And how effective is their use in different parts of its
The July counter-offensive actions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the southern section of the special military operation zone are accompanied by the widespread use of Western and not only armored vehicles. Leopards-2, Polish clones of the Soviet T-72, Bradley combat vehicles, Striker armored personnel carriers, and the rest of the armored menagerie of the Armed Forces of Ukraine went into battle. Anti-tank missile systems of the Russian ground forces have become one of the most effective means of destroying armored vehicles. Izvestia, together with a military expert, the founder of the Military Russia portal Dmitry Kornev, understood how perfect such systems are and what role they play on the battlefield.
"Baby"
Since the 1960s, anti-tank missile systems (ATGMs) have been widely used by the ground forces of different countries. The first Soviet ATGM for infantry — 9K11 "Baby" proved to be very effective. The rocket weighing only 10 kg was used by a calculation of two people from a compact portable launcher.
Created by the Kolomna Design Bureau of Mechanical Engineering under the control of the legendary S.P. Invincible, the rocket was controlled by wires that were unwound from a coil in the tail section. The operator of the complex, using a special manipulator, which was later called a "joystick", controlled the flight, trying to point the missile at a visually observable target.
ATGM 9K11 "Baby"
Image Source: Photo: Public Domain
The control of such ammunition required training, and even experienced ATGM operators had a probability of hitting the target of no more than 70%. With the development of electronics, anti-tank missile systems have become semi-automatic, and in recent versions, targeting has become fully automated. In fact, modern ATGMs have implemented the principle of "shot and forgot". The missile guidance system manages independently.
"Bassoon"
In the 1970s, the long-lived 9K111 "Fagot" complex entered service - its modernized versions of the 1980-1990—ies are now available to the Russian army and show themselves to be an effective means of defeating both any stationary targets (pillboxes, shelters, buildings) and armored vehicles.
Despite the venerable age, the "Bassoons" turned out to be quite a working complex in their own. They are used, for example, by airborne units with installation on pickups as mobile ATGMs. They hit both infantry and armored objects of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
9K111 "Bassoon"
Image Source: Photo: mil.ru
The guidance of the modern "Bassoon" is automated — the operator holds the target in the sight of the complex, and the rocket is controlled by wires. The complex sees it itself by a special tracer in the tail section and generates commands on its steering wheel to combine the tracer and the target. It is possible to interfere with such a system, but it is difficult: the impact on the wires is a very difficult task for interference. The range of the Fagot missiles is from 2000 m (9M111 rocket) to 4000 m (9M113 rocket).
"Cornet"
The most advanced Russian ATGM for infantry and mobile ground installations is the 9K135 "Kornet" complex. Developed by Tula Instrument Design Bureau named after Shchipunov in the 1990s. It is universal and can also work for any purpose. The missiles of the complex have different combat units — tandem anti-tank, high-explosive, thermobaric. The armor penetration of the tandem warhead is up to 1300 mm of conventional armor behind dynamic protection. This means that today there is not a single tank that the Cornet could not hit.
Unlike the complexes of previous generations, wires are no longer used to control the rocket. It is guided by a laser beam, and in the latest models the same principle of "shot and forgot" is implemented — that is, the ATGM operator fixes the target, performs the launch and can not wait for the hit — the missile is controlled by the complex completely automatically.
Combat vehicle "Cornet-D"
Image Source: Photo: TASS/Sergey Bobylev
To combat interference and ensure the destruction of important targets, the Cornet can work with the simultaneous launch of a second missile at the same target. The range of action reaches 5.5 km, which is more than the range of targeted artillery fire of most tanks.
In addition to the infantry launcher, the "Cornet" is also used on armored vehicles. When placed on a mobile platform of a Tiger-type vehicle, the complex carries eight missiles in launchers and the same number in ammunition. Since 2012, the modified Kornet-D complex has entered service.
In July 2023, the Kornet complex with remote control Kurgan was successfully used for the first time in the SVO zone. The use of such a modification occurred in the group "South" and just against Western armored vehicles. The control panel of the ATGM can be carried out at a distance of up to 50 m, which allows masking for use from ambushes and ensures the safety of the calculation.
"Chrysanthemum-S"
The most powerful tool that the Russian ground forces can use for armored vehicles today is the universal mobile missile system 9K123 "Chrysanthemum-S". A unique ATGM robot was created by the Kolomna Design Bureau of Mechanical Engineering. The complex can use two types of missiles with super-caliber tandem-cumulative and high-explosive thermobaric warheads. Accordingly, the first can hit any armored objects, and the second is used against fortifications, buildings, structures and against group lightly armored targets.
Mobile missile system 9K123 "Chrysanthemum-S"
Image Source: Photo: TASS/Sergey Savostyanov
Chrysanthemum is an all—weather and all-day ATGM with two independent missile guidance channels. It is believed that one combat vehicle can restrain the offensive of a group of enemy armored objects. The complex has automated recharging, which is why it is called a "robot".
The Chrysanthemum supersonic missile can even hit helicopters. The ammunition of the vehicle is 15 missiles in containers. The range of the aimed anti— jamming fire of the ATGM is 6 km . Two types of missile guidance are used — by radio channel and by laser beam.
Before the start of the SVO, parts of the Southern Military District, in particular the artillery brigade of the 8th Guards Combined Arms Army, received the Chrysanthemum-S complexes. Today, these ATGMs have had the opportunity to prove themselves in the Zaporozhye area and can show high efficiency in deterring attacks by armored enemy groups. Protection from the blows of "Chrysanthemums" does not exist today.
Dmitry Kornev