Can the US and NATO intercept the Oreshnik missile?

World military news on December 23, 2024: The US and NATO are unlikely to be able to intercept the Oreshnik missile, according to an assessment by a former German Air Force leader.

Germany assesses the chances of the US and NATO intercepting the Oreshnik missile; the US signs a historic contract to purchase F-35 aircraft… these are some of the main points in today's international military news.

Germany assesses the chances of the US and NATO intercepting the Oreshnik missile.

The US and NATO possess the new generation Patriot air defense missile system, but it is unlikely they can successfully counter the "barrage of warheads" from Russia's Oreshnik missiles. This was stated by retired Lieutenant Colonel Jürgen Rose, an expert from the German Air Defense Force, in an interview with RIA Novosti.

According to Jürgen Rose, the problem is that in the event of a future attack, it wouldn't be just one or a few missiles that could be fired with prior warning; the number would be several or more. The US development of kinetic interceptor weapons and missile defense programs doesn't change the situation.

The Oreshnik missile currently has no means of interception, according to NATO's general assessment. Photo: Rian

Jürgen Rose emphasized: “Oreshnik missiles travel at ten times the speed of sound; it would be extremely difficult to intercept them, as the time to successfully defeat them is very short.”

Furthermore, although the US has bases in Poland and Romania that could intercept missiles flying over Ukraine, the Oreshnik has different characteristics. It is a medium-range missile with a range of 500 to 5,500 km.

Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that the Oreshnik missile assembly line had become operational. Prior to that, the Russian leader called the creation of the Oreshnik medium-range ballistic missile a historic event in the field of missiles and space. He emphasized that no such weapon system had ever appeared before.

The US signs historic contract to buy F-35 fighter jets.

According to the military news agency Defense News, the US Department of Defense has ordered 145 F-35 fighter jets, including various versions, for $11.7 billion from the American defense corporation Lockheed Martin.

According to information released by the Pentagon, Lockheed Martin was "awarded a fixed-price contract with no time limit that cannot be exceeded." The report states: "Under the previously signed contract (N0001923C0003), the total value amounts to $11,762,911,991."

Earlier, US Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall stated that the country has no plans to abandon the continued use of the fifth-generation F-35 fighter jet, despite criticism of it, particularly from American businessman Elon Musk.

The US Air Force has ordered a large number of F-35 aircraft. Photo: Defense News

The F-35, a fifth-generation stealth fighter jet manufactured by Lockheed Martin (USA), comes in three versions: F-35A, F-35B, and F-35C. It is considered a perfect combination of long-range weapons systems, advanced sensors, stealth technology, and satellite navigation, making it a "game-changing" fighter aircraft. The Pentagon advertises the F-35 as "the most lethal, support, and survivable aircraft ever used." According to Defense One, the F-35 is the world's most expensive weapons program, estimated at over $2 trillion.

According to Air & Space Forces Magazine, there are currently nearly 1,000 F-35s in operation globally. To date, the countries operating or purchasing F-35s are the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Belgium, the Netherlands, Poland, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, the Czech Republic, Israel, Singapore, South Korea, Japan, Australia, and Greece.

Russia: Pantsir system attracts interest from Southeast Asian countries in Hanoi.

According to the Russian news agency TASS, Southeast Asian (SEA) nations are showing great interest in the Pantsir air defense system, designed to protect objects from large-scale drone attacks.

“The whole world can now see how well Russian military equipment and weapons have proven themselves; this is not just empty talk or advertising slogans, but real combat effectiveness. And the new generation of the renowned Pantsir system that we are showcasing has received great interest from foreign partners,” said the leader of the High Precision Complex Company on the sidelines of the Vietnam International Defence Exhibition 2024 in Hanoi.

Russia has brought to Vietnam the Pantsir-SMD-E air defense missile system, capable of detecting and engaging airborne targets at medium and short ranges. This system can carry up to 48 short-range interceptor missiles or 12 standard guided air defense missiles.

The Pantsir anti-aircraft missile system has proven its effectiveness in combat. Photo: Getty

The Pantsir-SMD-E, designed by Tula KBP, a subsidiary of Rostec, shone at the Army-2024 International Military Technical Forum. What sets the Pantsir-SMD-E apart from its predecessors in the Pantsir family is that this version lacks a 30 mm automatic cannon.

Instead, the Pantsir-SMD-E carries 48 short-range anti-aircraft missiles or 12 standard anti-aircraft missiles aimed at intercepting swarms of disruptive unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs/drones), and can even address larger threats.

The system's radar has been improved with the addition of a J or Ka-band detection radar using active phased array radar technology, capable of detecting small drones at a range of 5-7 km and larger targets at a range of up to 10 km. Additionally, the radar system is capable of detecting targets with a radar cross-section (RCS) of 1 m² at a maximum range of 45 km.

In August, representatives from the Tula Instrument Design Bureau, which developed Pantsir, stated that the Pantsir-SMD-E is lightweight and therefore suitable for installation on building rooftops.

Source: https://congthuong.vn/ban-tin-quan-su-the-gioi-ngay-23122024-my-va-nato-co-kha-nang-chan-duoc-ten-lua-oreshnik-365718.html