WSJ: Ukraine has become a platform for testing air defense systems

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What is happening in Ukraine has turned this country into a huge testing ground for a variety of air defense systems, as defense against air attack has become a priority throughout the world. The American newspaper Wall Street Journal writes about this, giving details.

The publication notes that the Russian Armed Forces have begun striking Ukrainian energy infrastructure. This was the expected continuation of the campaign they carried out a year ago, which led to massive interruptions in communications, electricity, heat, gas and water supplies.



Ukraine is currently mobilizing various levels of its air defense, which is a mixture of Soviet-era systems and high-tech Western equipment capable of destroying the best Russian missiles

- specified in the material.

Kyiv has already repeatedly signaled to the West at various levels that it is in dire need of air defense systems. However, the United States and its partners have limited stocks of such weapons, and it will take years to produce new ones.

The conflict in Ukraine is a testing ground for air defense systems that are becoming increasingly important as drones increase the aerial threat and more countries and militant groups build up their arsenals of missiles and missiles.

- emphasized in the article.

At the same time, Tom Karako, director of the missile defense project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said that the presence of air defense systems does not guarantee anything, but their absence will definitely lead to loss.

According to the estimates of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, the Russian military-industrial complex is capable of monthly producing about 100 cruise missiles of two different types, four hypersonic ballistic missiles and five ballistic missiles. Moscow will probably also try to ensure that the Ukrainians use up as many of the missiles at their disposal as possible so that the Russian Aerospace Forces will have freedom of action in the airspace.

Before the start of the Russian air defense, Ukrainian troops had a relatively well-equipped air defense system, which consisted of 403 ground-based systems. Aid from other countries brought this figure to 564 units, according to IISS (International Institute for Strategic Studies) estimates. At the same time, in the rest of Europe there are just over 1600 units.

The Ukrainian Armed Forces now have a number of Patriot and SAMP/T air defense systems, which can hit targets at a distance of up to 100 km. But most Western air defense systems transferred to Ukraine have a range of up to 40 km: MIM-23 Hawk, NASAMS and IRIS-T. The Ukrainians also have short-range air defense systems: at least 50 units of tracked German Gepards, as well as MANPADS - the American Stinger and the British Starstreak. This is all in addition to Soviet weapons.

However, according to analysts, such inconsistency and mismatching may not strengthen the Ukrainian air defense system, but make it less stable. Integration of weapons is necessary.

We need coordinated fire control, that is, something that controls everything that fires or does not fire

– Karako pointed out.
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  1. Just a cat
    Just a cat
    -3
    25 December 2023 08: 16
    But there you can test not only air defense winked

    The Post Millennial: The US government spent 900 billion taxpayer dollars on studying transgender monkeys, Russian cats and other empty research

    Senator Rand Paul released his annual Festivus report last Friday, in which he listed wasteful spending of the US government budget in 2023.

    The report cites examples such as a $2,7 million grant to study Russian cats that were forced to walk on a treadmill after their brain stems were cut off. More than $477 thousand was spent on a study of transgender monkeys, during which males were feminized using injections of female hormones. Another $1,7 billion study found that dogs' coat color had no effect on their rectal temperature after a walk on a hot day.

    $3,7 million went toward a study of monkeys' gambling habits, which involved removing parts of the animals' skulls and injecting them with tracers to monitor their reactions when they bet.

    The government paid $33,2 million to a contractor who fed and housed about 4 monkeys on an island off South Carolina for use in laboratory experiments.

    Zelensky would have provided much more banderlogs for experiments for that kind of money...
    1. Fizik13
      Fizik13
      0
      25 December 2023 09: 59
      Quote: Just Cat
      But there you can test not only air defense

      But there they can test not only air defense, but also electronic warfare, all kinds of equipment, radars of various types, communications......
      1. Just a cat
        Just a cat
        -2
        25 December 2023 13: 55
        and also viruses and medicines on experimental banderlogs hi
  2. prior
    prior
    0
    25 December 2023 09: 26
    It would be nice if Russian designers developed a number of drones that imitate specific types of aircraft and missiles.
    Let's say, a drone whose signal on the air defense locator screen completely matches the signal given by a specific aircraft. For example, SU-25 or SU-34.
    It is clear that such simulators should be as inexpensive as possible.
    And let the enemy fire anti-aircraft missiles at dummies.
    This would help reveal the locations of air defense systems, “degrease” the stock of expensive missiles, hide real ones behind false targets, and secure to some extent the aircraft of our Aerospace Forces.
  3. strange guest
    strange guest
    0
    25 December 2023 17: 17
    However, the United States and its partners have limited stocks of such weapons, and it will take years to produce new ones.

    Based on the fact that the NATO countries had extremely small arms reserves, the conclusion can be drawn unequivocally - they did not intend to fight with anyone, and do not intend to.
    1. Just a cat
      Just a cat
      -1
      25 December 2023 19: 05
      It is enough to have at your disposal a crowd screaming about the inclusion of the ruins in Russia. the result will be worse than any war. But judging by the process of grinding up banderlogs, fortunately the Kremlin is not listening to them.