The Air Force confirmed the downing of the Russian Kinzhal ballistic missile . The Kh-47 missile was launched by a MiG-31K from the territory of Russia on the night of May 4 .

 

Ukraine did shoot down the unique Russian "Dagger". How did it happen

BBC

May 6, 2023

View Original

The Air Force confirmed the downing of the Russian Kinzhal ballistic missile . The Kh-47 missile was launched by a MiG-31K from the territory of Russia on the night of May 4 .

The Commander of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Lieutenant General Mykola Oleschuk, wrote about this in a telegram.

"Congratulations to the Ukrainian people on a historic event! Yes, we shot down the "unparalleled" Dagger!" - he wrote.

Oleschuk also confirmed that the missile, which even recently, as the Ukrainian authorities admitted, could not be shot down by the Armed Forces of Ukraine, was destroyed by the American Patriot system.

He also urged not to report such information "before your father goes to hell" and to make public information that Russia can use in advance.

Passions around "Dagger"

The Kyiv City Military Administration was the first to report that Ukraine could shoot down a ballistic missile in the morning after the shelling.

This information seemed sensational, because for the first time the Ukrainian authorities admitted that they not only have the means to shoot down ballistics, but also successfully use them.

However, the command of the Air Force stated that it does not confirm the information of the city authorities.

Later, journalists conducted their investigation. On the afternoon of May 5, the specialized Ukrainian publication Defense Express published news in which, citing its sources, it was reported that Ukrainian forces shot down a ballistic missile for the first time.

And not just any, but the main pride of the Russian defense industry - the "invulnerable" and "super accurate" hypersonic missile "Kinzhal" (Kh-47M2).

The Russian army has already used it for attacks on Ukraine at least 10 times since the beginning of the invasion. It was not possible to knock it down even once.

The command of the Armed Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reacted with undisguised irritation to the Defense Express article, once again denying the very fact of the first successful shooting down of a Russian ballistic missile.

Denials were published several times, accusing the journalists of working for the enemy, until the next day, May 6, the information was officially confirmed.

What is "Dagger"?

"Dagger" is one of the newest developments of Russia. The first contract for the supply of the first batch of hypersonic missiles was signed by the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation only in August 2021.

Minister Serhii Shoigu assures that this missile has already shown its "brilliant characteristics that no other similar missile in the world has."

What is "Dagger"? This is actually an aerial variant of the Russian Iskander ground-based ballistic system. Unlike the latter, "Dagger" is launched from the MiG-31K fighter jet, flies at a range of up to 1,500 km at a speed that, as stated, exceeds the speed of sound by 12 times.

Like other ballistic missiles, it rises very high, and then dives on the target, hitting it at a great speed and at an angle of 90 degrees. It has its own homing system and high accuracy of damage. All this significantly complicates its interception by any anti-aircraft and anti-missile defense system.

The Ukrainian authorities have repeatedly stated that they do not have anti-aircraft systems at their disposal to protect against ballistic missiles and, in particular, from the "Dagger".

However, on April 19, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov announced the arrival of the first PATRIOT anti-aircraft missile systems in the country. It is this American development, as the military claims, that has the ability to shoot down ballistic missiles.

However, until now it was not known whether the PATRIOT protects against Russian hypersound, since, obviously, these countries were not in direct combat and therefore it was not possible to test the capabilities of the air defense system in practice.

Experts say that the shooting down of a hypersonic missile is an epoch-making event in the history of wars. The same as the combined attack of air and sea drones on the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation in the fall of 2022.

Air defense specialist, former deputy chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, General Ihor Romanenko explains why this is so.

The fact is that earlier PATRIOT complexes, as well as SAMP-T, were developed to counter "classic" ballistic missiles that attack the target on a direct trajectory. But "Dagger" does not work like that - it maneuvers in flight. According to the Russian Federation, this characteristic made them invulnerable to anti-aircraft missile systems of NATO countries.

Просмотры: