As Russia's "special military operation" against Ukraine continues to last longer and longer, more equipment has begun to "put down its body", "go out of propaganda and go to actual combat", gradually fading its own propaganda halo, and trying to prove its own quality in actual combat.
Ukraine's battlefield performance
Undoubtedly, as the litmus test of the best equipment, the situation on the battlefield is often more complex and difficult to replicate perfectly than on the test ground.
And on the battlefield during Russia's "special military operation" in Ukraine, many long-standing myths have been shattered among the so-called "military enthusiast" groups.
For example:
Since the 90s, the Leopard 2 series main battle tanks (including its Swedish improved version of the Strv122), which have advocated "advanced fire control" and "strong armor", were killed by small suicide drones deployed by Russia on the front line during the first attack, and were killed with artillery missiles by Russian-made main battle tanks that have long been derogated as "backward in fire control" in tank battles;
The SCALP-EG "Storm Shadow" cruise missile, which has been boasting of "coming and going without a trace", "powerful", and "effective in deterring imaginary enemies", has frequently appeared in media propaganda for nearly 650 days from the start of the war at the end of February 2022 to the end of 2023.
As a result, Russia completely ignored the threat and impact of these SCALP-EG "Storm Shadow" cruise missiles and continued to carry out the "special military operation";
In the Gulf War and the Iraq War, the Patriot air defense system, which gradually reduced the size from "100% interception rate" to "90% interception rate" to "10% effective interception rate", may be an exception, but there are some "claimed" results in this special military operation:
In May 2023, when the situation on the front line of the Ukrainian army was tense, a self-media released a data chart based on the Ukrainian military's battle report, in which the air defense record on May 16, 2023 can be called amazing.
In its results that day, the Ukrainian military said it intercepted six Kh-47 "Dagger" hypersonic missiles, nine 3M54 "Caliber" cruise missiles, and 12 suicide drones (Witness-136 and Witness-131) and reconnaissance drones (Orlan-10) in one go.
According to the rhetoric of the Ukrainian army, in the course of air defense operations, the American "Patriot" showed outstanding performance in the process of intercepting the Kh-47 "Dagger" hypersonic missile - this is undoubtedly a hint: the Russian Kh-47 "Dagger" hypersonic missile was intercepted and weakened by the "Patriot" air defense system.
At this time, part of the so-called "military enthusiasts" group, which has lost a lot of myths, seems to have grasped a lifesaver - "You see, the Americans are at least reliable, and their 'Patriot' air defense system can even shoot down the Russian Kh-47 "Dagger" hypersonic missile.
On this basis, some of the so-called "military enthusiasts" have come up with an even bolder theory:
"Since the 'Patriot' has been able to efficiently intercept the Russian-made Kh-47 "Dagger" hypersonic missile, it also means that it can intercept the DF-17, which is also a hypersonic missile. ”
And in the end, he came to the interpretation - "Dongfeng 17 has no advantage at all when it meets the Patriot".
Did the "patriots" really stop the "dagger"?
As the saying goes, "the truth is true or false, the facts speak for themselves" is also applicable to this interception case.
Shortly after announcing the "shot down a large number of Russian-made Kh-47" Dagger "hypersonic missiles", the Ukrainian side decided to issue decisive evidence - publicly displaying the wreckage of the "Dagger" missile it shot down, in an attempt to prove that "the war report of our Ukrainian side is true and credible".
As a result, the wreckage of the so-called Russian-made Kh-47 "Dagger" hypersonic missile issued by Ukrainian officials can only prove to the world that people's stereotypes about Ukraine have intensified again - the strength is not nothing, but too fond of exaggerating the facts.
The wreckage of the so-called Kh-47 "Dagger" corresponds to the characteristics of the Soviet/Russian БетАБ-500ШП concrete-sabotage projectile
Yes, the so-called "Russian-made Kh-47 'Dagger' warhead wreckage" has a considerable component, and it may be an oolong joke.
Judging from the characteristics, the so-called "warhead" does not look like the hypersonic missiles in the previously released photos in terms of size, weight, and appearance, but more like a part of some old conventional aerial bomb.
Kyiv Mayor Klitschko posted photos of the wreckage of the so-called "Dagger" missile on social media
In such a situation, it goes without saying that Ukraine's claim that "'Patriot' efficiently intercepted the Russian-made Kh-47" Dagger "hypersonic missile."
Moreover, in July 2023, shortly after that interception, Russia launched what it called a "massive retaliation" attack on the Ukrainian port city of Odessa on July 20 in retaliation for the attack on the Crimean bridge.
After the attack on the port facilities of Odessa
However, although it is claimed to be "large-scale", the Russian army has only used less than 20 3M55 "Onyx" missiles and Kh-22 "Storm" missiles in total.
Judging from the photos that followed, the "Patriot" air defense system, which "shot down 6 'daggers' and 9 'calibers' in Japan," acted as a "turtle with a shrunken head" covering its head and face during this attack.
According to the statement of the spokesman of the Ukrainian Air Force Command about the missile bombardment in Odessa, it is easy for us to understand the specifics of the matter:
"Local air defense systems are not able to shoot down Russian 3M55 Onyx missiles and Kh-22 Storm missiles because they fly too fast ... What could be shot down was shot down. Of course, we hope to shoot down more missiles."
