UKRAINE: 3 QUESTIONS - 3 ANSWERS, PART 17: Missiles and air defense?

An important part of the fighting in the Ukraine war takes place in the air. Aircraft and helicopters are used, as well as anti-aircraft missiles, ballistic missiles, and cruise missiles.

Colonel Thomas Golda heads the Air Defense Institute at the Air Force and Air Defense School of the Bundesheer in Langenlebarn. He explains the nature of these weapons.

Statement by the Bundesheer Expert:

What is the difference between a ballistic missile and a cruise missile? Can we think of them as the "precision weapons" according to Russian specifications?

Ballistic missiles are fired from land. They are used in a range of less than a hundred kilometers up to several thousand kilometers. When used at longer distances, they leave the Earth's atmosphere. They are only propelled in the initial phase and then go into a ballistic flight. In the final approach, they reach multiple times the speed of sound. Conventional ballistic missiles act through high explosive power, pressure, and heat. They are area weapons that hit in a larger target area, and not precision weapons.

Ballistic missiles used include the OTR-21 "Tochka". Because they fly nearly vertically towards their target, they are difficult to detect by radar sensors and hard to combat by weapon systems. Systems used to combat them include the "Patriot" system of the USA or the S-300 system of Russian manufacture.

Cruise missiles can be fired from ships, submarines, aircraft, or from land. The cruise missiles used in war so far are deployed at distances of up to just under 1,000 kilometers. These include the 3M "Kalibr". They are powered by a rocket engine throughout the entire flight. Cruise missiles typically fly in the subsonic range and very low (adapted to the terrain). This low-level flight makes detection and combat more difficult.

Unlike ballistic missiles, cruise missiles are considered precision weapons designed to hit their target precisely.

How do anti-aircraft missiles work and what is their range? Doesn't Ukraine have enough of them?

Ukraine has a variety of anti-aircraft systems. Over long distances (over 50 kilometers), systems like the SA-6 or S-300 are used. Since these are weapons whose control depends exclusively on radar systems of greater range, we can assume that they are either being jammed or already destroyed when in use.

"Autonomous anti-aircraft systems" like the SA-13 or SA-15 are also used. These are radar-guided or infrared-guided missile systems with short and medium range (up to 50 kilometers). The 2K22 "Tunguska" complements this category with a short-range cannon system.

For very short range (up to 5 kilometers), portable anti-aircraft missile systems are used, such as the SA-7, SA-16, SA-17, and the American "Stinger". These are infrared-guided missile systems that lock onto a heat source in the sky. Since these systems are very difficult to detect and do not require a radar system in principle, they pose a great threat to low-flying aircraft (up to 3,000 meters above ground).

Would the Austrian airspace surveillance be able to detect or intercept incoming ballistic missiles or cruise missiles?

The radar systems of the Austrian airspace surveillance are not capable of detecting ballistic missiles or cruise missiles. The ground-based air defense unit's 35mm twin anti-aircraft guns system can engage a cruise missile in its final approach (up to 3,000 meters before the target) if the fire control system (radar) detects the target. However, destroying the cruise missile is unlikely. A ballistic missile cannot be intercepted.

BUNDESHEER on the Internet

UKRAINE: 3 Questions – 3 Answers

– UKRAINE: 3 QUESTIONS – 3 ANSWERS, PART 16: AIR COMBAT?