The newest helicopter makes possible a massive rocket attack in Syria
Numerous sources - both foreign and Russian - have reported on the preparation by Russia of a large missile-bombing attack on targets in Syria. There are plenty of indirect signs that these sources are telling the truth. And most importantly - for the first time in decades, a tool has appeared at the disposal of the Russian army that can provide such a blow. And he has already been seen in Syria.The Russian HVAC and the aircraft carrier group of the Russian Navy, led by the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov and the heavy Peter the Great missile cruiser, may soon deliver a massive blow to the positions of the militants in Syria with high-precision weapons with the use of forces and means never before used by the Russian armed forces. This information is based only on data from anonymous sources in the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation and publications in the Western media. Western sources obviously politicize such an operation, linking it with the presidential elections in the United States, but on the whole, the fragmented information makes up a very interesting picture.
It all started with the arrival of an aircraft carrier group led by Kuznetsov in the Eastern Mediterranean. The hysterical comments of the Western press accompanied the entire transition of the Northern fleet to the warm seas, but summed up the apocalyptic forecasts, paradoxically, the respectable London Times. An article signed by the editor of the military department claimed that Russia intended to attack the eastern part of Aleppo with the maximum amount of military forces and assets, taking advantage of the fact that the United States was too busy with the presidential election. The newspaper cited sources in British intelligence.
The publication caused a sharp rebuff from the press secretary of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov. A Kremlin spokesman doubted that British journalists could in principle have any information about the real military intentions of Moscow. “If the Times newspaper has any information that the militants are going to start large-scale offensive actions, they would have written it,” he said.
The main problem of this publication in the leading British media is the clear localization of the “crushing blow of Russia to Aleppo” in time. The “closest week,” announced by The Times, has already passed, the US presidential elections are proceeding normally, but not a single Russian rocket has flown into eastern Aleppo. That is, it was necessary to wait a bit, refraining from the urge to comment on all this "British intelligence data" without delay.
Although the idea itself, if you look at it with the eyes of Anglo-Sax, over-excited by the US election race, looked attractive. For example, for the day or on election day, the Russian VKS and Navy are arranging fireworks in Syria, which clearly demonstrates how weakened the position of the “American military” in the world during the period of Barack Obama's cadences. America is humiliated, vote for Donald Trump.
But, first, the Russian leadership must be considered too straightforward people to suspect the Kremlin in preparing such unambiguous moves. Not to mention the fact that he would give the opposite result, uniquely "drowning" Trump in the framework of his binding to Russia. And secondly, a demonstrative attack on Aleppo at such a time would only have angered the world community. In the end, the humanitarian pause is extended for a reason.
But a few days later, on Monday evening, November 8, the upcoming massive strike in Syria was announced by sources in the Russian Ministry of Defense. True, these sources linked these blows with the work of the Kuznetsov wing. This suggests that the strike will actually happen - but the operation will probably look much larger and more complex.
The very fact that a Russian aircraft carrier arrived in the Eastern Mediterranean is not very important for the Russian military operation in Syria. If it were just required to strengthen the Russian group, it would be enough to relocate another squadron of tactical bombers to the Khmeimim base. Deck aviation "Kuznetsova" in this context is a much lesser assistant. Theoretically, it will give no more than 25 sorties per day, and this is not significant with current loads on Khmeimim.
The use of “Caliber” complexes from the Caspian Sea was very impressive, but rather verifiable for technology and, in essence, an ideological event. The use of X-101 type airborne cruise missiles launched from strategic bombers also looked partly like “firing from a cannon at sparrows”. Still, this is not the effect that one would expect from the use of modern high-precision - and extremely expensive - weapons.
There are, however, a number of additional factors that force one to look at the theoretical possibility of a massive attack on the militant positions by means of the Russian army and navy with different eyes.
First, such an attack should pursue the destruction of dozens of targets simultaneously. We can talk not only about targets inside the eastern part of Aleppo (even to a lesser extent), but rather about targets around it. These are the places where those jihadist and other forces are concentrated, which are concentrated to the west and north-west of Aleppo and in the province of Idlib. It is from there that attempts are being made to break into eastern Aleppo, or at least break through some corridor there. To do this, these goals and positions must be reconnoitered, and then control and target designation of the rocket volley and strike aircraft must be organized.
From this follows "second". Russian videoconferencing and fleet must possess appropriate rocket delivery systems and target designation systems. It is quite possible that we can talk about the use of not only “Calibrov”, how many Granit P-700 missiles - at the moment the most powerful cruise missiles with which the Russian squadron arrived in the Eastern Mediterranean are equipped.
