Interesting fact: the US magazine is not talking about ballistic missiles or tactical nuclear weapons, but rather those arms that would be ideal for a limited campaign, including bombers, guided missile cruisers and electronic warfare systems.
Su-34 bomber and AA-12 air-to-air missile
The Sukhoi Su-34 Fullback fighter-bomber, which made its combat debut in Syria, is probably the first weapon of war which comes to mind. The 4++ generation jet, which entered service in March 2014, is meant to replace the aging Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer.
"Compared to Turkey's F-16, Su-34 can carry more weapons and fuel so it enjoys a longer range. Russia currently has more than eighty Su-34s, of which about fifteen are based in Syria," the National Interest reported.
The Su-34, costing nearly $40 million apiece, can accelerate to a maximum speed of 1,200 mph and has a maximum range of 2,500 miles without refueling.
"The Su-34 becomes an even deadlier adversary when we take into consideration its AA-10 and AA-12 air-to-air missiles," the media outlet observed.
Consider the operational range of missiles outfitted on the Su-34 and the F-16. The AA-12 has an operational range of up to 68 miles while the US-made AIM-120 AMRAAMs on Turkish fighter jets, according to the National Interest, have a range of 30 miles.
Krasukha-4 land-based jammer
The jammer boasts an operational range of nearly 190 miles and is said to be capable of permanently disrupting targeted radio-electronic devices, the National Interest noted.
Russian forces deployed to Syria are said to have one Krasukha-4 jammer in their arsenal.
"Krasukha-4 could blind TuAF's Peace Eagle AWACS planes and make it difficult for the Turkish side to generate the air picture of the eastern Mediterranean and Syria, and undermine its ability to coordinate scramble and interception missions against the Russians," the media outlet detailed.
Slava-class guided missile cruiser
Then there is the Moskva cruiser, the lead warship of the Slava-class ships.
"With sixteen P-500 Bazalt anti-ship missiles, sixty-four S-300PMU Favorit long-range air defense missiles and two OSA-M short-range surface-to-air missiles, three-dimensional (3D) search and tracking radars and over-the-horizon radars, the Slava-class cruiser is a floating fortress," the National Interest noted.
The magazine also added that the guided missile cruiser might not be well protected against Turkey's Gür-class submarines, describing them as "silent and deadly."
If the abovementioned weapons are not enough to convince Turkey that deescalating tensions is the only option, highly trained Russian speacial operation forces coupled with the country's cyberwarfare capabilities will surely do the trick.
