Ukraine Negotiating To Acquire More S-300 Air Defense Systems Request Comes After NASAMS & Patriot Missiles

Ukraine’s Minister of Defense, Oleksiy Reznikov, introduced on December 1, 2022, that his united states is negotiating with the West to switch extra S-three hundred structures.

The S-300s paintings very well. The truth is they have been now no longer produced in Ukraine; that is, we do now no longer have the manufacturing of S-three hundred missiles, so we use stocks.

Personally, with all of the protection ministers of these international locations that still have S-300s in service, we’re negotiating the opportunity of replenishing this inventory of missiles from their warehouses and arsenals, Reznikov stated at a briefing in Odesa following a assembly with Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles.

Ukrainian S-three hundred Inventory

At the begin of the Russian Special Military Operation (SMO) on February 24, 2022, Ukraine reportedly had round a hundred lively S-three hundred batteries, with as many as three hundred launchers inherited from the Soviet Union in 1991. By April eight, Ukraine had misplaced as a minimum 21, possibly greater, of the S-three hundred launchers.

Since then, Ukraine has periodically misplaced many greater, albeit at a slower rate. Based on what Reznikov stated, it’s far possibly that the dearth of S-three hundred missiles is greater acute than the dearth of S-three hundred structures.

Possible Sources Of Supply

In April 2022, Ukraine obtained 4 batteries of S-three hundred structures from Bulgaria. According to Wikipedia, Bulgaria nevertheless has 10 S-three hundred launchers, divided into devices with 5 launchers each.

Azerbaijan offered S-300PMU2 (SA-20B) SAM battalions in 2010 and can be a likely supply of deliver of extra structures to Ukraine. As we can speak later withinside the succeeding paragraphs, the S-300PMU2 is a complicated version with desirable ballistic missile protection functionality.

Egypt has the Antey – 2500 variations of the S-three hundred gadget, however due to its near family members with Russia, Eqypt is not going to element with the structures. Qatar and Algeria use the S-three hundred however are not going applicants for Ukrainian procurement.

S-three hundred Variants

There are essential variations of the S-three hundred gadget. The S-300P variations (S-300PT, S-300PS, S-300PM, S-300PMU), which Almaz evolved for protection in opposition to plane and cruise missiles. The S-300V variations (S-300VM, S-300V4), which Antey evolved for protection in opposition to ballistic missiles, plane, and cruise missiles. The P suffix stands for PVO-Strany (united states air protection gadget), and the V suffix for Voyska (floor forces).

The cutting-edge P variations (S-300PMU1, S-300PMU2) have anti-ballistic missile (ABM) functionality. The V structures are carried on tracked transporters, which offers them higher cross-united states mobility than the P structures carried on eight×eight wheel transporters.

The S-300PMU1, added in 1993, for first time featured exclusive missile sorts in a unmarried gadget. In addition to the 5V55R and 48N6E missiles, the S-300PMU1 can make use of new missiles, the 9M96E1 and 9M96E2. Multiple missile sorts facilitate honing missile functionality to have interaction a specific sort of target – drone, cruise missile, fighter plane, AWACS, or ballistic missile.

Ukrainian Systems

Ukraine reportedly has the S-300PT, S-300PS, S-300PMU, and S-300V1 variations of the S-three hundred. The S-300PT capabilities the 36D6 passive electronically scanned array (PESA) radar which could song as much as one hundred twenty goals with a detection variety various from 180–360 kilometers, together with the 30N6 missile steerage radar.

The gadget can have interaction a couple of goals on a unmarried fire-manipulate gadget. It makes use of the 5V55KD interceptor missile with Semi-Active Radar Homing (SARAH) steerage and a most variety of seventy five kilometers. The S-300PS capabilities the advanced 5V55R interceptor missiles with SARAH steerage and a max variety of ninety kilometers (fifty six mi).

The S-300PMU capabilities the 64N6 (BIG BIRD) surveillance radar, able to monitoring as much as three hundred goals with a most variety of three hundred kilometers, and the 30N6-1 missile steerage radar. It makes use of variations of the 48N6 interceptor missile with Track Via Missile (TVM) steerage and a most variety of one hundred fifty kilometers.

The S-300V version capabilities the 9S15 (Bill Board) radar able to monitoring 250 goals as much as a most variety of 250 kilometers. It makes use of 9M82 (Giant) or 9M83 (Gladiator) missiles.

The 9M82 missile can have interaction goals among the 13–a hundred-kilometer variety and as much as 30-kilometer altitude. The 9M83 can have interaction goals among 6–seventy five kilometers up to twenty-five kilometers altitude.

Leaving No Stone Unturned

Interestingly, Reznikov’s assertion on Ukraine’s choice to collect greater S-three hundred structures got here at the equal day that the CEO of Raytheon instructed Politico, for the duration of an interview, that the United States is exploring the opportunity of sourcing extra NASAMS for Ukraine from international locations withinside the Middle East. Raytheon assembles NASAMS structures to fulfill US requirements.

“There are NASAMS structures deployed withinside the Middle East, and a number of our NATO allies and ourselves [the US] are running with numerous international locations withinside the Middle East which might be presently the use of NASAMS and are looking to ship them as help to Ukraine,” he stated.

Also, as pronounced through EurAsian Times in advance right here and right here, Ukraine is attempting to collect US Patriot structures comparable in functionality to the S-three hundred structures. Ukraine’s air protection missile acquisition spree is geared toward restricting Russian cappotential to degrade Ukrainian energy technology infrastructure.