04-20-2024, 01:05 PM
https://www.yahoo.com/news/everything-kn...57601.html
It appears that the Ukraine did indeed shoot down the Backfire at a range of about 300 km to the border of Ukraine. Why the TU-22M was anywhere near that close to Ukraine is unknown. It seems a bit silly when presumably they were using KH-22 missiles, which have a range of over 600 km. The technical reasons I can think of are as follows. First, the KH-22 uses an INS, not GLONASS/GPS. The further it flies the less accurate it will be. The Kh-22 active seeker works against ships and (maybe) bridges, but not cities. Perhaps getting close was an attempt to actually hit a specific target. Second, shorter flight time makes it more difficult to shoot down this missile. There is less time to react and much less time for a second shot if you miss. The missile normally flies at relatively high speed, but not the 5600 m/sec that it reaches in its terminal dive. Neither of these reasons are particularly "good" ones. Much more probable that the Backfire just thought it was perfectly safe. Why it didn't detect the S-200 illuminator and act accordingly also remains a mystery.
Due to this missiles very high speed the only systems Ukraine has that have a good chance to hit the KH-22 are Patriot and (maybe) S-400. The AIM-7 and AMRAAM have such limited range and speed that unless the KH-22 is fired almost right at the missile launcher it has no chance. Even Patriot has some geographic limitations against such a high-speed missile. SAMs, even "good ones", are inherently point defense weapons against such high-speed targets.
It appears that the Ukraine did indeed shoot down the Backfire at a range of about 300 km to the border of Ukraine. Why the TU-22M was anywhere near that close to Ukraine is unknown. It seems a bit silly when presumably they were using KH-22 missiles, which have a range of over 600 km. The technical reasons I can think of are as follows. First, the KH-22 uses an INS, not GLONASS/GPS. The further it flies the less accurate it will be. The Kh-22 active seeker works against ships and (maybe) bridges, but not cities. Perhaps getting close was an attempt to actually hit a specific target. Second, shorter flight time makes it more difficult to shoot down this missile. There is less time to react and much less time for a second shot if you miss. The missile normally flies at relatively high speed, but not the 5600 m/sec that it reaches in its terminal dive. Neither of these reasons are particularly "good" ones. Much more probable that the Backfire just thought it was perfectly safe. Why it didn't detect the S-200 illuminator and act accordingly also remains a mystery.
Due to this missiles very high speed the only systems Ukraine has that have a good chance to hit the KH-22 are Patriot and (maybe) S-400. The AIM-7 and AMRAAM have such limited range and speed that unless the KH-22 is fired almost right at the missile launcher it has no chance. Even Patriot has some geographic limitations against such a high-speed missile. SAMs, even "good ones", are inherently point defense weapons against such high-speed targets.