Space is the “Ultimate High Ground.” Modern militaries run on satellites. GPS guides the bombs; comms satellites carry the orders; spy satellites find the targets. Because of this dependency, Space is no longer a sanctuary. It is a warfighting domain. The primary weapon of Space Warfare is the Anti-Satellite (ASAT) Missile. These are “Direct Ascent” […]
In the pantheon of giant ICBMs and massive radar trucks, there is a small, unassuming tube that strikes more fear into the hearts of pilots than anything else. It is the Man-Portable Air-Defense System (MANPADS). Weighing roughly 15-20kg, operable by a single soldier, and costing a fraction of a fighter jet, MANPADS are the ultimate
In June 2023, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) pulled the curtain back on a sleek, black-painted missile labeled “Fattah” (The Conqueror). The banner headline was chilling: “Hypersonic.” Tehran claimed the missile could travel at Mach 15, maneuver inside and outside the atmosphere, and penetrate all existing missile defense systems, specifically naming Israel’s Iron Dome
In the dead of night on October 10, 2020, amidst a military parade in Pyongyang, a collective gasp went through the intelligence community. Rolling down Kim Il-sung Square was a vehicle so large it struggled to turn corners. Resting on its back was a missile of such gargantuan proportions that analysts initially thought it was
On the opening night of Operation Desert Storm in 1991, the world watched in awe as grainy night-vision footage showed missiles cruising down the streets of Baghdad, turning at intersections like cars, before slamming into government buildings. These were Cruise Missiles. Specifically, the BGM-109 Tomahawk. Unlike their ballistic cousins which fly high into space, cruise
In the grim calculus of nuclear war, there is one golden rule: Survivability. If a nation puts all its nuclear weapons in silos, the enemy can target them. If it puts them all on planes, the enemy can bomb the airfields. But if a nation disperses its nuclear weapons across Land, Air, and Sea, it
For 70 years, the paradigm of missile defense has been kinetic: “Hitting a bullet with a bullet.” We launch a million-dollar interceptor to hit a million-dollar incoming missile. But this paradigm is breaking. 1. Cost: Enemies are building cheap drones ($20,000) and cheap rockets. We cannot afford to shoot them down with $3 million Patriot
“Hypersonic” has become the buzzword of the decade. Every time a new missile is tested—be it by Russia, China, or North Korea—the headlines scream “Hypersonic Missile Threat!” This often leads to confusion. After all, the V-2 rocket in World War II was hypersonic (Mach 5). Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) fly at Mach 23. So, haven’t
In every arms bazaar from New Delhi to Riyadh, two names dominate the conversation: Patriot and S-400. They are the Coke and Pepsi of the missile defense world—the two reigning heavyweights of ground-based air defense. Yet, unlike soda, choosing one over the other is a decision that defines national alliances, triggers sanctions, and fundamentally alters
For decades, the phrase “Western Air Defense” was synonymous with one name: Patriot. But in the 21st century, a European challenger has emerged, one that some experts argue is technologically superior to its American cousin. This is the SAMP/T (Surface-to-Air Missile Platform/Terrain), nicknamed “Mamba” in French service. Armed with the ferocious Aster 30 missile, the
