Standing on the edge of a crisis….
Putin moves his most advanced GROWLER anti-aircraft missile system in range of NATO Baltic base as part of Russia's belligerent stance towards the former Soviet satellite states
- The advanced missile system can blast jets out of the sky from 250 miles
- Putin has ordered two regiments of Growlers to the St Petersburg region
- The missiles will cover airspace over NATO's Baltic allies and Finland
- Putin will have 16 Growler regiments available by the end of the year
Russian president Vladimir Putin has moved his most advanced anti-aircraft missile system within range of NATO's Baltic base as he continues to order his nuclear bombers to patrol the North Sea.
The S-400 Triumph, dubbed the SA-21 Growler by NATO, can destroy an aircraft at a range of 250 miles at an altitude of 90,000 feet.
Putin ordered two batteries of the highly-mobile supersonic missile systems to be deployed to the area around St Petersburg, putting a missile shield over much of the Baltic region.
RAF jets are regularly involved in missions to protect Baltic airspace from Russian aircraft, however, Vladimir Putin is now deploying his most-advanced anti-aircraft missile system to the region as part of his increasingly belligerent stance towards the former Soviet states
The highly-advanced S-400 Triumph, known by NATO as the SA-21 Growler, pictured, is capable of shooting down an aircraft at a range of 250 miles at an altitude of up to 90,000 feet
RAF Typhoons have been deployed in a Quick Reaction Alert role across the Baltic, most recently in Estonia, which will now be covered by Putin's advanced missile system
RAF Typhoons ended a six-month tour of duty at Amari airbase in Estonia earlier this month as part of the NATO Baltic Air Policing mission.
According to the RAF, four Typhoon aircraft from the 140 Expeditionary Air Wing were deployed to protect the airspace around Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania from incursion by 'unidentified aircraft'.
Yesterday, two RAF Typhoon jets were scrambled to intercept a pair of Russian Tupolev Tu-160 Blackjack bombers off the coast of Scotland.
Each of the bombers is capable of carrying 16 nuclear missiles.
According the Ministry of Defence: 'We can confirm that Quick Reaction Alert Typhoon aircraft from RAF Lossiemouth intercepted two Russian Blackjack bombers and escorted them while they were in the UK area of interest. At no point did the aircraft enter UK territorial airspace.'
Russian's Western Military Command confirmed that two regiments of Growlers will be deployed to the 'Leningrad region in the near future'.
The Growler, pictured, is also capable of intercepting in-bound cruise missiles
Igor Muginov told the Russian Tass news agency: 'At this time, military servicemen are preparing to hold an operational readiness exercise at the Ashuluk military station in the Astrakhan region. They are going to engage low-flying aerial, high altitude, evading and ballistic targets.
'After the operational readiness exercise is completed, the missile complex will be brought into operation so it can be used to protect the aerial borders of North-West Russia.'
Russia has been dramatically increasing the number of S-400 regiments, with 16 due to be operational by the end of the year.
Putin has already deployed one unit to Russia's Hmeimim Air Base in Syria. From the heavily-defended airbase, the missile system can cover an area covering most of Syria, southern Turkey, Cyprus, the eastern Mediterranean as well as much of Israel.
The missile system comes in three sections, with a central control point, a radar complex capable of tracking 300 targets and controlling six anti-aircraft missile launchers.
The S-400 is also able to intercept cruise missiles and other potential airborne threats.
It is also believed to be a major threat to military aircraft such as the RAF Tornado and Typhoon as well as the US Air Force F-15, F-16 and F/A 18 Hornet.
Putin has ordered a massive increase in Growler production and will have 16 regiments available to him by the end of the year, with missiles already covering Syria and the North Pole
Russian defence officials claim it can even target the fifth-generation F-22 Raptor aircraft.
The long-range missile system first went into service in 2007.
Russia claims the system can even strike incoming ballistic missiles travelling at 10,000 miles per hour at a range of 40 miles.
MOUNTING TENSIONS:THE LATEST IN A SERIES OF RUSSIAN INTERCEPTIONS
The scrambling of Typhoons from RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire to intercept two nuclear-capable Russian Blackjack bombers is just the latest in a long line of incidents of Russian planes nearing British airspace:
September 19, 2014: Typhoons from RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland shadow a pair of Tu-95 Bear bombers approaching a Nato defence zone in the North Sea.
October 29, 2014: Two more bears are intercepted approaching the UK from the Norwegian sea as part of a large sortie of Russian planes including MiG fighters.
A Russian bear bomber is escorted by an RAF fighter jet (file picture)
October 31, 2014: Typhoons from Lossiemouth escort a lone Bear away from UK airspace.
January 28, 2015: Civilian flights are diverted away from Britain after bear bombers are spotted off the coast of Bournemouth and Portsmouth after passing the west coast of Ireland and flying around the English Channel. The Foreign Office questions the Russian Ambassador as to why the bombers were flying so close to commercial flights.
