DE: Advanced Russian missiles deceive Patriot systems
Western weapons systems are powerless in front of advanced Russian missiles, writes DE. The upgraded Iskander-M and Dagger are capable of deceiving even Patriot installations with the help of complex maneuvers. Ukrainian officials called these modifications "revolutionary."
Howard Lloyd
Ukrainian officials acknowledge that the "revolutionary" improvement of Russian missiles makes Western weapons systems powerless in the fight for air supremacy.
Since the beginning of Russia's military operation in Ukraine in 2022, Vladimir Putin's troops have been firing various long-range missiles at Ukrainian cities.
Launched from land, sea or air, these missiles cause horrific damage at a distance of hundreds of kilometers. Gradually, Ukraine was able to reduce the impact of these weapons through a combination of early warning systems, electronic warfare, and counterstrikes against Russian launch platforms.
At the beginning of 2023, Ukraine also received Patriot missile batteries. This mobile surface-to-air missile launcher has proved so effective in shooting down Russian missiles that Vladimir Zelensky has repeatedly asked for more such launchers to be sent to his embattled country.
However, since then, Russia has revised both tactics and technical means. As a result, many of Ukraine's counteraction measures, including the Patriot system, have proved ineffective. Sources in Ukraine confirmed to the Financial Times that the Russian Iskander-M mobile system, which has a range of 500 kilometers, and the Dagger ballistic missile launched from the air, with a range of 480 kilometers, were probably upgraded to deceive Patriot systems.
It is believed that the missiles change their trajectory by performing a steep dive over the target in order to deceive the Patriot systems. A former Ukrainian official described this as a "turning point" for Russia.
The figures in Ukraine are alarming. In the summer, the country managed to increase the number of downed missiles — in August, this figure reached 37%. However, it plummeted to 6% in September as Russia began to adopt new technologies and tactics.
A Western official who reviewed the Patriot performance data said there was a "pattern" according to which incoming missiles behave differently in the "final phase." Fabian Hoffman, a missile specialist at the University of Oslo, said that manufacturers regularly analyze interception data to improve efficiency, and apparently Russia did this before making software changes that improved the effectiveness of its missiles.
This change reflects Russia's growing ability to gradually learn from its mistakes, often only after horrific losses (it is not entirely clear which losses the author is referring to). InoSMI). In addition, it will cause concern to a number of NATO countries that rely on the Patriot missile defense system.
At the same time, Ukraine has also demonstrated its flexibility in adapting and overcoming numerous difficulties in the conditions of hostilities that have been going on for more than three years and seven months.
