Defense Minister A. Serdyukov, answering questions from State Duma deputies, said that Russia is developing its own missile defense system.
A reasonable question arises: "Does Russia have the capabilities and means to create a truly combat-ready missile defense system?"
Let's look back a little and see how such systems were created in the USSR, and then in Russia. For example, the missile defense system of Moscow and the Moscow region began to be created in 1958. The first results appeared three years later, in 1961 this system was successfully tested at the Sary-Shagan test site, the ballistic missile was intercepted by the V-1000 anti-missile. The system received its designation ABM A-35 and further development was continued.
Position area / OPRTs of missile defense systems A-35
However, the development of this A-35 system dragged on for almost twenty years. Only in 1978 was the modified A-35M missile defense system finally created. But its capabilities were also significantly limited, the A-35M could only repel two consecutive volleys, eight ICBMs each, with one warhead.
The next system, the A-135, entered service in 1994-95. was criticized by military skeptics, who said that it was outdated even before it was put into service, since its development began back in 1971. The capabilities of this missile defense were also limited and did not allow it to reflect a massive launch of ICBMs.
Positional area of the missile defense system A-35
To date, the combat capability of the A-135 is in question. Judging by the photographs periodically appearing on the network from abandoned, looted and destroyed missile defense facilities in the Moscow region, it seems that the state of affairs leaves much to be desired.
The previous missile defense system was armed with 53T6 "Azov" and T6 anti-missiles with a nuclear warhead, with a capacity of 10 Kt to 2 Mt. But even these missiles, judging by some data, may have been withdrawn from the silos by 2004, at the end of their service life.
The development of the Russian missile defense system could also go in such areas as the creation of anti-missiles on a mobile base, the creation of non-nuclear anti-missiles, and the deployment of a space group.
For example, our orbital grouping of the missile attack warning system recently numbered over eighty units, but, sadly to admit, many of them are also outdated and in need of replacement.
Regarding mobile missile defense systems, there are other concerns: in the mid-90s, the states launched Lacrosse radar satellites, as a result of which clouds and darkness ceased to interfere with target detection.
Information about the deplorable state of the Russian missile defense system and the assessments of Russian military experts confirm. For example, A. Kornukov, former commander-in-chief of the Air Force and Air Defense, assessing the state of missile defense, for example, said: "Our missile defense is unlikely to cope even with an attack by operational missiles." Also, according to him, “The means of both air defense and aerospace defense are limited in use. New types of weapons are created extremely slowly, factories for the production of high-precision equipment are in decline. Russia lags behind potential adversaries by 30-35 years. It seems that there is a missile defense system today, but at the same time it does not exist."
A. Kornukov
His opinion is confirmed by the words of L. Ivashov, president of the Academy of Geopolitical Problems, in his words: "The Moscow missile defense system has already exhausted its resource, since it has not been updated for the last 20 years."
Leonid Ivashov
The training of missile defense specialists also raises many questions. Military Academy of Aerospace Defense named after Marshal of the Soviet Union G. K. Zhukov in Tver is the only higher military institution that trained such specialists.
But the "ax of reform" also hovered over this educational institution. The press has repeatedly reported that the academy will be closed.
Recently, despite all of the above, loud statements have been made that the existing "5th VKO brigade is capable of shooting down all air attack weapons of a potential enemy."
Many military experts have expressed doubts about the veracity of this statement. Here's what they think about this:
Victor Litovkin
V. Litovkin executive editor of the newspaper Nezavisimoye Voennoe Obozreniye: “The existing missile defense system is intended mainly to cover Moscow.
In any case, it is simply impossible to create an effective missile defense system in the near future, with a guaranteed defeat of enemy ICBMs during a mass launch.
Problems of missile defense reflect the general picture of the aerospace defense. According to the plans, missile defense should become a reality in just a few months. However, at the moment it has not even been decided who it will be subordinate to, for this right there is a serious struggle between the Strategic Missile Forces, the Air Force and the Space Forces."
Vladislav Shurygin
V. Shurygin military expert: The statement of the Minister of Defense Serdyukov does not correspond to reality. Russia does not conduct any new developments in the field of missile defense. Maybe we are talking about some theoretical developments that are not yet ready at least for real tests. The developments of beam and laser weapons available since Soviet times are outdated long ago.
The situation with the training of missile defense personnel is also generally alarming. Within the framework of the so-called reforms, the question is: “Where and how will they be prepared now? "Is very acute."
K. Sivkov
First Vice-President of the Academy of Geopolitical Problems K. Sivkov: The situation is deplorable not only with submunitions, but also with warning systems. The southwestern and northern directions are open in our country, and the Krasnoyarsk radar station was completely ruined. Previously, this was poorly compensated for by a large number of satellites, but now the orbital grouping has been significantly reduced and cannot perform the necessary tasks. And the United States and China are successfully developing anti-satellite weapons.
Now we are able to hit only a few ICBMs. To eliminate the gaps, Russia needs to develop long-range anti-missile missiles, a space group, and combat lasers. But at the moment we are not able to solve these problems in the near foreseeable future, since the scientific potential has been destroyed, and the production base will be finished off by a new wave of privatization. The S-500 complex, proposed as a panacea, will appear no earlier than in five years and, moreover, it will not be capable of hitting ICBMs, only tactical missiles."
Alexander Khramchikhin
Alexander Khramchikhin, Deputy Director of the Institute of Political and Military Analysis: “Everyone has long been accustomed to the rather strange statements of Minister Serdyukov, and this statement also belongs to this category. Russia's missile defense base is catastrophically outdated. And the statements that we are ready to build a joint missile defense system with the Americans cause only a smile. The same S-300 and S-400 air defense systems can only destroy tactical missiles, but not ICBMs.
What can we offer Americans? Developments of the 80s of the last century? There is no need to talk seriously about our missile defense system, it is not capable of repelling a massive launch of enemy ICBMs."
