Russia’s Kinzhal may oppose the American aircraft carriers, US claims

By TOC On Sep 18, 2020

WASHINGTON, (BM) – The American magazine The National Interest published an article in which he spoke about the Russian 9-A-7660 Kinzhal [Dagger – ed.] aircraft missile system, learned BulgarianMilitary.com.

The journalists of The National Interest noted that Russia can oppose the American fighters with Kinzhal. The world’s first hypersonic aviation missile system, with a range of 3,000 kilometers, could pose a serious challenge to US warships, and it poses a particular threat precisely to aircraft carriers.

Hypersonic missiles are capable of inflicting powerful damage only due to kinetic impact and are dangerous even without explosives. US military experts and military observers consulted with NI expressed concern that such a projectile could make a dramatic change in the course of hostilities.

The Stalker Zone site has modeled a hypothetical attack on the USS George H. W. Bush aircraft carrier with a displacement of 97,000 tons and a length of 333 meters. Its crew of 3,200 people and 2,500 troops is under the protection of air defense, including destroyers, however, accelerated to a speed of 12 Machs Kinzhal can inflict fatal damage on the ship: even if it keeps afloat after the impact, the wing will already be neutralized by the received damage.

A strike on the Westinghouse A4W naval reactor competently scored by the Kinzhal may even lead to its explosion if the aircraft carrier is carrying out a combat operation at the time of the attack. Although getting to a specific place of the carrier, even with hypersonic weapons, is not easy in itself, modern ballistic missiles follow a calculated flight path and are able to maneuver.

In summary, the NI suggested that the Pentagon stopped investing in the development and production of massive warships due to the relative ease with which they could be destroyed by multiple Kinzhals.

The US State Department previously called Russia the main military threat to Europe.

The Russia’s Kinzhal missile is a serious problem for NATO countries, Polish expert said

In Russia, the Kinzhal missile launched from Mig-31 fighters is periodically tested. This kind weapon is a serious problem for NATO countries, which must take appropriate countermeasures, the Polish news agency Defense24 said in December 2019.

According to the expert Jakub Palovski, the “Kinzhal” (Dagger) is an aeroballistic projectile that reaches speeds over certain 5 Machs at certain stages of the flight. It operates on principles similar to launching ballistic missiles from the ground.

The term “hypersonic” that appeared in Russia in relation to this missile is a bit confusing. However, this does not mean that X-47M2 is not a threat. On the contrary – such a projectile can carry a very serious danger” writes Palowski.

In his opinion, the use of an aircraft as a carrier automatically increases the radius of destruction and makes it possible to attack from several directions. More favorable for the enemy are also the conditions of the flight itself. The shell starts it already on the “ceiling”, for example, several tens of kilometers, in addition, the ammunition flies at an increased speed, since it is launched from an already accelerated vehicle, and not from a ground launcher.

As the expert explains, they informally say that the “Kinzhal” can hit targets at a distance of 1500-2000 km.

“This means that if launched, for example, from the Kaliningrad region, not only Poland, but also most of the facilities in western Europe, including ports and unloading points, would be in the zone of operation of this weapon” notes Palowski.

According to him, striking at this infrastructure is able to disrupt the introduction of NATO reinforcement forces on the mainland. In this regard, it is necessary to develop adequate countermeasures. There is information that the design of the “Kinzhal” is based on shells of the Iskander-M system, “the interception of which is considered especially difficult,” the author writes.

“To combat such threats, only those systems that can destroy maneuvering ballistic shells are suitable, and this subject to the early detection and classification of hazards and the ability to track the fire control system” the expert indicates.

On the whole, countering the “Kinzhal” requires, in the author’s opinion, a comprehensive response from NATO countries, including the adoption of a number of other measures, such as deploying their own offensive systems and increasing the stability of infrastructure, for example, by dispersing and strengthening it.

Russian Mig-31M has launched hypersonic Kinzhal missile (video)

The Russian Ministry of Defense published in January this year footage of the launch of the dagger hypersonic aerial ballistic missile MiG-31K fighter during exercises in the Black Sea. Joint maneuvers of the Black Sea and Northern Fleets took place on January 9 off the coast of Crimea.

They involved more than 30 ships, a submarine and over 40 aircraft. The military performed rocket firing, including Caliber and Kinzhal. Admiral Nikolai Evmenov led the naval commander-in-chief exercises, and President Vladimir Putin watched their progress from aboard the Marshal Ustinov missile cruiser.

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