Latest news with #JackWatling
The Guardian
25-07-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Russia launches record attacks on Ukraine as country struggles to defend itself
Night by night, the blitz develops. Russian drones, decoys, cruise and ballistic missiles – increasingly aimed at a single city or location – are being launched in record numbers into Ukraine, straining the country's ability to defend itself and raising questions about how well it can endure another winter of war. One day earlier this month, 728 drones and 13 missiles were launched, mostly at the western city of Lutsk, home to many Ukrainian airfields. Large salvoes now come more frequently: every three to five days, rather than every 10 to 12, and civilian casualties are rising: 232 people were killed in June, the highest monthly level for three years. A 1,000-drone attack is anticipated shortly and last weekend a German army major general, Christian Freuding, predicted that the Kremlin's ambition was to attack Ukraine with '2,000 drones simultaneously'. Production of drones and missiles has improved, as have Russian tactics. Not only are the drones unleashed in larger swarms, with dozens of decoys included, but they are also being flown either much lower or at much higher altitudes, sometimes in a stack to fool the defenders before swooping down steeply to their target. The additional height takes them beyond the range of mobile Ukrainian gunners, whose job has been to shoot them down, relatively cheaply. Analyses of Ukrainian air force data show that more drones are getting through: from close to 5% in March and April to between 15% and 20% in May and June. Russia is also using its Shahed drones more intelligently, analysts say, to open a path for faster and more dangerous cruise and ballistic missiles because the 50kg (110lb) explosive normally carried by a Shahed only does a relatively limited amount of damage. Designed in Iran, the delta-winged Shahed 136, or the Russian Geran-2s, are now made in Russia. At least two factories have been identified, one in Izhevsk, and most notably in Yelabuga, more than 700 miles from Ukraine. The modern-looking assembly line was shown off on Russian television a few days ago, with dozens of distinctive fibreglass and carbon-fibre frames positioned to sinister effect in the background. 'The Shahed problem has been foreseeable for some time. Russia has been asking itself: 'What will be the T-34 of this war?'' said Jack Watling, a military expert with the Royal United Services Institute thinktank, referring to the tank that is considered by some to have helped the Soviets defeat the Nazis in the second world war. Watling said the issue uppermost in the minds of Russian planners was: 'What is the technology that we can invest in that is good and cheap enough and delivers decisive results?' Two of these are Shahed drones and Iskander missiles in which, he said, Russia has invested heavily in trying to deliver a long-term military-industrial victory. In the Russian video of the Yelabuga plant, the narrator says that teenagers as young as 15 are invited to work at the factory, coming from a nearby technical college, such has been the Kremlin's focus on trying to keep costs down. The Russian version of the Shahed 136 is cheap, costing roughly between $50,000 (£37,000) to $100,000 each, according to Samuel Bendett, a drone expert with the Centre for Naval Analyses thinktank. At the same time, component and manufacturing equipment supply for Shaheds has improved. 'China is more directly providing components to Russia,' said Kateryna Stepanenko, from the Institute of the Study of War, likely aided by a direct rail link to China near Yelabuga. 'Integration of Chinese components, where before there was supply from Iran, means the manufacturers now have a lot more available parts,' she said. Sign up to This is Europe The most pressing stories and debates for Europeans – from identity to economics to the environment after newsletter promotion In Ukraine, there is nervousness. Concern about the available air defence has prompted renewed public lobbying from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for US Patriot air defence systems, and a promise from Germany to pay for five more. But Patriots are only cost-effectively used against cruise and ballistic missiles, not Shaheds, because the modern PAC-3 interceptor missiles cost about $4m each. There has been a sustained effort in developing cheap drones to knock out the Shaheds, although details about the counter-drone efforts remain relatively scarce online, partly because the effort is concealed by operational security. A prominent Ukrainian fundraiser, Serhii Sternenko, said a fortnight ago that more than 100 air targets had been shot down as part of his foundation's 'Shahedoriz' project. That suggests modest progress. Watling argues the problem at the moment is that 'the technology exists but they have not scaled production of them yet'. That may be solved by a partnership announced by Zelenskyy with Google's former CEO Eric Schmidt earlier this month to produce 'interceptor drones', though again details are scant. At the same time, in the last month Ukrainian officials have been trying to restart efforts to lobby European powers to police the skies over the west of the country. One initiative, Sky Shield, proposed in March, suggested that 120 fighter jets could effectively engage in defensive air policing west of the Dnipro River – but this idea was only deemed practical after a ceasefire that Russia has refused to agree to. Though air policing has formed part of plans for a post-conflict 'reassurance force' led by the UK and France, there has so far been no appetite for western nations to step forward and protect Ukrainian airspace for fears it would lead to a direct conflict between a Nato country and Russia. 'It's so frustrating: countries send people to fight in Afghanistan for how long to defend from what – but nobody wants to help Ukraine better defend its skies,' said one source involved in the renewed effort. While there is not much confidence in diplomacy, the balance in the battle of the skies has tipped towards Russia. That could become more ominous if, in the coming weeks, Moscow makes a determined effort to target Ukraine's electricity grid and utility networks before winter. For now, the heightened level of missile and drone attacks demonstrates that the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, 'remains committed to his goals to have Ukraine surrender and capitulate', said Stepanenko, from the Institute of the Study of War. 'This war is certainly not a stalemate.'
