7 ms·
These are reflectarray radars, not AESA. No crazy specialist components are really required, just a lot of PIN diodes. I'm sure those can be made in Russia.
by jleahy 5y ago
These are reflectarray radars, not AESA. No crazy specialist components are really required, just a lot of PIN diodes. I'm sure those can be made in Russia.
- nimbius 5y agonot sure where the proclivity to underestimate Russian military technology comes from. it certainly was a sterling hallmark of US leadership at the time of the cold war. Russia has been making in-house AESA for a decade. they started with APAR radar in 1963, just a few years off from the US. http://www.ausairpower.net/APA-Zhuk-AE-Analysis.html http://www.ausairpower.net/APA-Zhuk-AE-Analysis.html they also sell the only radar capable of (on the open market) detecting hypersonics, the 59Н6-ТЕ mobile radar.
- jacquesm 5y agoHow useful is it to be able to detect a hypersonic missile?
- ncmncm 5y agoMaybe you get a chance to run outside before it hits? But if you can get something lofted to get in its way before it hits you, it is unlikely to survive that.
- jacquesm 5y agoAt a mile a second I think the chances of that are somewhat limited unless you already happen to be in the flight path.
- ncmncm 5y agoIf it's coming toward you, just popping up between you and it is enough. It's not like it can steer around.
- girvo 5y ago> It's not like it can steer around. I thought that was one of the key abilities of hypersonic missile: that they can indeed steer around things? That said, this is far far outside my wheelhouse, so I admit to ignorance.
- sangnoir 5y ago> It's not like it can steer around. The bad news is Hypersonic glide vehicles can steer around.
- ncmncm 5y agoNot and still hit what is right behind what they have steered around.
- edgyquant 5y agoRight now? It’s good for data collection
- jasonwatkinspdx 5y agoVery useful. Hypersonics shorten the window for defensive engagement but don't completely eliminate it. For example in surface naval warfare anti missile defense is layers of counter systems / munitions. The innermost layers of this "onion" of protection are fast reaction systems that function essentially at line of sight (SeaRAM and similar missiles, CIWS). That an incoming hypersonic is trying to shorten the detection window is all the more reason that detecting one quickly after it comes above the horizon is valuable.
- denton-scratch 5y agoI didn't realise it was possible to detect a hypersonic. What I read is that the missle creates a ball of plasma before it, which is opaque to radar. I thought this was the main strength of hypersonics, over raw speed.
- FredPret 5y agoIt’s enough to launch a retaliation. So the expected value of launching a hypersonic missile is still very negative because you will get inundated with nukes yourself. It’s the old MAD doctrine, not perfect, but better than nothing.
- swamp40 5y ago> not sure where the proclivity to underestimate Russian military technology comes from They've been turned into bumbling idiots on Twitter and Reddit. It's a shame, but in my mind it is quite dangerous because sooner or later some president/general is going to make a very bad decision based on that meme. "How could their nukes possibly work?"
- girvo 5y agoThat is presupposing that said general/President gives two hoots about Twitters estimation of Russia's military capabilities...
- jasonwatkinspdx 5y agoGod I hate it but events of recent years suggest that's not an implausible situation, sadly.
- chipsa 5y agoGuarantee that a SPY-1 can detect a hypersonic missile. It can target orbital velocity objects.