Date: March 18, 2023 Time: 07:35:41
“One of the features of the work of the Russian air defense within the framework of the special operation was the use of guided missiles from our air defense systems to destroy precision-guided munitions in the air,” RIA Novosti quoted the expert as saying. According to him, there have been cases of successful destruction of American M982 Excalibur shells, which are used by the Armed Forces of Ukraine from M777 howitzers.
Mkrakhovsky emphasized that howitzer shells are a difficult target for air defense systems due to their small size. The agency interlocutor explained that the HIMARS MLRS missile, which Russian systems shoot down in large numbers, has a length of four meters with a caliber of 227 millimeters.
The length of the Excalibur projectile is only one meter with a caliber of 155 millimeters. This is a more difficult target for tracking and targeting, the expert noted. Also, a more accurate hit from an artillery shell is required to disable it due to its increased durability.
It is noted that such opportunities were provided, among other things, thanks to refinements of Russian air defense systems based on the experience of their use on the NMD. So, in the Tor-M2U / M2 air defense system, software and hardware were quickly finalized, increasing its ability to deal with the most modern air threats.
