Will it shoot down a Russian plane from 400? The Phantom Threat: Why Russia Didn't Protect Syria from a Missile Strike

US Defense Secretary James Mattis called on the Turkish leadership to abandon the purchase of the Russian S-400 Triumph anti-aircraft missile system (SAM). He stated that the United States is ready to offer Ankara alternative air defense / missile defense systems.

“Now incompatible anti-missile defense systems are arriving in one area. I can’t say that this is in NATO’s interests, ”Mattis said at a congressional hearing.

He also noted that the Pentagon is already conducting appropriate negotiations with the Turkish leadership.

• U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis
• Reuters
• Michaela rehle

The US Secretary of Defense explained the negative attitude towards the contract with the Russian Federation by the fact that the S-400 is incompatible with NATO standards. In early March, the head of the NATO military committee, Peter Pavel, announced that the Russian Triumph would not be included in the alliance's air defense / missile defense system.

“The military assessment is still unchanged, which is that the S-400 is incompatible with the integrated NATO system. Therefore, if the system (S-400.- RT) will eventually be acquired, it will have to (be exploited. RT) as autonomous, ”explained Pavel.

The official believes that the air defense missile system, which is not integrated into the NATO system, "will pose a huge challenge" for the alliance's air defense / missile defense systems deployed in Turkey. Pavel warned that if Ankara decides to acquire the Russian S-400, it will have "inevitable consequences."

Independent solution

According to the signed agreements, Turkey should receive four S-400 divisions (produced by the Almaz-Antey concern) for a total of $ 2.5 billion. In September last year, Ankara already made its first contribution, and at the end of December the parties signed a loan agreement.

The contract was originally planned for March 2020. However, during a meeting on April 3, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed to speed up the delivery process. The next day, the deputy head of the secretariat of the Turkish defense industry, Ismail Demir, clarified that the complex will be handed over in July 2019.

Washington has repeatedly expressed dissatisfaction with Ankara's desire to acquire a Russian air defense system. According to Russian and foreign media reports, the US State Department and other government agencies are working hard to disrupt the deal between Russia and Turkey.

The Turkish leadership, at least at the public level, has so far ignored warnings from the United States. On April 9, answering a question about the delivery of the Triumph air defense system, Erdogan stressed that Ankara "decides its own destiny" and does not intend to abandon its own interests in this matter.

On March 10, in an interview with RIA Novosti, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that Turkey has never rejected the purchase of American Patriot air defense systems, which are integrated with NATO systems. However, Ankara was unable to obtain the necessary guarantees from the government and the United States Congress.

“We needed them urgently because we didn't have an air defense system. We even had trouble buying simple weapons in the United States because of the doubts in Congress. We had to buy from someone, ”Cavusoglu said.

• Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan
• Reuters
• Mikhail Klimentyev

Rational choice

In the Western media, there is often an opinion that earlier Ankara really intended to buy Patriot. However, the United States rejected the terms proposed by Turkey. In particular, the Turks insisted on industrial cooperation and the transfer of some technologies to them. Washington refused, fearing to lose the market for the final product.

In the second half of 2016, amid escalating contradictions with the United States and rapprochement with Moscow, Erdogan decided to purchase the Russian S-400, which is considered the best in the world in its class. But the deal with the Russian Federation, as foreign publications write, is motivated to a greater extent by pragmatic rather than political motives.

During the negotiations, Moscow agreed to concessions in technological cooperation and to open a credit line. The conditions agreed with the Russian Federation suit Ankara, which seeks to support its defense industry and reduce the degree of Western influence on development armed forces country.

Former deputy commander-in-chief of the Russian Air Force, Lieutenant General of the Reserve Aytech Bizhev believes that Turkey has made a rational choice. In fact, for the same amount, Ankara will receive an anti-aircraft complex that is more advanced than the Patriot. According to the expert, the United States will not be able to interfere with the supply of the S-400.

