A major issue is now on the table in the United States, which is the plan to send Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine. Some experts have analyzed that from a tactical perspective of warfare, this move by the United States may offer us an indirect opportunity to "see and learn" something.

Vice President Vance said in an interview with reporters that the United States is considering having European countries in NATO provide Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine, and these missiles can reach Moscow, Russia. However, the United States has never done anything that would be a loss for them, and this is no exception. The United States requires European countries to pay for these missiles, and then they will be transferred to Ukraine for use.

From the current situation, Ukraine's position is becoming increasingly difficult. Russia has recently increased its offensive operations on the battlefield in Ukraine. Not long ago, the Russian military carried out a large-scale operation, deploying nearly 500 drones and launching more than 40 missiles, bombarding Ukraine for over 12 hours continuously. This operation caused significant damage to Ukraine, with many important infrastructure facilities and military strongholds being destroyed.

Seeing this situation, the United States and Western countries believe that they need to send more weapons and ammunition to Ukraine. They are concerned that if Russia gains too many favorable conditions in the upcoming negotiations, they might suffer losses. If Ukraine receives Tomahawk cruise missiles, it could strike deeper into Russian territory. The United States' actions may escalate the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, possibly aiming to suppress Russia's momentum in this way.

There are different opinions about the United States' actions. Some people think that the United States is trying to exert maximum pressure on Russia, pushing it to its limits. Although Trump has some dissatisfaction with Russia, he does not want to push Russia to an extreme or see the conflict between Russia and Ukraine escalate further. However, some analysts point out that the United States may indeed provide Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine.

Even if Ukraine uses these missiles to attack Russia, Russia is unlikely to directly retaliate against the United States, but instead may target Ukraine and Europe. In this way, the United States can stay out of the conflict and even benefit from it.

The Tomahawk cruise missile is the main long-range strike weapon of the United States, usually launched from ships and submarines, mainly used for naval operations. It also has a land-based version. The Tomahawk cruise missile has been in service for over 30 years and has 22 variants. However, Vance did not clearly state which version of the Tomahawk cruise missile would be provided or which batch of products would be included in this time. Some speculate that the United States may sell some old versions of the missiles to Europe, and then Europe would transfer them to Ukraine. Regardless of the batch of Tomahawk cruise missiles, they can pose a significant threat to Russia.

Since 2020, the United States has upgraded the Tomahawk cruise missile, upgrading block 4 and the fourth generation to block 5, divided into three versions: basic, 5A, and 5B. These versions have increased the range, upgraded the navigation and communication systems, and the maximum range has been increased to 1600-2000 kilometers.

Speaking of the Tomahawk missile, it is also one of the major threats we face. The United States has deployed the THAAD intermediate-range missile system in the Philippines and Japan, and the main striking weapon in this system is the Tomahawk missile, which is the mid-upgraded version of block 4, and may even directly deploy the block 5 version in the future. This means that the United States has gradually or initially built up a strike circle targeting our country.

All the important cities along the eastern coast from south to north, as well as the islands and reefs in the South China Sea, are within the range of the Tomahawk missile. Especially the fifth-generation block 5A version, which the United States calls the Navy Strike Missile, it has added a terminal phased array active radar, specifically designed to strike surface ships, especially aircraft carriers, amphibious assault ships, and large destroyers, and is an important part of the US military's anti-aircraft carrier missile system. It has been preliminarily capable of combat since 2023.

If Ukraine were to possess Tomahawk cruise missiles, it would undoubtedly pose a significant threat to Russia. Russia would inevitably develop various defensive tactics to respond. If there is a real war, we would see how a military power deals with Tomahawk cruise missiles. Through this process, we can gain a more concrete and in-depth understanding of the Tomahawk cruise missile, as well as valuable combat experience.

Even if the United States is just bluffing now, Russia cannot afford to be careless and must prepare for defense. Therefore, observing how Russia formulates tactics and deploys countermeasures against Tomahawk cruise missiles would be very helpful for us. We can draw lessons from this and provide references for our national defense construction.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7559954658224063016/

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