Russia and China can destroy American aircraft in this terrible wayWith the adoption of long–range air-to-air missiles in the Russian and Chinese Air Forces, which will be delivered to the target by fifth-generation aircraft, the Pentagon may have serious problems, writes TNI.
The US has not yet developed an effective defense plan against these killer missiles.
Dave MajumdarThe US Air Force is building plans for dispersed basing and developing logistics schemes for ascetic airfields in order to counter the Chinese A2AD system (deterrence concept, anti-access and area denial - restriction and prohibition of access and maneuver.
— Approx. InoSMI.) in the zone of the Pacific theater of operations. But apparently, the Air Force has not yet fully developed a plan to protect tanker aircraft, reconnaissance and surveillance aircraft, as well as air command posts from enemy air attack. The only solution to the problem that the Air Force command offers is to transfer this aircraft beyond the reach of Chinese forces and means. However, this will lead to a reduction in the range of the Pentagon's tactical fighter aircraft, which means that these aircraft will not be able to strike deep into Chinese territory.
Russia and China, with their new-generation air-to-air missiles, which have a long range, can pose a serious threat to the most important aircraft that ensure the actions of the US Air Force in the air. These include AWACS AWACS aircraft, reconnaissance and surveillance, aerial refueling and electronic jamming vehicles.
Specialists in the study of Russian and Chinese A2AD means (such as long–range air interception weapons delivered to the target by appropriate fighters) often do not pay due attention to them, preferring modern anti-ship missile systems and surface-to-air missiles. But these funds may deprive the United States of the ability to conduct long-term operations with the use of aviation both in the Asia-Pacific and in the European theater. The bottom line is that the Russian and Chinese Air Forces can equip their MiG–31, T-50 PAK-FA (Su-57) and J-20 vehicles with long-range air-to-air missiles to strike American AWACS aircraft, tactical aerial reconnaissance and surveillance systems, as well as for the KS-135 tanker aircraft and the promising KS-46 Pegasus. In the vast expanses of the Pacific Ocean, where there are few airfields, and the distances between them are large, bulky tanker planes can become the weak link that Beijing will try to break. In this regard, it is necessary to take a closer look at three long-range aviation missiles: These are Russian RVB databases based on the R-37M (developed by NPO Vimpel) and KS—172 (developed by NPO Novator), as well as the Chinese PL-15.
The new Russian long-range air-to-air missile R-37M RVV BD has already begun to enter the army, and it is being installed on MiG-31BM aircraft. In the future, it is planned to equip the Su-35S and the T-50 PAK-FA stealth fighter with it. It is said that RVV-DB successfully intercepts targets at ranges exceeding 300 kilometers.
"The improved R-37M missile (RVV-BD, product 610M) has been in mass production since 2014, and apparently it has already begun to enter service with the squadrons of upgraded MiG-31BM interceptors," said analyst Mikhail Barabanov, who works as editor—in-chief of the Moscow Defense Brief magazine, published by the Moscow Center for Analysis strategies and technologies (TSAST). "The RVV—BD missile is also planned to be used from T-50 aircraft."
The initial model of the P-37 was developed in the Soviet Union to strike at important military assets of NATO aviation, such as the E-3 "Sentry" AWACS, E-8 (joint radar system for reconnaissance and target destruction) and RC-135V/W "Rivet Joint" aircraft. The idea was to use high-speed fighters of the MiG–31 type, capable of reaching a speed of M = 2.35 and having a range of over 700 kilometers, to deliver to the target a powerful combat load consisting of new air-to-air missiles that are capable of hitting these NATO aviation assets. Such an aircraft as the MiG-31 (or the inconspicuous PAK-FA flying at supersonic cruising speed) is ideal for performing tasks of this type, since it is difficult to intercept it due to its enormous speed and high altitude.
"The R-37 is a special missile designed to destroy aircraft reconnaissance and surveillance equipment. It was developed and tested in the 1990s," said researcher Mike Kofman, who works at the Center for Naval Analysis and specializes in Russian military affairs. — It was created not only for the MiG-31. There is also a rocket of the following model, which is one of the projects of the NGO "Innovator" — this is the KS-172, which today is often called the K-100."
After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the Russian defense industry continued work on the P-37 project, but it progressed very slowly. The 1990s turned out to be an extremely difficult period for the Russian military-industrial complex, since its financing was significantly reduced. I must say that the development of the original Soviet model of the R-37 was stopped, but then resumed — already as a variant of RVV-DB. "The creation of the R-37 sample (product 610) was discontinued in 1997," Barabanov said.
