Abstract
The Polish armed forces have used the S-200 Vega surface-to-air missile (SAM) system since the middle of the 1980s. In the early 21st century, it was upgraded to a digital version and adapted to the reality of air combat at the time. After almost twenty years of service since its upgrade, it remains the only long-range SAM in the armament of the Polish Air Force. Today, this SAM system is undergoing a major modification, again, to maintain its long-range anti-air attack potential and the required combat functionalities. The objective of this paper is to identify the technical and tactical functioning conditions of the S-200 family of SAM system on the modern battlefield. In order to achieve this goal, the authors used theoretical methods of research. As a result of the conducted analyzes, this paper presents the operational experience gained so far and a justification for the continued service of the Vega SAM system.
Highlights
The results of analyses of armed conflicts at the end of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century clearly demonstrate a growing trend in the significance of air attack technical assets in combat
The systematic increase in the combat capabilities of air force and the changes of air attack tactics necessitate the continuous adaptation of surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems to modern air combat – cf. e.g. (Pang et al, 2019; Bużantowicz & Pietrasieński, 2018; Turinskyi & Skoryk, 2020; Pomohaiev et al, 2020)
The objective of this paper is to identify the technical and tactical functioning conditions of the S-200 family of SAM system on the modern battlefield with particular focus placed on the cumulative operating experience gained with the Polish version of the S-200C Vega system
Summary
The results of analyses of armed conflicts at the end of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century clearly demonstrate a growing trend in the significance of air attack technical assets in combat. (Pang et al, 2019; Bużantowicz & Pietrasieński, 2018; Turinskyi & Skoryk, 2020; Pomohaiev et al, 2020) This is especially true for older generations of the SAM system, which were designed for different operating conditions than those prevailing now. Some of the S-200 SAM systems undergo periodic retrofits and overhauls, depending on the technical advancement of their operator countries These efforts are either carried out by specialists from the Russian Federation, or through domestic resources (Bużantowicz, 2021). The objective of this paper is to identify the technical and tactical functioning conditions of the S-200 family of SAM system on the modern battlefield with particular focus placed on the cumulative operating experience gained with the Polish version of the S-200C Vega system. As a result of the conducted research, this paper presents the operating experience gained so far and a justification for the continued service of the Vega SAM system
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