The Independent
19-06-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Why hypersonic missiles could change the course of the Iran-Israel conflict
Iran has asserted that it possesses and has begun deploying advanced hypersonic missiles against Israel. However, these claims currently lack any verifiable evidence, and military experts have expressed scepticism. Should these high-speed projectiles indeed be in Iran's arsenal and deployed, they could present an unprecedented challenge to Israel's sophisticated missile-defence system, the iron dome. This potential shift in military capability, if proven true, would undoubtedly alter the dynamics of the long-standing and bitter conflict between the two nations. Here's a closer look at these advanced weapons: What is a hypersonic missile and what makes them so feared? Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard claimed Wednesday that it had fired what it said were hypersonic 'Fattah 1' missiles toward Israel. But whether these missiles are hypersonic is a matter of debate. Simply put, hypersonic weapons are any missile that travels beyond Mach 5, five times the speed of sound. Ballistic missiles, fired high up or outside the earth's atmosphere, routinely reach this speed. But in modern warfare, experts say hypersonic weapons must also have advanced navigation systems – making them nimble and capable of changing their trajectory. This can challenge traditional defence systems, said Jack Watling, a senior fellow at the Royal United Services Institute. Traditional ballistic missiles fly on a trajectory that missile-defence systems like the U.S.-made Patriot can anticipate. Cruise missiles, which can hug terrain, or hypersonic missiles, which are fired to a lower altitude, have less predictable trajectories and are harder to stop. 'Radar can see a missile on a ballistic curve because it's above the radar horizon. If it's a hypersonic glide vehicle, it can fly lower and hills get in the way,' Watling said. 'That further reduces the time that you will have to engage because if it comes over the horizon, you suddenly see it, and then it's over.' Who has hypersonic missiles or is developing them? Experts say the U.S. and China are the only countries that have developed new-generation hypersonic missiles — but neither have used them in battle. Other nations such as Russia, North Korea and Pakistan have tested or used missiles with similar but less sophisticated technology. 'In the way that it is currently being used, the term 'hypersonic' often has little to no meaning and at the same time fuels competitive dynamics and a fear of missing out on the technology,' according to a 2022 report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. The U.S. says it is putting hypersonic missiles on a stealth destroyer and is developing and testing other programs. China tested its first hypersonic missile in 2017 and has since developed an array of hypersonic weapons that the U.S. Defence Department says could threaten Hawaii, Alaska and even the continental U.S. Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth has warned of China's ' huge investments ' in military technology including hypersonic weapons. What are Iran's capabilities? Most countries can't make missiles that would weather the temperature and momentum stresses of these incredibly fast munitions, Watling said. 'This is a hugely complicated task. The Iranians don't have the capacity to manufacture them,' he said. Most of the missiles Iran has deployed against Israel travel at hypersonic speed, but are barely manoeuvrable, so are not considered true hypersonic missiles, said Yehoshua Kalisky, a senior researcher at the Israeli think tank INSS and a former scientist in Israeli defence industries. The missile it has launched, the Fattah 1 has had minimal success. Israel says Iran has fired over 400 missiles, with over 40 causing damage or casualties. 'Israel is able to intercept more than 95% of the missiles because speed is not crucial,' said Kalisky. 'What is important is the manoeuvrability of the incoming missiles, and so far the manoeuvrability of these missiles is limited.' He said Iran has two fast and manoeuvrable missiles, the Khorramshahr and Fattah 2, that would be 'more difficult' to intercept. But neither have been deployed. When and where have hypersonic missiles been used? Russia has claimed to have used hypersonic missiles in its war against Ukraine, but experts say that while fast they do not maneuver enough to be considered true hypersonic weapons. Russia President Vladimir Putin boasted of the development and use of the Orenshik in Ukraine — claiming that flies 'like a meteorite' at 10 times the speed of sound, and that it was immune to any missile defence system. Ukrainian military officials said it reached Mach 11. The Pentagon said last December the Oreshnik fired was an experimental type of intermediate-range ballistic missile. Russia has also claimed its Kinzhal missile is hypersonic, but Ukraine has been able to intercept them with the U.S.-made Patriot missile defence system. During the recent fighting between India and Pakistan over the disputed territory of Kashmir, Pakistan said it destroyed a Russian-built S-400 air defence system in India's border Punjab state with hypersonic missiles launched from a warplane. Brazil, Australia, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Iran, Japan, South Korea and North Korea all have hypersonic weapons programs. The European Union is studying how to develop an interceptor for hypersonic missiles as it ramps up defence spending to counter the Russian threat.
