Analytical Center Air Power Australia (APA) (Australia) has a long history of research into the effectiveness of air defense systems and is an authoritative source in the military environment. Back in 2009, APA expert Dr. Carlo Kopp made a conclusion about the worthy work of Russian developers of air defense systems and argued that the Russian S-400 Triumph air defense system actually had no analogues in the world.
ARA analysts have published a closed report in which they argue with new data the previously concluded conclusion about the impossibility of success for the US Air Force in a confrontation with the Russian air defense system. Moreover, even the fifth generation F-35 fighter will become an easy target for the Russian air defense system. There were no objections from across the ocean.
To keep our finger on the pulse of the development of similar systems in NATO, our analysts studied the characteristics of the latest air defense system of the Norwegian and Dutch army NASAMS air defense systems. This complex can operate on air targets at an altitude of 16 km, with a distance of up to 75 km. The most important thing for this mobile and lightweight complex is the ability to operate on cruise missiles with their tremendous speed of movement along a winding trajectory. The overwhelming majority of light air defense systems cannot work for such purposes.
The Norwegian developers were faced with difficult tasks: minimum price, minimum personnel, short deployment time, high mobility. The experience of Yugoslavia showed that the complex, after being used, after one and a half to two minutes, must already move to a new position, otherwise it risks being covered by enemy aircraft or ground forces. Another Norwegian-American HAWK complex was taken as a basis.
The developers did a good job, and as a result, NASAMS is able to hit 6 targets simultaneously against 3 of the HAWK, now it takes 4 times fewer fighters and 3 times less time to deploy.
To reduce the cost of purchasing air defense systems in the world, there is now a tendency to unify missiles designed to destroy enemy aircraft. To do this, they seek to convert air-to-air missiles into ship-to-air and surface-to-air missiles. And this reduces the cost of maintaining, maintaining and repairing such missiles.
Norwegian developers also took this path and simply redesigned the AMRAAM AIM-120 rocket.
Until now, it has only been used on fighters. Moreover, in close air battles and with good visibility. But the Norwegian designers managed to modernize it. And it turned into a surface-to-air missile.
According to military analysts, Norwegian designers chose the AMRAAM missile for the NASAMS air defense system not by chance - this missile is considered one of the best in the Norwegian army. It is equipped with a special built-in radar system that is capable of calculating any flight path of an enemy aircraft or missile. This means to react to danger in time. For this purpose, there is a specialized microcomputer in the head compartment of the AMRAAM rocket. That is why AMRAAM works on the "fire and forget" principle. A soldier only needs to press a button.
These rockets are actually a robot. The first missiles of this kind had an inertial guidance system. The onboard digital computer constantly recorded several parameters: acceleration, pitch and yaw angles. The built-in program was used to calculate the speed and location coordinates. So she found the way to the goal. With the development of computer technology, guidance systems also developed. Currently, both radar homing heads and optical heads are used. Using the latest developments, the NASAMS air defense system is capable of simultaneously tracking 10 targets and repelling an attack of 6 fighters in just 12 seconds.
SAM NASAMS surpasses many other air defense systems for its increased mobility, ease of deployment. Only a few fighters are able to deploy the complex in 15 minutes. In a couple of seconds, the tracking system will react to the target that appears. And one and a half to two minutes after the application of NASAMS is already on the way to a new position.
And what about Russia? On the Russian side, in this class, the TOP M2 air defense missile system. Unfortunately, there is no decent site on the Internet with a description of this wonderful complex. Unlike NASAMS, TOP is fully automated. TOP M2 can control the designated airspace itself. The system is friend or foe. This makes it possible to engage targets in an autonomous mode. TOR M2 simultaneously identifies 50 targets, selects the most dangerous (in terms of approach speed), for example, cruise missiles, and after 7 seconds transmits target designation to the guidance station. For the accuracy of the guidance and target identification system, the TOP M2 can deservedly be called the world's best short-range air defense system.
But the Americans are sure that the best system is their Patriot.
The opposition of the patriots to our S-300 complex in the conflict in Iraq is very colorfully described. There is no point in retelling. The main thing is worth saying. Of course, a Patriot can track more than 100 targets at a distance of up to 170 km. It will also destroy ballistic missiles and even the latest fighters with a stealth radar system.
But, since an orbital satellite is included in the control system loop, the time from the moment of target detection to the issuance of target designations reaches 90 seconds! (Compare with 7 seconds for TOP M2!). In addition, this complex is practically defenseless against electronic countermeasures.
And, by the way, the air defense system, which is several times superior to the Patriot, already exists - this is the S-400 Triumph.
In conclusion, I would like to say a huge thank you to our developers of air defense systems. At least in this matter we are ahead. Thanks to the air defense officers who show a Russian character. With such an attitude, Russian air defense systems will always be inaccessible!
