Colonel of Air Defense estimated the deployment of anti-aircraft systems in Moscow: “The need has existed for a long time”

“We proposed this measure 14 years ago”

The anti-aircraft systems that appeared on the roofs of some buildings in Moscow were perceived differently by residents. Some suggested that air raids should be expected soon. But such panicky assumptions are unfounded. This was told to MK by the ex-head of the anti-aircraft missile forces of the Special Forces Command (Moscow Air Defense District), retired colonel Sergei Khatylev, who proposed taking these measures in the capital when there was no talk of any SVO.

“We wanted to adopt this program back in 2008,” says Colonel Khatylev. – I even left the text of our proposals, with which we, with the former commander of the Moscow Air Defense District, General Solovyov, once went to the General Staff. We then proposed to place the Pantsir complexes, a number of other systems and radar stations on the roofs of high-rise buildings in Moscow.

“And why didn’t they do it then?”

– There was only one answer: there is no money for it.

– That is, 14 years ago you wrote about it, offered to do it, but the money, it turns out, was found only now?

– Found when the need arose. Although, to be honest, such a need has existed for a long time. So, this is absolutely the right and long overdue decision.

– Only now it worries a lot of people. People believe that our air defense is preparing almost for a massive NATO air raid.

– Fantasies… Just yesterday, some of my acquaintances, mostly pilots, also began to write indignant messages to me: how so! After all, if anything, fragments of downed missiles will fall on people’s heads. And today I asked my young specialists, who graduated from the Moscow Aviation Institute, the faculty of on-board equipment for missiles, what do you think, is this solution necessary or not? They answer: it’s better to let the fragments fall if something happens than a rocket with ammunition will explode and people will die. And here I agree with them.

Moreover, missiles, in general, have absolutely nothing to do with it. All this is being done to combat unmanned aerial vehicles that fly at extremely low altitudes.

Judge for yourself: the detection range of a drone by air defense systems is 30 kilometers or less. All locators and stations of our S-300, S-400, and Pantsirey systems are located at a distance of 25 kilometers or more from the borders of Moscow. That is, it turns out that there is no one to detect an air intruder directly above Moscow itself. That’s when we came up with a proposal: we need to create another air defense system directly inside the city.

– Clarifying question: that is, do you think that some large missile, or an intruder aircraft, will not reach the capital, as it will be shot down on approach by our long-range S-400 systems. But at the same time, a situation may arise when a certain terrorist launches a drone inside Moscow? Earlier you said that this is how the saboteurs acted when they attacked the military airfields of Engels and Ryazan?

– Quite right. A terrorist is capable of doing something similar – launching a drone while being directly within the boundaries of the city or close to it. A quadcopter with a pair of grenades can generally be launched from a balcony. And this threat should not be underestimated. Society as a whole must be vigilant. It can even organize air defense squads, as during the Great Patriotic War, track the same quadrocopters.

– That is, our air defense will cope with enemy aircraft and missiles on its own, but does it need help in the fight against copters?

– Muscovites now should be vigilant. The military is also showing such vigilance, installing air defense systems inside Moscow on the roofs of houses to combat drones capable of flying at low and extremely low altitudes. Fighting them is common.