SinoDefence Forum

balance

Dear friends,

I have been hearing about the effectiveness of ARM that can destroy the air-defence radars. Now the average range of ARM is 30 miles plus. But the average range for air-defence radar is 200 miles. It means that the radar will detect the plane (supposed it's not stealthy) while it is still beyond the ARM max range of shot. And so, the radar can guide SAM or fighter to the position of the oncoming plane.
And I still wonder why in reality, the ARM beat the air-defence radar "so easily!"
Please, explain and advise

Thanks friends

nemo

approach at low altitude (under radar horizon).

balance

If a country deploys multi-layered air-defense with long-range, medium, short-range, and even portable air-defense, does the tactic of "flying low" still work? Will there be any conceivable space through which the plane can go through undetected?

Scratch

Even in the most challenging IADS you will probably find ways to slip through radars at low altitude. However, to fly the terminal attack against high-value targets wich are heavily defended at low-alt is probably something of the past.
You use stealthy aircraft and lots of CMs or even commandos to destroy key infrastructures of the IADS like local C4 or EWR stations wich greatly decreases effectiveness.
You can also use EW aircraft to jam enemy radars, what significantly decreases their searching and tracking ability.

Latest AGM-88 versions and the british ALARM have ranges of 50+ statute miles.
Having a radar that can detect targets at 200 miles doesn't really help here if it's SAM can not effectively engage (evassive) targets at that range. I would think that range to be under 100 miles until recently. With the emerge of the S-400 that may change.
And interceptors can again be attacked by fighter escorts.

dougsnow

Plus, there are always Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles, the conventional warhead of course.

The Navy Warfare Pub does support using TLAM-Cs for Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD), however, my guess would be at the beginning of hostilities...

DS