Herman Hum
22 Oct 06, 17:12
We didn't encounter them in the Gulf or in Kosovo. Next time, we will.
The Double-Digit SAMs
By John A. Tirpak, Senior Editor
Excerpt from: Air Force Magazine (http://www.afa.org/magazine/june2001/0601sams.asp)
Since the inception of stealth aircraft such as the B-2 bomber and the F-22 fighter, the Air Force has been warning that advanced surface-to-air missile systems in the early 2000s would begin proliferating among US adversaries, sharply raising the danger to nonstealthy combat aircraft.
As if on cue, Russia in December announced it had struck a multibillion dollar arms deal to equip Iran with the deadly S-300 family of SAMs and its associated radars.
The S-300 grouping features several different types of missiles built to strike at everything from low-flying drones and stealth cruise missiles to high-altitude reconnaissance airplanes and distant sensor platforms. Arrival of these systems in the arsenals of military foes will greatly complicate US operations, which continue to depend heavily on nonstealthy aircraft and will for years to come.
The Double-Digit SAMs
By John A. Tirpak, Senior Editor
Excerpt from: Air Force Magazine (http://www.afa.org/magazine/june2001/0601sams.asp)
Since the inception of stealth aircraft such as the B-2 bomber and the F-22 fighter, the Air Force has been warning that advanced surface-to-air missile systems in the early 2000s would begin proliferating among US adversaries, sharply raising the danger to nonstealthy combat aircraft.
As if on cue, Russia in December announced it had struck a multibillion dollar arms deal to equip Iran with the deadly S-300 family of SAMs and its associated radars.
The S-300 grouping features several different types of missiles built to strike at everything from low-flying drones and stealth cruise missiles to high-altitude reconnaissance airplanes and distant sensor platforms. Arrival of these systems in the arsenals of military foes will greatly complicate US operations, which continue to depend heavily on nonstealthy aircraft and will for years to come.