Functioning of "Oрешник": Insights into the Latest Russian Defense Complex
November 21, 2024: Putin Unleashes the "Oreshnik," Russia's Notorious Hypersonic Missile
In a show of brute force, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared the deployment of "Oreshnik," a cutting-edge hypersonic missile with a non-nuclear configuration. The missile ravaged a Ukrainian defense enterprise in Dnipro, specializing in missile technology production.
This retaliatory strike came after the Ukrainian army launched Western ATACMS and Storm Shadow missiles against targets in the Bryansk and Kursk regions. Putin reveled the moniker of this new weapon, a beast that would leave nations quivering in its wake.
The following day, Putin boasted about the serial production of these missiles in Russia, with a reserve stockpiled and ready for action. The President clarified that "Oreshnik" wasn't a modernized relic of Soviet times but a product of the new Russia, crafted using modern, advanced technologies.
Currently, "Oreshnik" ranks as the sole officially claimed medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM) in the Russian military's arsenal.
According to data from the "Explaining.rf" portal, "Oreshnik" boasts a maximum range of 5500 kilometers, reaches speeds of up to 10 Mach (12,400 km/h, 3 km/s), and can carry a payload of up to 1.5 tons. In a nuclear configuration, the rocket can deliver charges with a total power akin to 45 atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima.
At a CSTO summit, Putin reported that "Oreshnik" could obliterate well-fortified and buried targets, and even a non-nuclear mass assault of these missiles equates to the destructive power of nuclear strikes. Moreover, the warhead can carry self-separating combat blocks.
Apparently, "Oreshnik" can only be neutralized during its initial phase of flight. In the final phase, its speed is such that no contemporary missiles can catch up to it, making it nearly unstoppable.
Estimated Flight Times for "Oreshnik":
To the US missile defense base in Polish Redzikowo - 11 minutesTo the Ramstein air base in Germany - 15 minutesTo the NATO headquarters in Brussels - 17 minutes
Insights from "National Defense" website:
- Complex Type: Mobile ground-based, allowing for rapid, covert deployment and movements.
- Average Range:capable of targeting locations up to 3,000 kilometers away (not to be confused with maximum range).
- Warhead: Equipped with six independently guided combat blocks, capable of striking multiple targets simultaneously.
Working Mechanism of the "Oreshnik":
The mobile ground-based "Oreshnik" complex is a stealthy, aggressive powerhouse that can move freely across land and change positions unpredictably, increasing its survivability and making it difficult to pinpoint and neutralize. The missile launches from the ground, then ascends to a specific altitude, after which its combat blocks separate and navigate towards their targets.
Defensive Countermeasures and Strategic Implications:
The combination of countermeasures against anti-ballistic missile defense and the hypersonic speed of the "Oreshnik" makes it theoretically impossible for NATO's strategic anti-ballistic systems to intercept the missile.
On December 6, Putin announced that Russia plans to send the "Oreshnik" rocket complex to Belarus in the second half of 2025. Deployed in Belarus, "Oreshnik" will become part of the Strategic Missile Forces (SMF) of the Russian Armed Forces, but targeting decisions will rest with Minsk.
In the wake of such bold maneuvers by the Ukrainian army, it is clear that sports and politics are not entirely separate entities. The shows of force, such as the launch of "Oreshnik," a notorious hypersonic missile, demonstrate a strategic stance that mirrors the competitive nature of sports.
Given the capabilities of "Oreshnik," such as its high speed and ability to hit multiple targets simultaneously, one might argue that it functions much like a team in a high-stakes sports competition, with each combat block acting as an individual player executing a well-orchestrated game plan.
