RASSEGNA STAMPA ESTERA/WEB

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Two tests aimed at integrating Patriot and THAAD missile systems conducted by the U.S. Missile Defense Agency last year, have failed.

In a report published earlier this week, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) (https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-21-314.pdf) said the Army carried out two out of a planned nine flight tests in the fiscal year 2020 designed to make the Patriot system launch an interceptor using a THAAD AN/TPY-2 radar. The remaining tests were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the first test, named FTX-39, the primary objective was a simulated PAC-3 MSE intercept of a threat representative short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) target utilizing Patriot Launch-on- Remote (THAAD). However, the range safety team terminated the Army-supplied Black Dagger target after a software error caused it to drift outside of acceptable flight safety boundaries. The termination occurred prior to the THAAD AN/TPY-2 radar acquiring the target. Consequently, THAAD and Patriot did not collect data on the target. MDA declared this a no-test, the GAO report said.

In the second test, named FTP-27 E2, the primary objective was a live intercept of a threat representative SRBM target with two PAC-3 interceptors utilizing Patriot Launch-on-Remote (THAAD). The interceptors failed and a subsequent Army failure review board found the root cause was that the compact disk used to update the two interceptors was missing a portion of the necessary software. According to MDA, the test still successfully demonstrated the Patriot Launch-on-Remote (THAAD) capability despite the failed intercept. Specifically, MDA officials noted that Patriot received the remote track data from THAAD’s AN/TPY-2 radar, developed a firing solution, launched its interceptors, detected and correlated with the remote track, and provided guidance uplinks. Director, Operational Test and Evaluation (DOT&E) concurred that the test demonstrated this capability, while BMDS OTA officials stated the significance of the test failure was low with regard to the operational force and future of Patriot Launch-on-Remote (THAAD).

As you may have seen on the photos in my last post, the weather on our tour in summer of 2018 together with our friend Torsten from North Urbex was a bit erratic. It couldn't seem to decide between sun, clouds and rain; so it gave us all of it in varying intensity.

It wasn't the hottest day of the summer, but it was still pretty hot as we started our walk down a long road that led us from the airport's garrison past a small guard house towards a hidden facility deep in the woods - an abandoned special weapons depot of the Group of Soviet Armed Forces in Germany. Here, the Soviets stored free-fall nuclear bombs for the 911th Fighter-Bomber Regiment. This place was our main objective for this first part of the tour, and we knew that it was going to be a pretty long way. Unfortunately, the weather apparently thought that it would be nice to play a little game with us and give us a nice little mix of sun and showers...

Heavy backpacks, hot and humid weather and the occasional rain shower - we had quite a nice walk through the woods, before we finally arrived at our destination. We took a little break to have a snack and "recover" from the walk, while we checked out the area and looked for a way into the warhead storage bunker.

There was one, and it was pretty small and full of spiders, so my wife decided to keep enjoying the weather outside as Torsten and I snaked through a tiny access and into the handling bunker that made up the front part of the storage facility. Coming inside from the heat, the cool (but stale) air was rather enjoyable, and we took or time to explore the bunker and take our photos.

Bunkers don't usually offer spectacular views in terms of photography, because they're mostly concrete, have no revolutionary architectural features, were raided by copper thieves, and if you're hoping for beautiful available light - forget it. This bunker was a little different, because - even if lots of things had been removed - it still had a lot of the metal in it, so we could actually get a pretty good idea of how various things were operated. In addition, I had never before had the chance to check out a bunker of the 'Basalt' type, and I was truly amazed at the sight of the huge steel doors that separated the handling bunker from the actual storage bunker.

After checking out the main parts of the bunker, we moved on to explore the technical parts inside the bunker, and even here, many relics were still there, so Torsten and I had a lot to see before we crawled back out and finally saw daylight again :)

After another short break, we went on to also take a look at the buildings surrounding the facility, but they were mostly just ruins, so we began our walk back to the car - after all, we had another location on our list for the day....

Pantsir anti-aircraft system

Russian Ministry of Defense said military specialists demonstrated the combat capabilities of the S-400 missile system and Pantsir anti-aircraft system to military attaches from 52 countries.

