Barak 8 vs ESSM vs Aster 30
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| ESSM |
Barak 8, ESSM and the Aster missile are the new comers to defend the billion dollar warships from deadly supersonic sea skimming anti shipping missiles. They were not matured to intercept world's finest anti shipping missiles like Brahmos, and it's variants of Russian Yakhnot and Chinese CX 01 when these are fired in salvo mode.Barak 8, ESSM, Aster interceptor missiles systems are developed in the mind to intercept above said missiles, Almost all Navy's around the world has faced the threats. The Israeli's need them to counter the Hezbullah and Syrian Anti shipping missiles like Yakhnot and YJ 8. Europeans need them to defend against Russian Oniks, The Americans need to defend them from all the above plus the Chinese CX 01.
There is no doubt that, All the above said interceptors can defend the Ship from single missile launches, With the help of Ship's AESA Radar and Interceptor missile's seeker. In comparison all the above has good range of upto some 90 km and interception altitude of some 60,000 feet. Mostly the Yakhnot's will fall into sea skimming altitude when they comes close to 100 kilometers before approaching to the target. As per open sources Brahmos lo lo lo range is 120 kilometers. That means 120 kilometer range in full sea skimming mode.
There is another issue is detecting the supersonic lo lo lo missiles. It's believed the European Radar's like Selex, Israeli MF STAR and American AN/SPY has better detection range and multiple target engagement mode. They can detect missiles in Single or salvo mode. Currently US Navy is the only one who tested it's Interceptor missiles against multiple threats simultaneously, with average successful results. All others has proved in theoretical calculations only.
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| Aster 30 |
When a Navy battle occurs against major enemy like China, otherwise Europe against Russia, The rival Ships can fire multiple rounds of Missiles comprising Subsonic and Supersonic, and 130mm main gun shells to confuse the Surveillance Radar and Interceptor missiles. At the meantime the Missiles won't travel at predesignated or calculated path. they can change their altitude and flight path each and every second. Not only that due to supersonic speed they can hit the Ship in seconds. means the Interception party gets very less reaction time. Also there is no confirmation the Radar and missile won't give 100% interception. If barrage of eight Yakhnot variant fired against single target. Then sorry to the Ship, It will not survive. Actually it's bit different from theory to practical when comes to Missile interception.
Other Side Israeli's are proved them best when shooting down hundred's of Rockets fired by Hamas Terrorists inside from Gaza. There is also less reaction time. Which was a good exercise for the Israeli's to mature their systems. Iron Dome along with his ELM 2084 AESA Radar performed very well during the past IDF vs Hamas clash. The Iron dome is completely a CRAM- Counter Rocket Artillery Mortar system. which can intercept unguided rockets fired from Gaza. The Hamas from Gaza fires the Rockets over Israeli cities. Hamas typically use the directions and angles to launch the Rockets. Those Rockets are sometimes heavy in size, sometimes it's the tiny Mortar shells. Even though if they landed in populated cities they does make damages.
Israeli's are proved them as best by countering all such threats who comes towards populated cities. Most Rockets heading to open places didn't get intercepted. During the last war against Hamas Terrorists IDF's Iron Dome Intercepted more than 421 rockets and mortar shells. However more than 2000 others fell over open places harming no one. By looking these breakthrough The Israeli's won't make them fool when developing a interceptor to kill enemy Anti ship missiles. Where one must understand the false alarm rate in the Iron Dome systems in these days.
Compared to others, Israeli Barak is something more advanced than it's competitors, Barak 8 is the only missile with active radar homing seeker otherwise the infrared seeker, along with two way data link communicated through S Band (2 to 4 GHz ) frequency. With the additional guidance support from MF STAR, Barak 8 can safe guard the Vessel from multiple threats simultaneously. Here Barak 8 has lacks only in speed, all others has double speed than Barak 8.
Here speed also a main factor, there were two mode of target interception, one is tail chase engagement another is head on engagement. The Tail chase mechanism is best method for interception and has high probability of interception. The ESSM and Aster travels at the speed of mach 4, while Barak 8 is only mach 2. One must understood the mechanism of warship defense is always based on head on engagement, there is no chance of tail chase in such scenario
As clearly the interceptor missile gets only 90 second to intercept a mach 3 speed Yakhnot variant anti ship missile. Here the missile needs to be nose dive to perform a tail chase engagement, that almost take some 5 seconds. To perform the nosedive the missile must be capable to withstand High gravity force. meantime missile already escaped from the SAM's no escape zone. That's the major reason why the Israeli's won't care about the speed. Since the Interceptor need to perform Head on Engagement. Tail chase's are mostly used for aerial war fighting and to intercept long range subsonic cruise missiles.
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| Barak 8 Missile |
Here all the Missiles uses the Proximity sensor fused warhead for destroying enemy missiles, By spitting hundreds of fragments. This will further increases the interception probability. Barak 8 will carry 60 kg of warhead, while ESSM carriers 40 kg's of warhead and the Aster 30 carries more than the others. However some 50 kg fragmentation warhead is more than enough to destroy the threat.
Over all looking it's possible for intercepting a barrage of six-six pair of Supersonic and Subsonic missiles in simultaneous threat engagement. However there is no credibility of Interception when Indian Destroyers and Russian cruisers fired a salvo of sixteen missiles into one target. Typical engagements do happen when full spectrum warfare against US Navy Carrier Battle Group targeting the Aircraft carrier. It's clear the Missiles can taken out the Carrier from Operation However The Ship won't sunk.
