Why Patriot and SAMP-T will not be able to intercept Oreshnik: Explanation from Defense Express
Illustrative photo: Media investigate why Patriot and SAMP-T won't be able to intercept the Oreshnik (Getty Images)
The Patriot and SAMP-T air defense systems have performed excellently in Ukraine, successfully intercepting various targets. However, the Russian medium- and intercontinental-range Oreshnik missile could prove to be beyond their reach, according to Defense Express.
As the media outlet states, each air defense system has its specific purpose. However, the Patriot PAC-3 and SAMP-T are unable to intercept the Oreshnik missile, as they were designed to counter ballistic missiles of operational-tactical range with flight distances up to 1,000 kilometers.
Defense Express reminds that the mid- and long-range ballistic missile flight path occurs at altitudes over 100 km. The entry speed into the atmosphere is about 3-4 km/s for medium-range ballistic missiles and 5-7 km/s for intercontinental missiles.
For this reason, Patriot PAC-3 and SAMP-T could theoretically target the warheads of such missiles that are already in the atmosphere. However, their real effectiveness remains in question.
Currently, the main problem for these air defense systems is that the Oreshnik has a separate warhead with individual guidance blocks. This Russian weapon carries up to six warheads and decoy targets. The number of targets that Patriot and SAMP-T can engage simultaneously is limited, meaning they will not be able to intercept all of the Oreshnik warheads at once.
Defense Express believes that even the THAAD system would struggle with such a task. While it is designed to intercept medium-range ballistic missiles, it still has limitations on the number of targets it can engage simultaneously.
Therefore, the most effective method of intercepting such a missile is to destroy it before the separation process begins, requiring the targeting of just one object. This capability is available with the American SM-3 guided missile, used with ships equipped with the Aegis system or in the stationary land-based version, Aegis Ashore.
Russian Oreshnik missile
On November 21, the Russian forces launched the Oreshnik missile for the first time during the full-scale war, targeting the city of Dnipro. At that time, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that this was a test of this type of weapon by Russia.
Earlier, British intelligence analyzed the Oreshnik missile. More details can be found in the RBC-Ukraine material.