“America will do everything to prevent the Turks from buying the S-400 from us. Naturally, there is political pressure on Turkey. It must be admitted that the States have a lot of leverage. These are primarily financial instruments, but, in my opinion, the question of the supply of the S-400 can be considered closed. Turkey has made it clear that it is not going to cancel the deal, ”Bizhev said in an interview with RT.

"Self-sufficient complex"

In an interview with RT, the director of the museum of air defense forces in the Balashikha district, military expert Yuri Knutov noted that the United States is seriously concerned that S-400 may appear in Turkey's armament. According to him, the divisions of the Russian complex will actually create an autonomous air defense / missile defense system, independent of NATO.

“NATO's air defense systems are controlled by an automated system, and Russian systems are not integrated with Western ones, and vice versa. In practice, this will mean that the Turkish S-400s will not be able to exchange information with Patriot, as well as carry out any interaction in principle. Obviously, this order does not suit the West, ”Knutov stated.

According to the expert, thanks to the S-400, Turkey will receive a noticeable advantage in the air. As Knutov points out, "Triumph" is a "self-sufficient complex." The S-400 divisions form a network that effectively solves combat missions.

• Anti-aircraft missile system Patriot (center) at the Israeli air force base
• GIL COHEN-MAGEN

“Turkey acquires our air defense system not from a desire to annoy the Americans, although, of course, they are annoyed by the deal with Russia. The fact is that the S-400 significantly outperforms the Patriot. In addition, access to technology is opening up for Turkey. This is a very good deal for her. In turn, Moscow gets rather political preferences. Turkish officers will be trained by us, which means that relations in the military sphere must reach a new level, ”Knutov explained.

Undoubtedly, the S-300 air defense system will significantly strengthen the Syrian air defense, but - in any case - not to such an extent as to withstand the IDF, which may well cope with this system if necessary.

The statement made by Russia about its intention to transfer the S-300 anti-aircraft missile system (SAM) to Syria caused a much greater resonance among all the participants in the Syrian campaign than the real capabilities of this air defense system, with which the Israeli Air Force knows how to deal.

The S-300 and more advanced S-400 systems were installed in Syria back in 2016. Since then, Russia has used them to protect its aircraft and its own facilities in Syria. However, the mentioned statement means that these complexes will be transferred to the disposal of the Assad regime.

An early version of the S-300 was adopted by the Soviet army back in 1979. In 2000, this air defense system was largely modernized. And today it is considered one of the most complex systems in the world. It includes a state-of-the-art radar capable of detecting and tracking dozens of targets simultaneously over long distances, which could jeopardize the movement of Israeli aircraft even in Israel itself.

The system can be up and running fairly quickly - typically, it takes three to six months; it includes a command post with a detection radar, with which up to six anti-aircraft missile systems are connected. The response time of the system, from target detection to launching a striking missile, is only a few minutes, which sharply distinguishes it from the existing systems in service with the Syrian army; in addition, the S-300 features improved cruise missile and combat aircraft interception capabilities.

Over the years, Russia has traded these systems around the world, including selling them to Armenia, China, India, Ukraine, Belarus, Slovakia, Greece, Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Vietnam, Turkey, Algeria and Libya. In 2015, the S-300 was also delivered to Iran. At the same time, thanks to diplomatic pressure, until recently, Syria was unable to receive this air defense system. It showed interest in this system back in the 80s of the last century after the first Lebanese war, but was forced to be content with the old S-200 system, which is unsuccessfully trying to resist Israeli aircraft striking Iranian and other targets.

In the past, the Israeli military has discussed the possible appearance of the S-300 in Syria. Undoubtedly, this air defense system will significantly strengthen the Syrian air defense, but - in any case - not to such an extent as to withstand the IDF, which can very well cope with this system if necessary.

Moreover, according to some experts, the S-300 is not at all what Assad needs today. The Syrian army will have to train the personnel of air defense units, who are practically unfamiliar with the operation of the system, and this will require additional, moreover, significant funding and additional labor. Earlier, Israel warned that if the Syrian army receives this air defense system and aims it at Israel, or tries to shoot down an Israeli plane, the system will be destroyed, and significant economic and military damage as a result will be caused to Russia, not Syria - damage that will also become a head the pain of Assad.

