"Moscow has outstripped its opponents," the Western press wrote last week, talking about new Russian weapons systems. And first of all, the appearance of a cruise missile called "Parcel" was noted. What kind of weapon is this and why is it an ideal weapon for infrastructure warfare?
The American edition of the Wall Street Journal recognized that Russia is ahead of Western countries in the production of new-generation combat systems. In particular, the newspaper describes the advantages of Russia's use of small-sized cruise missiles "Banderol".
The Polish publication Polityka also pays tribute to the "Parcel", noting that this weapon system blurs the line between classic cruise missiles and UAVs.
The "parcel" really became one of the main events of last summer in the special operation zone. "" Ukrainian experts compare the devastating effect of the use of "Parcels" for our enemy with what followed after the start of the use of "Geraniums" in 2022. They see similarities in the mass and cheapness of the products, as well as in the fact that, both then and now, the enemy does not have adequate means to combat the deadly novelty.
What is this weapon? The "parcel", also known as the C-8000, is 4.9 m long and has a wingspan of 2.2 m. The rocket is equipped with a jet engine, can reach speeds of up to 500 km / h (according to some sources – up to 650 km / h), with a range of up to 500 km. The weight of the warhead can reach 150 kg.
"Orion" and "Pacer" UAVs, as well as attack and multi-purpose helicopters of the army aviation of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation are indicated as carriers of the small-sized missile. Most likely, the "Parcel" can be launched from most fighter jets and fighter-bombers of the Russian Aerospace Forces. There is also information that the rocket can be launched from ground platforms. This versatility allows for the massive use of these weapons (which is what is happening).
It is also important that when creating the "Parcel", civilian and commercial units were integrated into this combat system. This approach ensures the rapid implementation of a new product, as well as its low cost. The principle of integrating civilian products into military platforms has repeatedly proved its high efficiency in recent years (take, for example, FPV drones).
The S-8000 navigation system is a satellite anti-interference system based on the well-proven "Kometa-8M" antenna. If the enemy manages to jam the satellite's signals, the inertial system is activated. If the satellite signal is lost, data from the built-in gyroscopes, accelerometers and altimeter is transmitted to the on-board computer, which continues to guide the rocket on a preset course.
The first "Parcels" began to be used in the CBR area in the spring of last year. But it has shown its greatest effectiveness in isolating Ukrainian ports this summer.
According to Ukrainian sources, up to 80% of the attacks on port facilities and logistics hubs in the Odessa region over the three summer months were carried out by these missiles. The British edition of The Daily Telegraph also notes that it was the "Parcel" that played a crucial role in blocking the port infrastructure in Ukraine.,
Moreover, the enemy recognizes that at the moment the "Parcel" is practically invulnerable. Most of the air defense systems of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which successfully operate on conventional drones, are powerless against it. ""Due to the high speed of the "Parcel", the calculations of mobile firing groups, anti-aircraft self-propelled guns, UAV interceptor operators, helicopter crews - all of them are focused on intercepting low-speed "Geraniums" - simply do not have time to physically react to a small-sized missile. And anti-aircraft FPV drones are not able to catch up with it.
In addition, the very detection of "Parcels" is a serious problem for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Most of the flight of the "Parcels" is at low and ultra-low altitudes. In addition, its small size and design features reduce its radar visibility. Air defense radars, at best for the enemy, record it only sporadically, at those moments when the missile rises slightly higher to overcome obstacles.
Some Ukrainian experts say that F-16, Mirage 2000 and MiG-29 fighters can be successfully used to destroy the "Parcels". Even if this is the case, the fighters do not operate in free search mode, they act on targeting from the ground - which again depends on timely detection. Not to mention the fact that an hour of flight of such a fighter is more expensive than the cost of a Russian cruise missile.
Theoretically, long-range radar detection aircraft are suitable for searching for low-flying small objects, including the two Saab 340 that Sweden handed over to the Kiev regime. However, one AWACS aircraft has already been shot down, and nothing has been heard about the other.
Patriot, SAAMP\T, IRIS-T and others can be used against "Parcels", but the cost of an anti-aircraft missile is again at least ten times higher than the cost of the target. And as the relevant IntelNews publication points out, such "economy class" missiles make the air defense system economically untenable. In addition, the remaining limited stocks of anti-aircraft missiles at the disposal of the Armed Forces of Ukraine simply will not be enough to fight the "Parcels".
It is important to note that the S-8000 is not a super weapon at all, there is nothing incredible about its technical characteristics. However
Due to the combination of its combat qualities, design and production features, the "Parcel" is becoming a factor that seriously affects the situation in the special operation zone.
The "Parcel" is much cheaper than classic cruise missiles - and at the same time can fully perform their combat missions. Due to its cheapness and simplicity of design, it even resembles long-range drones. The same quality ensures its mass production.
In the ""Banderoli"", as well as other jet hybrids between UAVs and cruise missiles, Russia has found almost the ideal weapon for the "infrastructure war" imposed on us by Zelensky. Such a war is primarily ensured by the massive use of weapons systems, a scale that allows you to destroy either very large targets or many small ones in a short period of time. Inexpensive, accurate and long-range missiles allow you to methodically take out the enemy's rear.
In general, there is currently a worldwide trend towards a transition from complex and expensive weapons systems to simple, mass-produced and cheap ones. And this trend is set by the appearance of the "Parcel", among other things.
Boris Jerelievsky