India Today
18-06-2025
- Politics
- India Today
Why are Hypersonic Missiles raising alarm in Iran-Israel conflict?
Iran is boasting that it has hypersonic missiles and says it already has begun firing the cutting-edge weapons at is no evidence that Iran has unleashed the missiles, and experts are skeptical of the the use of these fast-moving projectiles could test Israel's vaunted missile-defense system and alter the course of the fighting between the two bitter Here's a closer look at these advanced weapons:WHAT IS A HYPERSONIC MISSILE?Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard claimed Wednesday that it had fired what it said were hypersonic 'Fattah 1' missiles toward Israel. But whether these missiles are hypersonic is a matter of put, hypersonic weapons are any missile that travels beyond Mach 5, five times the speed of sound. Ballistic missiles, fired high up or outside the earth's atmosphere, routinely reach this in modern warfare, experts say hypersonic weapons must also have advanced navigation systems – making them nimble and capable of changing their trajectory. This can challenge traditional defense systems, said Jack Watling, a senior fellow at the Royal United Services ballistic missiles fly on a trajectory that missile-defense systems like the U.S.-made Patriot can anticipate. Cruise missiles, which can hug terrain, or hypersonic missiles, which are fired to a lower altitude, have less predictable trajectories and are harder to can see a missile on a ballistic curve because it's above the radar horizon. If it's a hypersonic glide vehicle, it can fly lower and hills get in the way,' Watling said. 'That further reduces the time that you will have to engage because if it comes over the horizon, you suddenly see it, and then it's over.'WHO IS DEVELOPING THEM?Experts say the U.S. and China are the only countries that have developed new-generation hypersonic missiles — but neither have used them in battle. Other nations such as Russia, North Korea and Pakistan have tested or used missiles with similar but less sophisticated technology.'In the way that it is currently being used, the term 'hypersonic' often has little to no meaning and at the same time fuels competitive dynamics and a fear of missing out on the technology,' according to a 2022 report by the Stockholm International Peace Research U.S. says it is putting hypersonic missiles on a stealth destroyer and is developing and testing other tested its first hypersonic missile in 2017 and has since developed an array of hypersonic weapons that the U.S. Defense Department says could threaten Hawaii, Alaska and even the continental of Defense Pete Hegseth has warned of China's ' huge investments ' in military technology including hypersonic countries can't make missiles that would weather the temperature and momentum stresses of these incredibly fast munitions, Watling said.'This is a hugely complicated task. The Iranians don't have the capacity to manufacture them,' he of the missiles Iran has deployed against Israel travel at hypersonic speed, but are barely maneuverable, so are not considered true hypersonic missiles, said Yehoshua Kalisky, a senior researcher at the Israeli think tank INSS and a former scientist in Israeli defense missile it has launched, the Fattah 1 has had minimal success. Israel says Iran has fired over 400 missiles, with over 40 causing damage or casualties.'Israel is able to intercept more than 95% of the missiles because speed is not crucial,' said Kalisky. 'What is important is the maneuverability of the incoming missiles, and so far the maneuverability of these missiles is limited.'He said Iran has two fast and maneuverable missiles, the Khorramshahr and Fattah 2, that would be 'more difficult' to intercept. But neither have been AND WHERE HAVE HYPERSONIC MISSILES BEEN USED?advertisementRussia has claimed to have used hypersonic missiles in its war against Ukraine, but experts say that while fast they do not maneuver enough to be considered true hypersonic President Vladimir Putin boasted of the development and use of the Orenshik in Ukraine — claiming that flies 'like a meteorite' at 10 times the speed of sound, and that it was immune to any missile defense system. Ukrainian military officials said it reached Mach Pentagon said last December the Oreshnik fired was an experimental type of intermediate-range ballistic has also claimed its Kinzhal missile is hypersonic, but Ukraine has been able to intercept them with the U.S.-made Patriot missile defense the recent fighting between India and Pakistan over the disputed territory of Kashmir, Pakistan said it destroyed a Russian-built S-400 air defense system in India's border Punjab state with hypersonic missiles launched from a Australia, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Iran, Japan, South Korea and North Korea all have hypersonic weapons programs. The European Union is studying how to develop an interceptor for hypersonic missiles as it ramps up defense spending to counter the Russian Watch
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Hypersonic missiles are stirring fears in the Iran-Israel conflict. Here's why
