Dagger shock

On August 14, the Armed Forces of the Armed Forces were attacked by military airfields, including those where MiG-31K are based-carriers of hypersonic missiles

At night and on the morning of August 14, the Armed Forces of Ukraine staged a raids of drones into three strategic objects of Russian VKS: the Baltimore airfield in Voronezh, the airbase in Borisoglebsk in the east of the Voronezh region and the Savasleika air base in the Nizhny Novgorod region. This information was distributed by Russian telegram channels. Later, video protests of the incident appeared.

Four airfields

The mass attack on Russian territory was also confirmed in the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, announcing the destruction of four tactical missiles “Point-U” and 117 aircraft drones. This is the most massive attack for the history of the Russian-Ukrainian war. Of these, 11 drones were shot down over the Nizhny Novgorod region, 37 UAVs and four tactical missiles - over the territory of the Kursk region, another 37 UAVs - above the Voronezh region. The rest of the drones allegedly eliminated the air defense over the Belgorod, Volgograd, Bryansk, Oryol and Rostov regions.

“In the morning, drones noticed over the settlements of Veletma and Savasleyka the Nizhny Novgorod region,” Astra telegram channel said . - Local publics are reported “about 10 arrivals” at the Savasleyka military air base, it is claimed that travel to the city of Kulebaki in which it is located was blocked. ”

According to open data, Astra writes, a branch of the 4th State Center for the training of aviation personnel and military tests of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation (the former 4th Center for combat use and retraining of the flight personnel of the Air Force of Russia) is deployed at the air base. And according to the information of the Ukrainian media, the MiG-31K aircraft are based on the Savasleyka air base-the carriers of the Kinage missiles, which the Russian Federation fired at Ukraine.

- There was information that four, not three airfields were subjected to attack. Ukrainian drones also flew to the airfield in the Kursk region, ”the Israeli military observer David Sharp tells the New-European.

- It should be borne in mind that the zone where Ukrainian drones can fly can go today almost the entire European part of Russia.

Drones successfully reached the Aero Far Aviation airfield in the Murmansk region and to the Republic of Tatarstan. So the range of 300-600 kilometers, as it was in the case of airfields fired on August 14, drones are much easier to overcome.

David Sharp believes that, judging by indirect signs, today's attack on the airfields was successful. The witnesses heard multiple explosions, and the frames from the place show that one of the UAV expenses on the runway. Local authorities forbade to drive up to the Savasleyka airfield. Even if the planes themselves are not damaged, the explosions in the airport infrastructure negatively affect the readiness for flights. Perhaps the aircraft will have to be relocated to more distant air base, which will also not improve their combat readiness.

Hundreds of drones

“The Armed Forces of the Armed Forces were sent by Russian airfields more than a hundred of their drones,” says Roman Svitan, a Ukrainian military expert, colonel of the Russian APU reserve. - As far as I understand, distant drones of the aircraft type “beaver” and “fierce” were used. The distance to the targets was hundreds of kilometers, and these goals were not chosen by chance. Su-34 bombers take off from the Voronezh airfield Baltimore, who will bomb the advanced positions of the Armed Forces of the Armed Forces planning air bombs. Cadets of the military training center of the Air Force study at the Borisoglebsky training air base. In addition to L-39 training aircraft, Su-25 attack aircraft are also based, firing Ukrainians on the battlefield. On the basis of Savasleyka are the MiG-31K fighter-interceptors, launching the Kinage missiles in Ukrainian cities. So far, there is no confirmation of accurate hits, but it is practically guaranteed that some of the drones have achieved their goals. We are waiting for satellite pictures to evaluate the real picture of the defeat of these objects. I suppose that the Armed Forces of Ukraine had the task of destroying the planes themselves, warehouses of fuel and lubricants and ammunition, and airfields.

“Well, covering the military airfield with one or two shells, you can only hope for a chance,” writes the pro-Russian telegram channel Fighterbomber. “Actually, many people hope for him.”

