Russia can respond to any attack that the United States may conduct against the Crimea, military expert Alexei Leonkov said.
According to him, if Washington wants to launch a missile attack on the territory of the Crimea using the HIMARS multiple launch rocket system, the Russian army will be able to resist.
The recent exercises in Romania showed that the system, which the Americans tested there, was a weapon that could withstand counter-battery activities.
Russia has an electronic intelligence system in the region that can easily determine the location, from where the attack was conducted," Leonkov explained.
With the help of the electronic intelligence system, Russia can calculate the exact location of missile launches. As soon as the location is detected, strike systems will be used to destroy the launch systems, whereas Pantsir anti-aircraft defense systems will be activated to intercept the missiles.
Ultimately, Iskander missile systems will strike the HIMARS complex to destroy it completely before large-scale war could break out. Alexei Leonkov believes that the United States is simply intimidating the general public with its statements.
Not that long ago, the US deployed two HIMARS long-range multiple launch rocket systems in Romania. The military launched several missiles over the Black Sea, and then returned the systems to their base in Germany. Experts believe that the move came as a message to Moscow signalling that the US army has regained its long-range firepower in Europe.
A year ago, the Pentagon insisted on the need to include expenditure articles in the new draft budget to finance 10,193 surface-to-surface missiles for the HIMARS.
According to analysts, such a number of missiles will cost Washington $1.4 billion. Journalists claim that a sharp increase in the costs to enlarge the missile arsenal indicates that the Pentagon is giving greater priority to ground-based multiple launch rocket systems to confront Russia and China.
Earlier, the Pentagon deployed three operational-tactical missile systems HIMARS launchers at its bases in the Syrian province of Deir ez-Zor.
Officially referred to as the M142 HIMARS multiple launch rocket system, the complex is capable of using a wide range of ATACMS tactical missiles.