Russia keeps delivering nuclear...papers. An epic piece by A.Khlopkov and @AsyaShavrova on how to extend #NewSTART in terms of procedure: globalaffairs.ru/articles/pyat-…
In Russian at the moment, but sure there will be English translation.
Bottom line: it will need 45 days. AT LEAST.
B-1B as an illustration is a very bad idea though.
No one expected the Third Stage of the NSNW exercise.
Southern and Central MD Iskanders practice receiving nuclear munitions and electronic launches. Air-Space Forces also practice receiving nukes and carry out patrol flights.
12 Main Directorate convoy shown a lot in the video.
Strange pointy thing under canvas on a small cart looks funny.
What can be intercepted with which means depends on quite a number of factors and their mutual effects: where the incoming missile is launched from, where its target is, where the "anti-missile" launcher is...
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...and, perhaps most importantly, where the defending side's radars are (detecting, targeting, etc.).
How coordinated the "incoming" and "outgoing" salvos are also very important.
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On Kinzhal as a "real hypersonic weapon" I hoped everything was decided back in 2018: speed above 5 Mach, maneuvering inside the atmosphere, a significant "non-ballistic" part of the trajectory - bingo, this is it. That said...
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Rather long interview with Vladimir Degtyar, head of Makeyev design bureau and basically liquid-fuel missiles tzar: rg.ru/2022/11/23/sil…
Sarmat in serial production (probably he means parts of it)
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Sarmat warheads have are GLONASS-assisted and covered in some sort of stealth coating that complicates their detection and trajectory calculation both in the atmosphere and in outer space
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Cooperation with VNIITF on payloads included "combining izdeliye bodies (aeroshells? warheads?), expanding the range of standard sizes, solving the problems of hypersonic flight"
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Rather big and detailed interview with Yuri Borisov, current had of Roscosmos, about challenges and plans: tass.ru/interviews/163…
[In Russian, but will make a thread later]
Industrial approach to satellite-building planned to switch from current ~15 satellites per year to a satellite per day. Existing approach might give 40 per year though, but a change is needed to achieve modern mega-constellation capability. Expected around 2026...
Sphera project will be a major instrument: five orbital communication constellations and five new Earth remote sensing constellations based on smallsats. First stage with 127 spacecraft by 2026.
Russian best practices: off-road chassis, patrols deep in the woods, launch from unprepared positions, long caravans of guard, command and support vehicles. And Krona light shelters.
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Looks like PLARF focus is on motorways and probably the idea is to leave hardened shelters, tunnels, etc., launch, roll back (reload?..). Given their military and civilian construction and automobile production capabilities, there might be A LOT of decoy shelters and TELs.
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