The 16 of October, the nuclear submarine cruiser Smolensk of the Antey project of the Northern Fleet, fired a Granit cruise missile at a single stationary ground target. This launch was extremely strange for any attentive observer - the Granit was an anti-ship missile, and it is difficult to remember when it was last used on the ground. But it is not difficult to imagine that it is logical to conduct such an unusual test before direct combat use.
On the submarines of the 949A Antey project on 24 Granita (the British press also reported the presence of such submarines in the Russian squadron, we will take their word for it). On Peter the Great - 20, on Admiral Kuznetsov - 12. “Granites” in a combat situation have never been used, and their theoretically possible massive salvo can also be regarded as a test of strength in the extreme conditions of real combat operations. There is an opportunity to work out coordination of the Navy and the VKS with the general remote ground command and active participation of the space group - and this is generally a unique experience for the modern Russian army.
Now about the most important thing - target designation. It’s not enough to launch rockets - you have to make sure that they hit the target exactly. Until very recently, the Russian army and the navy had enormous problems with this. In Soviet times, target designation for the Granites was engaged in the space complex of reconnaissance and target designation of the Legend MKRTS, but it was decommissioned long ago. There is no data on the state and possibilities of the Liana complex launched to replace it in open sources, but it can only be assumed to be used in Syria in a test mode. The Aviation Complex "Success", based on Tu-95РЦ airplanes, was also written off a long time ago. All this turned the most powerful and long-range - with a range of more than 600 km - rockets "Granit" into useless and extremely expensive pieces of metal. Until very recently.
And now, it seems, the situation has begun to change - which made it possible for the Russian squadron’s march to the shores of Syria to be possible, as well as a massive missile-bombing attack on the environs of Aleppo, which is expected soon.
We are talking about the beginning of the use of completely new machines - Ka-35, a helicopter complex of radar reconnaissance of ground targets (WCRRC), which was first demonstrated only in 2015 year. The helicopter base itself of this complex has not changed much since the appearance of its predecessor, the Ka-31, but the new antenna has now been turned sideways and has received the possibility of a circular view. Externally, it looks like an iron board attached to the bottom of a helicopter. In addition to her, Ka-35 hung a lot of modern electronics, including satellite navigation systems, data processing equipment and target identification. The Ka-35 has turned into a flying command and control station, capable of single-handedly directing and escorting rockets — Caliber, Granit, and others, even anti-tank ones — in dozens. Previously, nothing like the Russian armed forces was not. The Ka-35 just makes it possible for the very massive rocket-bomb strike, giving target designation to dozens and hundreds of missiles and airplanes, coordinating them and linking them into a single combat system.
A single Ka-35 was seen in Syria on October 26, that is, just a week and a half ago. It is assumed that there are only two such machines in the Russian videoconferencing now (not even in service, but in trial operation), but this needs to be clarified, since the Ka-31 prototype has been used for a long time and is even being sold to India. However, they have old radar equipment, which is noticeably weaker than the current one.
It is worth adding, however, that similar capabilities, judging by open data, are also enjoyed by the newest Tu-214р aircraft, which were also previously seen in Syria. These electronic reconnaissance aircraft are designed to detect ground targets hundreds of kilometers away.
The use of "Granites" in this stories it looks more than justified - the complex has not been produced for a long time, the modernization of the 949A cruisers and their re-equipment for the “Gauges” has long been discussed. Instead of expensive disposal, it would be extremely logical to use Granit missiles in a real combat operation. At the same time having tested the real battle of the newest - and fundamentally important for the shock capabilities of the Russian army - communications and target designation systems.
In addition, the Mi-28 Night Hunter helicopter, which is actively used in Syria, has also undergone refinement based on the results of the Syrian operation. Above the rotors, a circular view locator is installed, outwardly resembling a marine counterpart, as well as the Vitebsk active protection system, which forms an “electronic shield” around the helicopter. This improvement can be associated with the advent of the Hermes anti-tank system in service with the Russian Aerospace Forces last year, capable of hitting armored targets with line of sight at a distance of 20 km, and at a distance with electronic tracking - up to 100 km. "Hermes" is just installed on the Mi-28. Reduced "Hermes-A" is supposed to be placed on drones.
In general, this whole flock is capable of producing an extremely impressive effect. With proper target designation, a massed rocket-bombing attack is able to paralyze the entire militant defense in the Aleppo area and relieve tension from the Syrian government army. And this, in turn, will allow her to focus on the liberation of eastern Aleppo with the subsequent transition to Idlib.
The expediency of such an operation will be determined, after all, not by political goals and not by some mythical pressure on the outcome of the US presidential election. If this allows us to bring the end of the war in Syria closer, then why not? As already mentioned, the use of all these fundamentally new systems will be their next test. Another thing is that, whatever the military results this operation may bring, its further politicization by our Western partners is inevitable. But it is impossible to play along with external factors unrelated to the real situation in Syria. Do not sit forever in wait.
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