The object cover of the airfield airfields in Russia requires, according to Svitan’s novel, very serious resources. The army of the Russian Federation does not have sufficient amount of anti-aircraft missile systems for this. Far air defense systems pass short -free drones, which most often Ukraine and attacks airbase. The Armed Forces of Ukraine use the insufficient density of air defense systems and the loopholes are found in them. In addition, a large number of drones used allows you to overload the air -air complexes. According to the Svitan, any air defense has a saturation coefficient when the system stops tracking individual goals. Sometimes part of the drones starts without a warhead, distracting attention and working with false targets.

“For objective reasons, Russia cannot stop the flights of drones at the first line and destroy them where they only enter the airspace controlled by the Russian Federation,” says David Sharp.

- When we see the reports of the Russian military about dozens of drones shot down in border areas, it should be borne in mind that with a high probability, most of these drones should fly further into the depths of the country.

In those UAVs that were able to break through the first line of defense, then only focal air defense systems in certain important objects are found on the way. Throughout the country, the size of Russia cannot be delivered by serious air defense. True, it has recently been known that helicopters hunt for drones. One of these cars-the Mi-28 helicopter-crashed, returning from such a raid in Central Russia. As a result, the airfields are protected by the very “pair of“ shells ”” or generally outdated “Shilka” with ZU-23. Such liquid protection is a consequence of a deficiency of modern technology, prepared personnel and ammunition.

According to David Sharp, Russian airfields are not equipped with shelters for aircraft. The warehouses of ammunition and fuel and lubricants are often located in sight and poorly protected. Such a warehouse recently took off the air near Lipetsk. Airplanes stand for a long time in the same places. They are clearly visible from the satellite. To ensure safety, military sides must be moved to new airfield parking. Now they are trying to protect the planes, overlapping them with old tires, which is a very dubious obstacle to the kamikaz drone.

Supersonic carrier

“Savasleyka-an air base located 12 kilometers from the city of Kulebaki and about 650 kilometers from the border of Ukraine,” says a Russian expert in the field of weapons, who agreed to talk from Novo-Europe on anonymity. - At this airfield, from the Soviet era, they experience new equipment of the Air Force, as well as the preparation and retraining of flight personnel. It is known that the squadron of the MiG-31 different modifications is based there. As far as you can judge by open information and the number of launches, MiG-31K aircraft capable of launching the Dagger missiles, up to ten units at the airfield. Prepared crews trained for such launches are only a few.

“MiG-31-the Soviet distant fighter-interceptor created on the basis of the earlier MiG-25 model,” says Roman Svitan. -MiG-31 can gain very high speed-more than three thousand kilometers per hour. Initially, this aircraft was intended to intercept air targets at large distances and at significant heights. It can lift up to 20 kilometers to 10 tons of ammunition and launch a dagger hypersonic missile - one of the most modern in the arsenal of Russia at the moment.

It is the MiG-31K that accelerates this missile to supersonic speed, being actually the first step when starting.

According to the Russian weapons expert, MiG-31 interceptors were produced from 1975 to 1994. That is, to all those who have now in service with such aircraft for at least 30 years. Today Russia cannot produce such cars. In addition to the MiG-31K, the “dagger” can be launched from the distant Tu-22M3M bombers and the Tu-160 strategic bombers. But in fact, all the shelling of Ukraine is carried out by the MiG-31K.

“MiG-31 use a special type of aviation fuel for high-rise flights,” says the Russian weapons expert. -The Ukrainian media already write that in the event of a defeat of storage facilities of this fuel MiG-31, they will not be able to fly out. However, so far there is no operational control on this topic.

“During the rise of MiG-31, air alarm is announced throughout Ukraine,” says David Sharp. - These departures on their own terrified Ukrainians. Since the "daggers" are not launched massively, there are enough aircraft to start them.

