Russia transfers "Iskander" tactical ballistic missiles near the border of Ukraine.

The thing is that situation at the Ukraine border is turning hotter. The Russian highly mobile SRBM (Short Range Ballistic Missiles) was transported near the Ukrainian border. Those highly mobile battlefield systems are extremely powerful. And they can transport to the operational area fast. Those missiles are The 9K720 Iskander (NATO reporting name SS-26 "Stone"). There is one thing that makes those tactical missiles very "interesting".  

They are hard to find but "easy to destroy". The thing that can be effective against those systems is the "Predator" drone that can patrol at the sky and then destroy the missile launchers. But that thing is extremely difficult to make in the practical world. There is the possibility that there are infrared and radiation suppressors in those transporter vehicles. So they are not easy to find. And they are supported by anti-aircraft and jet-fighter combinations. So that means that those "Iskander" missiles are hard to destroy. 

Those mobile launchers can bring to the operational area by using the airplane. And there is possible parachute delivery ability in those launcher trucks. That means the large-size strategic cargo planes can drop those missiles into a combat zone where they can whip enemy forces away in seconds. There is the possibility that there is some kind of "police role" in those tactical missiles. They can use to destroy also rebellious troops.

There are many types of warheads in those missiles. The nuclear, bunker-busting, or cluster warheads with HE and thermobaric options are the things that are making those advanced and deadly missiles capable and respected systems. In nuclear strategy, those tactical missiles are supported by aircraft and more powerful strategic missiles. So if tactical systems fail, the next step is to use full-scale thermonuclear devices. 

Why have those highly mobile nuclear-capable missiles are not ever faced criticism? Why they are more acceptable than some "Predator"-drones? The missiles are the most powerful weapons. And there is always a risk that the battlefield missile systems will be stolen. 

Predator drones are faced criticism but those tactical missile systems have not caused any kind of discussions. Those tactical nuclear-capable missiles are the thing that might seem only the battlefield use weapons. But the fact is that nuclear warheads make them very capable and feared systems. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/9K720_Iskander

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Atomics_MQ-1_Predator

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Atomics_MQ-9_Reaper

The MiG-25 and MiG-31

The MiG-25 and MiG-31

The Russian MiG-25 (1) "Foxbat" and MiG-31(2) "Foxhound" fighters are officially the fastest combat aircraft in the world, and sometimes the aviation specialists have created the question, why those aircraft have been developed. The answer might be that the Russian planned to use them also in ASAT missions, as I have written before. And maybe they are planned to use the supersonic pressure air cone for terminating ground forces. 

But there is still the question, are those aircraft, especially MiG-25 created only for one purpose, shoot down SR-71 "Blackbirds"?(3) Could some aircraft be so important, that there is created the own aircraft type against those aircraft? The MiG-25 is almost as fast as SR-71 "Blackbird", and the shootdown should be easy by using the AA-6 "Acrid" missiles, which were specially made for MiG-25 and later those missiles were installed also under the wing of MiG-31(4). 

Or they were not installed in other aircraft. Sometimes there is claiming that some supersonic jet fighters are created for carrying supersonic weapons and in fact, the normal aerial launched rockets that are shot from MiG-25 style Mach 3 interceptor would travel across the air by speed Mach 3 plus the speed of rocket itself. That means that the fast aircraft would be a terrifying weapon itself, even it is equipped with conventional missiles and rockets. But when we are thinking about SR-71 "Blackbird" there is no reported case, that the craft is ever shot down. In other things like accidents those aircraft have been destroyed, but there are reported five countries (5), what has been shot missiles against SR-71. 

And only one case has been highlighted in those cases. The case, where North Korea has shot missile against that spy plane. Why this case is only, what has been told to publicity? Why other cases, where the SR-71 has been targeted to fire are kept a secret? Is MiG-25 or MiG-31 ever flown, when SR-71 has been flown in Russian airspace? The thing is that "Operation Overflight" was and still is top secret, and the missions of SR-71 were made under the ultimate secrecy. 

But why those attempts to shoot that plane down has ever reported by Russia or its predecessor Soviet Union? When the SR-71 finally retired, there have been rumors, that it has been replaced by some extreme secret and super-fast aircraft, which is known as "Aurora", what is claimed to be marked as SR-72(7). But when we are thinking about this thing the retirement of SR-71 happened finally in 1999, when NASA retired its pieces of that aircraft. The real reason probably was that this technology, which made that aircraft ultimate recon plane was not wanted to let to the hands of Russians. 

And that means that "Aurora" would be 20 years old concept, and the question is, why that aircraft has not been published? When we are thinking about Lockheed-Martin "Falcon" (8) the "Aurora", that claimed to have the capacity of Mach 5, is a moped in the comparison between the Mach 8 capable "Falcon", and the "Hyper X" or X-43 (9) speed record in the atmosphere is Mach 10 that makes the hiding "Aurora" somehow interesting. What is hiding behind that code word?

(1)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikoyan-Gurevich_MiG-25

(2)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikoyan_MiG-31

(3)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_SR-71_Blackbird

(4)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R-40_(missile)

(5)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrrSwtoy1tI

(6)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iiVUB6GYbQ

(7)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVukFXXyh80

(8)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWaiWtH2CuI

(9)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA_X-43

Image:

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTNPcswFAtTUl-Vx0F00G8BpBL0yjhbwSEqy4RgIg6_Zto0dVqHUg&s