Moscow's Air-Defense Network

摘要

In late '70s and early '80s, Soviet commanders became very concerned about the new generation of US cruise missiles, especially the AGM-86 Air Launched Cruise Missile (ALCM), Tomahawk ground-launched cruise missile (GLCM), and naval BGM-109 Tomahawk. Those missiles flew at very low altitude and had very small radar cross-sections. They were difficult to detect and track, and the older air-defense systems could not effectively engage them. This vulnerability was especially the case with the S-25 Berkut air-defense system deployed around Moscow, which could not be modernized to the point where it could be made effective against the new-generation cruise missiles. It had to be replaced by a new system, and the only one considered up to the task was the S-300P series already deployed in some other places in the Soviet Union.