February 18, 2015: Two Typhoons from RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire scrambled to intercept a pair of Bear bombers flying off Cornwall. They are escorted south.
April 13, 2015: Two Typhoons are sent from Lossiemouth after two bears are seen in international airspace near north Scotland, shortly after several Nato warships are gathered off the Scottish coast for training exercises.
May 14, 2015: Two Typhoons were scrambled from Lossiemouth to intercept a pair of Tu-95 bombers flying towards UK airspace north of Scotland. But they did not enter the airspace and were not considered a threat.
September 11, 2015: Two Blackjack bombers are seen off the coast of Northumbria, prompting Typhoons to be scrambled from Lossiemouth. The UK jets closed in on the Russian planes which then flew off towards the Baltic Sea.
November 20, 2015: Blackjacks heading to a bombing raid in Syria on an unusual 8,000-mile round trip around Europe come close to entering UK airspace. Typhoons are sent from Lossiemouth to intercept and escort them away via the Atlantic Ocean and Gibraltar.
'Doomsday' artillery shell containing an electromagnetic pulse weapon powerful enough to cripple an entire city's electronics revealed
- Pentagon is calling for a 'non-kinetic effects' weapon for 155mm projectiles
- Would be an electromagnetic pulse artillery shell that could wipe out electronics
- It would destroy electronic infrastructure without physically causing damage
The US Department of Defense is developing a powerful new weapon that could cripple an entire city without directly hurting anyone.
A recent solicitation from the Pentagon calls for a non-explosive electromagnetic pulse artillery shell capable of wiping out ‘a wide range of electronics, critical infrastructure, and computer-based systems.’
The non-kinetic system would first be incorporated into a 155mm projectile and later scaled down to enable the use of multiple shells, allowing for devastating electronic attacks that are delivered by standard munition but cause no physical damage.
A solicitation from the Pentagon calls for a non-explosive electromagnetic pulse artillery shell capable of wiping out ‘a wide range of electronics, critical infrastructure, and computer-based systems.’ It would fit into a 155mm artillery piece, like the M777 Howitzer, pictured
Essentially, such a weapon would render the target’s entire electronic infrastructure useless.
The DoD will first develop a prototype weapon for the 155mm projectile, with the ultimate plan to create a ‘ruggedized, hardened electronics subsystem.’
During the development process, the report says they’ll also be exploring and demonstrating different ways to carry out non-kinetic attacks, and testing the system’s capabilities in the field.
‘Extensive use of wireless RF networking for critical infrastructure and communications systems provides an alternative attack vector for the neutralization of an adversary’s underlying industrial, civil, and communications infrastructure without the destruction of the hardware associated with those systems,’ the solicitation states.
According to the solicitation , the weapon will be designed to be cost-effective and precise, launching the non-kinetic effects (NKE) from a close range to limit the affected area. Essentially, such a weapon would render the target’s entire electronic infrastructure useless
‘Advances in munitions-based microelectronics and power technologies make possible the implementation of non-kinetic cyber and electromagnetic ‘or electronic warfare (EW)’ attacks that could be delivered via artillery launched munitions.
‘The precision delivery of the non-kinetic effects (NKE) electronics payload close to the target allows low power operation which limits the geographical extent of impacted systems, and reduces the overall impact on the electromagnetic spectrum.’
The new development comes more than a year after a report warned that America is falling behind in the development of critical electromagnetic weapons that some say could wipe out 90 percent of its population.
BOEING'S 'CHAMP' WEAPON
In 2012, aircraft manufacturer Boeing successfully tested the weapon on a one-hour flight during which it knocked out the computers of an entire military compound.
During Boeing's experiment, the missile flew low over the Utah Test and Training Range, discharging electromagnetic pulses on to seven targets, permanently shutting down their electronics.
Boeing said that the test was so successful even the camera recording it was disabled.
Pictured is Boeing's Champ, or Counter-electronics High-powered microwave Advanced Missile Project, one of the EMP weapons that is under construction
Although the project is shrouded in secrecy, experts believe the missile is equipped with an electromagnetic pulse cannon.
This uses a super-powerful microwave oven to generate a concentrated beam of energy which causes voltage surges in electronic equipment, rendering them useless before surge protectors have the chance to react.
Boeing's CHAMP takes out enemy electronics with pulse.
The Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments says the technology is 'one of the most critical operational domains in modern warfare.'
However, it concluded 'unfortunately, 'failed to keep pace' is an appropriate description of the Department of Defense's (DoD) investments in EMS warfare capabilities over the last generation.'
The report, 'Winning the Airwaves: Regaining America's Dominance in the Electromagnetic Spectrum', added the technology will become as revolutionary as smartphones.
'In the same way that smartphones and the Internet are redefining how the world shares, shops, learns, and works, the development and fielding of advanced sensors and networking technologies will enable militaries to gain significant new advantages over competitors that fail to keep pace,' it says.