BARCELONA (AP) — Iran is boasting that it has hypersonic missiles and says it already has begun firing the cutting-edge weapons at Israel. There is no evidence that Iran has unleashed the missiles, and experts are skeptical of the claim. But the use of these fast-moving projectiles could test Israel's vaunted missile-defense system and alter the course of the fighting between the two bitter enemies. Here's a closer look at these advanced weapons: What is a hypersonic missile and what makes them so feared? Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard claimed Wednesday that it had fired what it said were hypersonic 'Fattah 1' missiles toward Israel. But whether these missiles are hypersonic is a matter of debate. Simply put, hypersonic weapons are any missile that travels beyond Mach 5, five times the speed of sound. Ballistic missiles, fired high up or outside the earth's atmosphere, routinely reach this speed. But in modern warfare, experts say hypersonic weapons must also have advanced navigation systems – making them nimble and capable of changing their trajectory. This can challenge traditional defense systems, said Jack Watling, a senior fellow at the Royal United Services Institute. Traditional ballistic missiles fly on a trajectory that missile-defense systems like the U.S.-made Patriot can anticipate. Cruise missiles, which can hug terrain, or hypersonic missiles, which are fired to a lower altitude, have less predictable trajectories and are harder to stop. 'Radar can see a missile on a ballistic curve because it's above the radar horizon. If it's a hypersonic glide vehicle, it can fly lower and hills get in the way,' Watling said. 'That further reduces the time that you will have to engage because if it comes over the horizon, you suddenly see it, and then it's over.' Who has hypersonic missiles or is developing them? Experts say the U.S. and China are the only countries that have developed new-generation hypersonic missiles — but neither have used them in battle. Other nations such as Russia, North Korea and Pakistan have tested or used missiles with similar but less sophisticated technology. 'In the way that it is currently being used, the term 'hypersonic' often has little to no meaning and at the same time fuels competitive dynamics and a fear of missing out on the technology,' according to a 2022 report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. The U.S. says it is putting hypersonic missiles on a stealth destroyer and is developing and testing other programs. China tested its first hypersonic missile in 2017 and has since developed an array of hypersonic weapons that the U.S. Defense Department says could threaten Hawaii, Alaska and even the continental U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has warned of China's ' huge investments ' in military technology including hypersonic weapons. What are Iran's capabilities? Most countries can't make missiles that would weather the temperature and momentum stresses of these incredibly fast munitions, Watling said. 'This is a hugely complicated task. The Iranians don't have the capacity to manufacture them,' he said. Most of the missiles Iran has deployed against Israel travel at hypersonic speed, but are barely maneuverable, so are not considered true hypersonic missiles, said Yehoshua Kalisky, a senior researcher at the Israeli think tank INSS and a former scientist in Israeli defense industries. The missile it has launched, the Fattah 1 has had minimal success. Israel says Iran has fired over 400 missiles, with over 40 causing damage or casualties. 'Israel is able to intercept more than 95% of the missiles because speed is not crucial,' said Kalisky. 'What is important is the maneuverability of the incoming missiles, and so far the maneuverability of these missiles is limited.' He said Iran has two fast and maneuverable missiles, the Khorramshahr and Fattah 2, that would be 'more difficult' to intercept. But neither have been deployed. When and where have hypersonic missiles been used? Russia has claimed to have used hypersonic missiles in its war against Ukraine, but experts say that while fast they do not maneuver enough to be considered true hypersonic weapons. Russia President Vladimir Putin boasted of the development and use of the Orenshik in Ukraine — claiming that flies 'like a meteorite' at 10 times the speed of sound, and that it was immune to any missile defense system. Ukrainian military officials said it reached Mach 11. The Pentagon said last December the Oreshnik fired was an experimental type of intermediate-range ballistic missile. Russia has also claimed its Kinzhal missile is hypersonic, but Ukraine has been able to intercept them with the U.S.-made Patriot missile defense system. During the recent fighting between India and Pakistan over the disputed territory of Kashmir, Pakistan said it destroyed a Russian-built S-400 air defense system in India's border Punjab state with hypersonic missiles launched from a warplane. Brazil, Australia, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Iran, Japan, South Korea and North Korea all have hypersonic weapons programs. The European Union is studying how to develop an interceptor for hypersonic missiles as it ramps up defense spending to counter the Russian threat. __ Associated Press writers Emma Burrows in London and Melanie Lidman in Tel Aviv contributed to this report. Sam Mcneil, The Associated Press
Time of India
18-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Hypersonic missiles are stirring fears in the Iran-Israel conflict. Here's why
