Analysis of the state of development of the issue of protection of critical infrastructure facilities using engineered munitions

Abstract

The Russian-Ukrainian war at the stage of full-scale invasion has shown that one of the most difficult tasks of ensuring the survivability of troops and the functioning of critical infrastructure is to protect them from high-precision weapons, namely cruise and ballistic missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles.
 The experience of warfare shows that the existing domestic air defense systems do not fully defeat air targets, while highly effective foreign-made air defense systems are supplied in insufficient quantities, and the created mobile fire groups to destroy air targets are not always effective. In these circumstances, it is advisable to consider new integrated approaches to the use of various types of weapons in the active defense of troops and critical infrastructure against air attack.
 The complex construction of a system of active defense of troops and critical infrastructure against air attack is possible with the use of several types of weapons. Based on the analysis of the enemy's use of missiles of various classes and Shahed-type attack unmanned aerial vehicles, the paper proposes the use of engineered munitions as one of the means of defeating moving air targets that fly low at low speed. The use of special engineered ammunition will make it possible to increase the range of low-flying air targets and increase the likelihood of their defeat. This will improve the effectiveness of the existing system of protecting troops and critical infrastructure from air attack.
 The paper analyzes the use of air attack weapons of the Russian Federation against troops and critical infrastructure facilities of Ukraine, substantiates proposals on the expediency of using engineered ammunition as an element of building a system of active protection of troops and critical infrastructure facilities from air attack, and presents their principle of operation and possible applications.