Putin's "Technological Duel": Is Thaad able to intercept "Oreshnik" - experts

The Thaad missile defense system is just to combat ballistic goals flying at high speeds. However, the question arises about the ability of the Russian rocket to maneuver. On December 19, President Vladimir Putin said that Russia is ready to hold a technological duel of the XXI century. According to him, the latest Orezhnik missile is able to question the effectiveness of modern missile defense systems, such as Thaad, deploying the US and NATO.

In this regard, military experts have decided to find out whether the advanced system about Thaad would resist the newest Russian rocket and what are the difficulties of the theoretical interception of "Oreshnik". Experts write that Putin is still confident in the capabilities of his new weapons, so he suggested demonstrating her opportunities in an open experiment. However, its effectiveness against modern air defense systems, such as Thaad or Patriot, raises doubts.

This casts doubt on the future of these technological clashes that can change the dynamics of global security and lead to new strategic calculations of all parties involved. In order to understand the possible result of the confrontation between the "Oshshnik" and Thaad, it is important to consider the features of both systems, their technical capabilities and potential restrictions. "Lischyna" is a new generation of Russian missiles that allegedly have unique characteristics.

Weapons are classified as a medium-range ballistic missile, which is confirmed by the hypersonic speed of the combat blocks at the final stages of the flight-6-7 strokes. Meanwhile, similar speeds are achieved by all medium and intercontinental ballistic missiles after separation of combat blocks. Probably, "Oreshnik" has two degrees, which is typical for medium -range ballistic missiles. The first degree provides the required height and speed for separation of combat blocks.

And the third degree is not used, as it would increase the cost and complexity of the system. As a rule, ballistic missiles are designed for the ability to install a nuclear charge, and the lack of such charge makes the use of such systems limited. Therefore, the use of a rocket in a non -nuclear version raises the question of the feasibility of such development.

At the same time, in a non -nuclear version, the rocket can be equipped with cassette warheads using erroneous goals that are separated, which significantly complicate the operation of anti -missile systems, such as Thaad, which use kinetic interceptors. These stated characteristics make the Orezhnik rocket especially dangerous for systems about the interception of standard ballistic goals.

The Terminal High High High Anti -Pettletude Area Defense (Thaad) system is designed to intercept ballistic missiles flying at a height of up to 150 km and at extremely high speeds, which often exceed 8000 km/h, finally falling. The complex is equipped with a powerful AN/TPY-2 radar, which is able to detect missiles at long distances, tracking their trajectory with high accuracy. This gives the system time to prepare for interception.

It is likely that the Thaad system will cope with the "Oshshnik" in the early stages of flight without much problems, so this type of ballistic missiles is usually intended for launching from the depths of the country. However, the key issue remains the ability of the Russian rocket to maneuver. Traditional Thaad guidance protocols are based on the assumption that the approaching rocket flies behind a predictable ballistic trajectory.

A rocket capable of sudden, unstable maneuvers can complicate this model. Thus, if the "oreshnik" is capable of maneuvering and evasion, then the effectiveness of Thaad radar detection will be reduced. Experts conclude that in order to effectively counteract new threats, such as Orezhnik missile complex, the United States and their allies will need to adapt available technologies and develop new solutions.