According to reports of the Wall Street Journal from the beginning of October, citing officials of American administration, the US will transfer Ukraine intelligence data on long -range rocket attacks to Russian energy infrastructure. This information was published two days after the US Vice President JD Vance in an interview with the Fox News television station revealed that President Donald Trump is considering the transfer of Tomahawk maneuvering missiles to Ukraine.
On Thursday, the Reuters agency, citing sources in the Pentagon, said that the transfer of Tomahawk long -range missiles by US administration may prove impossible because the current supplies are intended for the American Navy and for other purposes. However, if the decision was made, Washington would sell shells to Kiev's European allies, who will then pass them on to Ukraine.
On Sunday, September 28, in the “Sunday Briefing” program, Fox News, Keith Kellogg, a special envoy of President Trump for Ukraine, admitted that the president approved Ukrainian strokes deep into Russia. Acquiring Tomahawk long -range maneuvering missiles would allow Ukrainians to conduct such strokes.
Tomahawk missiles. The possibilities of an American missile
– Tomahawk missile with a conventional head has a range above 1.5 thousand. km, as well as a nuclear head (which in this case, of course, is not an option) even 2,500. km – said in an interview with PAP Andrzej Kiński, an expert of the Military Research and Analysis Team and the editor -in -chief of “Army and Technology”.
The expert emphasized that Ukraine does not currently have a “classic weapon” of such range as the Tomahawk missile. In his opinion, to some extent they can be compared with new far-headed far-headed FP-5 Flamingo-although it is rather the equivalent of the so-called aircraft-pockets from the 1950s and 1960s-said Kiński.
In addition to their own systems (Flamingo and Neptun), Kyiv also has, among others European STORM Shadow maneuvering shells with a range of about 250 km and American Harpoon anti -ship missiles.
Tomahawk missiles. What they will change in Ukraine
In the opinion of PAP interlocutor, Tomahawk missiles could “be successfully offended by various military facilities”, including airports and warehouses, arms industry plants and oil installations on Russia.
Kiński emphasized that, although Russian air defense is able to capture this type of rocket, but “even a single” Tomahawk, who is browned through defense, has significantly greater firepower than the armament that Ukraine currently uses.
– For example, while a dozen or several dozen kilograms of explosives will damage one tank in the refineries, the detonation of the almost half -tone Tomahawka warhead can, for example, cause a few tanks at the same time and the destruction of many other installations – emphasized the expert.
Tomahawki can fly at low altitudes and perform avid maneuvers, minimizing the risk of interception. The so -called profile flight, reproducing terrain.
– If we set a fixed flight height, for example, 30 m, the projectile will be all the time, regardless of the terrain, it moved at this height above the ground. Even if these are the mountains, the missile will fly along the slope – explained Kiński.
This feature of Tomahawków can cause anti -aircraft defense a problem, although Kiński has reserved that the Russians can detect low -treatment goals, including thanks to special towers on which multifunctional radars of backlighting goals and rocket guidance are installed.
-They also have an aircraft of early warning A-50 and A-50U, “A new A-100 is being developed”, only that there are few of them and are less advanced than their Western counterparts-said Kiński.
Russia reacts to Rych Americans. He is not afraid of Tomahawków
During the appearance of media reports about the possible transmission of Tomahawków Ukraine, the Russians themselves admit that their anti -aircraft defense is not tight and it is possible to find “dead fields” due to the lack of sufficient number of patrols of fighters and aircraft of early warning AWACS.
Jewgieże Damancew, a military analyst, expert of the Telegram channel “Russian weapons”, on eadaily.com explained why Tomahawki is a threat to which he should be reckoned in Russia.
In his opinion, the early interception of such bullets as Tomahawki is feasible, because Russia has A-50U AWACS aircraft, and fighters that can also act as “miniature” early warning aircraft. “However, in practice, AWACS aircraft are on service sporadically, and Su-35S fighter patrols are not always present in areas threatened with a rocket attack or appear in time”, emphasized Damancew. In his opinion, this means that enemy units still find convenient “windows” for attacks through which Tomahawk maneuvering missiles could easily penetrate.
Damancew reminded that the consequence of the existence of such “windows” is the recent attack of “only” four Ukrainian tactical missiles of Neptun-MD, which were fired towards the Electrodietal plant in Karachjewo in the Bryan region.
In his opinion, they also have a “endless invasion” to the Russian refinery, not only in the border region, but also in Bashkiria, the Volgograd region and several other regions of Russia. All this is a consequence of the same holes in defense, which is the result of the lack of patrols of fighters and AWACS aircraft.
Produced by the American company Raytheon Tomahawki, they have a length of 6.1 I weigh 1510 kg. They carry a conventional combat head up to 450 kg. According to Reuters, selected goals may offend even in areas with strong air defense. They are currently fired from both sea launchers (e.g. submarines) and land.
Tomahawki are used in the USA in the Mobile Typhon system, which was introduced into the American weapons in 2023, as part of the MID-REGGE Capability (MRC) program and uses elements of the MK 41 VLS vertical vertical launcher. The US Army currently has two Typhon batteries.
According to the pentagon data cited by the reuters, the American government plans to buy an additional 57 Tomahawków in 2026, the cost of which is about $ 1.3 million per item.
The Pentagon also invests in improving the possibilities of guiding bullets. The latest version of the bullet can be reprogrammed during the flight.