These live-fire demonstrations were held on April 28 at Ashuluk proving ground in the southern Astrakhan Region. About 80 representatives of the military diplomatic corps from 52 countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), Asia, Africa, Europe and Latin America were present during the demonstrations which are being held to raise transparency of the Russian Army’s activity, the MoD announced.

During a tactical episode that consisted of three stages, the foreign military attaches viewed the specifics of organizing air defense to repel a notional enemy’s missile and air strikes. "The combat teams of S-400 surface-to-air missile systems and Pantsyr-S anti-aircraft missile/gun launchers spotted and eliminated all the target missiles that simulated aerodynamic, operational-tactical and tactical ballistic targets, cruise missiles and also ground targets," the ministry said.

On April 27, foreign officers were acquainted with the specifics of the Center’s operations and the possibilities of training foreign military personnel in air defense specialties at the Yaroslav Air Defense Higher Military School.

Buk M3 Air defense system

Russia and Tajikistan today signed an agreement to set up a unified regional air defense system.

The Ministers of Defense of Tajikistan Sherali Mirzo and Russia Sergei Shoigu signed the agreement on the sidelines of the meeting of Council of Defense Ministers of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) in Dushanbe.

Earlier, the issues of creating a unified aerospace defense system of the CIS countries were discussed in Dushanbe at a meeting of the Coordinating Committee on Air Defense Issues under the Council of Defense Ministers of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) member states, Interfax (https://www.militarynews.ru/story.asp?rid=1&nid=549175&lang=RU) reported.

The concept unified air defense system of the CIS (former Soviet Union) was created on the basis of an agreement between 10 countries of the Commonwealth, signed on February 10, 1995 in Alma-Ata. The agreement is open for accession by CIS countries such as Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

The unified air defense system of the CIS include about 20 aviation units, over 50 units of anti-aircraft missile and radio-technical troops, about 10 air defense brigades. Also, some elements of electronic warfare systems are included in the unified air defense system of the CIS.

Ukrainian S-300 missile system (via local media)

An Ukrainian man who tried to buy parts of the S-300 air defense system (ADS) called Klystrons for $163,000 has been sentenced to 10 years in prison.
The man, A.V. Marchenko, is accused of carrying out espionage activities. He was trying to smuggle the parts via a shell company in Macedonia to hand them over to Ukrainian intelligence. The man was arrested in April 2019, Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) said in a statement.

"We have obtained comprehensive evidence proving [Marchenko's] links to the Ukrainian intelligence services, which operated with the aim to harm Russia's national security," the FSB statement said.

Klystron can amplify radio frequencies from ultra-high frequency to the microwave range and are used, among other things, in ADS radars that detect enemy aircraft and missiles.
The man allegedly paid Ukrainian intelligence service’s money to buy the classified parts. It will now be seized by the Russian authorities.
It is unclear if the parts that Marchenko tried to obtain were used in a newer generations of S-300s, such as the S-300V used by Russia, or in older models, such as the ones still operated by Ukraine.

KGK-SIHA-82 missile being dropped from Aksungur Drone: SSB video grab

Turkey’s ‘Aksungur’ medium-altitude, long-endurance drone hit a test target 30 km away with a new domestically made missile, Chairperson of the Defense Industries Presidency (SSB) Ismail Demir announced Sunday.

The new projectile, named KGK-SIHA-82, weighs 340 kilograms (750 pounds), and was fired by the UAV the first time, Ismail Demir wrote on his official Twitter account. In a separate statement, Aksungur’s manufacturer, Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) said the test firing took place over the Black Sea in the province of Sinop and at an altitude of 20,000 feet.

The shooting range will be increased to 45 kilometers with the same ammunition soon, TAI said.

The KGK-SIHA-82 has been developed by TÜBITAK Defense Industries Research and Development Institute (SAGE).
Last September, Aksungur demonstrated an ability to stay in the air for 28 hours carrying 12 MAM-L smart micro munitions (MAM), developed by Roketsan. The Aksungar is capable of staying in the air for up to 49 hours; though with what payload weight is not known

The combination of long endurance, target acquisition capability and armed with a long range missile would add significantly to the Turkish military’s ability to attack targets with drones from stand-off distance.
Aksungur can carry up to 750 kilograms of payload and is capable of long-endurance operations at an altitude of up to 40,000 feet, Turkish media reported.
Aksungur has previously test-fired an MK-82 general-purpose bombs with a Roketsandeveloped Teber guidance kit weighing which converts conventional bombs into precision smart ammunition.

