5 outstanding weapons in the largest military exercise in Russian history
The Russian and Chinese armies deployed many of their most modern weapons in service for the five-day Vostok-2018 exercise.
Russian equipment on the opening day of the Vostok-2018 exercise. Video:Russian Ministry of Defense. |
"The Vostok-2018 exercise has begun in Russia's Far East. The exercise will take place at five land training ranges, as well as in the Sea of Japan, the Bering Sea and the Sea of Okhotsk," the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement on September 11. Observers say many cutting-edge weapons will be displayed by Russia and China in this record-breaking exercise, according toSCMP.
Su-35S multi-role fighter
The Sukhoi Su-35S is Russia's leading air superiority fighter today, representing the pinnacle of the 4++ generation fighter line. In addition to its outstanding maneuverability, the Su-35 also has many electronic systems and weapons on par with the most advanced Western fighters.
The Su-35S is equipped with the N035 "Irbis-E" passive electronically scanned array (PESA) radar, which is capable of detecting and tracking stealth aircraft better than older radars. It can simultaneously track 30 enemy fighters at a distance of 400 km or stealth aircraft and cruise missiles from a distance of 80 km, then guide missiles to 8 targets at the same time.
Although the Su-35S was initially developed primarily for export, the Russian air force decided to buy dozens of them to supplement its aging Su-27 fleet. Many of the aircraft have been in service in the Far East since 2016 and have taken part in Russia’s military intervention in Syria.
Besides Russia, China is currently the only country in the world to operate the Su-35S, after ordering 24 aircraft worth more than two billion USD in 2015.
Su-34 fighter bomber
The Su-34 is a modern fighter-bomber built to replace the Su-24 tactical attack aircraft from the Soviet era. This fighter inherits the speed and maneuverability of the Su-27 fighter, with a payload equivalent to many large bombers of the Cold War era.
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Russian Su-34 fighter jet on a mission in Syria in 2017. Photo:TASS. |
The Su-34 is optimized for attacking ground and sea targets. In addition to ground and sea missions, the Su-34 has good air combat capabilities thanks to its short- and medium-range air-to-air missiles. Russia has deployed many Su-34 squadrons to Syria to conduct airstrikes against terrorist targets since 2016.
During the campaign in Syria, the Su-34 fighter bomber mainly used KAB-500S satellite-guided bombs and KAB-500Kr optical-guided bombs, FAB-500 conventional bombs, R-73 short-range and R-27 medium-range air-to-air missiles, and Khibiny electronic warfare systems. These weapons allow it to destroy rebel targets with high precision, while being able to defend itself against many airborne threats.
T-90A main battle tank
The Russian-made T-90A tank is considered one of the most modern main battle tanks today. The vehicle is equipped with many advanced layers of protection, including Kontakt-5 explosive reactive armor (ERA) and the Shtora-1 passive defense system that can neutralize anti-tank guided missiles.
The T-90A is equipped with a 125 mm 2A46M5 main gun with an automatic loading system. The most powerful weapon of the T-90A is the 9M119 Refleks anti-tank missile launched through the barrel with a range of 100-4,000 m, twice that of conventional Western artillery shells. Each Refleks shell is strong enough to penetrate 900 mm thick rolled homogeneous armor (RHA) after destroying the protective ERA armor on the outside.
The vehicle is also equipped with a 7.62 mm coaxial machine gun and a 12.7 mm NSV machine gun to destroy infantry and close-range aircraft targets.
Missile frigate Admiral Gorshkov
The Admiral Gorshkov is the lead ship of Project 22350, the first class of heavy stealth frigates built by Russia after the end of the Cold War. The ship is 135 meters long, 16 meters wide, has a full displacement of 5,400 tons, and is designed to undertake multiple missions such as long-range strike, anti-submarine warfare and air defense, enhancing the Russian Navy's long-sea combat capabilities in the 21st century.
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Frigate Admiral Gorshkov during sea trials in 2017. Photo:TASS. |
The Admiral Gorshkov's main armament is 16 vertical launch tubes for P-800 Oniks supersonic anti-ship missiles or Kalibr multi-purpose missile systems. During the Vostok-2018 exercise, the ship is expected to demonstrate the combat capabilities of the upgraded Kalibr system with a maximum range of up to 2,500 km.
For defense, Admiral Gorshkov is equipped with 32 vertical launch tubes containing 9M96 medium-range and 9M100 short-range air-to-air missiles, two Palash anti-aircraft missile-gun complexes, 324 mm torpedo launchers and 130 mm A-192M naval gun, usually only appearing on destroyers with a displacement of over 7,000 tons.
Type-99 main battle tank
The Type-99 is the most modern third-generation tank in service with the Chinese army. Designed and tested since the early 1990s, it is heavily influenced by Russian and Western designs, and is equipped with China's most elite units, with only 200-300 units.
The Type-99 turret appears to be a slightly more angular variant of the Soviet T-72's round turret, while the 125mm main gun is a copy of the 2A46, using an autoloader with a rate of fire of 8 rounds per minute. The Type-99 is likely to have a variant of the Soviet-made 9M119 Svir anti-tank missile, along with a 12.7mm anti-aircraft machine gun and a coaxial 7.62mm machine gun.
The Type-99 has a 1,500 horsepower engine, apparently copied from a German engine, giving it a greater power-to-weight ratio than the US M1 Abrams tank.
Experts believe that the Type-99 is essentially a T-72 tank equipped with Chinese composite armor, along with domestic electronic systems and weapons. Some sources say that the Type-99 is equipped with an active defense system, but there is no solid evidence.
