Some of you might have noticed a claim by Almaz-Antey head Yan Novikov that X-37B can carry up to 3 ("smaller one") or 6 ("bigger one") nuclear warheads: ria.ru/20210522/x-37-…
I've decided to watch a full speech...and now I have mixed feelings.
1/
I've made some screenshots with his slides (sorry for the quality). HTV-2 and X-51A remain quite popular within the Russian military industry...but X-37B hype is unmatched, unexpectedly.
3/
But he acknowledged that traditional cruise missiles are way more important. UAVs as well. Still, main trends are increased speed and stealth. And integration. Russia also has this stuff, but we also need to invest in defense.
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Because there are plenty of external and internal factors increasing the role of Air-Space Defense!
Note that part on a possibility of ASD systems use as an extra strike systems capability, as well as strike systems employment as a part of ASD.
5/
Main tech, superiority or equality in which makes balance possible:
- hypersonic flight vehicles (materials and communications)
- directed energy weapons
- systems integration
- ICT
- EW and cyber
- UAV
- Stealth
6/
Early warning, multifunctional radars, missiles.
("almost got fired because of Poliment-Redut issues")
7/
Air/Missile defense systems are capable of hitting anything.
Future: integration, integration, integration.
8/
Layered air-space defense ("everyone is doing it")
(note counterspace capabilities)
Early warning contibutes to strategic deterrence...but it would be nice to be capable to hit some incoming stuff too.
(sad that last slide wasn't shown properly).
9/
Looks like they know how to overhype, but also how to intercept.
Still, there is respect towards peers (i.e. "...Americans are behind us in Air defense because they did not need to focus on it, unlike missile defenses, where we are trying to catch up...").
10/10
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Gerasimov delivered a briefing for military attaches today.
Lots of traditional points, some plain mistakes (e.g. "Dark Typhon"), but also some important points. Some quotes below.
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"The issue of arms control is a thing of the past, as a return to a minimum level of trust is now impossible due to the double standards of Western countries.
And without trust, it is impossible to create an effective mechanism of mutual control."
2/
"The new foundations of state policy [on nuclear deterrence] became the occasion for an active propaganda campaign in the West accusing Russia of strengthening its nuclear rhetoric and seeking to lower the threshold of nuclear deterrence."
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...
3/
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.