Army Will Field 100 Km Cannon, 500 Km Missiles

[MMC]

How Russian and American Weapons Would Match Up in a New Cold War

As tensions between the two states rise once more, here's how their weapons systems compare



Rocket artillery

The big guns of modern war are missile launchers—nothing says shock and awe like a rain of warheads. But with UAVs overhead to spot targets and powerful radar that can track where a shot came from, counter-battery fire is becoming more accurate and immediate. As a result, these launchers must be able to shoot and move quickly.


The United States and Russia both have mid- and long-range missile vehicles, but the two countries designed their systems with different ethos. The United States has the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS). It can carry six 227mm rockets that can sprinkle the area below with deadly sub munitions.


Nothing says shock and awe like a rain of warheads
One thing HIMARS does well is fire rockets with accuracy. The pinnacle of this is the long-range ATACMS (army tactical missile system) guided missile with a 500-lb explosive warhead. Each HIMARS can be secretly configured to carry one of these large, GPS-guided weapons. Lockheed Martin, who makes the system, says that 570 ATACMS missiles have been fired in combat, and on May 15 the Army signed a $174 million contract with Lockheed to make more.

The Russians, on the other hand, tend to go for volume over accuracy. Their Multiple Launch Rocket Systems are trucks fit with lots of rocket tubes. The BM-21 Grad, for example, is a six-wheeled vehicle with forty launch tubes that can all fire within seconds. (Compare that to the 6-shot, more accurate HIMARS.)

However, they also have longer-range mobile missiles that could target NATO bases, airfields, troop concentrations, and civilians. Top of the list of deadly long-range missiles is the Iskander-M tactical missile system (NATO calls it the SS-26 Stone.) It can be ready to shoot 250 miles in just 20 minutes, delivering an 880-pound warhead to a target within 15 feet of where it's aimed. Russia has been conducting drills this month with Iskanders and recently has moved some to Kalingrad, in the Baltics, to further extend the range of these weapons.

Edge: Russia
Russia's imprecise systems are getting new life now that unmanned aircraft are serving as spotters and signals intelligence units can guide the hail of unguided missiles. Longer-range missiles will have a greater effect for Russia in Europe, where it enjoys a home-field advantage: more hiding spots, protective shelters, more variety of supply lines, and sheer numbers......snip~


https://www.popularmechanics.com/mil...-new-cold-war/

[Peter1469]

They definitely do that.....even though their Navy isn't as effective as they seem to think.

They really let their navy fall apart. Except perhaps their subs. Their modernization focused on their land forces and nuclear forces.

[MMC]

Traditional Artillery


Artillery has been the chief man-killer on the battlefield ever since it was invented. While recent American and Russian counterinsurgency fights have emphasized the importance of ground troops, artillery has played a vital role in those conflicts.


You need mobility to survive on a modern battlefield. The Marine Corps' M777 howitzer can be hoisted by an MV-22 Osprey, enabling the big guns to keep up with the fight. Other U.S. big guns are self-propelled—mounted on a tracked chassis—but they are not so new. The M109 Paladin is the go-to mobile artillery piece for the Army, introduced in 1969 and updated to its current variant, the M109A7. That version, delivered just the April, has an electric drive system—extra juice to power future upgrades and an ability to throw four 155mm rounds a minute.


The Marine Corps' M777 howitzer can be hoisted by an MV-22 Osprey



Russian artillery is getting a makeover. This year's May Day parade showcased the newest self-propelled guns in the Russian arsenal, the 2S35 Koalitsiya-SV. As part of one recent enhancement used to score precise hits, its 155mm round can now hone in on a target designated by a laser. The real advantage in this design is the ability to choose different rounds and have a robotic system automatically load it.


Edge: Push


Although this is a close call, the U.S.' ability to move around a battlefield by air and attack with artillery from unexpected directions gives it a distinct advantage. However, that implies the U.S. has air superiority. The Russians don't have to fly around as much to deploy and they have some good vehicles, but American forces can be very adept at tracking vehicles and killing these from the air......snip~


https://www.popularmechanics.com/mil...-new-cold-war/