In the sky over the Red Sea, war broke out, and the US troops were dispatched one after another, and two large-scale military operations were carried out in three days. The military exercise, called "Operation Red Sea Supervision," was not only a demonstration to Xi the world of the US military's powerful combat capability, but also a high-profile confrontation exercise. Among them, the most eye-catching is the first appearance of an anti-ship ballistic missile developed by Iran in real combat.
As of December 28, Yemen's Houthi rebels fired multiple missiles and suicide drones in the direction of the Red Sea in an attempt to disrupt international shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. In response, the U.S. military urgently dispatched the Aegis-class guided missile destroyer USS Mason into the southern Red Sea theater of operations, successfully intercepted an anti-ship ballistic missile with a Standard III missile, and shot down a suicide drone in a timely manner with a short-range defense weapon system. Under the cover of the Mason, 18 merchant ships passed safely through this strategic point.
More notably, however, on December 30, the U.S. military again announced that the USS Mason had successfully intercepted two other Yemeni anti-ship ballistic missiles in the Red Sea. In just a few days, Yemen's Houthi rebels fired as many as seven missiles in the direction of the Red Sea, and the US Aegis ships successfully intercepted all of them. In this conflict, the anti-ship ballistic missile developed by Iran made its debut on the battlefield and became the focus of international attention.
So, what is an anti-ship ballistic missile? How is it different from a conventional ballistic missile? Because the terminal speed of an ordinary ballistic missile is extremely fast, reaching several times the speed of sound, it is very difficult to achieve precise strikes against moving targets. To solve this problem, military experts have developed a new ballistic missile with terminal guidance capabilities. At the end, this type of missile can accurately hit moving targets at sea, such as aircraft carrier groups, and has been given the title of "anti-ship ballistic missile".
Anti-ship ballistic missiles are not new, as early as the Cold War of the last century, the United States and the Soviet Union have tried to produce a variety of prototypes of anti-ship ballistic missiles, the most famous of which is the Soviet SS-NX-13 "Shark" missile. However, for a number of reasons, these early anti-ship ballistic missiles did not show themselves in real combat.
For the first time in recent years, anti-ship ballistic missiles have been shown on the battlefield. In the Red Sea conflict, Yemen used anti-ship ballistic missiles from its ally Iran. In recent years, Iran has worked hard to develop short-range anti-ship ballistic missile systems, among which the "Fatah" missile series and the Persian Gulf-2 missile are the most famous. These missiles are equipped with infrared or optoelectronic homing heads, and use advanced optical or infrared technology, so that the missile's hit accuracy is greatly improved, far exceeding the 0.3% orbital error of early ballistic missiles.
Specifically, the Persian Gulf-2 anti-ship ballistic missile uses infrared guidance and the GLONASS civilian navigation system. This allows it to capture moving targets on the sea surface during the terminal flight phase and deliver precision strikes. In order to further increase the hit rate, a small control wing is also installed in the tail of the warhead, which can fine-tune the missile's flight attitude so that it is in the best strike state.
However, the performance of Iranian anti-ship ballistic missiles in the Red Sea conflict turned out to be disappointing. According to reports, all seven missiles missed the target, and none of them hit the US warship. The reasons for the failure of Iranian missiles seem to involve many aspects: first, as a short-range ballistic missile, its ballistic characteristics are relatively simple, its highest point is low, the reentry speed at the end is slow, and the deceleration process is significant, all of which make it easier to be intercepted by the US interception system. Secondly, in the terminal guidance stage of the missile, the overheating effect has a significant impact on the optoelectronic homing head, which seriously damages the imaging effect and reduces the hitting accuracy. More critically, the number of anti-ship ballistic missiles at the disposal of Yemen's Houthis is not enough to form a saturation attack and break through the US interception system.
Despite the disappointing performance of Iranian missiles, the Red Sea clash is a rare opportunity for our military to get a closer look at the strength of the US military. A 052D destroyer of our army happened to conduct routine patrols in the area of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait near the Gulf of Aden, and observed the entire process of the air battle in the Red Sea with radar and electronic reconnaissance systems. This allows us to get a close understanding of the US military's combat capabilities, weapon performance parameters, and many other details such as anti-missile combat tactics and processes that the US military has been deeply hiding.
It is worth mentioning that the U.S. military rarely fully demonstrates the capabilities of its combat systems in peacetime military exercises, let alone allows other countries to conduct close observations. However, this time the air battle in the Red Sea completely broke this convention, and our army was finally able to get a glimpse of the destructive power of the US military in real combat. For example, the US military will immediately activate its anti-aircraft search radar and ultra-high-frequency communication system to conduct unrestricted air reconnaissance and liaison; once it detects an air target, it will immediately report to the command system through a tactical data link; and the SPY-1 phased array radar of the Aegis ship will immediately conduct all-round scanning and tracking...... These are rare scenes in our army.
Through this close-range observation, our military was able to collect a large amount of important information such as the electromagnetic radiation characteristics and communication frequencies of the US combat system. This will be an important basis for cracking the encrypted communications of the US military, simulating its tactical processes, and developing targeted electronic countermeasures. Even by analyzing the electronic parameters, it is possible to deduce the working mode and technical level of the US military system, as well as the reaction time of each link.
Overall, despite the poor performance of Iranian anti-ship ballistic missiles in the Red Sea conflict, this battle turned out to be a precious opportunity for our military. Through this incident, we are confident that we will rely on independent innovation to develop a highly capable anti-ship ballistic missile capable of overcoming all kinds of interception. This will play a major strategic role in defending the mainland's sea power. At the same time, our comprehensive observation of the actual combat state of the US military has also provided valuable experience and enlightenment for the future military development of our army.
What do you think about the current game between the United States and Iran in the Red Sea and the incident in which our military was watching the battle from the sidelines? In addition to the study of anti-ship ballistic missiles in this military exercise, what other aspects deserve our in-depth consideration and attention? In the comment area, you are welcome to share your views and ideas. This Red Sea conflict may not only be a war, but also a critical moment to gain insight into future military development trends. #Red Sea conflict# #Anti-ship ballistic missiles# #军事观察#