During the Ukraine War, the Smerch rocket launchers were used by Russian-backed separatist forces and by Russian military units as well. The Smerch rockets were employed in various offensives and counteroffensives, particularly in the Donbass region, targeting Ukrainian military positions and infrastructure.

Smerch system allowed the Russians to strike targets deep inside Ukrainian territory, including military bases, supply depots, and infrastructure critical to the Ukrainian military.

Characteristics of Smerch Weapon System

The BM-30 Smerch (also known as the 9K58 Smerch) is a Russian multiple rocket launcher system designed to deliver devastating firepower over a large area. Here are some key characteristics of the Smerch weapon system:

Range: The Smerch has an impressive maximum range of up to 90 kilometers (56 miles)which allows it to strike targets deep inside enemy territory.

Payload: The Smerch launcher carries 12 300mm rockets, each equipped with a high-explosive warhead. The rockets are unguided and rely on their sheer firepower and large blast radius to inflict damage on the target area.

Accuracy: Despite being unguided rockets, the Smerch system is known for its relatively high accuracy incorporating advanced targeting and fire control systems such as a satellite-based navigation system and a self-contained fire control system.

Firing Rate: The Smerch launcher is capable of a rapid-fire salvo, with all 12 rockets being launched in just 38 seconds. This allows for concentrated and overwhelming firepower within a short period.

Versatility: The Smerch launcher is mounted on a heavy-duty 8×8 truck chassis, providing mobility and ease of transport. It can quickly be deployed and relocated, enhancing its operational flexibility on the battlefield.

Destructive Power: Each rocket carries a large high-explosive warhead, capable of creating significant damage to infrastructure and causing casualties over a wide area.

Saturation Effect: The Smerch system’s ability to fire multiple rockets simultaneously creates a saturation effect on the target area, overwhelming enemy defenses and causing panic and disruption.

Reload Capability: The Smerch launcher is equipped with an automated reloading system that allows it to be reloaded within a relatively short time, enhancing its sustained firepower.

Overall, the Smerch multiple rocket launcher system combines long-range capability, high accuracy, and a large payload to deliver a powerful and destructive impact on the battlefield. Its ability to strike targets at a distance and saturate an area with rockets has made it a significant weapon system in the Ukraine War.

Fighter Aircraft

One of the Russian weapon systems in the air that has made a significant impact In the Ukraine War is the Sukhoi Su-25 ground-attack aircraft, also known by its NATO reporting name “Frogfoot.” The Su-25 is a dedicated close air support aircraft designed to provide direct air support to ground forces.

Here are some characteristics of the Su-25 and its impact in the Ukraine War:

Close Air Support Capability: The Su-25 is twin-engine, twin-tail design, specifically designed for close air support missions, with 30mm twin-barrel cannon, making it highly effective in engaging targets on the ground. It can carry a payload of 8,000 kg of ordnance, it has 10 external hard points that can carry various weapons, including rockets, bombs, and air-to-ground missiles, enabling it to engage a wide range of targets, such as armored vehicles, fortified positions, and enemy formations.

Durability and Survivability: The Su-25 is known for its rugged construction and high survivability. It features an armoured cockpit for the pilot and key systems, along with redundant flight controls and hydraulic systems, allowing it to withstand ground fire and operate in hostile environments.

Operational Range: The Su-25 has a considerable operational range (1000 kms on internal fuel), allowing it to cover large areas and provide close air support wherever needed.

Maneuverability and Low-Flying Capabilities: The Su-25 possesses excellent maneuverability, enabling it to operate effectively in the challenging and dynamic battlefield environments. It can fly at low altitudes, up to altitude of 7,000 meters at max 950 km/h, which helps it evade enemy air defenses and deliver accurate strikes on ground targets.

Target Acquisition and Navigation Systems: The Su-25 is equipped with sophisticated target acquisition and navigation systems, including forward-looking infrared (FLIR) sensors and electronic countermeasures. These systems enhance its ability to locate and engage targets accurately, even in adverse weather conditions or at night.

Psychological Impact: The presence of Su-25 aircraft in the Ukraine War had a significant psychological impact on the opposing forces. The aircraft’s distinctive appearance and sound, coupled with its ability to deliver precise and powerful airstrikes, contributed to a sense of fear and vulnerability among enemy troops.

Air Defense System

One of the Russian air defense systems that has made a significant impact is the Buk-M2 (NATO reporting name: SA-17 Grizzly) medium-range surface-to-air missile system. The Buk-M2 is a highly capable air defense system designed to engage a wide range of aerial threats, including aircraft, helicopters, and cruise missiles.

Here are some key characteristics of the Buk-M2 and its impact in the Ukraine War:

Range and Altitude Coverage: The Buk-M2 system has a maximum engagement range of up to 45 kilometers (28 miles) and can engage targets at altitudes of up to 25 kilometers (15.5 miles).

Multiple Target Engagement: The Buk-M2 is capable of engaging multiple targets simultaneously, thanks to its radar-guided missiles and advanced command and control system. It can track and engage several threats simultaneously, enhancing its effectiveness in defending against coordinated aerial attacks.

