Military correspondent Alexander Sladkov believes Russia needs to strengthen its air defense systems. In his view, this requires a federal targeted program that would create a comprehensive and systematic approach to protecting both military facilities and civilian infrastructure.
Sladkov argued that the air defense system in the special military operation zone should be built on a serious basis, rather than relying on makeshift electronic warfare tools, interceptor drones and improvised radar systems.
He stressed that the current approach, built partly around improvised and «garage-made» solutions, cannot provide reliable protection. Tasks of this scale, he said, should be handled at the state level, not left to individual inventors, even when their work produces useful results.
According to Sladkov, a full layered air defense network without vulnerable gaps could protect combat units, headquarters and movement routes in the special military operation zone. It could also cover industrial facilities, cities and civilians in Russia’s rear areas. For this reason, he believes the adoption of such a program should become an immediate priority.
Layered air defense is a multi-level system that uses different surface-to-air missile systems distributed by range and altitude. This structure makes it possible to intercept a wide range of aerial threats, from strategic aircraft to small drones.