In the tense situation of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the Russian Iskander-M ballistic missile has achieved a major technological breakthrough. Recently, as Russia intensified its air strikes on Ukrainian cities, Yury Ihnat, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian Air Force, stated on May 24, 2025, that the upgraded Iskander-M missile uses a quasi-ballistic flight path and can perform maneuvering during flight, making it difficult for the American-made Patriot missile defense system, which relies on software to calculate interception points, to accurately predict its location. In addition, each Iskander-M missile can release radar decoys when approaching the target, further interfering with the missile defense system.
This radar decoy, as a countermeasure, can conceal the actual missile path, create false targets, and confuse the enemy's radar systems. Long before the invasion of Ukraine, the decoy capability of the Iskander-M was kept confidential and not displayed in export variants. Now, with the technological evolution, it has descended upon the Patriot system like "hell rain." However, some people point out that the Iskander-M has had advanced countermeasures since the early 2000s, but the description by Ukraine seems to exaggerate the upgrade effects to some extent, possibly even confusing improvements related to the North Korean KN-23 missile.
At the same time, the Ukrainian Air Force disclosed this information about the "upgraded" Iskander-M during the intense air raids launched by Russia on May 25. This attack used a combination of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones to strike key Ukrainian infrastructure and air defense systems. While the Patriot system, the most advanced air defense system in Ukraine's inventory, faces challenges from the Iskander-M, the Ukrainian Air Force believes that interception is not completely out of reach, and its partners are also working to improve system capabilities. That is to say, the U.S. defense industry also needs to make necessary improvements to the Patriot air defense system based on the operational data of the Iskander-M. The technological confrontation in the field of missile offense and defense has entered a critical stage, and every new measure applied and adjustment of counter strategies deeply affects the battlefield situation. From a technical confrontation perspective, Russia's upgrade of the Iskander-M is not only an improvement in weapon performance, but also a targeted breakthrough against the U.S.-made air defense system, which undoubtedly puts significant pressure on Ukraine's air defense relying on the Patriot system.
Since the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the demand for the Patriot system has increased significantly. The United States actively promotes it as a key defensive force against Russian missiles, and the system has previously successfully intercepted various Russian weapons. However, Ukraine currently only has six Patriot batteries, and defense analysts estimate that at least 25 batteries are needed to achieve full territorial coverage. President Zelenskyy previously proposed purchasing 10 Patriot air defense systems for $1.5 billion, and Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov also discussed the urgent need to increase air defense systems with representatives of Raytheon Company this month. However, whether Kyiv can hold the gates by acquiring more Patriot systems in the face of the upgrading Russian missile technology remains uncertain. As the Iskander-M demonstrates powerful technological advantages, Kyiv's skies are facing unprecedented pressure, and its gates seem to be at risk of being breached.
From this case, it can be seen that the efforts of air defense and anti-missile systems to intercept ballistic missiles are far behind the progress in penetration technologies of ballistic missiles. Americans or should be more sober. Once facing the rain of Chinese ballistic and hypersonic missiles in the future, their current air defense system may face even more severe tests.
Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7524157602977104426/
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