5000 km/hr = 3000 mi/hr
Flight time to target (at 1000 km) @ 12 minutes
Internal navigation is good for fixed/area targets.
Engagement of maneuvering targets requires a designating platform and an active seeker in the missile.
How is this different from previous versions of the threat? Proof against 20mm hits/Stinger?
Possible Countermeasures: (All permissible as attacking a US naval vessel is, prima fascia, an act of war.)
Destroy the bombers before they take off
Destroy the bombers in the air
Destroy the target designator
Jam the warhead seeker
Destroy/misdirect the missile (CIWS being upgraded to 30mm?)
Tu-22M2/3: 140 remaining in service(2010: 93 Russian AF, 53 Russian Naval Aviation). Manufactured during Cold War (@500)
What is current availability rate? India is also an operator (# unknown)
We are not going to be fighting the Russians or Indians in full scale conventional war any time soon.
No mention of Tu-16 as platform. Chinese are potential buyer (of the missile) if it can be fitted to that aircraft. PLAAF/PLAN operate @ 190 Xian H-6s of various marks (License built Tu-16).
Moves too fast for a Stinger to track. CIWS could do it but we’re busy removing CIWS installations from our ships for RAM launchers.
Engagement could be optical only and semi-autonomous. No separate designation platform would be required.
Maybe we will, maybe we won’t be in a full-fledged war with the Russians or Indians - but the Russians will cheerfully sell them to whoever has money not to mention their client states. If their Tu-22M2s could carry it, there’s a lot of other platforms that can easily do so.
That is quite a load! Sounds like hogwash to me.