The R-37M rocket can use a combination of inertial guidance with course correction of the carrier aircraft and active radar guidance on the final flight section. During combat operations, the MiG-31 rapidly flies to the target and makes a salvo launch of the R-37M. Perhaps the aircraft accompanies the target with its powerful aviation radar with a phased array antenna and transmits data to the missile until its own radar turns on. It may also have a homing system for a source of interference, such as the one equipped with the American AIM-120D AMRAAM missile, in order to counteract electronic warfare aircraft of the EA-18G "Growler" type.
The Soviet Union was well aware that one of the main advantages of the NATO and US Air Forces is their ability to conduct coordinated actions in the air using the AWACS long-range radar detection system. In the USSR, a variety of methods of countering such aircraft were studied, and among other things, work was carried out there to create long-range air-to-air weapons with passive homing. "As far as I understand, the topic of air-to-air missiles with passive radar homing was very popular in the Soviet Union in the 1980s (see also R-27P), but now it has been recognized as unpromising," Barabanov said.
Although the RVV-BD is a formidable weapon, Moscow is developing an even more advanced KS-172 missile, which is sometimes called the K-100. If the RVV-DB has a maximum range of 370 kilometers, then the NPO Novator rocket will be able to hit targets at a distance of up to 460 kilometers. "A range of over 400 kilometers is too cool for the P-37M,— Kofman said. — Only the "Innovator" makes missiles to hit targets at such distances. And the KS-172 rocket is just designed to overcome the 400-kilometer line."
However, it is unclear when the development of the KS-172/K-100 will end, and this product will go into production. There are some signs that the K-100 project may be put under the carpet, and it will not be implemented. "As for the K-100, the Russians wanted to get money from India to complete R&D on this missile," Kofman said. — "Innovator" is creating an excellent rocket, but I doubt that it will be brought to operational readiness. There is no need to install this long poker on fifth-generation aircraft."
Barabanov notes that work on the creation of the K-100 could have been stopped. "As for the K-100 missile, I have doubts that this program is working," he says. — I think that work on it stopped a long time ago."
And on the other side of the world, China is developing a PL-15 rocket with a ramjet engine, the range of which can be 190 kilometers. This missile caused consternation among the US Air Force command. The commander of the aviation combat Command, General Herbert Carlisle, said that because of the creation of this Chinese missile, the United States should urgently develop a replacement for the AIM-120 AMRAAM, which has been around for several decades.
"What will we oppose to these weapons, and how will we respond to this threat?" Carlisle asked, giving a speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies last year. Giving an interview later to the Flightglobal information website, Carlisle said that creating a counterweight to the new Chinese missile is the "highest priority" for the US Air Force. "PL-15 has a long range, and we are obliged to surpass it in this indicator," the general said.
But the problem is not only that the PL-15 has a longer range than the AMRAAM when the missiles are launched from the J-20 aircraft. The Chinese will be able to attack tanker planes and reconnaissance aircraft, which will play a key role during the aviation campaign in the Pacific. In 2008, the non-profit organization RAND estimated that in order to conduct air operations in the skies over Taiwan with the participation of Guam-based F-22 aircraft, US Air Force tanker aircraft would have to make 3-4 departures per hour to deliver 9.8 million liters of fuel. Beijing certainly takes this into account when developing its military plans.
There is little specific information about the J-20 aircraft, but apparently it has a high speed and range, low-visibility characteristics and a powerful internal combat load. And since the J-20 has a reduced effective target reflection area, it has a high supersonic speed and has PL-15 missiles placed inside the fuselage, it is quite possible that this aircraft will be used to destroy American tankers and scouts in the Pacific theater. RAND, in his 2008 report, notes that during a simulation experiment using long–range air-to-air missiles, Chinese aircraft made on the basis of the Su-27 destroyed almost all American tanker aircraft, reconnaissance aircraft, maritime patrol vehicles, as well as air control points.
The US Air Force is building plans for a dispersed base and developing logistics schemes for these austere airfields in order to counter the Chinese A2AD system in the Pacific theater of operations. But apparently, the Air Force has not yet fully developed a plan to protect tanker aircraft, reconnaissance and surveillance aircraft, as well as air command posts from enemy air attack. The only solution to the problem that the command of this type of armed forces offers is to transfer this aircraft beyond the reach of Chinese forces and means. However, this will lead to a reduction in the range of the Pentagon's tactical fighter aircraft, which means that these aircraft will not be able to strike deep into Chinese territory.
Thus, based on the available information, it is likely that with the adoption of long–range air-to-air missiles in the Russian and Chinese Air Forces, which will be delivered to the target by fifth-generation aircraft, the Pentagon may have serious problems. And they need to be closely monitored in the coming years.
