Russian Peresvet complex. “Peresvet can hit various targets at an unexpected distance from the opponent. The capabilities of this weapon have been proven in combat,” the Russian minister said, comparing the Peresvet to weapons. gas in the American movie Star Wars: “You remember 20 years ago, laser weapons existed only in American fiction films. Today, Russia has made this a reality and the Peresvet complex has been successfully tested and put into service. “. The first Peresvet high-power laser weapon complex was equipped with the Russian Army starting at the end of 2018. It is also in the Russian category of classified weapons. But according to two Russian military experts Alexei Leonkov and Igor Korotchenko, the Peresvet combat laser weapon system has two very important capabilities: shooting down unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and countering long-range cruise missiles with American Tomahawk high precision. Igor Korotchenko, director of the Center for Analysis of the World Arms Trade (CAMTO), confirmed that laser weapons such as the Peresvet complex can destroy unmanned aircraft. “Under favorable conditions, laser complexes like Peresvet are effective enough to destroy simulated targets such as drones, low-flying helicopters,” Korotchenko said. A second important feature is that thanks to Peresvet, Russia can effectively deal with modern air attack vehicles, high-precision weapons or reconnaissance equipment using optical-electronic equipment, expert Alexei Leonkov said. For example, to determine the target, the American Tomahawk missile will search for it visually, orient it with a digitized topographic map, put into the automatic control memory. If at this very moment a combination like Peresvet affects it, the search immediately stops. When the target is lost, the Tomahawk will self-destruct. Thus, despite no loud claims, Russia has quietly developed and quickly commissioned real laser weapons systems, forming combat capabilities, not merely tests. in the laboratory. With the above analysis, it is clear that in addition to close-range air defense systems such as Pantsir-S, Tor-M2E, the US Tomahawk cruise missile continues to encounter a very dangerous new enemy of Russia. Peresvet’s name. According to military expert Konstantin Sivkov, director of the Russian Institute of Geopolitical Affairs, Russia’s introduction of the Peresvet is one step ahead of the US. Currently, many countries are still in the exploration and testing stage of laser weapons development. Even the US can only use low-power tactical laser weapons with powers typically below 100 kilowatts. The most recent test in May 2020, the US successfully performed a laser weapon with a power of about 150 kilowatts. But even so, this capacity is still not enough to be able to destroy attack fighters and other targets. A 150 kilowatt laser can only counter speedboats or small UAVs, and the range is limited. At the same time, the stability of the laser in the actual combat environment is also a dilemma for the US and some other countries. When Russian laser weapons are already able to hit and destroy targets on the actual battlefield, it means that Russia’s technical level in the laser field has really matured. Also related to the recent US test of laser weapons in the Pacific Ocean, expert Konstantin Sivkov, expressed doubts about the effectiveness of US laser weapons. “To shoot down a more complex target like a ballistic missile as the US claims, requires keeping the laser beam on the target for several tens of seconds. That’s a great technical difficulty. During this time, the rocket flew a distance of tens of kilometers. There is currently no evidence that US laser weapons are successful in dealing with such fast targets,” the Russian expert wrote.

RT reported that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that an SA-5 long-range surface-to-air missile was launched from Syria towards the Israeli fighters while they were in progress. attack in the Golan Heights of Syria. The missile exploded in a village in the Negev desert on the morning of April 22, just a few miles from Israel’s nuclear reactor. The explosion did not cause any serious injury or damage. IDF does not believe a nuclear reactor or any other ground site is the target for the missile. Photo of a missile explosion from Damascus, Syria. Photo: REUTERS Israel’s radar detected at least one of the missiles heading towards the Negev desert and triggered sirens in the area. IDF air defense crews were also involved. However, defensive measures have failed to stop the SA-5 missile. During a press conference in Tel Aviv, Defense Minister Benny Gantz admitted that the missile interception attempt “was unsuccessful” and that IDF is investigating the cause. In response to the other missile, Israel aimed to fire at a Syrian battery about 24 miles (40 km) from Damascus. Many Syrian soldiers were injured in the Israeli attack. Syria’s air defense forces intercepted “most of the enemy’s missiles”, a military spokesman said. Israel often uses its Iron Dome missile defense system to avoid the attacks by the Hamas Islamist movement. In February, Israel’s internal security agency arrested an Arab on charges of espionage and provided information on the country’s missile defense system to Hamas. Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system. Photo: REUTERS The missile responses come amid constant tensions between the two countries. Israeli fighters routinely carry out airstrikes on Syrian territory, although IDF rarely comment on these operations. Earlier this month, four Syrian servicemen were injured in a missile attack believed to have originated from the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

Older UAV models such as the Qods Mohajer-6 developed in 2017, the Yasirr and HESA Karar reconnaissance UAVs, often used in firing drills, were also on display during this year’s parade. In addition to the domestically produced UAV collection, guided missile systems such as the Damavand long-range missile and the Zolfaqar short and low-range missile systems also appeared at the parade. Iran’s goal of becoming a UAV powerhouse in the region of Iran is significantly limited due to international sanctions. Iran relies heavily on copying foreign UAVs, collecting debris from neighboring countries or from UAVs shot down in Iran. UAVs are not the only sector where the defense industry has made progress in recent decades. Iran currently produces small weapons, aircraft warships, missiles … Among these, the ballistic missile program is a concern for Israel and the US. The US believes that Iran’s ballistic missile program should be limited like its nuclear program. However, Tehran asserted that its ballistic missile program poses no threat to the United States, due to its limited range.