Tel Aviv: The long range advanced Russian missile that was launched earlier this month to hit the city of Dnipro in Ukraine creates a new situation in Europe.
According to two Israeli senior analysts, who asked not to be identified, the European countries will have to address the evolving threat by deploying long range detection systems and more interceptors to deal with the large number of re-entry vehicles such a missile carries.
On November 21, 5:00 – 7:00 AM local time, the Russian armed forces conducted an unprecedented missile strike on the city Dnipro. Russian officials named the missile “Oreshnik”. It marked the world’s first operation of “strategic” ballistic missile (IRBM). US officials first identified the missile as “Rubezh” (RS-26).
In order to put the missile in the right category, the experts outlined the types of ballistic missiles
MRBM – Medium-range ballistic missiles, traveling between 1,000– 3,000 kilometres. President Putin referred Oreshnik to this class.
IRBM – Intermediate-range ballistic missiles, traveling between 3,000– 5,500 kilometres. The relevant category of the RS-26 Rubezh/Oreshnik missile.
ICBM – Intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), traveling more than 5,500 kilometres. The RS-26 Rubezh/ Oreshnik missile does not belong to this category.
President Putin referred Oreshnik to the MRBM class of ballistic missiles with a max range of 1000 km. According to the analysts, the missiles that the Russians launched into Ukraine have a range of 3000 -5500 km.
Russian President Vladimir Putin declared that the missile is dubbed Oreshnik. US sources identified it as the RS-26 Rubezh. There were 6 missiles strikes, each carrying 6 re-entry vehicles (RV).
RS-26 Rubezh, NATO code SS-X-31 is a Russian IRBM ballistic missile based on the RS-24 “Yars” ICBM. According to the analysts, the missile is canister launched, and has presumably 2 solid stages and 1 liquid PBV (Post Boost Vehicle).
The missiles is transported by a transporter erector launcher (TEL) – mobile 12X12 wheels.The assessed take of weight is 40 tons and the Throw-weight is over 3 tons. Throw-weight is the entire weight of a missile’s warheads, re-entry vehicles, penetration aids, self-contained dispensing mechanisms, and any additional parts that are not part of the missile.
The missile’s diameter is about 2 metres and guidance stellar inertial (some rumors on GNSS utilisation).
CEP is 100 metres or more (for each RV) with maximum range at 5,800 km (this is the max tested range, May 26, 2012).
Acording to the Israeli analysts, using a conventionally armed IRBM is more likely a Russian response to US and its European allies.
“It delivered a clear message all over Europe. Such strike missiles cannot be intercepted by any available air defence systems in Ukraine. One might assess that those missiles with MIRV are equipped with various decoys. This is the first combat utilisation of such a weapon system. The US does not have any equivalent ballistic strike system,” the analysts remarked.
The analysts stated that the detection of such missile requires long-range radars that will detect each RV and the PBV along with fragments. In addition, the use of satellite early warning can add detection reliability. To intercept such a missile the defence systems must be based on exo-atmospheric interceptors.
“Lower tier air defence systems are probably ineffective against such high Mach numbers,” they said.
Another challenge, according to the analysts, is the number of re-entry vehicles (RV). “The protection systems will have to be based on launching one interceptor against each RV. This means a lot of interceptors against each of such a missile.”
-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
