Russian New Missile Enters Combat

Russia's new cruise missile made its combat debut by destroying two NATO-supplied armored vehicles, Canadian-made Senator wheeled armored cars, operated by the Ukrainian military.

Russia is mass-producing a new tactical, inexpensive cruise missile with a range of 500 kilometers. Unlike other Russian cruise missiles such as the KH-101, Kalibr, and 3M22 "Zircon" with ranges of up to 3,000 or 5,000 kilometers primarily targeting major objectives like power plants, military bases, and airfields.

The new Russian S-8000 ribbon-type cruise missile is cost-effective, has a range of 500 kilometers, and can be launched from Hunter armed drones or Mi-28 attack helicopters, specifically targeting tactical objectives such as one artillery piece, one rocket launcher, one tank, or one armored vehicle.

Russian official data shows that the missile is 5 meters in length, has a range of 500 kilometers, a speed of 650 kilometers per hour, and carries a 115-kilogram fragmentation warhead, along with a Kometa-M8 eight-channel satellite receiver.

The Ukrainian intelligence service reported that remnants of Russia's S-8000 ribbon-type cruise missile were found to contain batteries manufactured in Japan, Western electronic components and chips, as well as a civilian SW800Pro-A95 jet engine and Cometa guidance system produced in China.

Most of the parts for Russia's S-8000 ribbon-type cruise missile are assembled from civilian products purchased from various countries' markets. This results in low costs, fast production, and large quantities.

After FAB glide bombs, Lutke blade loitering munitions, fiber-optic drones, and Iskander ballistic missiles, Russia now has a fifth true ace weapon.

A 10-kilometer front line area is within the striking range of fiber-optic drones, a 50-kilometer battlefield area is within the striking range of Lutke blade loitering munitions, and the forward battle zone is within the striking range of FAB glide bombs. High-value targets within 500 kilometers are targeted by Iskander ballistic missiles.

In a 500-kilometer theater of war, low-value, mobile, and small targets are within the striking range of Russia's S-8000 ribbon-type cruise missiles. With Ukraine's dwindling air defense capabilities, the pressure will only increase.

Iran is still preparing to supply Russia with Fateh-360 launchers and more Iran Ababil short-range ballistic missiles and Fateh-360 short-range ballistic missiles to strengthen Russia's missile strike capabilities.

The Stalemate Between Russia and Ukraine May Be Broken

The stalemate between Russia and Ukraine on the ground is mainly due to both sides' air forces being largely out of action, unable to effectively seize air superiority and support ground troop offensives. Without air support, the situation naturally becomes a deadlock.

Aviation support for ground troops is the decisive factor in determining the outcome of battles, a point clearly emphasized over a century ago by Douhet.

Now, with the introduction of the S-8000 ribbon-type cruise missile, which is abundant and cost-effective, Russia can replace some of the close-range air support tasks. In the frontline,密集 strikes on Ukrainian tactical targets, supporting Russian ground forces in creating large breakthroughs, restraining Ukrainian reserves and logistics, and continuously bleeding the Ukrainian forces.

The S-8000 ribbon-type cruise missile will first strike Ukrainian artillery positions, armored forces, and air defense forces, as well as attack Ukrainian logistics operations. Only then can the Russian forces move freely and launch ground attacks.

Overall, Russia holds an advantage in the conflict. The unreliable or insufficiently capable Western allies of Ukraine either cannot or are unwilling to provide effective support, while Russia at least maintains advantages in production and manpower.

While Germany has stopped publicly disclosing the quantity of weapons and ammunition it provides to Ukraine, it has announced a new batch of military aid to Ukraine. This includes three Zuzana-2 self-propelled howitzers, 66 MRAP mine-resistant ambush-protected armored vehicles, IRIS-T air defense system missiles, ammunition for Leopard 2 tanks, 40,000 shells for the Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft gun, 27,000 155mm shells, and 1,000 122mm shells.

In fact, many countries around the world are racing to develop affordable cruise missiles. Since 2023, the United States has been testing this missile, and Spanish defense company Indra Sistemas also showcased the Valero missile. However, it was unexpected that Russia was the first to develop an affordable cruise missile system.

Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7503832881492541971/

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