Anti-Aircraft Missiles: The Buk-M2 employs 9M317 missiles, which are surface-to-air missiles designed for medium-range engagements. These missiles have high maneuverability, radar guidance, and explosive warheads, making them highly effective against different types of aerial targets.

Mobility and Transportability: The Buk-M2 system is mounted on a tracked vehicle, providing excellent mobility and maneuverability.

Integration with Command and Control Systems: The Buk-M2 system is integrated into a larger air defense network, allowing it to receive target information from various radar sources and command and control centers.

Psychological Impact: The presence of the Buk-M2 system, along with other advanced air defense systems, created a significant deterrent and defensive advantage for the Russian-backed forces in the Ukraine War.

The Buk-M2 air defense system played a notable role in the Ukraine War, particularly during the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 in 2014, where it was alleged to have been used. Its capabilities as a medium-range air defense system contributed to the overall air defense strategy of the Russian-backed forces, influencing the operational dynamics and limiting the effectiveness of Ukrainian air operations in the conflict.

Main Battle Tank

Several Russian tanks have been used in the Ukraine War. However, one tank that has been prominently used and had a significant impact is the T-72B3.

The T-72B3 is a modernized version of the T-72 main battle tank, which incorporates various upgrades to enhance its combat capabilities, including improved armor protection, upgraded fire control systems, and modernized communication equipment. Some characteristics and impacts of the T-72B3 in the Ukraine War include:

Firepower: The T-72B3 is armed with a 125mm smoothbore gun, capable of firing various types of ammunition, including armor-piercing fin-stabilized discarding sabot (APFSDS) rounds and high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) rounds.

Armor Protection: The T-72B3 features improved composite and reactive armor, enhancing its protection against enemy projectiles.

Mobility: The tank is equipped with a powerful engine that allows it to achieve high speeds and maneuverability on various terrains.

It is worth noting that other Russian tanks, such as the older T-64, T-80, and even the more modern T-90, have also been observed in the conflict. However, the T-72B3 is widely considered one of the primary tank models used by Russian-backed forces in the Ukraine War and has demonstrated significant impact in battles, contributing to the Russian-backed forces’ ground superiority and the challenges faced by the Ukrainian military.

The post Most Effective Russian Weapon Systems appeared first on IMR.

Until recently, India bought almost all its frontline weaponry from Russia. Researchers at the Stimson Center calculate that, about 85% of India’s major weapons are overwhelmingly of Russian origin. Moreover, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) says that “new orders [from India] for a variety of Russian arms in 2019–20… will probably lead to an increase in Russian arms exports in the coming five years.”

The Indian government’s unwillingness to condemn Russia forcefully for its invasion of Ukraine seems to have raised the question amongst US leaders – how to wean the Indian military off its dependence on Russian arms. The fact is that, like all developing nations, India confronts an impossible trinity when it comes to weapons programs: It cannot simultaneously achieve autonomy, affordability and quality.

New Delhi has long talked of diversifying the suppliers to its huge armed forces, and even making more equipment at home, objectives that have taken on new urgency since Russia’s invasion.

India has identified $324 million worth of defence equipment it wants domestic firms to make this year, and avoid buying abroad, according to an online platform where the defence ministry lists its needs.

Defence transition is always a slow evolutionary process. Suppliers cannot be switched overnight.

Russian Imports

India is the world’s largest buyer of Russian weapons, although it has scaled back that relationship of late. Russia has historically supplied the majority of India’s military hardware, including fighter jets and missiles, as well as almost all its tanks and helicopters. Modi’s government has told the US the alternatives to moving away completely from Russian weapons imports are too expensive.

Over the past decade, India has bought more than $4 billion worth of military equipment from the US and more than $25 billion from Russia, according to SIPRI, which collects data on arms transfers. India’s dependence on Russia for weapons against neighbors China and Pakistan is a big reason Modi’s government has avoided criticizing Russian President Vladimir Putin over the war in Ukraine. As the US, Europe, Australia and Japan piled economic sanctions on Russia, India has held off and instead continued imports of discounted Russian oil.

Russia woos India

On the other hand, Russia’s foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said, on 20 April, that Russia could give India any defence platform and weaponry it wants. He also termed the transfer of defence technology to India as “unprecedented” among the foreign nations that India has ties with.

Asked about the Sino-Indian border dispute, he said: “We welcome the discussions between India and China”, adding that Russia wanted to further strengthen the trilateral Russia-India-China (RIC) format that he said was envisaged by Moscow way back in 1996 and made a reality.

Affordability and Autonomy

Shifting toward buying more Western weapons systems and lessening its dependence on Russia, for instance, would bolster India’s autonomy. But the country would have to sacrifice affordability, meaning it wouldn’t be able to buy as much. India is spending $5.5 billion on the Russian S-400 surface-to-air missile platform. The U.S.-made Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense system costs about six times that much and isn’t even as versatile.

India  is highly unlikely to want to rely on anyone else for essential defense requirements. In its last full-scale war with Pakistan, in 1971, India found itself constantly short of artillery shells and had to secretly import mortars from Israel. Insufficient weapons on hand represent a loss of autonomy that no Indian government could possibly countenance.

