Go Back  PPRuNe Forums > Aircrew Forums > Military Aviation
Reload this Page >

Russian warship with hypersonic Zircon missiles on drills in Atlantic

Military Aviation A forum for the professionals who fly military hardware. Also for the backroom boys and girls who support the flying and maintain the equipment, and without whom nothing would ever leave the ground. All armies, navies and air forces of the world equally welcome here.

Russian warship with hypersonic Zircon missiles on drills in Atlantic

Old 27th Jan 2023, 08:42
  #41 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Scotland
Age: 54
Posts: 277
Received 71 Likes on 20 Posts
Originally Posted by Ninthace
There is that much orbital coverage to provide 24/7?
Would anyone know or comment if they did.
Thrust Augmentation is offline  
Old 27th Jan 2023, 09:30
  #42 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Ferrara
Posts: 8,232
Received 327 Likes on 192 Posts
it would be astounding if they didn't - after all they've had spy sats for over60 years...............
Asturias56 is offline  
Old 27th Jan 2023, 12:10
  #43 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Glorious Devon
Posts: 2,597
Received 573 Likes on 332 Posts
Originally Posted by Asturias56
it would be astounding if they didn't - after all they've had spy sats for over60 years...............
Not withstanding, I would be sceptical of 24/7 coverage of the Atlantic. In the days when I was peripherally involved in doing things we did not want the other side to see, we knew when to work and when to sit tight.
Ninthace is offline  
Old 27th Jan 2023, 12:17
  #44 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Europe
Posts: 198
Received 24 Likes on 11 Posts
Originally Posted by Ninthace
There is that much orbital coverage to provide 24/7?
They've stopped showing all of the live Starlink video during the launch sequence. Until recently there was live payload video right up to and through the deployment sequence, i.e. when the individual satellites get released from the carrier/dispenser. Up until they stopped doing this one could be absolutely certain what was the configuration of the payload.

That cessation coincided with some changes to the satellites themselves that were supposedly be to allow the addition of other capabilities. Different capabilities than the initial(v1) up/down radio comms ones (mass 260kg) , and different than the subsequent addition (v1.5) of in-orbit sat-to-sat (intersat) laser comms ones (mass 295kg). The latest v2 satellites have additional functionality and mass 1250kg. They've recently started launching some of the v2.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starlink#

https://mezha.media/en/2022/12/28/sp...es-into-orbit/

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/12/01/fcc-...atellites.html

Given the quantities of the Starlink constellation (3,300 now) with at least 12,000 planned, and given the various orbits which include polar to at least 60N, plus some that seem to be fully polar, very soon every bit of earth will have a continuous 'stare'.

https://satellitemap.space/

There is a 'military' variant of the v2 that is known to include defence payloads, and it is known that one of those payloads is for earth observation purposes. But it has been noted that the close-up release videos seem to have stopped for all variants.

Individual sensors on these things might be relatively poor, but the cumulative effect need not be. And individual sensors have a habit of getting much better very fast when produced in high volume.

So even without considering all the various other hardware in orbit, we can pretty much be sure that either already or in the very near future, continuous observation of an interestingly useful nature is going to be available to the USA.
petit plateau is online now  
Old 27th Jan 2023, 14:05
  #45 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Wyoming
Posts: 510
Received 37 Likes on 15 Posts
In the 80s SAC had B52s rig the Kiev every 30 minutes on its trip from Cuba to the Med.

On one pass the ships crew were lined up in dress uniforms.

Maybe a possible option again….
havoc is offline  
Old 27th Jan 2023, 15:37
  #46 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: The Alps
Posts: 3,119
Received 80 Likes on 46 Posts
Originally Posted by ETOPS
There are quite a few USN P8 maritime patrol aircraft based at NAS Jacksonville so I would imagine they would be tasked ?
am sure our Poseidon brethren oop in in Sturgeon land be on the case as soon as the damn thing set sail along with (or there was last year) our cousins Poseidons also oop there too.. And in RAf social media, theres a pair in the land of fire and ice.


one if called ‘Spirit of Reykjavik’ to honour the battle of the atlantic

cheers
chopper2004 is offline  
Old 27th Jan 2023, 19:53
  #47 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Dec 2020
Location: Bay Area
Posts: 154
Received 39 Likes on 27 Posts
My understanding is that hypersonic missiles are more effective at PR than they are as weapons. They have a few traits that limit their effectiveness as weapons.

First of all, they need to get up to 25 miles or so altitude in order to travel at mach 5+, and even there, they are still in partial Earth atmosphere, so they build an electrostatic 'bubble' around them, thus they can receive no mid course corrections, so while they are not on a ballistic trajectory and can maneuver (somewhat) they cannot 'see' or hear. When they re-enter the Earth's atmosphere the heat generated from the friction with air molecules is intense, thus they need heat shields on the forepart part of the missile; so they can have no sensors looking out to identify a moving target's current location and they still won't be able to receive mid course updates.

Another problem is that they don't have the ability to carry a large payload, so their warhead size is limited. Unless they have a nuke warhead they couldn't take out a ship anyway.
Sfojimbo is offline  

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.