Swarms of drones are rapidly depleting ammunition
Anti-aircraft missile technology began to develop actively immediately after the end of World War II. Moreover, first of all, the designers sought to create anti-aircraft missile systems (SAMs) with maximum firing range and altitude reach: this was what provided the fundamental advantage of the new weapon compared to anti-aircraft artillery. And it was these qualities that were necessary to combat strategic aviation, which since the end of World War II has become the most important striking force of the advanced armed forces ( "Outgoing Nature, or Ambush Armada", "HVO", 11/17.23).
A SUPERPOWER MONOPOLY
The creators of the new technology faced a lot of technical difficulties, so the range of countries that adopted self-developed anti-aircraft missile systems (SAMS) turned out to be extremely narrow.
In fact, it consisted only of the United States with their "Nikes", then "Hawks", and the Soviet Union with the C-25, and then with the famous C-75 ( "Not even a fly will fly", "HBO", 07/14/17). Even China, copying the C-75 called HQ-2, lasted on this air defense system until the 1990s ( "The Evolution of the Chinese umbrella", "HBO", 03/25/12).
Accordingly, the United States and the USSR provided their air defense systems to the countries under their control. Almost the only exception was the British Bloodhound air defense system, which entered service in the late 1950s. The battery included a command post (KP), a detection radar station (radar), two guidance radars and 16 launchers (PU). The range of damage ranged from 35 km for early modifications to 85 km for later ones, and the altitude range was 18 km.
Generally speaking, long- and medium-range air defense systems have one fundamental difference from military equipment of all other classes.
Tanks, infantry fighting vehicles and armored personnel carriers are reduced to companies, battalions and regiments. Artillery and missile systems – in batteries, divisions and brigades. Planes and helicopters are organized into units, squadrons and regiments. The ships are in squadrons and flotillas. Only submarines (submarines) operate individually. At the same time, however, a separate tank, IFV, APC, artillery system, aircraft, helicopter, ship are full-fledged combat units and are capable of acting alone if necessary.
The same applies to short-range air defense systems ( "It is dangerous and unprofitable to exchange guided missiles for drones", "HBO", 11/24/23). They are also reduced to batteries and divisions with the addition of KP and radar detection, but if necessary, the SAM or anti-aircraft gun can operate completely independently. And only for long-range and medium-range air defense systems, the minimum combat unit is a battery or a division (battalion). No single vehicle, including anti-aircraft guided missile (SAM) launchers, has combat value in an independent version.
The triumph of the S-75 in Vietnam ( "Phantoms" against "MiGs", "HBO", 03/24.23) gave rise to a somewhat overestimated assessment of anti-aircraft missile technology, which was subsequently far from fully confirmed. The Arab-Israeli War of Attrition ( "Battle of Attrition", "HBO", 03/01/19) and the October War ( "Israel's Day of Judgment", "HBO", 10/19/18) led to the rapid development of low-altitude air defense systems. The monopoly of the superpowers remained on the "large" air defense systems, especially after the appearance of the S-300 ( "Ukrainian anti-aircraft gunners work in self-firing mode", "HBO", 09.12.22) and "Patriot" ( "Sky Shield of America", "HBO", 09.06.23). The situation began to change only with the collapse of one of the superpowers and the end of the Cold War.
Europe
In Sweden, in the late 1980s, the development of the RBS-23 air defense system began, which became a kind of intermediate link between medium-range and short-range air defense systems. It was only at the beginning of the 21st century that it was adopted by the Swedish Air Force. The flight range of the missiles with a radio command guidance system is 20 km, the altitude range is 15 km. The RBS-23 battery consists of a gearbox with a detection radar and three PU with six missiles and a guidance radar on each. Theoretically, the launcher can operate completely autonomously.
In the early 1990s, Norway began to develop its own air defense system. As a result, the NASAMS medium-range air defense system was created, using the American AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missile as a missile system. Six missiles are placed on the PU. The platoon includes three PU and radar, a battery – KP and three platoons. In the NASAMS-2 variant, there are two radars in the platoon, and four platoons in the battery.
In France, together with Italy, at the beginning of the 21st century, the SAMR/T air defense system was developed, the battery of which includes a gearbox, a multifunctional radar with a phased active array (HEADLIGHT), four to six PU, each of which houses eight Aster-30 missiles with active radar guidance. The range of damage is 80-100 km, the altitude range is up to 25 km.
Asia
Much more actively than in Europe, long- and medium-range air defense systems are developing in Asia (and not only in China). In Taiwan, which opposes China, the development of the Tien Kung ("Heavenly Bow") air defense system began in the 1980s on the basis of the American "Advanced Hawk". But then the American Patriot air defense system became the basis for the Taiwanese air defense system.
The Tien Kung-1 battery included a detection radar, two guidance radars and three to four PU (four missiles with semi-active radar guidance on each), the firing range reached 70 km. At the Tien Kung-2 air defense system, it increased to 150 km, and the guidance of the missiles became active radar. It is expected that the Tien Kung-3 air defense system, aimed at solving missile defense (ABM) tasks, will enter service with the Taiwanese Armed Forces.
At the beginning of the 21st century, Japan received the domestic Tour 03 air defense system, the battery of which includes a gearbox, radar and four PU with six active radar-guided missiles on each. The flight range is at least 50 km, the altitude reach is at least 10 km.
