Posted on 04/14/2015 6:53:14 AM PDT by pabianice
For years, Team Obama crowed about keeping this advanced Russian missile out of Irans hands. Now the Kremlin suddenly seems eager to hand it over to Tehran.
This nuke deal with Iran had better work. Because the Kremlin is lifting a ban on selling a powerful air defense system to Iran that would render an airstrike on Tehrans nuclear weapons facilities nearly impossible.
The delivery of the new weapon, called the Almaz-Antei S-300PMU-1known as the SA-20 Gargoyle in NATO parlancewould effectively force the U.S. to rely on its small fleet of stealth aircraft to strike targets inside Iran in case the mullahs make a dash for the bomb. But even those aircraft might have a difficult time.
This would be a huge deal depending on where they [the S-300s] are based The Persian Gulf would be an interesting place to fly, said one senior defense official with experience on multiple stealth aircraft types. These new [surface-to-air missiles] change the whole complexion Its a big move.
According to a report from Russian state media, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Monday that would allow the sale of the fearsome S-300 air defense system to Iran.
[The presidential] decree lifts the ban on transit through Russian territory, including airlift, and the export from the Russian Federation to the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also the transfer to the Islamic Republic of Iran outside the territory of the Russian Federation, both by sea and by air, of air defense missile systems S-300, reads the Kremlin statement, according to RIA Novosti.
(Excerpt) Read more at thedailybeast.com ...
The sale was probably Obama Admin’s idea anyway
>>Uhhh....no. You just blow it up first<<
Right? We still have the most advanced weaponry in the world.
Could it cause headaches for us? Yep, but I suspect just like any other air attack, we go after command and control, radar installations and clear a path.
People who understand nothing about war or military conflict sound extra stupid when speculating on things that armies “cannot do”.
And a word of real-world caution: beware of gift weapons systems from the Soviets - I mean the Russians - because the phrase "monkey model" meant something back in the day.
The other question is do you put them around your High Value Targets (nukes) and confirm that is where they are or do you put some around your HVTs and others around other sites as decoys?
ThunderSleeps' comments above are spot on. Take out the Air Defense and the rest becomes a lot easier.
If you are going to strike at Iran's nuclear facilities, you may as well go ahead and take out their political and military leadership. In for a penny, in for a pound.
"Ceterum censeo 0bama esse delendam."
Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)
It would make such an attack by air costly but not impossible—If we used nukes delivered from Sub launched rockets—they would be valueless.
Not if smart artillery takes out the S300 sites first. Special forces on the ground can “take care of business” locally electronically as well as with brute force in many varied ways. There is other “stuff” we need not worry much if it comes down to it.
You might have to take a B-52 and go nap of the Earth and/or “on the deck.” I’ve seem films of a B-52 flying nap of the Earth in the mountains of West Virginia, very impressive handling if you ask me. Otherwise, we might have to dodge those SAMS much like we had to with the SA-2 over Hanoi and Haiphong.
How well does an S-300 “shoot down” a 1,000lbs iron rod falling from orbit?
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