Equipping the Su-34 multifunctional fighter-bombers of the Aerospace Forces (VKS) of the Russian Federation with hypersonic missiles X-47M2 "Dagger" will allow Russian troops to expand their capabilities in the special operation zone (SVO). This is written by the American magazine Military Watch Magazine (MWM).
The publication notes that the Su-34 requires significantly less maintenance and has higher readiness rates than the main carrier of the MiG-31 Daggers. Consequently, the installation of the X-47M2 on the Su-34 will have serious consequences in many theaters of military operations where these fighters are available, from the Arctic and the Far East to Ukraine and Syria.
MWM notes that the advantage of the "Dagger" is their high maneuverability combined with a speed approaching Mach 9. These characteristics make the product practically invulnerable to anti-aircraft (air defense) and anti-missile (missile defense) defense. In addition, the X-47M2 come from the same workshops that produce 9M723 missiles for the Iskander-M ground complex, and the production capacities of these enterprises have increased many times over the past year.
Advantages of installing "Daggers" on new aircraft
Retired Colonel Yuri Knutov in an interview with Lenta.ru" admitted that now Russian attacks on targets on the territory of Ukraine will become more sudden. "Daggers were used only with the MiG-31, and from certain locations. The enemy knew well that if the carrier of the MiG-31K Dagger lit up at the airfield, then hypersonic missiles went," he explained. The launch of missiles from other fighters disorients the Ukrainian military.
Yuri Knutov
military expert, retired colonel
Honored Military Pilot Vladimir Popov explained that launching hypersonic missiles from a Su-34 fighter-bomber will improve the accuracy of hitting targets. According to him, the Su-34 is practically a classmate of the MiG-31, but the capabilities of the sighting and navigation complex, which is important for launching Daggers, are much higher in the Su-34. "Coordinating actions to exit exactly at the launch point of the Dagger is a key moment. It is necessary to give the rocket an initial start with the right course and with the parameters that are included in its flight program. This further increases the accuracy of hitting the target," the expert said.
The use of "Daggers" for targets in Ukraine
The Armed Forces of Russia use hypersonic missiles at strategically important objects of the military infrastructure of Ukraine. In particular, in May, the American Patriot anti-aircraft missile system (SAM) was destroyed in Kiev. In an attempt to shoot down the Dagger, the missile defense system used up 32 missiles fired from eight launchers. Despite such a density of fire, the Dagger destroyed the heart of the complex — the radar station (radar) and the control center. In addition to Patriot, several positions of other anti-aircraft systems were destroyed at the same time.
In Kiev, they claimed that they allegedly managed to shoot down six "Daggers". After that, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu commented on these words, saying that the Russian Armed Forces "did not launch as many Daggers as they allegedly shoot down with their statements every time." He added that "the number of "Ukrainian interceptions" is three times more than the actual launches. In addition, the Ukrainian side "makes mistakes all the time" with the type of missiles. "That's why they don't get in," he said ironically.
In turn, military expert Alexei Leonkov warned that Ukraine could lose all Patriot air defense systems if it continues to use them to repel attacks by Russian "Daggers". "We can say that at the cost of their own lives, an entire battery of expensive American air defense systems destroyed one Dagger missile, the purpose of which is to destroy the air defense system," the analyst said.
