TSAMTO, August 13th. The editorial board of the National Defense magazine for the Army-2024 forum has published a series of materials on advanced developments in the Russian defense industry. Below is an article dedicated to the Viking air defense system.
At the Army-2024 MVTF, the Ulyanovsk Mechanical Plant (part of the Almaz-Antey Concern of East Kazakhstan Region) presents the Viking medium-range air defense system (the export version of the Buk-M3 air defense system) and the means of preparing their calculations – a comprehensive simulator and a hardware and software package of electronic operational documentation.
The Viking air defense system is the best in its class
The Viking air defense system is Russia's newest medium–range anti-aircraft missile system and one of the best air defense systems in the world. The complex represents a new direction in the development of air defense systems and fully complies with modern conditions of warfare.
The tactical and technical characteristics of the SAM allow it to successfully combat the widest range of air attack weapons flying in a wide range of heights and speeds, along various trajectories, including ballistic ones. The reflection of the raid, including massive, is carried out at any time of the day, in simple and difficult weather conditions, in the presence of natural and artificial interference.
The combat equipment of the Viking air defense system includes a combat control point (PBU), a target detection station (SOC), up to six self-propelled fire launchers (SOUS) and/or illumination and guidance radars (RPN), up to 12 launchers (PU). The combat operation of the complex is controlled from the PBU 9X510ME, which has increased information processing and fire channel management capabilities.
The SOC 9C38E, equipped with an all-round antenna with an active phased array, conducts reconnaissance of the air situation at a range of up to 200 km and an altitude of up to 30 km and ensures the alignment of target routes from a range of 180 km.
The 9S36ME illumination and guidance radar, equipped with a lifting device of radar equipment to a height of 21 m, provides detection of low-flying targets at a range 1.5-2 times greater than the detection range of similar targets with the 9A317ME SOW.
The ammunition of the complex is placed on the SOW 9A317ME and PU 9A316ME and, depending on the configuration, 120-144 9M317M missiles ready for launch. The complex is capable of simultaneously destroying 36 targets flying from different directions. The guidance of the missiles is carried out with a SOU or RPN. The reaction time from target detection to launch of the missile is 10-12 seconds. At the same time, aircraft are intercepted at an inclined range of up to 65 km, aircraft manufactured using stealth technology – up to 40 km, tactical ballistic missiles – up to 25 km, cruise missiles – up to 20 km, helicopters – up to 60 km (in "hover" mode – up to 12 km).
The affected area is from 15 m to 25 km in height. The Viking air defense system has a record–breaking deployment time from the marching order to the combat one - only 5 minutes (several times less than that of foreign analogues).
The all-terrain tracked chassis allows you to move over rough terrain, quickly changing position. It is possible to change the position for a short distance without switching off the high-frequency path (after 20 seconds. after the shot), which allows you to return to reconnaissance and fire in seconds after redeployment.
High maneuverability characteristics make the Viking air defense system a true military air defense system capable of conducting combat work to cover troops and strategic facilities in a high-intensity military conflict.
The Viking air defense system is an open information distribution system capable of receiving information about the air situation not only from the regular SOC, but also from external sources, developing optimal solutions to defeat targets independently or transferring some functions to assigned control points, managing both their own fire groups and attached small and large air defense systems ranges.
The tactical and technical characteristics of the SAM are fully confirmed in real battles. The Russian Ministry of Defense has repeatedly demonstrated video evidence of the successful operation of these combat vehicles and reported on their high efficiency in the area of their military operations. In particular, according to the head of the calculation of the air defense system with the call sign "Eighteenth", the combat vehicle "shows itself perfectly, copes with all types and types of targets. High-speed facilities such as HIMARS and ATACMS missiles are a priority for us."
Since this information was published back in February, shortly after the appearance of ATACMS ballistic missiles in the area of their deployment, their successful interception indicates that the SAM is able to quickly adapt to new types of targets and is ready to resist not only modern, but also promising means of air attack. The effectiveness of combat work is eloquently evidenced by the fact that many SAM calculations already have five to six dozen downed SVN on their account.
The "school desk" of an anti-aircraft gunner
Of course, the effectiveness of the combat use of SAMs is ensured not only by their outstanding performance characteristics, but also by a high level of training of calculations. Because, no matter how perfect the technique, the key "link" in battle remains a person. Taking this factor fully into account, UMZ offers customers not only the anti–aircraft missile systems themselves, but also the means of preparing their calculations - a comprehensive simulator of the Viking air defense system and a hardware and software package of electronic operational documentation.
The integrated air defense system simulator provides multi-level comprehensive training, coordination of both combat crew numbers and air defense units in conditions as close to combat as possible. The simulator can be supplied in container or classroom design, at the request of the customer.
