private enterprises export weapons and enter into contracts with foreign powers to further improve the weapons program.
Thus, it is unlikely that Russia and the United States will enter a new cold war, as some experts suggest, but the modernization of the Russian military will remind America that it is not the only player in the military market, and, in the end, this is only for the best.
ZRK S-400 "Triumph"
So, the Russian S-400 can become the best air defense system in the world.
The S-400 is a highly modernized version of the highly successful S-300 anti-aircraft missile system.
So far, the use of the S-400 is limited, and its predecessor remains the leading Russian air defense system.
A very successful S-300 air defense system
The S-400 has a detection range of 250 miles (about 600 km), which is at least twice that of the US Patriot MIM-104.
Three different missiles are used for different ranges, with a maximum speed of twelve times the speed of sound. The radar can track 100 targets at the same time.
This complex poses a threat to even the most elite attack aircraft.
S-500 is the best air defense system in the world
The S-500 will definitely be the best air defense system in the world. The S-500 is a more advanced version of the S-400, designed to intercept ICBMs (intercontinental ballistic missiles), among other uses.
It will be based on the S-400 but reduced in size. Radar systems have been improved over the S-400 and much of the equipment will be carried over from the S-300 series. It is assumed that this will be a highly mobile complex. All the details are not yet known, but it is already clear that the S-500 will be an important player in the global arms market.
Most interestingly, it is not designed to protect against US ballistic missile attacks. Since China produces its own ICBMs, the S-500 anti-aircraft missile system is most likely designed to hedge against any deterioration in relations between Moscow and Beijing, or in case Chinese ICBMs are acquired by less predictable countries.
People like to compare different things with each other. Who is stronger: an elephant or a whale? Will the weight break through the manhole cover? By the way, the whole sport is built on this. People love to compare military equipment, which is better done on paper than in real combat. Keele Mizokami from the popular magazine The National Interest decided to assemble the top five anti-aircraft missile systems. He made his rating based on the number of shot down targets and the ratio of hits to misses.
SA-75 "Dvina" (according to NATO classification:SA-2 Guidline)
SA-75 "Dvina" is far from a novelty, but it is a record holder in terms of operating time. Designed in 1953, this anti-aircraft missile system has been in continuous operation around the world for more than fifty years. Rockets, namely, this complex in 1960, the American spy plane U-2, piloted by Powers, was shot down.
SAM SA-75 "Dvina" formed the basis of the air defense of North Vietnam during the US aggression against Vietnam. Over the Vietnamese sky, a total of about 2,000 American aircraft were shot down, including 64 B-52 strategic bombers. "Dvina" is still in service with twenty countries, of course, having undergone several deep upgrades. Well deserved number one.
9K32 Strela (NATO:SA-7 Grail)
9K32 "Strela" is the first generation of Soviet man-portable anti-aircraft missile systems. In terms of simplicity and cheapness, it can be compared with the AK-47. A supersonic missile is capable of hitting a target at a distance of 3.4 km and an altitude of 1.5 km. This MANPADS is intended to provide protection against low-flying targets. There were three Arrows in each battalion of the Soviet army.
militaryrussia.ru
The first Soviet MANPADS received its baptism of fire during the war between Egypt and Israel in 1969-1970. The Egyptians shot down 36 enemy aircraft, firing 99 missiles. The weak point of this complex was the guidance of the rocket by the thermal radiation of the engine. Mujahideen in Afghanistan did not like these missiles, saying that they often point at the sun and miss their target.
2K12 "Cube" (NATO:SA-6 Gainful)
Veteran of conflicts in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, "Cube" came to prominence in 1973 during the Yom Kippur War when Egypt invaded the Sinai Peninsula. Egypt had 32 "Cube" batteries, which came as a surprise to the Israeli Air Force, as their radar detection systems did not respond to these SAMs. Thanks to this, the Israelis lost fifty aircraft in the first three days of the war. By the end of the war, Israel had lost 14% of its aircraft fleet.
modernweapon.ru
The 2K12 Kub air defense system was in service in thirty countries and is still in service in 22. During the Gulf War, Iraqi air defenses shot down two American F-16s. One F-16 fell victim to "Cube" in the skies over Bosnia in 1995. The last aircraft shot down on the account of this air defense system was the Polish Su-22, shot down by mistake by the Polish air defense during the exercises.
