Russian Cruise Missile Terror Warfare
From the archives
We don’t do clickbait but too often we predict things. Terror weapons things.
From the middle of March:
This is the 3M-54 Kalibr modular cruise missile system used by the Russians. It's fired from sea or underwater & is easily jammed. It's also seeing a lot of use against civilian targets. Pic Aviation Week
First fielded in the Syrian Civil War (remember that?), it was used against targets in Raqqa & Aleppo against irregular forces with almost gay abandon over a 3 year period. Note the damage here in Mariupol & Aleppo. *pics Shuttertock & NYTimes
Now for the why? Targeting civilian installation IS against Protocol I of the Geneva Conventions, Article 52. However, when has that stopped the Russians? Pic M Evstafiev
So, the use of Kalibr is intended as a 'terror' weapon against civilians, think every time a cruise missile has been used, no one knows about it until the bang, & given Isreal vetoed the plan to sell Ukr Iron Dome the Ukr is a sitting target. The Russians know this. Pic JPost
Why not dumb or smart bomb then? To cut a long story short the VKS lack the capacity. Russian Air Power (AP) doctrine is little changed since the 1990's, many air forces are in the same boot, the RAF AP3000 is now 23 years old.
This means they've not invested in AP tech in the same way as other nations have. The mindset is still focused on the Soviet Offence methodologies, which focus on initial surprise via arty, dumb bomb, concentrated attacks, VDV & special wpns (Nuclear assets are a defensive)
So back to Kalibr, for now its giving the Russians a strategic edge. But with news that NATO partners are giving the Ukr Air Def assets to counter Kalibr then its days MAY be numbered, but not its effects. Pic TASS
So where does this leave Kalibr? Well, sadly, still very much in play against targets along the wider coastline, possibly Odessa, and Kherson. There's also the danger Kalibr could be used as a scorched earth wpn if Russian forces are forced to retreat. Pic NYT
Kalibr, remains this great unknown, & its continued use against civilian targets can only go on for so long before more drastic steps are taken; naval interdiction by Ukr which could draw NATO into the fight far quicker than any Russian land assault. Pic Ind Wire
How will it end? Well there's no easy answer & the arrival of capable Air Def will be welcomed, but eventually, someone will have to go to the source of the issue, & therein lies a far greater peril & one we must be politically & militarily prepared for.
TL:DR Russian cruise missiles are used as terror weapons.
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PS No comment.
ruscists' "high-precision" missiles hit a children's playground in the very center of Kyiv. F***ing terrorists.
PPS I talked about Western defenses being used against cruise missiles…
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