Ukraine uses US-made air-defense system to intercept Russian ballistic missile

The hill ^ | 05/06/2023 | Jared Gans

[ChicagoConservative27]

Ukraine used a U.S.-made air-defense system to intercept a Russian ballistic missile, the first known time that it has been able to block one of Russia’s modern missiles.

Mykola Oleshchuk, the commander of the Ukrainian Air Force, said in a Telegram post on Saturday that Ukrainian forces were able to take down a Kinzhal, or Kh-47, missile that a MiG-31K aircraft launched from Russia toward the Kyiv region. He said it happened during an attack that Moscow launched on Thursday night.

[ChicagoConservative27]

Who to believe...

[MattMusson]

Shotdown by Ukrainians who speak with a Jersey accent

[PGR88]

Who to believe, indeed.

The US Navy told Congress just this January that there was no anti-missile defense against hypersonic missiles.

[datura]

All ICBMs are “hypersonic”., satellites too. Yet an F-15 shot down a satellite long ago.

Remember, “hypersonic” projectiles inside the atmosphere cannot change course dramatically (1-3 degrees) without overheating their surfaces. If you know where the hypersonic missile is, you just need to know where it will be for intercept.

This whole hyperbole about “hypersonic” missiles is exactly that. Patriot batteries can defeat them - much less THAAD or Aegis.

[gibsonguy]

1 missile. Hundreds of Billons of dollars.

[Widget Jr]

The Patriot has evolved since it was first used in the Gulf War 30 years ago, where it failed to stop Iraqi Scud missiles. After the Gulf War in 2002 the US withdrew from the ABM treaty. Legally and diplomatically, the USSR ceased to exist and its compliance with such treaties was in name only. Practically, the more capable surface to air missiles, the Patriot (PAC-1, 2, and 3), Standard 3, S-300 and 400, had reached the point where surface to air missiles crossed into anti-ballistic missile capability.

The Kinzhal is a air launched intermediate range ballistic missile. It is "hypersonic" in the same way other ballistic missile are hypersonic. The difference is it is air launched instead of ground launched. Marketing and hype over the name does not change its performance.

This goes beyond shooting down a Kinzhal. This shows that if Ukraine can shoot down the hardest to intercept missile the Russian air force has, all of its aircraft and air launched cruise missiles are at risk.

[PIF]

Who to believe...
—
Well there are images of the missile on the ground - obviously shot down by a Patriot battery.

[Kazan]

Why would anyone believe the Biden regime about anything?

[Karl Spooner]

Who's right, indeed.

.

Air Force Denies Kinzhal Missile Shooting Down Over Kyiv

"There was no Kinzhal ballistic missile shot down in the sky over Kyiv, as Russian terrorist troops did not use ballistics during the May 4 attack on the capital. It was stated in a comment to Suspilne by the speaker of the Air Force Yurii Ihnat on Friday, May 5.

A spokesman for the Air Force denied the information of Defense Express, which, citing its own sources, announced the likelihood of the downing of a Russian Kinzhal hypersonic missile over Kyiv during the May 4 attack.

"I have already refuted a thousand times, you should have seen it yesterday. There was a possibility of use, but no ballistic missiles were recorded. What some heads of military administrations say there, they have already received for this," Ihnat emphasized."

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Yahoo news

[Karl Spooner]

UK geopolitical commentator on the Kinzhal shootdown and the UK media's reporting.

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[Robert357]

It would have been better if the Russian jet could have also been shot down.

[Trumpisourlastchance]

This didn’t happen.

[CarolinaReaganFan]

anyone except the BS Hill?

[McGruff]

You know they shot down one of their own drones over Kiev a couple of days ago. Good shooting.

[ETCM]

Remember, “hypersonic” projectiles inside the atmosphere cannot change course dramatically (1-3 degrees) without overheating their surfaces. If you know where the hypersonic missile is, you just need to know where it will be for intercept.

The Kinzhal and Iskander are both Quazi Ballistic, and maneuver during their terminal phase. Certainly not high-G maneuvers, but Russia assumed any maneuver would be enough to evade a missile at hypersonic speed.

The "hitting a bullet with a bullet" challenge of ballistic missiles has long been figured out, though not to 100% reliability. Aegis and Patriot (SM-6 and PAC-3) are able to defeat some maneuvering hypersonics, with current challenges being hypersonic glide vehicles and air breathing SCRAMjet hypersonic cruise missiles. I believe the SM-6 will eventually be effective against these these threats, and possibly versions of the PAC-3, though every intercept will bring it's own unique challenges. Just like all weapons, success will be in the mission planning, not the wunderwaffe. The SM-6 even doubles as a hypersonic strike weapon, which the Army will soon be deploying along side land based Tomahawk.

[AndyJackson]

“ hypersonic” projectiles inside the atmosphere cannot change course dramatically (1-3 degrees) without overheating their surfaces.”

Not true which is why the race to maneuverable hypersonics.

[sauropod]

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[sauropod]

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[Kazan]

Ukr 3% Bakhmut

Larry Johnson: The U.S. is DELUSIONAL over Ukraine | Redacted with Clayton Morris