“Three MiG-31 fighters landed at the Chkalovsk airfield near Kaliningrad. The transfer of warplanes was carried out as part of additional strategic deterrence measures. MiGs, which are on combat duty around the clock, carry the latest Russian hypersonic aerobalistic missiles “Dagger”. “The Russian military department flies 10 times faster than the speed of sound and is invisible to missile defense systems,” he said.
In turn, Lithuanian Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas believes that the redeployment of Russian MiG-31 fighters with Kinzhal missiles will not affect the military balance in the Baltic and will not pose a threat to Western countries.
“They will not change the situation, since the military potential of Kaliningrad is now significantly reduced,” Anusauskas said.
On the other hand, Polish Gazeta Wyborcza published an editorial in which it talks about “Polish government’s concern about the transfer of fighters”. The publication cited “several top sources”.
Kinzhal missiles proved their effectiveness in combat during a special operation in Ukraine. They were used in high-precision attacks on ammunition depots of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Ivano-Frankivsk and Odessa regions, and also destroyed the military infrastructure of the Ukrainian army in the Vinnitsa region.
“The transfer of hypersonic Kinzhals to the Kaliningrad region is more of a demonstration character,” retired Air Force Major General Vladimir Popov told socialbites.ca. – These are just three missiles, the MiG-31 fighter lifts only one, which after launch had to return to the airfield to renew the warhead. Here you need to understand that not only the MiG-31, but also the entire air wing of the Kaliningrad group will be in the sky, and each group will solve its own air missions, both near and far approaches. For “Daggers” targets can be set at great distances from Kaliningrad, including the capitals of European states that are not hostile to Russia.
One of the features of the “Dagger” is the launch from a height of 12-15 km, which is emphasized in general.
“Metaphorically speaking, this is such a slingshot that initially gives the rocket a high speed during launch, and then itself, like a sprinter, overtakes it ten times supersonic, catching the necessary speed. The ideal solution was to use the MiG-31 fighter, which can accelerate at low altitudes up to 1500 km/h and at high altitudes up to 3400 km/h. The disadvantage of using this high-altitude fighter is the ability to lift a missile with a warhead mass of 500 kg. From the Kaliningrad region “Dagger” can reach London, the distance is less than 1500 km. Just like before Warsaw, not to mention Helsinki or Stockholm,” Popov added.
Political scientist and military expert Alexander Zimovsky noted that the transfer operation took place “very quickly.”
“Now it is clear that the signal sent from the Russian Ministry of Defense to the West is completely understandable. If necessary, these missiles can be equipped with nuclear warheads, the efficiency of which has not been disclosed. And now NATO countries cannot shoot hypersonic missiles,” Zimovsky stressed.
A military specialist, captain of the 1st rank of the reserve Vasily Dandykin joins this position.
The expert believes the redeployment was in response to a recent statement by Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur, who, in an interview with Finnish publication IItalehti, announced plans to make the Baltic Sea “NATO’s inland sea”.
“In the Kaliningrad region, three MiG-31 fighters with such missiles on board will be a strong deterrent for NATO ships, which are increasingly present in the Baltic Sea. MiG-31s are also in service in the North, controlling the coast of the Arctic Ocean. Now, all destinations from Kaliningrad airport will converge to the English Channel and the foothills of the Atlantic Ocean. Thus, with the help of the “Dagger” it is possible to control the situation in the Baltic Sea and keep in sight the destroyers, even carrier strike groups, ”says Dandykin.
Source: Gazeta
