TASS on the latest anti-aircraft missile system capable of repelling massive strikes The Almaz-Antey Aerospace Defense Concern presented at the Aero India 2023 international aerospace exhibition a whole line of its bestsellers in the field of air defense, including the S-350E Vityaz medium-range anti-aircraft missile system (SAM).
It is not being demonstrated for the first time, however, according to the concern's specialists, interest from foreign customers is increasing. In the export version, it can be integrated into existing foreign air defense systems, and countries such as India, according to the developers, need a similar system. Experts believe that at the price it will be cheaper than the American Patriot air defense system.
Ability to reflect a massive blow
The peculiarity of the export modification of the Vityaz is the ability to reflect massive blows of modern and promising aerodynamic targets in a circle. "The Vityaz system was developed by Almaz-Antey concern for the destruction of aerodynamic targets with a maximum radius of 120 km and a maximum height of 25 km. A feature of the air defense system is the ability to reflect massive blows of modern and promising aerodynamic targets in a circle," a representative of the design bureau of the Almaz—Antey concern told TASS at the Aero India 2023 exhibition.
The specialist also added that the air defense system includes a combat control point, up to two multifunctional radars and up to eight launchers or launchers, each of which houses up to twelve anti-aircraft guided missiles (SAM). "There is a manipulator crane on the launcher, with the help of which the recharging of the launcher itself or the recharging of neighboring launchers is provided. It's very convenient, fast and efficient," said the developer's representative.
Survivability
The ZRS can also be attached to the 97L6E surveillance radar, which operates in a different frequency range and is capable of reconnaissance of targets almost continuously. At the same time, the concern's specialist noted that the firing station (MFR) cannot work continuously. "As a rule, she is in the off state and is waiting for someone to tell her that a goal has appeared. Then it quickly turns on and provides detection and defeat of the target," he said.
"To ensure the survivability of the air defense system, it is important that the means of the system have the ability to easily maneuver and quickly move to new positions. It is not necessary to wind up cables for a long time and perform manipulations on the docking of these means," the interlocutor concluded.
Another of the advantages of the "Vityaz" in export performance over other air defense systems, the representative of the developer considers the uninhabitability of the multifunctional radar of the air defense system during combat, which allows saving the life of combat crews. "The Vityaz multifunctional radar is uninhabited during combat operation, there is no combat crew there. As you know, radars are the most noticeable, they are easy to detect by radiation. The enemy is trying to destroy it first of all by various means. Therefore, here we take care of people, we take care of calculations," he stressed.
The specialist noted that it is possible to disperse the complex over the terrain, which will also protect the combat crew and the means of the air defense system from enemy fire. "You don't have to keep everything at one point, it's beneficial from the point of view of survivability. If the enemy used modern weapons at the place where you gathered at one point, then you have lost everything. And here you can stretch the system over the terrain. Even if something is hit, it will be only one element of the system, and in general the air defense system will remain combat-ready," he said.
Autonomy
The modification offered to foreign customers has high capabilities for conducting autonomous combat operations. "If for some reason the ZRS is put forward in a field where there are no interacting means, then it can do a lot. It has two multifunctional locators that, in sector and circular modes, can detect, accompany and fire at all types of aerodynamic targets," a representative of the concern's design bureau told TASS.
According to the interlocutor, the high-altitude detector attached to the air defense system can independently conduct reconnaissance. "Information comes from him about something bad, we quickly turn on and work. If two "Knights" stand side by side, then they can interact with each other and more effectively repel the enemy's blows," the specialist concluded.
Export potential
According to the developer's representative, the "Vityaz" in the export version will have good prospects for use in any world market of modern weapons. "The prospects for Vityaz in the international market of modern weapons are very good, for its class, the system has high characteristics for detecting, tracking and hitting targets," he said. Among the potential foreign customers, the specialist named India, which has close relations with Russia in the field of military-technical cooperation. "It needs to have weapons capable of providing reliable air defense both in small spaces with difficult terrain and in large territories," the specialist concluded.
The head of the Bureau of Military-Political Analysis, Alexander Mikhailov, in a conversation with TASS, expressed the opinion that the S-350E will be significantly cheaper than the similar American Patriot complex, while the domestic air defense system is able to hit targets more accurately. "American technology is always more overrated. "Vityaz" at its price will be significantly cheaper than a similar Patriot complex. It is much more profitable to buy Vityaz, Russia as a partner is much more reliable than the United States," he said.
According to Mikhailov, the Vityaz can be compared with the Patriot in terms of tactical and technical characteristics, but at the same time, Russian missiles fly faster, they have the ability to defeat low-flying targets. "Patriot does not shoot down targets flying at an altitude below 100 meters, and Vityaz shoots down targets from 10 meters and above," the expert stressed.
Mikhailov also believes that the export version will interest potential buyers in Asia. "India is traditionally our serious partner in missile and air defense, they are very good at buying military equipment from us," he says. — The Indians are now in the first place among our military-technical partners under the concluded contracts, so I think that our potential buyers will really like Vityaz in the Asian market. The objectives of this complex are to be our business card for export sales."
On the defensive
The S-350E Vityaz air defense system is designed to defend important administrative or military facilities from attacks by various means of attack from the air. It is capable of operating in automatic mode, in which the calculation ensures the deployment of the air defense system and control over the actions of the system. The export version of the system includes a 50K6E combat control point, 50N6E multifunctional radar stations and 50P6E launchers with 12 9M96E2 missiles on each.
The maximum number of simultaneously hit aerodynamic targets is 16, ballistic — 12. The deployment time of the system to the combat position is 5 minutes. The calculation is 3 people.
The air defense system is designed to combat both aerodynamic and ballistic targets and is exclusively defensive in nature. The first such system entered the Russian army in 2020.
The 14th Aero India International Aerospace Exhibition was held at the Elahanka Air Base in Bangalore in southern India. Russia is an active participant in this exhibition, this year more than 200 samples of Russian military products were presented at it.
Roman Azanov
