US military dominance seems to be coming to an end. More and more second-tier countries are developing their own cruise missiles and ballistic missiles. Some of them left the Pentagon worried.
Nasty surprise for the Department of Defense
In 2003, events linked to the Iraq war highlighted that even the US military, in conditions of full air dominance and willingness to install anti-aircraft systems, were not able to do away with Iraqi cruise missiles.
Iraqi cruise missiles were created under the Fao program, which began to be implemented in the second half of the 1990s.
The objective of the Fao was to create a cruise missile useful for attacking land targets located at distances of between 180 and 200 km. This project was carried out taking as a model the Chinese anti-aircraft missile C-201.
Despite its advanced age, the C-201 had several advantages. Firstly, Iraq possessed a large number of these weapons in its arsenal and gained considerable experience in its use during the war with Iran and in the armed conflict in the Persian Gulf.
Secondly, this projectile was capable of flying at very low altitudes, while in desert conditions its minimum altitude could be further reduced.
In addition, the development of computerized and navigational technologies allowed the use of various means that were available to all to create flight control systems and guided missiles.
Thirdly, having a projectile with a range of 200 km was very important under conditions related to the specific geography of the region.
Despite all the efforts of American troops, these missiles hit ground targets before US air defense systems could detect them.
"Although the effect of their attacks was more psychological [than material], American soldiers were literally shocked," Russian journalist Vladimir Khrustalev wrote in his Zvezda article.
Nuclear missiles for the poor
According to Khrusralev, cruise missiles are high-precision weapons that represent an ideal platform for carrying nuclear weapons.
"Although cruise missiles are easy targets, it is impossible to intercept them in actual combat after their massive launch, especially if they are used taking into account the location of the enemy's defense systems," he said.
This type of rocket can fly at low altitudes and is less visible to radar than fighter jets and ballistic missiles.
According to the journalist, the cruise missiles could carry a warhead whose power would exceed 10 times that of the bomb launched against the Japanese city of Hiroshima.
Prospects for future Washington wars
Little by little, long range precision weapons no longer belong to the "elite club" alone, he said, noting that the number of countries with nuclear missiles will continue to grow in the future.
In addition, many long range systems do not already require large, heavy rocket carriers as before. In the near future, small and medium-sized countries will be able to defend themselves with projectiles that can be carried by a multifunctional fighter.
As a consequence, more suppliers of these projectiles from "second-tier" countries will appear on the armaments market.
"There are active developments underway in both Korea, India and many other countries, which means that we will soon see the growth in demand for air defense systems," said Khrustalev. .
At the same time, the expert stresses that for the US, the outcome does not promise anything good.
"Taking into account the history of Iraqi cruise missiles, the Pentagon will be concerned every time it wants to launch an attack or install its troops, as the second tier countries can respond in a serious way," he said.
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