In the USA, they talked about the appearance of an ultra-long-range gun, with which the Americans will be able to "shoot to Moscow". Pentagon dreams voiced by Popular Mechanics magazine.
An article by a well-known American publication deals with the SLRC ultra-long-range cannon (Strategic Long Range Cannon), which in the near future should be put into service with the US Army. For the first time, the world press learned about the latest weapons of the United States in 2019 year. The gun was delivered to the Yuma military training ground in the state of Arizona.
It is there still 2,5 of the year, to 2023 of the year, will test its combat capabilities.
The Pentagon is counting, that the use of the SLRC cannon in a modern armed conflict will pave the way for the subsequent offensive of the ground forces. The ultra-long-range cannon will strike first in case of war, and from the standpoint, inaccessible to a potential enemy.
Strategic Long Range Cannon target - Russia and China
As for the intended targets of the new cannon, then there is no doubt - first of all, these are military and industrial facilities in China and Russia. In this regard, it is easy to predict the territories, on which a new cannon can be placed. At first, this is South Korea, which is considered by the United States as the most important springboard for action against China in the event of a hypothetical Sino-American military conflict. From the same bridgehead it will be possible to attack the Far East..
Secondly, this is Poland and three "Baltic sisters" – Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, from the territory of which it is theoretically possible to strike at the largest and most important cities of Russia - Moscow and St. Petersburg, as well as across Belarus. Considering, as Poland, and the Baltic countries are members of the North Atlantic Alliance, the American military department will not have any problems with the placement of weapons on their territory. Furthermore, "Hotheads" from these countries can also beg the Americans themselves to place the latest cannon on their territory, thinking little about that, that in response to shelling from an ultra-long-range cannon, Russia could inflict a much more serious blow.
Popular Mechanics magazine calls, however, and other ways to use the latest gun. for example, according to US experts, the appearance of such a gun could give an impetus to the revival of the class of ships in the US Navy, similar to battleships like "Montana", which were planned to be built during the Second World War. If the cannon is installed on such ships, the American Navy would have the opportunity to shell the northern Russian territories from the North Sea, and it is possible, that the Russian capital would be under threat.
A battleship in the Indian Ocean would target Iranian territory, Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Yemen, Somalia. By itself, that in the Pacific Ocean it would be possible to shell the DPRK and China. Wherein, out of reach for retaliation, the ships would be located at a safe distance from the Korean and Chinese coasts, possibly - for Japan.
What is a cannon
But what is such a hyped gun?? SLRC has a distant similarity in its design to the American 280-mm M65 cannon., designed back in the 1950s and designed to fire nuclear projectiles at a distance of 36 kilometers. Likely, the SLRC projectile will have a two-stage jet engine. Will be able to service the weapon 8 human, each artillery battery will have 4 guns.
meanwhile, how can we not recall the famous super-gun of Hitler's Germany "Dora". The Wehrmacht also pinned great hopes on her during the assault on Sevastopol. But the history of its use is beautifully summarized in the words of the then Chief of the General Staff of the Wehrmacht, Colonel General Franz Halder:
A real work of art, however useless.
A little softer, but in about the same vein, Field Marshal Erich von Manstein also spoke about the gun in the end, who in his memoirs admitted: the effect of using a super gun could not justify the high costs of its creation.
It is not excluded, that in modern conditions the American project will not become a serious threat to potential opponents of the United States. Another thing, that you should not underestimate the PR component in creating a new weapon, as well as the manufacturer's desire to receive additional financing.
Author:Ilya Polonsky
used photos:Twitter/Defense Arab
