They say that no more than half of the Ross and Porter fired from the destroyers flew to the Al-Shayrat airbase of the Syrian government forces in the province of Homs naval forces US Tomahawk cruise missiles. Despite the fact that sources deny this information, insisting on one missile that did not reach the target, according to the Russian military, combat effectiveness an American missile attack on a Syrian air base is extremely low.

At the same time, Moscow did not comment on the effectiveness of the latest domestic S-400 Triumph anti-aircraft missile system in Latakia, which are deployed to protect the Russian Khmeimim airbase.

Moreover, the American command warned the leadership two hours before Russian group in Syria about the upcoming strike.

The question of why not a single American Tomahawk was shot down by the Russian S-400 air defense system is asked, for example, in the specialized blog The Aviationist. According to the publication, cruise missiles flew through the "capture zone" Russian funds air defense.

“At least on paper, the missiles are unlikely to be able to evade the S-400,” the newspaper writes. “Perhaps, given that they [the Russian military] were notified in advance, they simply decided to let them pass.”

The distance from Khmeimim, where only one division of the S-400 air defense system is deployed, to the Shayrat air base is about 200 km. This is practically the far boundary of the zone of destruction of the S-400 anti-aircraft missile system. To hit a target at such a range, its height must be at least 8-9 km. If the target height is lower, the S-400 radar system and the multifunctional radar of the anti-aircraft missile division will simply not see the target. This is due to the curvature earth's surface.

Approximately the same situation is developing with the S-300V air defense system deployed in Tartus. From Tartus to the Shayrat airbase is about 100 km. At such a distance and due to the terrain, anti-aircraft rocket system S-300V will see targets at an altitude of only 6-7 km or more. And this is also explained by the same curvature of the earth's surface and the heterogeneity of the terrain.

“Tomahawk cruise missiles fly at an altitude of 50-60 meters,” the ex-chief of the General Staff of the Air Defense Forces, Colonel General of Aviation, explained to Gazeta.Ru.

The far boundary of the zone for detecting targets of this type is 24-26 km in conditions of medium rugged terrain.

Immediately after detection of a cruise missile, it is necessary to open fire with a burst of at least two anti-aircraft guided missiles(SAM). Otherwise, it will simply come out of a relatively small affected area in a matter of seconds. The meeting of missiles with "Tomahawk" in this case will occur at a distance of 12-14 km.

"That is, by by and large the possibilities for firing cruise missiles are extremely limited in range,” emphasizes Igor Maltsev.

According to the commander, anti-aircraft missile battalions and batteries deployed in Khmeimim and Tartus could not even theoretically "get" American cruise missiles.

According to Igor Maltsev, in order to effectively protect the Shayrat air base from missile attacks, at least 4-5 S-400 anti-aircraft missile battalions must be deployed in the air base area. In addition to this grouping, it is necessary to create a radar reconnaissance system in order to provide the necessary detection depth for cruise missiles. At a minimum, this will require a radio engineering regiment consisting of several battalions and radar companies. This grouping must be tested in exercises and the effectiveness of the fire system created should be clarified.

In addition, the military leader emphasizes, the object must be protected by forces of at least a fighter aviation regiment on Su-30SM or Su-35 aircraft.

And only then can we say that a reliable air defense of the protected object has been created. Nothing like this was created at the Al-Shayrat air base. Therefore, doubt the effectiveness domestic weapons while there is no reason. Anti-aircraft rocket troops they have not yet entered the battle, just as Russian fighter aircraft did not participate in it.

To cover the most sensitive objects of the Syrian infrastructure, a set of measures will be implemented in the near future to strengthen and improve the efficiency of the system air defense Syrian armed forces, emphasize the Russian Defense Ministry.

The expert told why the S-300 and S-400 did not shoot down "Tomahawks" in Syria

Early in the morning of April 7, 2017, US Navy ships launched a Tomahawk cruise missile attack on the Syrian Shayrat airbase in Homs province. A total of 59 missiles were fired. According to preliminary data, 5 Syrian military personnel were killed and up to 15 Syrian Air Force aircraft were damaged or destroyed.

Since 2016, Shayrat has also been used by the Russian Aerospace Forces in Syria as a jump airfield. In particular, they were based there combat helicopters Mi-24, Mi-35, Ka-52 and Mi-28. It is not known for certain whether Russian military personnel were there at the time of the strike, but it is reported that the Syrian military removed most of the military equipment before the strike.

Media: Syrian military evacuated personnel ahead of US strike

The Syrian military evacuated personnel and equipment ahead of a US missile attack on the Homs air base.

Commenting on this event, a military expert, an employee of the Center for Comprehensive European and International Studies at the National Research University Higher School of Economics Vasily Kashin, said that the strike was huge amount cruise missiles, clearly designed to guarantee the overcoming of powerful object-based air defense.

“As a matter of fact, even if the S-300 division were at the base, provided it was 100% effective, it would not have held back such a blow,” the expert believes, “and the firing range of the S-300 against low-flying targets such as the Tomahawk KR is several times less than the range firing at aircraft at medium and high altitudes about which journalists like to talk. That is, it is a few tens of kilometers.

"The S-300 and S-400 divisions in Khmeimim and Tartus cannot, in principle, cover a remote target from Tomahawks," Vasily Kashin believes.

He also notes that, judging by the loss data, the defense of the base was not carried out - otherwise there would be no talk of five dead.

"The base was evacuated in advance after American warnings. The Americans' expenditure of 59 missiles was necessary to prevent loss of face if opposite side decides to defend the airfield after all. Otherwise, it would not make sense to spend more than $100 million on one facility," the expert sums up.

