Western military experts, analyzing the situation in the military-industrial complex of the Russian Federation, invariably note the high competitiveness of the segment associated with the development and production of air defense equipment. For example, the well-known Australian think tank Air Power Australia (APA) recently published the results of another study in which it compared the capabilities of Russian air defense systems and American military aviation. As noted in the report submitted by Air Power Australia, modern Russian radar systems and anti-aircraft missile systems have reached a level that virtually eliminates the possibility of the survival of US Air Force aircraft in the event of a military conflict.
In particular, according to the study, not only American F-15, F-16 and F / A-18 combat aircraft of the latest modifications, but even the promising fifth-generation Joint Strike Fighter, also known as F-35. And in order to achieve the superiority that American aviation had at the time of the end of the Cold War, the Pentagon needs to adopt at least 400 more heavy fighters of the fifth generation F-22 Raptor. Otherwise, the American Air Force risks finally losing its superiority over the Russian air defense.
According to Air Power Australia analysts, such a situation could have a very negative impact on the US position in the world. States such as China, Iran and Venezuela, which are traditional buyers of Russian air defense systems and complexes, clearly understand that the United States will not go to open military confrontation with them, realizing that as a result, it will lose hundreds of combat aircraft and pilots.
Last month, APA leading expert Dr. Carlo Kopp, who defended his dissertation in the field of radar technology, compared the capabilities of modern Russian anti-aircraft missile systems and the F-35 fighter. Dr. Kopp concluded that this combat aircraft would be an easy target for them. The manufacturer of the F-35, the American corporation Lockheed Martin, did not try to publicly challenge the Australian expert's statement.
Researchers at Air Power Australia also concluded that since the end of the Cold War, Russian developers have made significant progress in modernizing air defense systems. Moreover, the opportunity to analyze the potential of the potential adversary - the United States - came to Russian designers and engineers thanks to the military conflicts in Iraq in 1991 and in Yugoslavia in 1999. This process, as noted in the report, largely resembled a chess game, as a result of which the Russians were able to figure out how to checkmate the American military aviation.
Comparing the capabilities of modern air defense systems and combat aircraft, ARA analysts also note that the Russian S-400 Triumph air defense system (according to NATO classification - SA-21) today has virtually no analogues in the world. At the same time, in terms of its capabilities, it significantly surpasses the American Patriot air defense systems.
In terms of aviation, Air Power Australia experts believe that the F-22 Raptor heavy fighter is currently the only credible multirole fighter in the US Air Force. The export version of the lighter F-35 will never be able to compete with it.
Note that the S-400 air defense system has already been adopted by the Russian army. On August 6, 2007, the first regiment, equipped with S-400s, took up combat duty in the town of Elektrostal near Moscow.
The S-400 Triumph air defense system has been developed and mass-produced by the Almaz-Antey Air Defense Concern. It can be used day and night in any weather-climatic and physical-geographical conditions with intense electronic countermeasures.
Compared to the previous generation, the S-400 Triumph air defense system has significantly greater tactical and technical capabilities, providing more than a twofold increase in efficiency. Triumph is the only system that can selectively operate using more than 4 types of missiles (existing and new) with different launch weights and launch ranges, creating an echeloned defense.
The time for full deployment from the traveling state and bringing the S-400 system into combat readiness is 5-10 minutes.
All processes of combat work are automated - detection; route support; distribution of targets between air defense systems; their capture, tracking and identification; selection of the type of missiles; preparing them for launch; launching, capturing and guiding missiles at targets; assessment of shooting results.
A high degree of automation of all stages of combat work, a modern element base made it possible to significantly reduce the maintenance personnel. The principles of construction and the extensive communication system of the S-400 means allow it to be integrated into various levels of control not only of the Air Force, but also of other types of the Armed Forces. bombers, as well as various ballistic targets with a maximum speed of up to 4800 m / s. SAM 9M96E and 9M96E2 are unified with each other and can be used by shipborne anti-aircraft missile systems. SAM 9M96E2 is distinguished by a more powerful engine, longer length, starting weight and range of destruction. Their effectiveness is about 2 times higher than the capabilities of the Patriot PAC-3 and Aster missiles. In addition, Triumph can use 48N6E and 48N6E2 missiles.
All of the indicated vertical launch missiles with an inertial guidance system (radio correction on the cruise and active radar homing in the final section of the trajectory). In the target area, gas-dynamic control is used, which ensures the rocket maneuver with an increase in overload by 20 units. The target is hit by a high-explosive fragmentation warhead with a radio fuse and a multi-point initiation system.
Each air defense system provides shelling of up to 10 targets with guidance of up to 20 missiles at them.
Self-propelled launcher - SPU (heavy and lightweight on a high-mobility vehicle chassis) provides transportation, preparation and launch of any types of missiles. On a heavy SPU, up to 4 standard TPKs can be installed, each of which accommodates one new missile defense system or four types of 9M96E and 9M96E2 medium-range. The lightweight SPU (chassis of the KamAZ vehicle) houses a block of 12 small-sized missiles in single TPKs.
SAM S-400 "Triumph" with a new missile in the near future will form the basis of the air defense of Russia. In the period up to 2015, it is planned to supply the troops with more than 20 divisions of the S-400 Triumph air defense systems.
