Original title: Missile attacks launched in retaliation for bombing the Kerch Strait bridge had the opposite effect on the Russian army
After the bombing of the Kerch Strait Bridge and from October 10, Russia used the pretext of retaliatory attacks on critical infrastructure and major Ukrainian population centers were attacked by large-scale missiles and drones, causing civilian casualties, homes and structures. civilians destroyed. The series of reactions provoked by this did not appear to be what they were hoping for the Russian military.
In addition to venting anger and alleviating Russia’s internal dissatisfaction with Moscow, the retaliation has not benefited the Russian military strategically or tactically.
Far from discouraging Ukrainians, the destruction of cities and civilian casualties has aroused indignation; the attacks consumed enormous quantities of long-range attack weapons, increasingly valued by the Russian military, with little military gain.
Furthermore, it also prompted the West to accelerate military aid to Ukraine. As a result, the Russian military used a near-depleted supply of ammunition in exchange for a rapid increase in the defense and attack capabilities of the Ukrainian army, as well as increased international support.
US Treasury Secretary Yellen announced on 11 October that Washington would provide $ 4.5 billion in aid to Ukraine as soon as possible and called on allies to follow suit. The US-aided National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS), which would have taken several months or more to be delivered to Ukraine, can now be delivered to the Ukrainian battlefield at any time. accelerated the delivery process of the NASAMS system.
The UK has pledged to supply Ukraine with hundreds of advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles for the country’s advanced surface-to-air missile system. The Netherlands has also pledged to donate $ 15 million worth of anti-aircraft missiles. Although the exact type has not been revealed, it is also thought to be likely AIM-120.
The NASAMS system is suited to Ukraine’s needs because most NATO countries can seamlessly supply Ukraine with the large number of missiles that the system needs.
The primary weapon of the NASAMS system is the AIM-120 (AMRAAM) medium-range air-to-air missile, identical to the air-to-air missiles used by US and NATO fighters around the world and require no special modifications.
This means that NATO could have a stockpile of thousands of these air-to-air missiles in Europe alone, including many older AIM-120A / Bs, which could be easily reached from Ukraine, making the NASAMS system designed specifically for these ammunition. easy to reach inside., can reproduce the maximum effect in a short time.
Few modern air defense systems have such large ammunition stocks to support the ammunition consumption needed for a protracted high-intensity conflict as Ukraine’s. The vast supply of NATO ammunition available to the NASAMS system offers Ukrainian cities the chance to survive Russian air strikes.
Modern surface-to-air missiles, due to their high technical content and high price, have in most cases problems of small quantities and long supply cycles. The unit price of the new AIM-120 missile exceeds one million dollars. Even Tamir missiles used by Israeli Iron Dome consumer systems, which deal with massive missile strikes, cost between $ 40,000 and $ 100,000 per unit.
The AIM-120 is nearly the most mature over-the-horizon air-to-air missile in the world, having undergone nearly 5,000 live fire tests. When used in the ground-launched NASAMS system, it can hit targets ranging from 20 miles away at altitudes between 1,000 and 50,000 feet, including cruise missiles and manned aircraft. Of course, drones can also be used, but this situation is a bit excessive.
Suicide drones are far less technical and economical than missiles, and Russia can acquire hundreds of drones through Iran. Social media videos show that a large number of Iranian-made Shahed-136 drones have joined the conflict.
Older AIM-120 missiles also cost over a few hundred thousand dollars, while the Shahed-136 only costs around $ 20,000. Of course, it’s not wise to trade these expensive surface-to-air missiles for cheap drones.
To address the air defense of a large number of low-end systems such as UAVs, additional specialized systems are required, such as anti-UAV systems or short-range air defense weapons, including shoulder-launched air defense missiles. This area does not belong to NASAMS, is not a complete solution and must be combined with other air defense systems to form an effective multi-layer integrated missile air defense network.
NASASMS is better at handling taller and faster air targets such as medium and long range ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, various fighters and helicopters.Back to Sohu, see more
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