How Putin rains death on Ukraine: Caliber cruise missile, which Russia uses to hit targets
- The missile used is believed to be the Caliber, a long-range cruise missile developed by Russia as a rival to the American Tomahawk.
- Nine meters long, weighing up to 2.3 tons and equipped with a 500-kilogram explosive or thermonuclear warhead, Caliber is Russia’s favorite weapon
- Developed in the 1990s and first used in battles in 2015, the Kalibr can be launched from ships, submarines or ground forces.
- Kalibr does not follow an arc from its launcher to its target – like ballistic missiles – but instead flies low and long, using a jet engine and small wings to aim at its target.
Russia today a total war has begun Ukraineusing cruise missiles to hit targets across the country, including military bases, ammunition depots and airports.
The missile used is believed to be the Caliber, a long-range cruise missile developed by Russia as a rival to the American Tomahawk.
Nine meters long, weighing up to 2.3 tons and equipped with 500 kg of explosive or thermonuclear warhead, Kalibr is of Russia weapon of choice when it comes to firing precision strikes from a distance against enemy targets.
Developed in the 1990s and first used in battles in 2015, the Kalibr can be launched from ships, submarines or ground forces – with jet versions believed to be in production.
Nine meters long, weighing up to 2.3 tons and equipped with a 500-kilogram explosive or thermonuclear warhead, the Caliber is Russia’s weapon of choice when it comes to firing precision strikes from a distance against enemy targets.
Locals filmed the Caliber strike over Ukraine
The remains of a drone or cruise missile in Kiev, Ukraine, this morning
Like all cruise missiles, the Kalibr does not follow an arc from its launcher to its target – like ballistic missiles – but instead flies low and long, using a jet engine and small wings to aim at its target.
The low flight path is designed to pass under missile defense radar, making the Kalibr difficult to detect and remove.
Russia has also designed other systems at Kalibr to make shutting it down even more difficult.
The missile – which hits its target with cameras and GPS – can also maneuver in flight to avoid projectiles designed to shoot it down or approach its target from unexpected angles.
Chukhuev Military Airport on the outskirts of Kharkov is on fire after airstrikes this morning
A warehouse in Odessa was hit by a Russian missile after Putin declared war on Ukraine
Like all cruise missiles, the Kalibr does not follow an arc from its launcher to its target – like ballistic missiles – but instead flies low and long, using a jet engine and small wings to aim at its target.
Traveling at Mach 0.8, it is also able to accelerate to Mach 3 – three times the speed of sound – just before it hits.
While the range of the missile varies depending on the variant, it has a theoretical maximum range of about 1500 miles.
First used in battle in 2015, three Russian corvettes fired two dozen Kalibrs from the Caspian Sea through Iraqi and Iranian airspace at ISIS and Free Syrian Army targets in Syria, 1,000 miles away.
The missile was then widely used during the Syrian war, where Russia backed dictator Bashahr al-Assad’s forces, where it was fired by both ships and submarines – including submerged.
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