Tel Aviv: An Israeli spy satellite spotted 3 Russian MiG-31 fighter jets, capable of carrying nuclear hypersonic missiles deployed in Kaliningrad against the Baltic and Western countries. This according to an intelligence report made by Israeli company Imagesat (ISI) who operates the Eros series of spy satellites.
A Hypersonic missile travels in 5-10 Mach speeds and can reach a range of 1200 miles. These facts alone make the defence against this evolving threat more difficult and create an urgent need for upgraded or new defence systems.
Russia has achieved impressive progress in the development of a hypersonic missile. And as if to demonstrate the evolving threat in the middle east, Russian forces in Syria, earlier this year brought one of their hypersonic missiles to this war-torn country.
A Russian air force MiG -31 landed in a Syrian airbase fully controlled by the Russians armed with a KH -47M2 Kinzhal, an air-launched Russian hypersonic missile with a range of 2000 km. There were unconfirmed reports that the Russian tested the missile over the Mediterranean but until this moment there is no confirmation.
Israeli sources say that the aim of bringing a Russian advanced fighter aircraft, armed with this hypersonic missile was a “power demonstration” to all parties, directly and indirectly, involved in the fighting in Syria namely the US and Israel.
Israel has a four-layered rocket and missile protection system that is operational and being upgraded continuously.
Arrow 2 and 3, made by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) are the upper layers of a system that is designed to defend Israel from rockets and missiles. Additional layers are the Rafael “Iron Dome” and “David’s Sling”.
Now under development is the Arrow 4, designed to intercept the advanced ballistic missiles but not a hypersonic one. So currently, Israel has no answer to the hypersonic missile threat. Sources here say that the problem is complicated because of the capabilities of a hypersonic missile and that “different ideas are being studied now”.
-The writer is an Israel-based freelance journalist. The views expressed are of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of Raksha Anirveda
