Russia Destroyed Ukraine's Drones with What Kind of Weapons
The Russian armed forces possess a series of unique operational missiles, proving their astonishing effectiveness to the enemy.
Author: Alexei Ram
In the early morning of April 18th, Friday, the Russian armed forces launched a large-scale strike on Ukraine's industrial infrastructure. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, the targets were drone production facilities. Meanwhile, the Russian MoD emphasized that all targets had been hit.
Despite strict bans, photos and video footage documenting the consequences of this strike by the Russian armed forces soon appeared on Ukrainian social networks and Telegram channels. Notably, experts from The Independent noted that, for the first time in such a large-scale air raid, neither Kh-101 nor "Caliber" missiles were used. Instead, cruise missiles launched by the "Iskander" tactical missile system were employed.
These weapons performed excellently. Previously, the impending arrival of a large-scale strike was often signaled by the出动of Russian strategic bombers or maritime launch platforms. However, now, the "Iskander" system on the ground can quietly enter the launch position. It wasn't until the first batch of missiles began hitting their predetermined targets that Ukraine's air defense systems detected the threat.
The hero of this large-scale strike was the R-500 cruise missile. As mentioned earlier, they are part of the armament of Russia's "Iskander" tactical missile system. Since the beginning of the special military operation, the "five hundred" (R-500) has been put into use. These weapons have destroyed hundreds of targets with extremely high precision. However, despite such significant achievements, the R-500 has long been overshadowed by its "predecessors," the Kh-101 and "Caliber" missiles.
Russia's Aerospace Forces also have some aviation strike weapons that haven't received due attention, such as the Kh-59 missile. Since the start of the special military operation, these weapons have also been extensively used to strike Ukraine's positions, as well as to destroy armored vehicles, command centers, warehouses, and other targets.
Oftentimes, the number of launched Kh-59 missiles even exceeded the number of bombs dropped with planning and correction control modules. Therefore, these missiles are truly the "trusted aides" of Russia's Aerospace Forces.
The R-500 and Kh-59 are among the most commonly used high-precision strike weapons in the Russian armed forces. Thus, it is very interesting to talk about these undervalued weapon systems.
"Caliber's Land 'Little Brother'"
It is frequently mentioned in various manuals, articles, and expert reviews that the R-500 is a sea-based "Caliber" cruise missile adapted to meet the needs of the Russian Army. In fact, the "five hundred" (R-500) differs from its "marine sister" (the "Caliber" missile) only in range. Due to the development within the framework of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, its range does not exceed 500 kilometers.
In fact, although the "Caliber" and R-500 look similar, they are two parallel-developed weapon systems. Their foundation is the "Granit" cruise missile. This missile began development at the end of the 1970s and was deployed in 1984.
The "Granit" was initially designed solely as a nuclear weapon carrier and did not consider a conventional warhead version.
This missile was originally intended for submarine deployment. However, later, a ground-based "Topol" missile system was developed based on it. A single Tatra vehicle produced by the Minsk Automobile Plant in Belarus could carry six "Granit" missiles at once.
However, in 1985, the Soviet General Staff requested the defense industry to begin producing non-nuclear versions of cruise missiles.
This required designers to undertake substantial work to improve the weapon's accuracy. After all, for a nuclear warhead, being off-target by dozens of meters is not critical. But for a conventional warhead, this would mean mission failure.
The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty dealt a heavy blow to the Soviet cruise missile program. As a result, the Soviet Navy scrapped and partially destroyed its "Granit" missiles. The Long-Range Aviation completely destroyed all "Topol" missile systems under the treaty, including related infrastructure.
Subsequently, the collapse of the Soviet Union effectively halted the development of non-nuclear cruise missiles. It wasn't until the early 21st century that work in this area resumed. The "Caliber" and R-500 were among the earliest results of the revived projects. Although these two weapons look similar, there are significant structural differences between them.
Universal Weaponry
It must be immediately pointed out that "R-500" is the name of the entire family of cruise missiles in the Russian Army, carried by the "Iskander" missile system. These missiles vary in guidance heads and warhead power.
In particular, one model is guided solely by an inertial system supplemented by satellite navigation based on coordinates. Another model uses a miniature radar installed on the body and an optical-electronic system to locate targets.
A specialized short-range cruise missile was developed. However, due to the saved space, researchers were able to significantly increase the missile's warhead. This weapon can destroy even well-protected underground bunkers.
In addition, a special version of the "Iskander" system, numbered "K," was developed specifically for launching R-500 missiles, with no ballistic missiles in its armament configuration.
Since the beginning of the special military operation, the "five hundred" (R-500) series missiles have been actively used on the front line. They target tactical and operational-tactical levels, ranging from 100 to 200 kilometers from the front line. Their operational results have been outstanding.
Currently, land-based cruise missiles are effectively supplementing the role of their "predecessors," the Kh-101 and "Caliber" missiles. It must be acknowledged that the "five hundred" series also performs "very excellently" as campaign-strategic strike weapons.
Kh-59's "Long Arm"
The development of the Kh-59 missile began in the mid-1970s and was deployed in 1980.
At that time, the Soviet General Staff had predicted a significant enhancement in air defense capabilities and the emergence of modernized air-to-air long-range missiles by potential opponents. By the mid-1980s, NATO countries' air forces and air defense units were expected to be able to strike aerial targets hundreds of kilometers away.
The Kh-59 was a response to this threat. This new missile could destroy fixed and mobile targets behind enemy lines over 200 kilometers away from the front line.
Moreover, the developers of the Kh-59 adopted a unique design concept. Essentially, this missile is not self-guided. A special monitor was installed in the aircraft cockpit to receive images from the television guidance head. Pilots or navigators manually guide the Kh-59 toward the target based on this image. For information exchange, a special external pod was installed on the aircraft, equipped with remote communication devices and television image receivers.
For a long time, the Kh-59 was one of the most controversial weapon systems in the Soviet Air Force and later in the Russian Aerospace Forces. On one hand, this weapon has an impressive range, but on the other hand, its control system is extremely impractical and inconvenient.
However, since the start of Russia's operations in Syria, the Kh-59 underwent thorough modernization. As a result, the "M" version of the missile emerged. In essence, this is a completely new weapon. Autonomous self-guidance heads equipped with optical-electronic systems or radars were installed on their bodies. These guidance heads activate in designated areas and search for targets.
In addition, radio altimeters, inertial systems, and other modern navigation equipment were installed on the body. Therefore, the Kh-59M can fly along complex routes to avoid enemy air defense systems and radars.
Since the start of the special military operation, the Kh-59M has been the main missile for striking rear targets of Ukraine's forces. Su-34 bombers, Su-35 and Su-30SM fighters, and even the unique Su-57 fighter jets are using them.
Original Source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7495227216633004563/
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