In Poland, the reasons why the Air Force failed to shoot down a Russian Kh-101 cruise missile that flew approximately 100 km deep into the country and exploded in the Lublin Voivodeship have been analyzed. This is reported by Defense Express, writes UNN.
Details
According to the publication, during the incident Poland deployed two F-16 fighters, two MiG-29s, a Saab 340 AEW long-range radar detection aircraft, and an Airbus A330 MRTT aerial tanker to ensure extended patrols.
Operational Commander of the Polish Armed Forces Ireneusz Nowak reported that due to the threat of a massive Russian strike on Ukraine, fighters were scrambled before the violation of Polish airspace. Polish military tracked two Russian cruise missiles, one of which approached the border, and the other later crossed it.
The obstacle to using weapons was the requirement for visual identification
According to Nowak, he was ready to give the order to destroy the missile, but current Polish legislation requires mandatory visual identification of the target before opening fire. An exception is provided only for combat aircraft that are directly conducting an attack.
As the Polish publication Defense24 notes, the need for visual confirmation was also related to the fact that Ukrainian fighters, which are not equipped with an IFF (Identification Friend or Foe) system compatible with NATO standards, were operating near the border.
Furthermore, Defense24 drew attention to a possible discrepancy in the official timeline of events. According to the publication's assessment, the missile physically could not have covered 100 km in 5.5 minutes if it was moving at its cruising speed of about 830 km/h. This may indicate that Polish surveillance assets detected the Kh-101 only after it had flown about 30 km over the country's territory.
According to the authors of the article, Polish fighters may have initially been tasked with intercepting another missile approaching the border, and after detecting the Kh-101, they no longer had time to get into position to destroy it.