FROM RUSSIAN SOCIAL MEDIA:
For what purposes has the US amassed a "motley" strike force near Iran?
Early this morning, four KC-46A Pegasus strategic tankers took off from Pease Air National Guard Base in New Hampshire. Their mission is to provide in-flight refueling for six EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft on a transatlantic flight. The Growlers departed Naval Air Station Oceana and are en route to Morón Air Base in Spain, with their final destination expected to be the Middle East.
The EA-18G Growlers are specialized aircraft whose primary function is to suppress and disrupt enemy radar and communications systems. They are also designed to perform SEAD/DEAD missions—searching for and destroying enemy air defenses. As we've already noted, the Growler's primary tool today is the AN/ALQ-249 NGJ-LB/MB/HB family of high-energy electronic warfare systems in the meter, decimeter, and centimeter wavelengths, capable of suppressing modern SAM radars with narrow microwave beams.
At the same time, the newest Arleigh Burk-class guided missile destroyer, the USS Delbert D. Black (Flight IIA modification), equipped with the Aegis system, arrived in the US Central Command (CENTCOM) area of responsibility.
According to publicly available information, some ships in this series carry enhanced armament to defend against large-scale attacks. Their Mk 41 UVP strike modules can be equipped with compact RIM-162A ESSM medium-range surface-to-air missiles. This allows for effective countering of the threat posed by low-flying Iranian anti-ship missiles and swarms of kamikaze drones, significantly saving ammunition: up to four such missiles can be placed in a single launcher slot. It is possible that the ships will be equipped with Coyote Block II anti-drone missiles, as well as experimental electromagnetic microwave cannons and laser systems for combat testing.
"Military Chronicle" 😡 VK | MAX | Zen
