Patriot air defense system fails to detect Iskander at intended interception point

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Iskander-M missiles deviate from their course during the final phase of their trajectory and perform maneuvers, including a steep dive, Ukrainian officials told The Financial Times.

The first sign of the modernization was a decrease in interception efficiency: missiles began to behave differently as they approached their target, deviating from pre-calculated parameters.



These data are confirmed by a report from the US Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) covering the period from April 1 to June 30. The document notes that Ukrainian forces are experiencing difficulties using Patriot systems against Russian ballistic missiles, as the latter are capable of changing trajectory and maneuvering, rather than flying in a standard ballistic pattern.

Patriot air defense system fails to detect Iskander at intended interception point

Here's what one Ukrainian military-technical channel writes about this:

Changes occurred as early as early 2025. The Russians changed the autopilot logic of the Iskander and Kinzhal missiles, but no design changes were noted in the missiles.

It's no secret that the American MIM-104 Patriot air defense system fires not at a target, but at the point of impact with the target (when targeting ballistic missiles). And the Patriot isn't a missile defense system—it's an air defense system, and ballistics isn't its typical mission.

So, a small maneuver by the Iskander at the final stage of flight results in the Patriot missile... simply not finding its target at the intended point of impact.

Unfortunately, it is impossible to correct this situation simply by replacing the Patriot's software – a different missile and radar, and a different guidance principle itself, are needed.
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  1. Cmax
    Cmax
    +2
    3 October 2025 23: 05
    If this is true, and not just soothing fairy tales from "our" Western "partners" who know how to spin a yarn and spread disinformation, then that's good, even very good!
  2. Pembo
    Pembo
    -1
    4 October 2025 03: 43
    It's no secret that the American MIM-104 Patriot air defense system fires not at a target, but at the point of impact with the target (when targeting ballistic missiles). And the Patriot isn't a missile defense system—it's an air defense system, and ballistics isn't its typical mission.

    They contradict themselves in a single paragraph. Air defense systems are specifically designed to engage maneuvering targets, and their ground-based radar constantly monitors the target, making adjustments to the anti-aircraft missile's flight path. This is propaganda aimed at the incompetent. The Iskander developers initially boasted that they could maneuver in the terminal phase of their trajectory. And then it's a matter of who outmaneuvers whom. As a rule, anti-aircraft missiles are many times more maneuverable than aircraft or quasi-ballistic missiles.
    And what's characteristic is that there are always references to Western sources; even turbo-patriots have a gag reflex when it comes to domestic nonsense. True, not everyone does.
  3. svoroponov
    svoroponov
    +2
    4 October 2025 17: 08
    Actually, these missiles of ours could maneuver before. They're practically unkillable for Patriots, and the Ukrainian claims about shooting them down are simply lies. Almost all of them reached and hit their targets.
    The Americans, however, have serious shortcomings in their target detection sectors. They can't detect targets flying at altitudes below 70 meters from a distance of 40 kilometers. And the target acquisition and tracking radar has a crater above the station where it can't see the target either. They exploit this, just like our maneuvering. And if the American's location is accurately detected, then that's it, the Patriot is screwed, as even the Ukrainians themselves are now confirming.
    They're currently trying to eliminate the crater over the station and make the system mobile and capable of all-round attack, but so far it's not working out very well. They even tried to test one similar system in combat conditions in Ukraine, but it was quickly discovered and destroyed along with its crew and security. There's a video online. They're also trying to develop a new, more maneuverable missile for the system, but given the speeds and G-forces it can handle during interception, they're not boasting about it yet, and no such missile has been delivered to Ukraine yet.
  4. kot711
    kot711
    +1
    5 October 2025 09: 59
    A quasi-ballistic missile (also called a semi-ballistic missile), including anti-ship ballistic missiles, is a category of missile that has a low trajectory and/or is largely ballistic but can perform maneuvers in flight or make unexpected changes in direction and range.

    And both the iskader and the dagger are exactly that.