The dramatic moment Russian fighter jets 'buzzed' a US Navy warship in the Baltic Sea at a height of just 30 FEET in a 'simulated attack'
- Two Russian Su-24 fighter planes thundered over the USS Donald Cook in the most 'aggressive' move in years
- Jets were just 30ft above the warship during the 'simulated attack' maneuver that created a 'wake in the water'
- US Destroyer was operating in the Baltic Sea, 70 miles from Kaliningrad, when the unarmed planes thundered past
- The White House condemned Russia for the latest in a series of 'concerning' clashes between the two nations
This is the dramatic moment two Russian fighter planes buzzed a US warship conducting a routine training mission in the Baltic Sea on Tuesday night.
The Russian Su-24 planes thundered over the USS Donald Cook at a height of just 30ft in what a military official branded the most 'aggressive' incident between Russia and the United States in years.
The 'simulated attack' maneuver saw the jets pass so close to the ocean that they created a 'wake in the water', the defense official said.
The shock move came as a Polish helicopter was taking off from the US Destroyer on Tuesday evening.
Two low-flying Russian jets (Su-24 plane pictured) 'aggressively' buzzed a US warship sailing in the Baltic Sea on Tuesday evening
Show of force: The Russian Su-24 planes thundered over the USS Donald Cook at a height of just 30ft, creating a 'wake in the water'
The maneuver was followed by seven passes by a Russian KA-27 Helix helicopter - designed to take out submarines - taking pictures of the US vessel.
The American warship was conducting air operations about 70 nautical miles from the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad when the aircraft flew at an 'unsafe' speed close to the Destroyer.
Two close encounters occurred on Tuesday night in international waters, while another, at an acceptable distance, happened on Sunday.
'This is more aggressive than anything we've seen in some time,' the defense official said, on condition of anonymity.
The planes were 'wings clean', meaning they were not visibly armed.
A Polish helicopter, which was operating off the ship as part of routine training, had its flight operations disrupted because of the Russian actions.
The US warship had been followed by a Russian intelligence-gathering vessel before the incident with the attack aircraft.
Crew on USS Cook had contacted sailors on the Russian ship to reassure them they were conducting routine operations.
The American warship was conducting air operations about 70 nautical miles from the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad when the aircraft (pictured) flew at an 'unsafe' speed close to the Destroyer
A Russian KA-27 Helix helicopter - designed to sink submarines - took pictures of the US vessel as it made seven passes over the ship
While there are often encounters between US ships and foreign aircraft, this time officials and crew deemed the movements of the Russian jets unsafe, due to their speed and proximity to the ship.
The White House issued a statement condemning Russia for the latest in a series of 'concerning' clashes between the Russian and U.S. militaries.
'This incident is entirely inconsistent with the professional norms of militaries operating in proximity to each other in international waters and international airspace,' Press Secretary Josh Earnest said.
'There have been repeated incidents over the last year where the Russian military, including Russian military aircraft, have come close enough to each other or have come close enough to other air and sea traffic to raise serious safety concerns, and we continue to be concerned about this behavior.'
The incident came as NATO plans its biggest build-up in eastern Europe since the Cold War to counter what the alliance, and in particular the Baltic states and Poland, consider to be a more aggressive Russia.
The three Baltic states - Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia - which joined both NATO and the European Union in 2004, have asked NATO for a permanent presence of battalion-sized deployments of allied troops in each of their territories. A NATO battalion typically consists of 300 to 800 troops.
Moscow denies any intention to attack the Baltic states, which were part of the former Soviet Union.
The USS Cook was 70 miles (marked by dotted line) from the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad. Its exact location has not been released
The White House issued a statement condemning Russia for the latest in a series of 'concerning' clashes. Pictured, the two planes flying past the US warship
The two planes (pictured from the USS Donald Cook) were 'wings clean', meaning they were not visibly armed as they flew past
The USS Donald Cook (pictured) was sailing in the Baltic Sea when it was buzzed by low flying Russian fighter jets at a height of just 30 feet in 'aggressive' passes
USS Cook has spent much of the last two years in Europe, following its deployment to the Black Sea in 2014 after Russia's annexation of Crimea.
While it was stationed there, it was buzzed 12 times by two Russian Su-24s in a remarkably similar incident to the one on Tuesday.
'The Donald Cook is more than capable of defending itself against two Su-24s,' the Pentagon said at the time.
The US Navy often runs routine training missions through the Baltic Sea, passing through international waters and those controlled by NATO members.
It holds a huge annual drill known as BALTOPS, which sees other allies send ships to the region for what it calls routine exercises but are seen by military experts as a show of force.
BALTOPS 2015 saw more than 5,000 units from the U.S., the UK, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Georgia, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden and Turkey conduct operations in the Baltic Sea, and off the coasts of Sweden and Germany.
Tensions with Russia were further raised earlier this year when the U.S. announced plans to station six F-15 aircraft in Finland and artillery in Norway, with both nations sharing a border with Russia.
The U.S. already has fighter planes based in the UK, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Iceland and the Netherlands.
Massive NATO military exercise in Poland – preparation for war with Russia?
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