Two opposing Koreas are also developing long-range air defense systems. The DPRK is armed with the Pong-5 air defense system (Western name KN-06), which was apparently created on the basis of the Soviet S-300P (at the same time, two or three missiles are placed on the PU of the North Korean system, not four, as with the S-300P), but there is no accurate data on She's not.
The KM-SAM air defense system, which entered service with the Armed Forces of the Republic of Korea, was created using the technologies of the Russian S-400, including its 9M96 missiles. The KM-SAM battery consists of a gearbox, radar with headlights and four to six PU with eight missiles on each. The flight range is 40 km, the altitude range is 15-20 km.
The Akash air defense system of the Indian Armed Forces is a development of the Soviet "Square". The missile has a radio command guidance, a flight range of 30 km, and an altitude range of 18-20 km. The battery includes a gearbox, radar with headlights and four PU (three missiles on each). Division (squadron) The Akash air defense system in the Indian Air Force includes two batteries, in the ground forces, the division (group) consists of four batteries. In the Air Force, the radar is placed on the BMP-2 chassis, the rest of the vehicles are on the car chassis. In the ground forces, all elements of the air defense system are placed on the chassis of the T-72 tank.
A joint Indian-Israeli development is the Barak-8 air defense system, which exists in both shipboard and land-based versions. The battery of the ground-based version of the ZRS includes a gearbox, radar with headlights and up to six PU (eight missiles on each). An active radar-guided missile has a flight range of at least 100 km and an altitude reach of at least 16 km.
In addition, Israel is actively developing missile defense systems designed to defeat both "classic" ballistic missiles (up to medium-range ballistic missiles (MRBMS) and rockets, as described in the article "The Heirs of David and their Slings" (HBO, 07/21/2013).
The main virtual enemy of Israel, Iran, is very actively developing air defense systems and air defense systems ( "Archaic technology, but absolutely indomitable spirit", "HBO", 06/25/21). The ground air defense of the Iranian Armed Forces is based on foreign models, but gradually more and more original versions of its own are being created on this basis.
The Mersad air defense system was created on the basis of the American "Advanced Hawk". The battery includes two or three platoons, each with a radar and three PU with three missiles with semi-active radar guidance on each. Iran has created several of its own variants of anti-aircraft guided missiles. The firing range is 30-40 km, the altitude range is up to 18 km.
The Sayad-1 air defense system became a licensed copy of the Chinese HQ-2B, which, as mentioned above, was itself copied from the C-75. The battery includes a gearbox, radar, six PU and transport-charging machines (TZM). The range of the Sayad-1 air defense system has increased from 30 to 70 km.
Further improvement of this air defense system was associated with the use of the technology of the American shipboard missile defense system "Standard-1". The Talash air defense system was created with the Sayad-2 and Sayad-3 missiles, which have a flight range of 100-150 km.
The next stage was the creation of the 15th Khordad air defense system, which uses radar with headlights, as well as the Joshan with a passive radar. Finally, the Bavar-373 air defense system with the Sayad-4 missile defense system was developed and adopted. Its range of destruction is 200 km, its altitude reach is 27 km. The battery includes a gearbox, detection radar, illumination and guidance radar, six PU with four missiles on each. The transport and launch conveyor (TPC) of the Sayad-2/3/4 missile defense system has a square shape and looks very similar to the TPC of the American Patriot air defense system.
Another line of development of Iranian long- and medium-range air defense systems is based on the Soviet-Russian air defense systems "Kvadrat" and "Buk" ( "Military air defense in the XXI century", "HVO", 05/31/19). The battery of the Raad air defense system includes KP, radar and up to six PU with three Tier missiles on each one. The firing range is up to 50 km, the altitude range is up to 25 km. The Raad-2 variant differs in that the guidance of the missiles is carried out not according to radar data, but using an optoelectronic system.
The Tabas air defense missile launcher already has its own guidance radar and looks very similar to the Buk air defense missile launcher on a wheeled chassis, the range of destruction has increased to 75 km. There are three PU in the Tabasa battery, and only one of them has its own guidance radar. The division consists of four batteries, a gearbox and radar detection from headlights.
Further improvement of the Tabas by replacing the guidance radar of PU and ZUR (with the Tier-2 variant) made it possible to create the 3rd Khordad air defense system, the range of destruction reached 105 km, the altitude range was 27-30 km. At the same time, the Sayad-2 missiles can be used from the 3rd Chordad missile defense system, as well as the 9th Day short-range missiles (up to 20 km), in the latter case, eight missiles are placed on the PU.
In June 2019, the 3rd Khordad shot down a strategic reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicle of the US Navy RQ-4. Thus, of all the long-range air defense systems created outside the USA and the USSR/In Russia, only the Israeli Iron Dome and the Iranian 3rd Khordad have military successes.
TWO PROBLEMS
Today, long- and medium-range air defense systems face serious problems. The first is a significant increase in the range of air–to-surface missiles, which allows aircraft to launch them from outside the range of an anti-aircraft missile system. As a result, the air defense systems are forced to fight with the means of destruction, being deprived of the opportunity to destroy the carriers.
The second problem is the appearance of a large number of reconnaissance and combat UAVs. As a result, the enemy, through the mass use of missiles and drones, can create a situation where the air defense system does not have enough missiles to defeat them, and the depletion of ground-based air defense ammunition will automatically lead to its complete defeat.
If the first problem can theoretically be solved by further increasing the range of missiles, then the second problem can hardly be solved with the help of long- and medium-range air defense systems.
Alexander Khramchikhin
Alexander Anatolyevich Khramchikhin is an independent military expert.