Mindstorm thats not all factual
THAAD can intercept BM/TBM from 40 km altitude to 150 km altitude which takes care of missiles like Iskander-M with a range of 450 Km .
Austin range of missiles being within the "virtual" lower altitude and target range limits of THAAD have no relation at all with its real possibility to engage up-to-date target of those type.
That is a very well know fact within NATO itself that ,from a side, has opened the road for European ABM projects aimed at cover this dangerous gap and, from the other,
allow Russian diplomacy to play the card of Iskander-M deployment in the Kalingrad enclave as a very hard menace and exchange point in the querelle on the NATO ABM instsallation in East Europe.
In the Iskander theread i have posted an extract from a France Senate interrogation on Ballistic Missile Defense and a relation of MBDA, SAFRAN et THALES representatives on the status of European Security in this field and theirs joint project to realize in future a ABM capable to cover the shorcomings of American systems now deployable for the task.
I report down here some parts:
" M. Antoine Bouvier ,MBDA President : En outre, l'exoatmosphérique ne traite pas l'intégralité de la menace, loin s'en faut. La faisabilité technique des systèmes d'interception à altitude moyenne/haut endoatmosphérique n'est plus remise en cause. Ces systèmes permettent de couvrir la gamme de menaces balistiques de nouvelle génération, non interceptables par les systèmes exoatmosphériques. Il s'agit par exemple des missiles russes de type SS 26 Iskander ou chinois M9. Cette menace n'est couverte ni par la nouvelle génération de missiles Patriot, ni par le missile SM-3, ni même par les systèmes THAAD (Theater High Altitude Area Defense).
Il existe donc dans les systèmes américains ce qu'on pourrait appeler des « trous dans la raquette » qui sont autant d'opportunités pour l'Europe de contribuer en nature ses propres systèmes.......
Ces missiles présentent une particularité. Ils volent dans l'atmosphère, en dessous de 60 à 70 kilomètres, et lorsqu'ils rentrent dans les couches denses de l'atmosphère, à 25 ou 30 kilomètres, ils acquièrent une capacité manoeuvrante qui les rend quasiment impossibles à intercepter.
L'interception de ces missiles doit donc se faire entre 25/30 et 60/70 kilomètres. Comme je l'indiquais, aucun des programmes américains ne répond à cette exigence. D'après nos analyses, le THAAD ne descend pas en dessous de 50 kilomètres. Le Patriot ne monte pas au dessus de 20 à 25 kilomètres. Quant au SM-3, il évolue dans l'espace exoatmosphérique."
I have also other hard sources all adamantine on this same identical line and on the chances by part of any ABM system operative today in West to having any chance to really intercept an Iskander-M missiles...and obviously and above anything else, also Russia is perfectly aware of that
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out to range of IRBM class targets which is 3,500 km class missile
Strange....What is your source for that ?
In this document of US Missile Defense Agency of end of 2002 (and in any other source of the same "weight" for that matter) is clearly specified that THAAD has been designed for intercept missiles up to 3000 km of range, to the point that the main aim was to find an area of 3000 km to put at test THAAD up to its intended limits, not one time 3500 km is cited in any serious source i have read ; moreover its specific impulse, launch mass, top speed ,and aerodynamic layout all collimate perfectly with similar limits.
[url=http://www.mda.mil/global/documents/pdf/env_thaad_ea.pdf]http://www.mda.mil/global/documents/pdf/env_thaad_ea.pdf[quote]
"The THAAD missile is intended to intercept and destroy incoming ballistic missiles with ranges of 50 to 3,000 kilometers (31 to 1,860 miles), which are currently fielded throughout the world by a large number of nations. THAAD flight tests and intercepts of target missile launches over these ranges are required to validate the performance capability and overall effectiveness of the THAAD weapon system (i.e., interceptor missiles, radar, and support components) against representative threat ballistic missiles.
Because THAAD missile tests using realistic distances cannot be conducted at White Sands Missile Range, the Missile Defense Agency needs to conduct tests at a range that allows those distances in order to confirm the effectiveness of the THAAD weapon system prior to its procurement and deployment."
If you have any equally reliable source saying otherwise i would be very intersted in reading it, thanks.
P.S.: I take advantage of the instance to say thanks to you for the western magazine's articles on PAKFA and KA-52 you have posted. Always precious
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