The Stinger is a second generation MANPADS that made a name for itself in the mountains of Afghanistan in the 1980s. The Stinger proved to be very effective against Soviet helicopters and aircraft. The effectiveness of the Stingers was due to the fact that he could shoot down aircraft from any angle, and not just from behind.
wiki
The United States began covert deliveries of Stingers to the Afghan Mujahideen in 1986. Five hundred launchers and a thousand missiles were distributed "like candy" to bearded bandits. In total, before the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan, the USSR Air Force lost about 270 aircraft.
MIM-104Patriot
wiki
The highly publicized Patriot air defense system first came to prominence during the Gulf War in 1991, when it was used to protect coalition forces and Israeli communities from Iraqi Scud missiles. The American press praised him greatly, but the real successes were much more modest. Not a single enemy aircraft was shot down, and the effectiveness of hitting Iraqi missiles is estimated at 50%. During the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the Patriot shot down nine targets, two of which were coalition aircraft. In general, the "Patriot" can not boast of either a long service life, or accuracy, or the number of downed aircraft.
Many readers, having reached the end of the article, will undoubtedly wonder, where are the S-300 and S-400 on this list, why did the formidable Russian air defense systems not make it into the rating? For such readers, it is necessary to remind once again that the list is compiled by combat effectiveness. Neither the S-300 nor the S-400 took part in the hostilities. Apparently, the very fact that the first three lines in the list of the most effective anti-aircraft missile systems are occupied by Soviet models, as it were, hints that it is better not to mess with modern Russian air defense systems.
System S-300 "Favorite".
Photo courtesy of Almaz-Antey Air Defense Concern
In early February, Air Power Australia, a well-known analytical center in expert circles, presented an in-depth study on the combat capabilities of modern military aviation and current air defense systems. Based on the American "air sword" and the Russian "shield".
ETERNAL COMPETITION
The choice of hypothetical opponents seems to be non-random. The United States has the highest potential of the air force and, in addition, holds the lead in the supply of aviation military equipment abroad. Russia is the leader in the production and export of air defense equipment. Suffice it to say that only one of its air defense concerns, Almaz-Antey, supplies products manufactured at its enterprises to more than fifty countries of the world (see map).
The arms market itself suggests who is the leader in what area. There is no need for experts who, for various reasons, are inclined to subjective assessments. For in the market they vote with funds from budgetary appropriations. Thousands and thousands of specialists, officials, and high-ranking military personnel are involved in operations to determine the best and most advantageous "cost-effectiveness" ratio of a particular type of weapon. Subjectivism is kept to a minimum.
In fact, Russian air defense systems are classified as a premium class. This assessment of researchers from Air Power Australia is supported by their high combat reliability, destruction efficiency and relatively low price by the standards of the arms market. For example, Americans of this class have systems that are much more expensive, despite the fact that the same reliability, efficiency and combat capabilities of their products are much lower than Russian ones.
The conclusion of foreign experts is interesting: modern Russian anti-aircraft missile systems and radar systems have reached a level that virtually excludes the possibility of the survival of US combat aircraft in the event of a military clash.
According to an Australian study, not only the American F-15, F-16 and F / A-18 aircraft, but even the promising fifth-generation Joint Strike Fighter, also known as the F-35 Lightning II, are not capable of resisting Russian air defense. And in order to achieve the superiority that the United States military aviation had at the end of the Cold War, the Pentagon needs to adopt at least 400 more F-22 Raptor aircraft. Otherwise, American aviation will finally lose its strategic superiority over Russian air defense.
According to analysts, this circumstance may also affect the position of the United States in the world. Countries such as China, Iran and Venezuela will be well aware that the Americans will not go to an open military confrontation, realizing that as a result of this, the US Air Force and Navy will lose hundreds of combat aircraft and pilots. That is, the United States military is at risk of unacceptable damage. Of course, unacceptable, from the point of view of American politicians, whose career in such a development of events will end in national disgrace.
Air Power Australia recalls that its expert Dr. Carlo Call, who defended his thesis in the field of radar engineering, compared the capabilities of modern Russian anti-aircraft missile systems and American F-35 fighters and concluded that these aircraft would be an easy target. The manufacturer of the latest winged vehicles, the American corporation Lockheed Martin, has never tried to publicly challenge the expert's statement.
The researchers also concluded that since the end of the Cold War, Russian designers have managed to achieve significant results in the modernization of air defense systems. Moreover, the opportunity to comprehensively and objectively assess the potential of a potential adversary for Russian engineers and scientists appeared due to military conflicts in Iran in 1991 and in Serbia in 1999. This process, as noted in the report, is in many ways reminiscent of a chess game. As a result, the Russians were able to figure out how to checkmate American combat aircraft.