Self Reliance

For decades, India has tried to establish a local defense industry, building its own battle tank and jet. The Arjun, the Indian Army complains, can not be part of any battle plans on the canal-heavy, militarized border with Pakistan. It weighs almost 70 tons and would collapse most bridges in the Punjab. By contrast, Russia’s T-90 tank weighs less than 50 tons.

The Indian Air Force has a long list of reasons why the Tejas is not good enough: Its payload is smaller than the F-16’s, the plane takes too long to service and so on.

Indigenization offers affordability and autonomy, at the cost of quality. The Indian state’s toxic relationship with the private sector is one of the biggest obstacles to indigenizing weapons production. But if Indian leaders want a reliable and affordable pipeline of weapons of decent quality that arrive quickly enough to deter an aggressive China, they are going to have to fund domestic defence companies, increase military budgets, and field less powerful weapons until they can develop better ones.

US Preparing Package

The US and its allies have sought to woo Modi’s government as a key security partner – against China in the Indo-Pacific region. Links between the US and India have steadily deepened over the past two decades, with the two sides reaching agreements that allow for more interoperability between their military platforms.

The US is preparing a military aid package for India to deepen security ties and reduce its dependence on Russian weapons. The package under consideration would include foreign military financing of as much as $500 million, which would make India one of the largest recipients of such aid behind Israel and Egypt. It’s unclear when the deal would be announced, or what weapons would be included.

Fixing the problem is going to take time. And it won’t happen unless the Indian defense establishment is willing to make some hard choices. The effort is part of a much larger initiative by President Joe Biden’s administration to court India as a long-term security partner, despite its reluctance to criticize Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.

Washington wants to be seen as a reliable partner for India across the board, and the administration is working with other nations including France to make sure Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has the equipment it needs. While India is already diversifying its military platforms away from Russia, the US wants to help make that happen faster.

The major challenge remains how to provide India major platforms like fighter jets, naval ships and battle tanks. The administration is looking for a breakthrough in one of these areas. The financing package being discussed would do little to make those types of systems — which can cost billions or tens of billions of dollars — more affordable, but it would be a significant symbolic sign of support. Still, it remains to be seen how far India will go in accepting US military assistance.

The Biden administration has signaled that it was not interested in sanctioning New Delhi over its recent decision to buy the S-400 missile defense system from Russia. Turkey’s purchase of the same system deeply damaged US ties with the NATO ally.

The post India’s Dependence on Russia’s Arms appeared first on IMR.

Given its own strategic compulsions, India has so far walked the diplomatic tightrope between the US and Russia. “But India will now come under tremendous pressure from the US and its European allies to strongly oppose Russia’s invasion of Ukraine,” a senior defence official said on 24 February.

India till now has managed to stave off sanctions under the US law called CAATSA (Countering America’s Adversaries through Sanctions Act), which seeks to prevent countries from buying Russian weapons, by mounting a major diplomatic-military campaign with both the Trump and Biden administrations.

This allowed India to induct the first of the five S-400 Triumf surface-to-air missile squadrons a couple of months ago, under the $5.43 billion (Rs 40,000 crore) contract inked with Russia in October 2018, as an “urgent national security requirement” to counter aggressive neighbours like China and Pakistan.

The US also did not make noises about India’s inking of another $3 billion deal with Russia for the lease of an Akula-1 class nuclear-powered attack submarine in March 2019.

Though Russia still remains its largest defence supplier, India has increasingly turned to the US, France and Israel for its military hardware and software requirements. The US itself has bagged lucrative Indian defence deals worth over $21 billion since 2007. “But the Biden administration may no longer be willing to grant a waiver to India for buying the Russian S-400 and other weapons,” another officer said.

On the China front, India will need to keep an eagle-eye on the annual exercises of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in March-April along the 3,488-km Line of Actual Control (LAC) and be “prepared for any contingencies”, defence officials said.

“With the attention of the US-led West diverted to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine instead of countering China in the Indo-Pacific, an emboldened Beijing is likely to indulge in muscle-flexing along the LAC, especially in the Arunachal sector,” an official said.

As it is, the PLA has shown no signs of de-escalating the 21-month-long troop confrontation in eastern Ladakh, even as it has systematically strengthened its military positions and infrastructure all along the LAC.

Apart from conventional military capabilities, China’s focus on space, cyberspace and “informatized” and “intelligentized” warfare has been a major concern for India.

“China’s latest demonstration of physically moving one of its disabled satellites into the graveyard orbit is bringing in newer threats in the race to weaponise the space domain, a domain hitherto considered relatively safe,” IAF chief Air Chief Marshal V R Chaudhari said at a seminar on 24 February.

The Ukraine crisis has also once again reinforced the inescapable need for India to emerge out of its strategically-vulnerable position of being the world’s second-largest arms importer after Saudi Arabia.

“Instead of half-baked measures, India must make self-reliance in military requirements a concrete national mission, along with a special thrust on space, cyberspace and special operations. Moreover, a robust nuclear deterrence is required to deter all adversaries,” an official said.

The post India staring at a possibility of US sanctions, more belligerent China appeared first on IMR.