Putin proposes test
What a great way to start the Christmas week: Vladimir Putin has thrown down a gauntlet to the west… and it’s kind of amusing. The pity of it is that with Joe in the White House, Vlad’s challenging an unarmed man to a battle of wits.
The subject is Russia’s vaunted Mach 10 Oreshnik missile. Russia says it is unstoppable by western air defense systems. but we think advanced systems like Patriots can handle them. There is a bit of precedent for our opinion:
Notably, the Kinzhal, a previously much-hyped missile, was also touted by Russia as hypersonic and “unstoppable.” But it has reportedly been downed dozens of times by Patriot batteries in Ukraine.
The Oreshnik is a newer, faster, MIRV (Multiple Independently-targeted Re-entry Vehicle if memory serves) missile a couple of iterations newer than the Kinzhals and is thought to be based on the SR-26 IRBM. Did I mention the Oreshnik is nuclear-capable as well?
That velocity makes it extremely difficult for anti-missile defenses to counter. The Oreshnik is also believed to deploy a cluster payload and is capable of carrying nuclear warheads.
Additionally, the missile’s purported range allows it to hit any target in Europe. Russia has, in recent weeks, touted it as a new class of weapon in the Ukraine war.
Ukraine says it needs 25 Patriot systems, and each missile cost about $6,000,000. Supposedly they have four systems now. (If you are keeping track of the money side of it, those ‘dozens’ of Kinzhals, at $6 mill a pop, have cost at least $72,000,000 to take out)
Putin said both parties could agree upon a target in Kyiv, where Ukraine could “concentrate all of their air defense and anti-missile defense.”
“We will strike it with Oreshnik and we will see what’s going to happen. We are willing to conduct such an experiment,” he said.
He also suggested that it could benefit the US by allowing the Pentagon to glean information from the strike.
I’m not a duck-hunter (Army slang for air defense) but I’m pretty sure this one is a no-go – we shoot their missile down, they get to see what our stuff can really do. We fail, they get a huge morale boost and confirm that the US is, in some cases, a paper tiger. Oh, and they get a free try at Kyiv.
Meanwhile, Western experts still question how many Oreshnik missiles Russia has in its inventory, and the US calls it an experimental weapon. Moscow’s strike on Dnipro was largely seen as a show of force, and the Pentagon has said it may launch a similar strike on Ukraine soon.
On Monday, Putin told state media that serial production of the Oreshnik would begin soon. Business Insider
Category: Ukraine
How does Putin even think he has a chance without lowering standards for diversity and celebrating sexual perversion in his military? As a FYI, NATO’s total military 2024 budget is $1.3 trillion and Russia is not even $100 billion.
He probably thinks there are only two genders. What a buffoon.
I got a test for these dumbasses. Let’s test to see about getting along and quit killing one another. Guessing that Z man is concerned that when (IF) Mr. Trump is sworn in, the Sugar Teat is going to dry up, and Pootin is concerned that he will be forced to admit that The Red Army wasn’t as tough as he thought it was. Only winners in this madness is the MIC. And the grifters.
Syria got left hanging out to dry because Ukraine is taking up all the Russkies’ Schlitz right now.
Second and third order effects.
Sounds like a lab experiment of the variety, “heads I win, tails you lose”. No thanks, I decline to play today.
Essentially, Vlad wants to probe our air defense. I think not.
Vlad’s not stupid…
I fear that some in the DC Swamp/Pentagon are, and are “itching for war”. Jan 20th can’t come fast enough.
There are raging idiots all over the internet that are screaming that Trump isn’t doing anything. Bitching that he was elected weeks ago but hasn’t acted. I don’t think they understand how elections and inaugurations work. Wouldn’t surprise me if some of these dumbasses were congresscritters. Time to bring back Schoolhouse Rock.
Five pound rock? Or ten pound rock?
Gotta have enough rock to get the education through their thick skulls.
“itching for war”, the above must not being making enough $$$$$$$ from the Arms industry that they have stock in.
I’m not an air defender (as a matter of fact, I had almost nothing but problems with air defenders (no offense!)), but I could play a mean game of Missile Command back in the day.
How about, we let them take a shot at Kyiv (which is no skin off my back) and then we take an ATACMS shot at Moscow? Fair’s fair.
No offense taken here as one; they can have their difficulty, I admit.
Ha. Truthfully I love ‘em, but man did I have problems with them non-stop for a whole month at Graf followed by Hohenfels. The highlights included two attempted frats on me and a BSFV firing 88 rounds out of sector during an LFX.
You are correct in your take.
Well we could run concurrent tests, we’ll point some stuff at Voronezh he can point his stuff at Kiev….when the dust settles we’ll see who’s left standing in either city…
Then we’ll know whose stuff can do what where and we can all laugh and move on…
Good thing ADA isn’t making the decisions to play catch with the Russkis.
Morals of Supply with the discernment of Wire Dogs, them.
“I’m not a duck-hunter (Army slang for air defense) but I’m pretty sure this one is a no-go – we shoot their missile down, they get to see what our stuff can really do. We fail, they get a huge morale boost and confirm that the US is, in some cases, a paper tiger. Oh, and they get a free try at Kyiv.”
Completely agree.
(I don’t know if Gorbachev actually said this, but I’m ripping it from the Chernobyl series anyway.)
And if the air defense fails, then Ukraine loses almost all of its defenses. They will then turn to puddin’ brain and demand we reimburse them for the loss. Or it’s a feint, and Russia wipes out the rest of Ukraine while missile defenses are clustered elsewhere for the “test”.
I think the missiles in question have to reduce speed to below Mach 4 for re-entry, as they have to get below radio signal blackout for targeting. Which makes them vulnerable to targeting just after re-entry to the lower atmosphere. Small window of interception, but I think there are weapons capable now. But why give away all our secrets doing a test with Putin. He’s trying to draw us out to see what we have in the closet.
We have been solving “shoot down ICBM RVs since the 1960s. Those are -way- faster than mach 5. We can right now direct-hit kinetic-kill ICBM RVs. The IRBM RV is not going to be faster than an ICBM RV. Just less time to track it.
We can’t guarantee 100% shootdown. With nuclear payloads, any leakers are going to be … painful. So of course Vlad shifts to the old untried-and-untrue.
Fear and doubt are about all Russia has. And their disaster in Ukraine has very much reduced both.
I spent a few years at Ellsworth with the 44th in the 70’s. This has been debated for decades now. Putin can’t stop our MERV’s either. I think he’s trying to advertise for sales, as the rest of his junk is just that, junk!
“Sure. We will set up some de-tuned ABM systems, just as you will fire your ‘chimp version’ missiles. And both sides propagandists will wave dick triumphantly.”
Every time the Russians claim a new improved weapon system the MIC gains a new multi billion dollar contract, regardless of whether the Russian claims are accurate or not.
Me suspects sumtin going on there.