For two decades, Russia has worked systematically to build its robotic capability. This applies to both conventional robots and those that can be equipped with nuclear weapons.
The types are often related and difficult to distinguish, but some conventional types used in the attacks against Ukraine are the Kh-101, Kalibr, Iskander and Kinzjal.
Douglas Barry is responsible for the quality of data on air defense in the publication Military Balance, which is published once a year. It is considered one of the world’s leading fact books on the world’s defense capabilities.
– They are trying to find out exactly how many weapons the Russians have left in strategically important areas. For example, in the case of airborne cruise robots, Russia has already used a large part of its current inventory, he says.
Heavily reduced
Barrie estimates that more than half of some types of robots have been used up since February.
– As for the Kh-101 type, more than 50 percent has already been used up, perhaps as much as 75 percent. The problem is that we do not have reliable external figures that can confirm how many robotic systems the Russians have acquired.
In the case of the Kalibr cruise robot and the Iskander ballistic robot, which are available in several different variants, the situation is more difficult to assess.
– The Russians themselves have of course never published any stock figures. One can estimate what they have probably had, what they have used up and what they have left.
You said 50 percent spent – does that also apply to Kalibr and Iskander?
– About the same probably applies to Kalibr, but there is less information available about what we think they have.
Caliber – higher precision
An estimate is that the Russian armed forces received 40 to 50 robots of the K–101 variety delivered each year, which in that case means 400 to 500 pieces over a ten-year period. However, the hitting picture has been poor.
– The precision has been uneven and they have also used up such a large part of the stock that they now have to use the rest of the stock sparingly.
On the other hand, it indicates that the cruise robot Kalibr (3M14) has better precision. And when it comes to Russia’s nuclear capabilities, Douglas Barrie is convinced that Russia is not consuming carriers unnecessarily.
– I think they will certainly make sure to have an elaborate tactic or strategy to maintain their nuclear weapons capability.