M-SHORAD Illustration

The U.S. Army’s 5th Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment (5-4 ADA), under the 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command based in Germany, is the first battalion in the Army to test, receive, and field the Mobile Short Range Air Defense (M- HORAD) system.

The M-SHORAD, which integrates existing guns, missiles, rockets and sensors onto a Stryker A1 vehicle, is the Army’s newest addition in a variety of modernization efforts. The system is designed to defend maneuvering forces against unmanned aircraft systems, rotary-wing and residual fixed-wing threats, U.S. army information (https://www.dvidshub.net/image/6612525/m-shorad-systems-arrive-5-4-ada) said.

Brig. Gen. Gregory J. Brady, Commander of the 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command said, “Just under 3 years ago 5-4 ADA was the Army's first SHORAD battalion activated in almost 13 years, and now they are the first to lead the Army's Air and Missile Defense modernization initiatives with M-SHORAD.

The Army utilized a rapid prototyping strategy to accelerate the timeline for M-SHORAD initial operating capability by four years, resulting in the delivery of a prototype system in approximately one year. In 2020, 18 Air and Missile Defense crewmembers from 5-4 ADA were selected to undergo a 6-month initial operational assessment with the prototype systems at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico.

“There’s really no comparison to anything I’ve operated in my career,” said Sgt. Andrew Veres, an Air and Missile Defense crewmember with 5-4 ADA. “Everything in these systems is an improvement – the survivability, mobility, dependability, off road ability – it gives us the ability to stay in the fight longer.”

M-SHORAD

The addition of the Stryker-based M-SHORAD system will provide better protection of maneuver forces at increased ranges and with improved mobility, allowing a stronger defense of U.S. forces, Allies and partners against adversary air threats. The unit initially received four systems in April, and is expected to receive more later this year, beginning its transition from an Avenger-based battalion to the first fully-operational M-SHORAD battalion in the U.S. Army.

"Our adversaries have invested heavily from their indirect fire up to their strategic missile assets, necessitating the modernization of our air and missile defense capabilities," said Brady. "M-SHORAD is a critical part of the Army's comprehensive dedicated Air Defense Artillery capacity and augmented combined arms approach to be able to provide a multilayered defense against all aerial threats."

The Army intends to field the M-SHORAD system to four additional Air and Missile Defense battalions beginning in 2021. Future development of follow-on M-SHORAD systems will incorporate technology insertions, to include directed energy and improved missiles, utilizing a mix of complementary DE and kinetic interceptor systems to protect maneuver forces.

The M-SHORAD’s closest competitor is the Russian Pantsir-S1 gun-missile air defence system that provides close-in protection to bigger missile sytems such as the S-400 besides airfields and vital installations.

RS-24 Yars ICBM @Russia MoD

Russia will start the development of new generation intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), Kedr, around 2023.

"Research work on Kedr has been financed under the current state arms procurement program, which is in effect until 2027. Technological development will begin in 2023-2024," a defense industry source was quoted as saying by government-owned TASS (https://tass.com/defense/1273711)today.

According to the source, solid-fuel Kedr ICBMs are to replace Yars systems at the turn of 2030. Kedr will have mobile and silo-based modifications, just like its predecessor.

On March 1, a source in the space industry had revealed to TASS that Russian defense companies had launched engineering drafting work on the new-generation Kedr ICBM.

The RS-24 Yars is reported to be designed similarly to Russia’s SS-27 (Topol M) ICBM and the Bulava (SS-NX-32) SLBM. The missile is estimated to be 22.5 meters in length and 2 meters in diameter. It is believed to be fitted with a newer reentry vehicle (RV) design that will allow the RV’s to maneuver in space and during re-entry. The total launch weight of the RS-24 is assessed to be 49,000 kg and is expected to have a minimum range of 2,000 km and a maximum of 10,500 km.