The Kh-22 "Storm" missile, due to its excessive size, is not very fast
In terms of performance, the maximum speed of the 3M55 Onyx missile is between Mach 2 and Mach 2.6 depending on the environment, the maximum speed of the Kh-22 Storm missile is between Mach 3.5 and Mach 4, and the maximum speed of the Russian-made Kh-47 Dagger hypersonic missile that was intercepted before reached the terrifying Mach 10 level.
The Ukrainian side shouted "flying too fast" in the face of less than Mach 4 missiles, but it can also advertise without changing its face that "it easily intercepted the Mach 10 Kh-47 'Dagger' hypersonic missile as a hypersonic weapon".
It's just that the things in the photo are not off topic with the Kh-47 'Dagger' hypersonic missile, at least it's not the donkey's lips.
In such a situation, it can only be said that it is still willing to believe that it is the freedom of the parties to believe that the "Patriot" air defense system intercepted the Russian-made Kh-47 "Dagger" hypersonic missiles in large quantities.
The quality of the "Patriot" air defense system?
As mentioned earlier, Ukraine has smashed a large number of "military myths" in its own hands, and the few users of the "Patriot" air defense system that will not go to the front line are trying to concoct the so-called "'Patriot' can intercept the Russian-made Kh-47 'Dagger' hypersonic missile" single-handedly, in exchange for the last trace of face for themselves and military assistance.
Under such circumstances, who would believe that intercepting the Russian-made Kh-47 'Dagger' hypersonic missile already requires lies to maintain "self-confidence" The "Patriot" air defense system will be able to perform better in the face of a higher level of technology, more stable production, and a larger amount of input in the face of the DF-17 with a higher level of technology, more stable production, and a larger amount of input?
Here we have to mention the fact that the "Patriot" air defense system has not been able to prove itself since its birth.
Only during the "shining" Gulf War, when about 80 per cent of all Scud short-range tactical missiles launched by Iraq for retaliatory purposes (including its own Al Hussein tactical missiles) landed accurately enough into the territory of Israel or Saudi Arabia.
At that time, the "Patriot" air defense system, which was touted as "air defense and anti-missile" and "precision interception", "interfered" with about 44% of them.
Note: According to the relevant terminology of the US Department of Defense (DOD), the term "jamming" refers to the launch of one or more Patriot missiles to attack an enemy missile, whether successful or not.
And after the end of the Gulf War, the data on the interception of Scud short-range tactical missiles by the "Patriot" were constantly "corrected and returned" in a series of surveys:
In March 1991, the overall interception success rate was reported at 96 per cent, dropped to 69 per cent in May 1991 and to 59 per cent in April 1992.
In the case of such a criminal record, how can people have enough confidence in the interception success rate of the "Patriot" system?
Even if we do not discuss the "old calendar" of the "Patriot" system in the 90s of the 20th century, in the 20s of the 21st century, the interception rate data of the "Patriot" system showed a trend of further "corrective regression".
According to data from think tanks on the Houthi war with Saudi Arabia, only a measly 40 percent of the rockets and missiles fired at the Houthis have been intercepted.
In other words, the Patriot system is not very effective against less technologically advanced and slower targets (Iraqi-made Scud short-range missiles, Russian-made 3M55 Onyx, Kh-22 Storm) and even worse when it comes to rockets or self-assembled improvised missiles used by the Houthis.
In the face of such facts, as long as people with a little common sense know, when the "Patriot" system is faced with hypersonic missiles with faster speed and higher penetration rate, its state is closer to that of a mud bodhisattva crossing the river - it is difficult to protect itself, so what is the "advantage"?
And in the face of the Dongfeng-17 hypersonic missile, which has been mass-produced by the mainland for many years - this weapon with stronger performance, faster speed and more stealth launch than the Kh-47 "Dagger" hypersonic missile, how can the "Patriot" talk about the advantage?
Summary:
There is no doubt that during Russia's "special military operation" against Ukraine, countless military myths were shattered by objective facts, and the "single-shot power of hypersonic missiles" is indeed one of them.
But at the same time, hypersonic missiles have also proven their high penetration performance in the "special military operation", leaving the interception efficiency of the "Patriot" system far behind.
However, what is surprising is that many people do not reflect on "why the military myth will be broken", but are keen to find a "substitute" for the military myth, and even do not hesitate to believe the fabricated data and unsourced data of one side of the war, and even maliciously depreciate the equipment of their own motherland.
Resources:
[1] "Daily Combat Report" of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine
[2] Global Network "The spokesman of the Ukrainian Air Force admits that the Ukrainian air defense system cannot intercept the Russian Kh-22 supersonic cruise missile"
[3] Xinhua News Agency "The Russian army continues to strike at Ukrainian military facilities around Odessa, Zelensky says the Ukrainian army needs more air defense weapons"
[4] Armed Conflict Locations and Events Data Project "Beyond Riyadh: Houthi Cross-Border Air Battles, 2015-2022"
[5] Science and Global Security, "The Technical Debate on Patriot Performance in the Gulf War"
[6] Military Review Network, "Kh-42M2 "Dagger" Hypersonic Missile and Its Real Capabilities
[7] Military Review Network, "The Attack of the Hypersonic "Dagger": Is It Unstoppable?"
[8] Xinhuanet, "Dongfeng-17 Conventional Missile Squadron: A Precision Strike Knife That Must Be Achieved"
[9] Xinhuanet, "Dongfeng-17: Hypersonic Speed Makes the Anti-Missile System Useless"