MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 14th January, 2020) NATO forces do not have such a defense system that is able to confront Russia's Iskander-M missile launchers, Lt. Gen. Alexander Luzan, former deputy commander of the Russian air defense forces, told Sputnik on Monday.
Earlier in the day, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that the alliance intended to respond to Russia's deployment of Iskander-M's equipped with 9М729 missiles by stepping up the development of its own weapons systems this year. According to Stoltenberg, NATO will work on developing anti-aircraft and anti-missile complexes, and conventional weapons, as well as improving battle readiness.
"NATO's anti-aircraft defense and missile defense systems are currently not able to compete with Russian tactical operational missile systems Iskander-M. Even American Patriot missile system has low efficiency, which could be seen during the latest shelling of US bases in Iraq," Luzan said, adding that 10 out of 14 rockets launched by Iran on US bases reached the targets.
He added that the United Kingdom and France were the only producers of� air defense systems in Europe, but all of them were short-range and defenseless against ballistic missiles.
According to Luzan, US' Aegis combat system has the best characteristics but it is a naval weapons system. The ground-based variation of Aegis is currently located only in Romania, and it will take a long time before the full deployment of the Aegis Ashore system, he added.
