Zelensky demanded from the Congressmen some outdated Soviet made surface to air missiles.

Zelensky is a true Russian nationalist, he wants American companies to leave Russia. Now, American brands are an extension of American soft power. When you walk around and you see all these symbols of America’s economic power, it makes you support America. Although, since the late Soviet times, the Russian perception of McDonalds has been highly reduced since Moscow has some of the restaurants in the World.
S300? Why so unambitious? Turkey will gladly offer their S400.
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S-300 isn’t an “outdated” SAM, in many ways it is superior to American PAC-3. It is not as new and up-to-date as Russian newer S-300 and S-400 mods, but it is quite lethal anyway. The trouble with the way Americans think though is their reliance on airpower; SAMs can be knocked out by ground troops without risking aircraft. Or cruise missiles.
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In reference to current systems the Russian posses, this is already rather dated in my book. But granted, I know very little about military matters.
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S-300PM3 and higher versions=S-400. S-300PM1 is the first version in the modern S-300 family (1992+). That is likely what post-USSR exports to countries like Slovakia are. They’re not that different to S-400, the main difference is methinks a less sophisticated radar and semi-active radar guidance (the SAM’s radar has to track the target all the way until hitting). It’s still a real bother for a fighter pilot as all S-300s can engage at low altitude and the missiles themselves are very fast and agile and hard to evade, even older makes are.
S-400s can track F-35s at about 150-200 kms. away in case you didn’t know thanks to its phased array radar. Earlier S-300s aren’t as good at it. There is also the S-300V/S-300VM family which is the tracked vehicle version. It deploys faster and it can intercept missiles as well as aircraft. That one is in production right now and it’s also deployed by the Russian army. Russian Air Defence corps must also have some S-300PM2 still in service.
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In the worst case they’re going to be early ’80s S-300PT systems, which are fairly limited (even more limited in export version). Or S-300PS.
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I feel really bad for the drivers of these things.
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The point is, even older S-300s can down some Su-25s or helicopters. They’ve high-supersonic missiles with gas steering, quite agile. Kill probability is 0.8+, likely lower for older versions, but not much. Jamming and chaff and flying low might help, but even so it would be safest to destroy S-300s with cruise missiles or tanks or artillery, not aircraft. As soon(ish) as they cross the border.
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