Iran is boasting that it has hypersonic missiles and says it already has begun firing the cutting-edge weapons at Israel. There is no evidence that Iran has unleashed the missiles, and experts are skeptical of the claim. But the use of these fast-moving projectiles could test Israel's vaunted missile-defense system and alter the course of the fighting between the two bitter enemies. Here's a closer look at these advanced weapons : What is a hypersonic missile and what makes them so feared? Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard claimed Wednesday that it had fired what it said were hypersonic "Fattah 1" missiles toward Israel. But whether these missiles are hypersonic is a matter of debate. Simply put, hypersonic weapons are any missile that travels beyond Mach 5, five times the speed of sound. Ballistic missiles , fired high up or outside the earth's atmosphere, routinely reach this speed. Live Events But in modern warfare, experts say hypersonic weapons must also have advanced navigation systems - making them nimble and capable of changing their trajectory. This can challenge traditional defense systems, said Jack Watling, a senior fellow at the Royal United Services Institute. Traditional ballistic missiles fly on a trajectory that missile-defense systems like the U.S.-made Patriot can anticipate. Cruise missiles, which can hug terrain, or hypersonic missiles, which are fired to a lower altitude, have less predictable trajectories and are harder to stop. "Radar can see a missile on a ballistic curve because it's above the radar horizon. If it's a hypersonic glide vehicle, it can fly lower and hills get in the way," Watling said. "That further reduces the time that you will have to engage because if it comes over the horizon, you suddenly see it, and then it's over." Who has hypersonic missiles or is developing them? Experts say the U.S. and China are the only countries that have developed new-generation hypersonic missiles - but neither have used them in battle. Other nations such as Russia, North Korea and Pakistan have tested or used missiles with similar but less sophisticated technology. "In the way that it is currently being used, the term 'hypersonic' often has little to no meaning and at the same time fuels competitive dynamics and a fear of missing out on the technology," according to a 2022 report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. The U.S. says it is putting hypersonic missiles on a stealth destroyer and is developing and testing other programs. China tested its first hypersonic missile in 2017 and has since developed an array of hypersonic weapons that the U.S. Defense Department says could threaten Hawaii, Alaska and even the continental U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has warned of China's " huge investments " in military technology including hypersonic weapons. What are Iran's capabilities? Most countries can't make missiles that would weather the temperature and momentum stresses of these incredibly fast munitions, Watling said. "This is a hugely complicated task. The Iranians don't have the capacity to manufacture them," he said. Most of the missiles Iran has deployed against Israel travel at hypersonic speed, but are barely maneuverable, so are not considered true hypersonic missiles, said Yehoshua Kalisky, a senior researcher at the Israeli think tank INSS and a former scientist in Israeli defense industries. The missile it has launched, the Fattah 1 has had minimal success. Israel says Iran has fired over 400 missiles, with over 40 causing damage or casualties. "Israel is able to intercept more than 95% of the missiles because speed is not crucial," said Kalisky. "What is important is the maneuverability of the incoming missiles, and so far the maneuverability of these missiles is limited." He said Iran has two fast and maneuverable missiles, the Khorramshahr and Fattah 2, that would be "more difficult" to intercept. But neither have been deployed. When and where have hypersonic missiles been used? Russia has claimed to have used hypersonic missiles in its war against Ukraine, but experts say that while fast they do not maneuver enough to be considered true hypersonic weapons. Russia President Vladimir Putin boasted of the development and use of the Orenshik in Ukraine - claiming that flies "like a meteorite" at 10 times the speed of sound, and that it was immune to any missile defense system. Ukrainian military officials said it reached Mach 11. The Pentagon said last December the Oreshnik fired was an experimental type of intermediate-range ballistic missile. Russia has also claimed its Kinzhal missile is hypersonic, but Ukraine has been able to intercept them with the U.S.-made Patriot missile defense system. During the recent fighting between India and Pakistan over the disputed territory of Kashmir, Pakistan said it destroyed a Russian-built S-400 air defense system in India's border Punjab state with hypersonic missiles launched from a warplane. Brazil, Australia, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Iran, Japan, South Korea and North Korea all have hypersonic weapons programs. The European Union is studying how to develop an interceptor for hypersonic missiles as it ramps up defense spending to counter the Russian threat.
