Comments by "ZIPZ" (@zipz8423) on "Why Russia's Hypersonic Missile Zircon Has To "Slow Down" To Strike Moving Targets Like Ships" video.

@enriquelaroche5370 you wait for it to slow down to supersonic speeds so it can actually hit something it’s aimed at. The old Pershing had to do the same thing in order to use its terminal radar. The Zircons they used against Kyiv were the anti ship versions that have to shed velocity in the terminal phase. I guess right now they are developing versions that don’t do that and follow a ballistic trajectory end to end at Mach 8 with a kinetic payload. Guidance would still have to be world class.
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A space based IR tracker / step starer and a fixed sensor - both in place today can be used to cue other sensors to properly resolve a missile track. People suggesting missiles such as these cannot be tracked don’t know what they are talking about. Multispectral sensors on the same platform are the future and it’s here now.
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@enriquelaroche5370 some versions of Iskander like the M already had radar decoy dispensers but they have been shot down successfully. Those decoys have already been collected after attacks - I doubt their effectiveness against modern AESA radars such as the type Patriot or SAMP/T comes equipped with. The Russians have also been forced to equip Kh-101s with chaff dispensers - again - probably effective against lower end radar laid guns but not against more sophisticated systems. As for the Kh-22 as you’ve said they are old weapons - Patriot for example should be able to intercept them the issue is ballistic missile defence no matter what AD you have is never easy no matter the threat. In the early days Ukraine was firing 120 Patriots a month, they probably can’t do that today so they are going to get many more leakers. They also only have 2 batteries protecting Kyiv and they have a relatively small footprint. I’m not surprised Russia is managing to hit Kyiv with a small number of missiles. The type that is the most problematic is the Oniks anti ship missile because it travels at high Mach at low level - an incredibly difficult target to intercept. The good news for Ukraine is Russia doesn’t manufacture Kh-22s any longer and they aren’t accurate - they are area weapons and a lot of them malfunction probably due to their age and condition. They are also using EW systems to mess up their terminal approach. I agree, from what I’ve seen Russia missiles are pretty accurate relatively speaking but I think their success rates are a reflection of the lack of density Ukraine has regards AD systems rather than some sort of perceived inferiority of western AD systems - Ukraine simply doesn’t have enough of them. By the way the Ukraine air force has said Patriot can intercept Kh-22s - that’s where I got that from.
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Yes - superior IMUs.
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@johnryland7625 it’s already happened. American nav systems are traditionally the best on the planet and always have been.
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Russia is also trying to refine their subsonic cruise missiles. They’ve added chaff dispensers to the Kh-101 for example. People have confused them with flare dispensers.
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Well that’s the Russian fantasy, as usual not the reality. Ukraine just intercepted 3 of them.
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@neutrino.science.defense I don’t believe it has a scramjet - likely a hybrid ramjet. And if AD is expecting it - they can be shot down, Ukraine just proved it by taking out all 3 aimed at Kyiv.
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