The complex training simulator includes one simulator of the combat control point (PBU), one simulator of the target detection radar station (SOC) and up to six simulators of a self-propelled fire installation (SOW/RPN). Also, the integrated simulator uses software simulators of the higher command post (VKP), launchers (PU) and attached air defense systems. Thus, the composition of the complex simulator fully reflects the composition of the Viking air defense system combat vehicles.
At the same time, the PBU simulator is equipped with a functionally combined workplace of the instructor of the complex simulator and the instructor of the PBU simulator, as well as the workplaces of the commander of the complex, the head of the PBU and the operator of the PBU, the SOC simulator – the workplaces of the simulator instructor, the commander and the operator of the SOC, the simulator of the SOU/RPN – the workplaces of the instructor, the commander of the SOU/RPN, the 1st and the 2nd operator. The students' workplaces reflect the staffing of the Viking air defense system calculations. The appearance, composition and placement of the equipment of the workplaces of the trained combat crews of the PBU, SOC and SOW/ RPN simulators are as close as possible to real products, which ensures a high level of realism of the training. The real software of the Viking air defense system is used, adapted for use in the central computer system of the simulators SOW/ RPN, PBU and SOC.
The integrated simulator provides testing of all standard modes of combat operation of the Viking air defense system, including the AFC mode. The situation of air combat, emulated on the training screens, is as close as possible to the real one. Imitation of the widest range of modern means of air attack, jamming stops and false targets is provided. Targets are modeled based on their actual flight characteristics.
It is possible to configure a variety of training parameters, including selecting a digital terrain map from a set, setting weather conditions, time of year and day, as well as taking into account the influence of the terrain.
The functionality of the integrated simulator provides training for calculations of combat vehicles of the Viking air defense system in various modes. In the mode of complex training in a single air environment, all simulators of the PBU, SOC and SOW/ RPN work in cooperation with each other. At the same time, the PBU simulator provides training, training and coordination of PBU combat crews in order to form and maintain the skills of managing the combat work of subordinate groups of Viking air defense systems when repelling air attack attacks in various conditions of air and interference conditions. Simulators of the VKP and attached air defense systems are integrated into the software of the PBU simulator, which allows you to work out interaction with them.
The SOC simulator provides comprehensive and autonomous training and training of the calculation of the SOC in conditions as close as possible to the effects of air attack. Weather formations and simplified images of targets are also simulated on the ECO screen of the SOU simulator. The SOW/RPN simulator provides comprehensive and autonomous training of SOW/RPN calculations. Simulators of PU and attached air defense systems are integrated into the software of the SOU/RPN simulator.
The simulator allows you to simulate the detection, identification, tracking, recognition and illumination of up to six aerial targets; conducting an electronic launch and simultaneous targeting of six own missiles and six missiles of the PU simulator at six targets, both with target indications from the PBU simulator and during autonomous operation.
Voice operational command and telecode communication are carried out between the simulators. Also, if necessary, each simulator is able to work offline, providing individual training for calculations of PBU, SOC, SOW / RPN.
Automated functional control of individual simulators of the SOW/RPN, PBU and SOC, and the complex simulator as a whole, with the output of the result to the instructors' workplaces, is provided.
The use of the simulator makes it possible to repeatedly reduce the financial costs of combat training of the Viking air defense system calculations by reducing sorties during overflights and the consumption of targets during live firing, the absence of the consumption of the engine life of combat vehicles and fuel.
Improving the practical skills of combat work of the Viking air defense system calculations is impossible without a high level of theoretical knowledge in the field of the device and principles of operation of combat vehicles and means of providing the complex.
The theoretical preparation of calculations is provided by the hardware and software complex of electronic operational documentation (APC EED). The complex interactively provides students with operational and technical information on the device, operation, and maintenance of Viking air defense systems. The AIC EED is used to increase the level of theoretical training not only for combat crews, but also for calculations of maintenance and repair departments, repair brigades, missile and artillery armament services.
APC EED provides storage and display of electronic operational documentation, visualization of the composition and principles of operation of technical components and mechanisms of products, visualization of elements from the composition of single and group spare parts, visualization of the procedure and rules for maintenance, repair, storage and transportation of products, prompt search for information about nodes, blocks, parts and assembly units included in the Spare parts, visualization of the list of malfunctions of products from the Viking air defense system, with interactive links to instructions for their elimination provided to the user.
Thus, by creating a training system for air defense specialists based on the proposed training facilities, the customer solves the tasks of effective and economical training of combat crews of the complex, calculations of maintenance units, which contributes to achieving a high degree of combat readiness for the use of air defense systems in combat conditions.
The article was published in the journal "National Defense" No. 7, 2024