Comparing the capabilities of modern air defense systems and aircraft, analysts also note that the Russian S-400 Triumph anti-aircraft missile system, produced by the enterprises of the Almaz-Antey air defense concern and already adopted by the Russian army, today has virtually no analogues in the world. The technical capabilities of the Triumph are significantly higher than those of the American Patriot, and are twice as superior in terms of combat performance as the well-known predecessor of the S-400, the S-300 Favorit system, which was supplied to China, Slovakia, Vietnam and Cyprus. In the future, "Triumph" may become a pivotal project in the military-technical cooperation of the Russian Federation with the Arab countries, in particular with the United Arab Emirates.
And what is characteristic, the study emphasizes, is that Russia is building a deeply echeloned air defense system. If the S-300 and S-400 complexes are long-range, then they tenaciously interact with short-range and medium-range complexes. They complement each other and at the same time insure, creating an insurmountable and solid wall for the air aggressor. Anti-aircraft missile systems of small and medium ranges of the "Tor", "Buk", "Tunguska" types were supplied, in particular, to China, Iran, India, Greece, Syria, Egypt, Finland, Morocco.
In addition to traditional customers of Russian military products, countries such as Singapore and Brazil, which have purchased man-portable air defense systems, are also interested in domestic air defense systems.
Russia's positions are also very strong in the market for sea-based anti-aircraft missile systems. For example, air defense systems "Shtil", "Reef", "Blade" are successfully operated on warships.
FROM AIR DEFENSE TO PRO
Anti-aircraft missile systems of the S-300 family are considered one of the most powerful air defense systems in the world. The development of this system began in the 1960s, when the USSR Armed Forces demanded the creation of a mobile multi-channel medium-range air defense system capable of protecting the country's sky from massive air raids by modern aviation using guided weapons.
Tests of the future S-300 took place in the 1970s. In order to misinform a potential adversary, according to the documents, the new air defense system was passed as the S-75M6 - another modernization of the “veteran” complex, widely known by that time all over the world, which had taken up combat duty in the late 1950s. The terms of reference provided for the development of three versions of the air defense system - the S-300P for air defense, the S-300V for the ground forces and the S-300F - a ship-based complex for the Navy.
The systems for the air defense forces and for the fleet were mainly focused on the destruction of aircraft and cruise missiles, the military complex had to have greater capabilities to intercept ballistic targets in order to provide missile defense. Today, the S-300 systems form the basis of the air defense of our country and the Russian Ground Forces, and are also successfully sold on the world market.
On the basis of the S-300 air defense system, the latest S-400 system has been developed, capable of firing both new missiles and using the ammunition of its predecessor. The S-400 air defense system has the combat capabilities, mobility and noise immunity of the latest versions of the S-300 complex, combined with a longer firing range.
The S-400 system is designed to destroy all types of aircraft - aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles and cruise missiles. An important difference between the S-400 and the S-300 is the new anti-aircraft missiles with active homing heads and increased firing range. "Triumph" is capable of destroying a target at a distance of up to 400 km and at an altitude of 30 km. These indicators make it possible to consider the complex not only as an air defense weapon, but also partially as an anti-missile weapon.
The Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Air Force, Colonel General Alexander Zelin, reveals the secrets of the S-400 Triumph complex: it can hit "a super-maneuverable small target with an effective reflective surface, which a five-ruble coin has." He is able to cope with air targets that are made using stealth technology, that is, stealth aircraft with a low effective reflective surface.
The Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force is extremely proud that the new generation S-400 anti-aircraft missile system is supposed to be used to ensure the safety of participants and guests of the 2014 Winter Olympics. “Builders will build facilities in Sochi for the Olympics, and we will prepare an air defense system that will ensure the reliable holding of the Olympic Games,” the general said in a recent interview.
Of course, reliable protection of both the people who arrived at the Olympics and the people of Sochi themselves is the most important thing, no one is going to argue about the need for this. And the margin of safety here does not hurt. Moreover, in the immediate vicinity is Georgia, against which Russian troops fought not so long ago. And the frenzy of anti-Russian sentiments has not yet disappeared there.
However, life does not stand still. Two years ago, the Military-Industrial Commission under the Government of the Russian Federation set the task, in particular, for the Almaz-Antey Air Defense Concern to develop advanced fifth-generation anti-aircraft and anti-missile defense weapons. Its distinctive feature will be that fire, information and command systems and complexes will merge together.
This is the next step in the fight for clear and peaceful skies. The Russian backlog is high, but the closest competitor - the United States - also does not want to see itself as an outsider. The competition between technical schools and simply military potentials is intensifying.