Tags: Russia, Syria, air defense, s-300

Launched by the US Navy, the Tomahawk cruise missiles successfully passed the missile engagement zone of the advanced Russian air defense system S-400 Triumph, which was deployed in 2015 in Latakia to protect Russian facilities and official Damascus, the newspaper reports.

According to him, it is not known whether the Triumph systems, which Moscow positions as the most high-tech air defense system in the world, have managed to detect American Tomahawks, but there is no information that at least one of the American missiles was intercepted by Russian weapons.

The Aviationist emphasizes that, at least "on paper", the S-400 can hit all types of air targets, including stealthy objects - aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, as well as ballistic and cruise missiles, which move within a 400-kilometer range at an altitude of about 19 miles. Equipped with three different types of missiles, they are capable of tracking up to 300 targets at a distance of over 600 kilometers. S-400 - according to NATO classification SA-21 "Grumpy" - includes 8 launchers and control stations. The missile's flight speed is 17,000 km / h.

Thus, according to the documentation, even American stealth planes can hardly dodge the S-400 shells, the newspaper writes. Given that some of the Tomahawks flew so close to the S-400, it remains unclear why the Triumph did not intercept any missiles, the author of the material asks.

The publication provides a graphic image that shows the radius of the S-400 missile destruction. It follows that from a technical point of view, the Tomahawks were within reach of the Triumph.

The Aviationist admits that the Russian military probably did not shoot down cruise missiles, since they were informed in advance by the Pentagon of the impending strike.

However, the Russian expert Vasily Kashin has a different opinion. He is confident that the S-300 and S-400 located in the region, in principle, could not contain a massive US strike.

“As a matter of fact, even if the S-300 division were at the base, if it was 100% effective, it would not have resisted such a blow,” his Facebook post says. - The firing range of the S-300 at low-flying targets such as the Tomahawk is several times less than the firing range of aircraft at medium and high altitudes, which journalists like to talk about. This is a few tens of kilometers. The S-300 and S-400 divisions in Khmeimim and Tartus cannot, in principle, cover a remote target from the Tomahawks. "

At the same time, he pointed out that, apparently, the Russian Federation and Damascus refused to defend the base, because otherwise there would not have been so many human losses - and the number of victims, according to some sources, reaches over 10 Syrian military.

“Judging by the data on losses, there was no defense of the base at all - otherwise there would be no talk of five dead. The base was evacuated in advance after American warnings, ”the specialist said.

The number of Tomahawks launched at the base is explained by the fact that the Americans allowed the possible use of air defense systems.

“The spending by the Americans of 59 missiles was necessary to avoid losing face if the opposite side decides to defend the base anyway. Otherwise, there was no point in spending more than $ 100 million on one facility, ”the analyst concluded, noting that“ the base was struck with a huge number of cruise missiles, clearly calculated to guarantee a guaranteed overcoming of a powerful facility air defense ”.

For his part, military expert Viktor Murakhovsky, in an interview with the BBC Russian service, expressed his point of view on why the S-300 and S-400 did not show themselves. When asked if it was possible to shoot down the missiles, he replied:
“It's physically impossible. There is such a thing - radio horizon. The radio waves emitted by the locator cannot bend around the earth's surface, and there is no line of sight from the Khmeimim airbase to the Shayrat airfield. There, the distance is about a hundred kilometers, and the Earth is curved, ”the commentary followed.

In another interview, this time for the Svobodnaya Pressa resource, he presented his analysis in more detail.

