[Goose]

Just saw this bit- sea sparrows would greatly expand the potential stocks of missiles the west can supply Ukraine for air defense, another sign the west is signaling long term commitment.



Cool that Ukraine has figured out how to use their familiar Buk launchers with them.


https://twitter.com/paulmcleary/status/1...DSckcMkfBA

This is indeed potentially a very important advancement. The ESSM itself was a bit of a "kludge" evolved from an RIM-7 missile. NATO has a LOT of ESSM Block I missiles that are basically obsolete. These missiles are SARAH only with no "active mode" seeker. The good news is that all the missile (once launched) requires to hit a target is that the target be illuminated by a CW radar in I/J (old guys X) band. The BUK has a CW illuminator in X band. Perfect match. There is one possible glitch in using it that I hope they have determined isn't a problem. The remaining task was figuring out how to physically launch it from a BUK, which I guess they have figured out. I don't know if they intend to mount it on the TELAR of the BUK or instead use a MK-29 launcher. Either way could work.

This is a big deal because it allows Ukraine to shoot down more Russian cruise missiles with a weapon they have in some numbers and a missile NATO has in some numbers. The CW illuminator is a good target for anti-radiation missiles, but cruise missiles, particularly the Shahed 136/Geran-2 don't carry those :-). It also allows the BUK systems to continue their anti-aircraft role when they run out of the existing Ukrainian missile stocks.
For those that are interested, a good document on the capabilities of the BUK is http://www.ausairpower.net/APA-Engagemen...ocId926428. Search for 9S35 Fire Dome and you will find the right section.

The only "downer" in this is the limited acquisition capability of the BUK itself. It was designed to be part of an IADS where acquisition was to be performed by other systems. It isn't used that way in this war. The BUK itself can acquire only in a 120 degree sector in a relatively narrow elevation beamwidth relatively slowly. That means it kind of needs to know where the targets are coming from. By contrast, an NASAMS covers 360 degrees with good elevation coverage at least twice as fast. It is also probably true that the BUK can't provide mid-course corrections to the ESSM via an uplink (although that isn't "for sure". They may have figured that one out too). Against low-flying slow cruise missiles, that wouldn't much matter as the illuminator won't need to "blink" (and wouldn't have time to anyway).

[Goose]

Just saw this bit- sea sparrows would greatly expand the potential stocks of missiles the west can supply Ukraine for air defense, another sign the west is signaling long term commitment.



Cool that Ukraine has figured out how to use their familiar Buk launchers with them.


https://twitter.com/paulmcleary/status/1...DSckcMkfBA

This is indeed potentially a very important advancement. The ESSM itself was a bit of a "kludge" evolved from an RIM-7 missile. NATO has a LOT of ESSM Block I missiles that are basically obsolete. These missiles are SARAH only with no "active mode" seeker. The good news is that all the missile (once launched) requires to hit a target is that the target be illuminated by a CW radar in I/J (old guys X) band. The BUK has a CW illuminator in X band. Perfect match. There is one possible glitch in using it that I hope they have determined isn't a problem. The remaining task was figuring out how to physically launch it from a BUK, which I guess they have figured out. I don't know if they intend to mount it on the TELAR of the BUK or instead use a MK-29 launcher. Either way could work.

This is a big deal because it allows Ukraine to shoot down more Russian cruise missiles with a weapon they have in some numbers and a missile NATO has in some numbers. The CW illuminator is a good target for anti-radiation missiles, but cruise missiles, particularly the Shahed 136/Geran-2 don't carry those :-). It also allows the BUK systems to continue their anti-aircraft role when they run out of the existing Ukrainian missile stocks.
For those that are interested, a good document on the capabilities of the BUK is http://www.ausairpower.net/APA-Engagemen...ocId926428. Search for 9S35 Fire Dome and you will find the right section.

The only "downer" in this is the limited acquisition capability of the BUK itself. It was designed to be part of an IADS where acquisition was to be performed by other systems. It isn't used that way in this war. The BUK itself can acquire only in a 120 degree sector in a relatively narrow elevation beamwidth relatively slowly. That means it kind of needs to know where the targets are coming from. By contrast, an NASAMS covers 360 degrees with good elevation coverage at least twice as fast. It is also probably true that the BUK can't provide mid-course corrections to the ESSM via an uplink (although that isn't "for sure". They may have figured that one out too). Against low-flying slow cruise missiles, that wouldn't much matter as the illuminator won't need to "blink" (and wouldn't have time to anyway).