Check out the important occasions, ideas, phrases, quotes, or phenomena daily and brush up your data. Right here’s your data nugget for immediately.
Information nugget: Storm Shadow & Oreshnik
Topic: Worldwide Relations & Defence Know-how
(Relevance: The Ukraine-Russia battle has been hitting the information headlines usually. The UPSC has beforehand requested questions on varied facets associated to this ongoing battle. On this context, understanding the distinctive weapons and their utilization influencing the battle dynamics turns into essential. Moreover, defence expertise is an integral a part of the UPSC CSE syllabus.)
Why within the information?
Lately, the Ukraine-Russia battle took a big flip when Kyiv deployed British-made Storm Shadow missiles in opposition to navy targets inside Russia. This assault adopted the historic use of US-provided Military Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) missiles on Russian territory, which had been licensed by President Joe Biden.
In retaliation, Russia launched a hypersonic intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) often called “Oreshnik” on the Ukrainian metropolis of Dnipro on Thursday.
Key Takeaways :
1. For months, Kyiv has been urging its Western allies to produce long-range weapons that may strike deep into Russian-controlled territories. On this regard, using Storm Shadow missiles and ATACMS missiles by Ukraine represents a big improvement within the ongoing battle.
2. Lately, Russian navy bloggers on Telegram additionally shared pictures of alleged Storm Shadow missile fragments discovered close to Marino, a village in Kursk. Native governor Alexei Smirnov claimed that Russian air defenses intercepted two missiles. In response to the assault, Ukraine’s air pressure official Yuriy Ignat alluded to the incident, stating there had been a “robust storm” within the Kursk area.
Storm Shadow
1. Storm Shadow is a long-ranged, air-launched, conventionally armed, deep-strike cruise missile. It’s developed by the UK and France. It may journey as much as 250 kilometers (155 miles) and is designed to destroy robust targets like bunkers and ammunition storage.
2. It weighs 1,300 kg and is 5.10m lengthy. It’s able to being operated day and night time in all weathers and designed to destroy high-valued stationary targets resembling airbases, radar installations, communications hubs and port amenities. The report by Airforce Know-how talked about that what makes this missile a stealthy weapon is the mixture of its long-range, low altitude and supersonic pace.
3. Outfitted with the fire-and-forget expertise, Storm Shadow, additionally provides excessive precision deep strike functionality because it contains a subtle navigation system that features inertial navigation (INS), international positioning system (GPS) and terrain reference navigation for higher management over the trail.
4. The missile options the BROACH (Bomb Royal Ordnance Augmented CHarge) warhead — a high-technology warhead, which first cuts the floor of the goal, penetrates into it after which explodes. Storm Shadow is operated by Eurofighter Hurricane, Rafale, Mirage 2000 and Twister.
ATACMS
1. Russia additionally alleged that particles from a US-made Military Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) has fallen within the Bryansk area of the nation.
2. Notably, weeks earlier than leaving the White Home, Joe Biden supplied authorisation to Kyiv to make use of the ATACMS, inside Russia.
3. ATACMS is a surface-to-surface ballistic missile able to hitting targets at as much as 300km (186 miles). This vary signifies that Ukraine might now be capable to hit targets inside Russia, together with Russian-annexed Crimea.
4. The missiles are fuelled by strong rocket propellant and observe a ballistic path into the environment earlier than coming again down at a excessive pace and excessive angle, making them tough to intercept.
‘Oreshnik’ Missiles
1. The Ukraine Air Power initially claimed that Russia launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), which is nuclear-capable and has longer ranges than intermediate-range ballistic missiles (IRBMs). This assertion was rapidly disproven.
2. Russia confirmed that it launched an experimental intermediate-range ballistic missile. Putin referred to the missile as ‘Oreshnik’ (the hazel). Along with the “Oreshnik” missile, Russia deployed a Kinzhal hypersonic missile and a number of other cruise missiles throughout the assault.
3. Ukraine’s Safety Service confirmed The Related Press on Sunday wreckage of the brand new experimental ballistic missile, which struck a manufacturing facility within the central Ukrainian metropolis of Dnipro.
4. The fragments of the Oreshnik, which the Pentagon stated relies on Russia’s RS-26 Rubezh intercontinental ballistic missile -– haven’t been analyzed but.
5. In response to Western sources, the missile fired by Russia boasts a spread of as a lot as 5,500 km, sufficient to successfully goal each European metropolis from Russian territory.
BEYOND THE NUGGET: India efficiently flight-tested a long-range hypersonic missile
1. India is taken into account among the many prime few nations relating to designing and creating missiles indigenously, though it’s approach behind the US, China and Russia when it comes to vary.
1. In a serious increase to its navy prowess, India has efficiently flight-tested a long-range hypersonic missile off the coast of Odisha, which was developed by the Defence Analysis and Growth Organisation (DRDO).
2. It’s designed to hold varied payloads for ranges better than 1,500 km. The time period “Hypersonic” refers to a pace at the least 5 instances the pace of sound (additionally referred to as Mach-5).
3. The 2 sorts of hypersonic weapons methods are Hypersonic Glide Autos (HGV) and Hypersonic Cruise Missiles. The HGVs are launched from a rocket earlier than gliding to the supposed goal whereas HCMs are powered by air-breathing high-speed engines or ‘scramjets’ after buying their goal.
(Sources: Storm Shadow cruise missiles to Ukraine, India efficiently test-fires long-range hypersonic missile, What are Storm Shadow missiles?, Roundup of world information this week)
On your queries and solutions write at roshni.yadav@indianexpress.com
Subscribe to our UPSC publication and keep up to date with the information cues from the previous week.
Keep up to date with the most recent UPSC articles by becoming a member of our Telegram channel – Indian Specific UPSC Hub, and observe us on Instagram and X.
