The Ukrainian Air Force’s ability to issue timely air raid alerts for incoming ballistic missiles faces challenges due to the nature of these weapons. Ballistic missiles travel at hypersonic speeds, covering vast distances in mere minutes. This rapid trajectory, often coupled with covert launch methods, can leave limited time for detection and warning.
“The missile launch, it flies to the target 200 kilometers along the ground, by air – more. It makes an arc: it flies into the stratosphere and falls down at a tremendous speed of 3,600 km/h. It’s like an artillery or tank shell, or a multiple launch rocket system – it all flies in a ballistic trajectory,” Yuriy Ignat, the spokesperson for the Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, reported.
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He also noted that the flight time of such a missile is a matter of minutes, depending on the launch site.
“The enemy’s tactics often involve stealth and deception, making it difficult for our intelligence gatherers and partners to obtain timely information. Unfortunately, our intelligence and the intelligence of our partners do not always have such information. Partners often report such threats,” Yuriy Ignat emphasized.
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