“Our S-400 air defense system, which is deployed in Syria, at the Khmeimim airbase, would not technically have been able to shoot down American Tomahawks,” notes Murakhovsky, a reserve colonel, member of the Expert Council of the Military Industrial Commission board. - To the Syrian airbase Shayrat, on which the Americans struck, from Khmeimim about 100 km. However, for air defense systems there is a restrictive concept of the radio horizon. Yes, the maximum range of destruction of the S-400 is 400 km. But you need to understand: this is the reach of air targets that operate at medium and high altitudes. Cruise missiles, which operate at altitudes of 30-50 meters, are not visible from such a distance, simply because the Earth is "curved" - spherical. In short, the American Tomahawks were outside the S-400 radio horizon. Note: no air defense system, whether Russian or American, is physically unable to see cruise missiles at such a range. Various measures are used to increase the radio horizon. In particular, in air defense systems, the radar is raised on towers. There is such a tower in Khmeimim, however, it does not allow increasing the detection range so much - up to 100 km. "

“The Tomogavk cruise missiles fly at an altitude of 50-60 meters,” ex-chief of the General Staff of the Air Defense Forces, Aviation Colonel-General Igor Maltsev, explained to Gazeta.Ru.

The far border of the detection zone for targets of this type is 24-26 km in medium-rugged terrain.

Immediately after detection on a cruise missile, you must open fire with a burst of at least two anti-aircraft guided missiles (SAM). Otherwise, it will simply leave a relatively small affected area in a matter of seconds. In this case, the SAM meeting with the "Tomogavk" will occur at a distance of 12-14 km.

“That is, by and large, the capabilities to fire cruise missiles are extremely limited in range,” emphasizes Igor Maltsev.

According to the commander, the anti-aircraft missile battalions and batteries deployed in Khmeimim and Tartus could not even theoretically "get" the American cruise missiles.

According to Igor Maltsev, in order to effectively protect the Shayrat airbase from missile strikes, at least 4-5 S-400 anti-aircraft missile battalions should be deployed in the area of \u200b\u200bthe airbase. In addition to this grouping, it is necessary to create a radar reconnaissance system in order to provide the necessary detection depth for cruise missiles. At a minimum, this would require a radio engineering regiment of several battalions and radar companies. This grouping must be tested during exercises and the effectiveness of the created fire system must be clarified.

Israeli Air Force launched missile attacks on military base 155th brigade of the Syrian government forcesnorth of Damascus, ITV Channel 2 reports.

The strikes were reportedly targeting a convoy of four trucks loaded with ballistic missiles.
The liquidation of the column was carried out after it, having left the boundaries of the military base, entered the mountainous area near Alkatifa, north of Damascus.

In addition, a fuel depot located in the same area was subjected to an Israeli air missile attack.

According to a number of Syrian sources, the attack was carried out from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) arriving from Lebanon.

The press service of the Israeli army traditionally does not comment on such reports, however, apparently, these are the actions that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had in mind during his speech at the Galilee conference.

Then he said that Israel from time to time acts in Syria so that it does not turn into a springboard for an attack on him.

So I propose to choose one of two options. There are simply no other options:

1. Russian air defense systems S-400 "Triumph" are absolute shit for air defense purposes. This shit is not capable of anything other than dispersing crows and then by the muscular force of numerous calculations, or of anything other than destroying passenger planes (well, if the old Buk could ...)


2. ... Disgusting is: Putin allows the Israelis to kill the servicemen of his closest allies and destroy the weapons supplied by him, in exchange for the possibility of Russian bombers flying over Israeli territory (they can't fly there, it's a separate mystery. It's far from ISIS. But they do. for some reason pretend to be Jewish planes)

But about the second option, I have to write the following:

I have no sympathy for those who are fighting for Bashar al-Assad, be they the Syrians - Alawites, Shiites, Sunnis, or Lebanese, or Iraqis, or Iranians. I have no sympathy for any of them - to fight for a scoundrel is an abomination.

But humanly, I feel sorry for those who were sitting in the cabs of the trucks and were nearby. Because they did not die for a member of the dog, falling victims of the betrayal and the greatest meanness of Putin.

If Putin and Assad were sitting in the cabs of trucks at the moment of the Israeli strike, I would applaud the Israelis with a clear conscience.