Hypersonic rocket

“The Russian authorities positioned the“ dagger ”as a miracle-armed for many years,” continues the story David Sharp. - This weapon has become a symbol of militaristic propaganda. Moreover, the potential goal of the rocket was called objects in NATO countries. We are talking about an aeroballistic rocket, which is actually an adaptation of the ground "Iskander M". This idea has been implemented many times in different countries of the world.

Roman Svitan also says that the “dagger” has become a type of ballistic missile “Iskander M”, adapted for aviation launch. After starting from the fighter, the “dagger” goes up ten kilometers, from where along the ballistic trajectory attacks its target at hypersonic speeds. The Ukrainian expert believes that the shell accelerates to five sound speeds (5 swings). However, the Svatan notes that the sound speed varies greatly depending on the height and density of the air, so it is difficult to name the exact speed of the rocket during the flight in the swings. At the final stage of the flight, at the entrance to the dense layers of the atmosphere, the speed of the "dagger" is reduced to 2-3 slices. At the same time, the rocket is a high -precision weapon, the radius of deviation from the target of which does not exceed 10 meters. The launch of the rocket occurs outside the dense layers of the atmosphere at an altitude of 12 to 15 thousand meters. When starting with MiG-31k, the rocket overcomes a distance of up to 2 thousand kilometers.

-Judging by the external resemblance of the Kinage and Iskander M missiles, they were designed and developed at the same enterprise-the “Scientific and Production Corporation of the Buyers of Engineering”,

- says the Russian weapons expert. - For the first time, Vladimir Putin spoke about the “dagger” in 2018, demonstrating video materials for testing the missile system. Weapons can carry a nuclear charge. It was stated that the rocket may exceed the speed of sound ten times and has the opportunity to maneuver during the entire flight. Putin was sure that these qualities allowing new weapons to overcome all existing air defense systems currently in the world. However, as practice has shown, the “dagger” may not bring down the latest Western air defense system. Such as the Patriot air defense system. They ned something in the rocket.

Inertial systems adjusted from the satellite are used to guide the "dagger". The missile case is designed with reduced radar visibility.

“Judging by the data from Ukraine, the“ dagger ”is not a high -precision weapon in the western sense of this term,” says David Sharp.

- His declared accuracy is greatly exaggerated. The percentage of rejection of missiles from the target is quite significant.

In the West, if the tactical and technical characteristics of the rocket should have a deviation of 5 meters, this means that 50 percent of the missiles should not land further than this distance from the target. Another 45 percent fall into a circle of 10 meters. And only 5 percent fly to the "milk". The "daggers" have no such accuracy.

Judging by David Sharp, the number of “daggers” in Russia is limited. They are launched several missiles per month. Apparently, a little more than a hundred per year is produced.

Russia attacked objects in Ukraine many times many times. Khmelnitskaya, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivskaya, Vinnitsa regions and Kyiv fell under a missile blow. Each time MiG-31k started from the Savasleyka airfield.

Ukrainian air defense, according to Svitan’s novel, learned to shoot down the “daggers” with the help of the Patriot and SAMP/TS air defense systems provided by the West.

-For example, at the final stage of the PAC-3 anti-band of the Patriot, the Patriot successfully destroy the “daggers”. For this, the air defense missile beats directly into the “dagger” and with the help of kinetic energy destroys it.

““ Dagger ”is a difficult goal,” remarks David Sharp. - But Western air defense systems often successfully cope with her. Therefore, all the allegations of Russian in power of the invulnerability of the rocket turned out to be a fake. The duel between the Patriot and the "dagger" was won by the anti -aircraft gunners.

“Unfortunately, the wreckage of both the“ dagger ”itself and the ammunition of the air defense system after the collision fall along the descending trajectory near the target along which the rocket was supposed to hit,” says Roman Svitan. - If this happens above the city, then parts of shells can damage houses and infrastructure objects, as it happened more than once in Kyiv. The combat part of the "dagger" is approximately equal to half a ton. Of these, about 300 kilograms are explosives. The explosion even shot down in the air can be very destructive.