You don't need 3nm technology for missile systems.
Russia is stuck at 140nm/70nm with no visible path forward but this is more than enough for this kind of application.
They don't have now access to super-computing for running complicated simulations, and will probably have to do some live testing in the coming years if the Chinese doesn't sell them a few supercomputers.
> You don't need 3nm technology for missile systems.
> Russia is stuck at 140nm/70nm with no visible path forward but this is more than enough for this kind of application.
Latest fab processes isn't the problem I was referring to (but it could be part of it). It's the knowledge+expertise for controls systems. This could be guidance, detonation, communications, etc.
If any of those systems were imported they're now forced to either source the chips or develop it in country.
Developing it on shore is way more than a "140nm/70nm" process. You'll have to reverse engineer the current chip to communicate with all the other chips it has to communicate with. What if the chip you need to replace uses a smaller fab process? You possibly have to replace the sub-system. Well now you better hope you have the expertise to build that system AND have it work with all the other systems. How long would that take? How expensive is it just to maintain your capabilities vs before?
Again, for the few missiles, smuggling seems way better. Your ROI on black market cost for missile parts that never get used is amazing vs say a fleet of tanks.
You're underestimating Russian capabilities a lot if you think they are scrambling to substitute parts for missiles and that they have no knowledge-expertise for control systems.
A lot of people seem to think that Russia is still stuck in the malaise years of post-soviet Yeltsin administration, when in fact, this couldn't be further from the truth.
There are several fields where Russia is far ahead of the west, like AD a EW. In fact, the F-35 design was centered on stealth to the detriment of range and payload specifically to be able to counter the threat of Soviet SAMs.
Of course, a lot of their civilian manufacture depended on cheaper, less power hungry and more advanced western chips. Also, for ground applications, simulation and design tasks we can be pretty sure that they use western technology and now are having to resort to smuggling.
But for the guts of weapon systems? Radars and Military Glonass systems? Very unlikely that they depend on western chips for that.
Russia is stuck at 140nm/70nm with no visible path forward but this is more than enough for this kind of application.
They don't have now access to super-computing for running complicated simulations, and will probably have to do some live testing in the coming years if the Chinese doesn't sell them a few supercomputers.