Can Russia destroy US missile defenses in Europe?

No one doubts the power of American weapons. The United States is one of the greatest military in the world, no matter how you look at it. Russia has no doubts about it either, but the country does not fear US weapons, because it can adequately respond to any "smart move" of the American military.

The current media hype surrounding the deployment of the US missile defense system in Europe, which may supposedly disrupt the launches of Russian ballistic missile as a weapon of retaliation and strike a nuclear blow on the Russian territory, has not sown panic in Russia either.

Speaking about medium-range Standard missiles that are part of the US missile defense system, Russian experts admit that they can indeed be re-equipped to strike control systems of Russia's strategic nuclear forces.

General designer of the Institute of Thermal Engineering, Yuri Solomonov, said that a missile designed to intercept ICBMs in the air can be simply reprogrammed to attack ground targets. Nevertheless, this can hardly be called a serious threat to Russia.

Firstly, the Russian missile defense system, which also includes aerospace forces, can intercept  such missiles, even if they are launched from Romania or Poland. Secondly, such missiles are capable of striking ground targets at distances from 500 to 1,500 kilometers. In other words, they will not reach Moscow. Thirdly, in case of an act of aggression against Russia, Russia will resort to all means of deterrence.

In Europe, they fear Russia's Iskander-M tactical missile complexes. This is a very serious weapon indeed. The system is mobile, capable of producing unexpected launches, but the range of its missiles makes up 300-350 kilometers. Therefore, they can reach, lets say, Romania, from the territory of Transnistria.

There are no Russian missiles in Transnistria. In this unrecognized republic, Russia only has a peacemaking contingent. From the Kaliningrad enclave, Iskander missiles may reach only a part of Poland and the Baltic Sea. These missiles have their own tasks that are not included in the system of the Russian missile defense system. We have a more serious caliber.

The use of ICBM RS-24 Yars (mobile or silo-based), as well as ICBM R-30 Bulava (can be launched from nuclear submarines) is unlikely for the purpose to destroy US missile defenses in Europe - it's like shooting sparrows from a cannon. The same goes for such "monsters" as Topol-M or Voevoda (Satan) missiles that can wipe the USA off the face of the Earth.

To counter sources of aggression in Europe, Russia can use Calibre missiles. Russia has these missiles in ground, air, surface and underwater versions. All of them are capable of carrying nuclear warheads. Even a small rocket ship, located in Sevastopol, is capable of covering Transylvania, Bucharest and the territory of 2,500 kilometers farther. From Baltiysk, the Caliber missiles can reach all of Western Europe, including the UK.

Strategic supersonic cruise missile X-101 (X-102 with a nuclear warhead) is capable of hitting targets at a distance of 5,500 kilometers with an accuracy of up to five meters. Detecting and intercepting it is hardly possible. Its combat use was demonstrated during the operation of the Russian Air Force to destroy Islamic State militants in Syria.

Strategic bombers Tu-160, from which cruise missiles X-101 and X-555 were launched, did not even have to enter Syrian airspace. All of the launched missiles struck their targets. Reaching defense facilities in Europe is a piece of cake for those missiles.

"The Americans do not care about the Old World, - military expert Vladislav Shurygin said. - Even if Romania turns into scorched land, the Americans will only care less. The USA is too far, and there will be no explosions there. Deploying missile defense facilities in Europe, the United States is literally setting up its partners in Europe, making them take the blow that can only be struck in response to aggression, of course."

Noteworthy, during 40 years of the existence of the Warsaw Pact, the Soviet Union had never had European countries of the treaty involved in its nuclear constituent. There was a small group of nuclear forces deployed on the territory of the German Democratic Republic as part of Soviet forces in Germany, for a short period of time.

As for the invincibility and invulnerability of the United States, these illusions shatter and fall apart as they come across the hyper sound technology that Russia has been successfully using for its state-of-the-art missiles. The hyper sound technology simply eliminates the entire missile defense system in Europe and in the United States.

Can Russia strike a preventive blow on NATO objects in Europe? Can Russia destroy the enemy before it attacks first? Of course not. Russia's foreign policy is based on the aspiration to resolve all conflicts by peaceful means, without resorting to force. Russia's actions in Syria were not offensive, but deterrent in nature, aimed at neutralizing terrorists.

The panic of the Baltic States, which tirelessly say that the Russians are about to attack them, is just a bluff, the purpose of which is to receive financial aid from Western countries. Russia is not going to seize Ukraine, even though the latter is already tired of digging trenches and building walls on the border. In 2008, during the operation to force Georgia to peace, Russian troops could easily enter Tbilisi, but did not do it and stopped on the borders of South Ossetia, which had fallen a victim of Georgia's aggression.

However, we admit that the Russian army remains in a state of combat readiness. The Russian army is ready to respond to any attack from the outside. Luckily to all of us, it appears that no one  is willing to see the real power of Russia's military might.

Viktor Sokirko.