Air defense general killed in US strike on Syrian airbase, 15 aircraft damaged

Sources in the network spoke about the losses of the Syrians from the US missile attack.

Concerning political significance rocket attack, the expert notes that the day before there was the largest shift in decades on the problem of Jerusalem - Russia's recognition of Western Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

"Russia is the first large country who recognized him. This may entail chain reaction And general change positions on the problem,” notes Kashin. In addition, in his opinion, it is now extremely difficult to promote the theory that Trump is under Russian influence. He got rid of this threat.

Russian Foreign Ministry officially names West Jerusalem the capital of Israel

The Russian Foreign Ministry issued a statement in which West Jerusalem is called the capital of Israel

Fellow of the Institute of Countries Far East also points to an important "Chinese factor":

“Trump clearly specifically announced the attack during the visit of Xi Jinping (President of China - approx. defence.ru). Obviously, to demonstrate his power. This will be remembered for a long time, as well as the case when Truman informed Stalin about Hiroshima, and Stalin He pretended not to understand what was going on."

Kashin considers this step a wrong decision: "The Chinese will take this as a deliberate humiliation, they will put on a good face, but then they will retaliate."

Now, 11 days after the US missile attack on the Syrian Shayrat base, when the passions in the media on the Internet have subsided, and a number of previously unknown facts have surfaced, it is possible to accurately answer the question of who actually shot down more than half of the Pentagon's missiles.

To answer, including those who, immediately after this attack, raised a squeal in the media space, what, where, they say, “Muscovites”, your vaunted S-300 and S-400? Why didn’t they shoot down - you can’t, or are you even afraid?

Can. And we are not afraid. But first things first.

According to representatives of the Russian and Syrian armies, of the 59 missiles fired by the Americans, only 23 reached their targets. 36 Tomahawks missed the target. The numbers are rather strange - and at first glance there is no pattern in them.

But here are important details that are almost never mentioned anywhere. The launch of "Tomahawks" by the Americans was carried out in 2 stages: first released 36 missiles from the destroyer Ross.

However, after launching from the destroyer Ross, the Americans saw that something had suddenly gone wrong. The missiles began to strongly deviate from the trajectory, and some simply lost their targets and began to fall. And then the Yankees were forced to make a second, emergency, launch 23 more missiles from the backup "Ross" - the destroyer "Porter". It was these missiles that hit the targets at the Shayrat base. Again these mysterious figures - 36 and 23!

And from the first 36 "Tomahawks" no one didn't hit the target! All of them fell into the Mediterranean Sea or tens of kilometers from the Syrian base.

In support of this information, I will cite an article by American military expert Gordon Duff (Gordon Daff) "Trump Humilated: Syria Shoots Down 34 of 59 Cruise Missiles".

The same material contains a photograph of one of the fallen American missiles fired by the first launch from the Ross destroyer.

A number of experts expressed information that the released Tomahawks were shot down by Syrian S-200 air defense systems, which are in service with the Syrian army.

But here it is worth clarifying that then the Tomahawks would have been hit in the air by anti-missiles of the S-200 complex. At the same time, almost total annihilation rockets in the air - and on the ground from tomahawks there would be only small fragments. Scattered over a huge area, given the height of the missiles.

And in the photo we see a WHOLE American missile, which was not shot down by a Syrian anti-missile, but simply, for some reason, “dead weight” fell down, straying off course.

So what knocked off course all the American Tomahawks fired by the first "volley" and made them fall into the sea or on the ground, tens of kilometers from a given point?

These were the latest Russian electronic warfare systems "Krasukha", which have long been a thunderstorm of American missiles and a headache for NATO generals! That's what made all the first 36 "Tomahawks" miss the mark!

I have written about our electronic warfare, including specifically about the Krasukha and Khibiny complexes - our most modern developments in the field of electronic warfare and missile defense. These complexes are decades ahead of their time, and even military experts from the United States and NATO countries admit that in this area Russia has overtaken them by a whole generation. And many across the ocean are not sure if they will be able to catch up with us at all in this area ...

Trump decided to "flex his muscles" in Syria. But our military did not blunder either - they showed him (and also the entire Pentagon) that when trying to start a full-scale conflict, our opponents will not have any advantage in the air. And all the talk about a "preemptive missile strike" is a cheap bluff of American politicians, which, as they say across the ocean, "is not worth a cent."

The first launch from the destroyer "Ross" went into milk. And the second launch of tomahawks, our anti-missiles did not "nightmare" - I think, for geopolitical reasons. In order not to take the escalation to the next level. remembering Caribbean crisis. Nobody needs it.

But the signal sent to Trump and the American hawks was more than obvious - "if you think you have missile superiority over Russia, then you are deeply mistaken." We can make sure none of your missiles reach their target! "Krasuha" worked!


I think this “hint” was understood by our partners – it was not for nothing that almost immediately after the attack on the Syrian base, frightened voices began to be heard from across the ocean that it was a “one-time action”, that “nothing threatens Russian facilities” and that “no one America does not want war with the military superpower, Russia.”

And quite recently, after a visit to Moscow, Tillerson said that the Americans are seriously interested in resuming the Syrian memorandum "on the prevention of dangerous incidents in the air," from which we withdrew after the missile attack on Shayrat. In general, the tone of the US Secretary of State's statements was very cautious, at times even frankly conciliatory.

Our overseas partners do not understand the language of goodwill - they respect only the language of force. I think they got it...