"Satchel" against missiles
Modern war can rightly be called the war of electronics. Over the past few years, this industry has reached such results that it is becoming increasingly common to completely remove living soldiers from the battlefield and entrust everything to electronics. Nevertheless, a living person will still be present on the battlefields for a long time, although his life will be facilitated with the help of electronic devices. In view of this tendency, electronic warfare in general and means of active radioelectronic counteraction in particular become particularly important. Thus, the work of almost any unmanned aerial vehicle, of which so many have appeared in recent years, can be, at a minimum, broken with the help of EW tools. According to Tehran’s official statements, this is how the American drone RQ-170 was captured last year.
However, it is not always necessary to take the enemy technique "alive." It is often enough to destroy it and not to worry about further "hospitality." The most promising way to destroy enemy aircraft or guided weapons is a directional beam of electromagnetic radiation of sufficient power. When the electronics of a cruise missile or an aircraft gets under such an impact, there is a serious disruption of its operation, and in some cases it literally burns out. Accordingly, the aircraft or rocket is no longer able to perform a combat mission.
More than ten years ago, at the Malaysian arms exhibition LIMA-2001, employees of the Moscow Radiotechnical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences for the first time demonstrated their latest development called the Ranets-E (also the designation Ranets-E is found). The presented sample was made on the basis of the MAZ-543 chassis and in appearance resembled some kind of communication machine. A container-cabin with a parabolic antenna on the roof was located on a four-axle chassis. The purpose of the “Ranets-E” complex, as was clear from the accompanying brochures, is to direct “firing” an electromagnetic pulse of the microwave range at various air and (if possible) ground targets in order to disable their electronics.
Mobile microwave protection system "Ranets-E" - this is exactly what the full name of the complex looks like - incorporates a high-power electric generator, a control system, an electromagnetic pulse generator and an antenna. Depending on the requirements of the customer, the complex can be manufactured both in stationary and mobile versions. Judging by the same declared mass of both versions of five tons, mobile is a container with equipment and a remote control mounted on the chassis. Stationary, respectively, differs only in supports for placement on the ground. The rest, apparently, the version of "Rantz-E" are similar.
The stated maximum radiation power of the “Rance-E” is 500 megawatts. This indicator produces a complex when the waves of the centimeter range are emitted and when a pulse is generated with a duration of the order of 10-20 nanoseconds. With longer work, respectively, the power of the electromagnetic beam is reduced. From the published data on the effectiveness of the complex, using the 50-decibel antenna unit (there is also an 45-decibel) guaranteed damage to the electronics of the aircraft or controlled ammunition is possible at distances up to 12-14 kilometers, and serious violations in its operation are observed at a distance to 40 km. Thus, with properly placed detection and target designation, the Ranets-E complex can easily cover objects or troops on the march from a large number of existing types of controlled weapons.
When firing an 50-decibel antenna, the electromagnetic radiation is transmitted by a relatively narrow beam, of the order of 15-20 degrees. In some cases, for example, when working on speed or maneuvering targets, another antenna, an 45 decibel, is required. It has a slightly lower radiation power and, as a result, a smaller effective range. Guaranteed damage to the enemy's electronics using this antenna is possible at ranges of no more than 8-10 kilometers. At the same time, this antenna has a much larger radiation angle: 60 °. Thus, depending on the tactical situation, you can use the most suitable antenna and hit existing targets.
As can be seen, the Ranets-E complex is a kind of alternative to short-range anti-aircraft missile systems. In addition, he even has some advantage over them: after hitting a target, only the target itself falls to the ground, without missile debris. This can be useful when covering objects surrounded by buildings or in similar conditions. In addition, this "microwave gun" is enough to know in which sector of the space the enemy aircraft is located. Having sufficiently recent data on this subject, "Ranets-E" can produce a "salvo" and destroy the enemy object. This can be useful when destroying aircrafts created using stealth technology: such a device only needs to appear on the radar screen a couple of times and with high probability it will get into the “Rantse-E” action area.
However, despite all its advantages, the Ranets-E mobile microwave protection system, even more than ten years after the first demonstration, has not been adopted. The fact is that in addition to the advantages it has its drawbacks. Thus, the normal operation of the complex is possible only in direct visibility conditions. Various objects of natural and artificial nature that are on the path of an electromagnetic pulse, if not screening it, at least significantly weaken it. Moreover, even at distances of more than ten kilometers, a “beam” of radiation is dangerous to humans. The second drawback directly follows from the need for "direct interference". A relatively small radius of guaranteed damage to the enemy's electronics can provoke him to use "smart" ammunition with a range of more than 15-20 kilometers, if any. Obviously, a massive strike with such missiles or bombs will make it relatively easy to destroy the covered objects together with the “Knapsacks-E” themselves - these “electromagnetic guns” may simply not have time to work on all targets. Finally, relatively long pauses should follow between pulses of maximum possible power to recharge the radiation generator.
All these shortcomings of the Ranets-E system ultimately affected the fate of the project. In its current state, it is simply disadvantageous to the military. At the same time, the further development of the project may well bring it into an acceptable form. If further versions of the Rantz-E will have a greater range of guaranteed destruction, less reload time and better opportunities to work at maximum power, then they will undoubtedly be able to break into the troops. Yes, and the commercial potential of such systems seems to be quite good, because it is a convenient, and most importantly, cheap means against expensive and accurate "smart" weapons.
However, it is not always necessary to take the enemy technique "alive." It is often enough to destroy it and not to worry about further "hospitality." The most promising way to destroy enemy aircraft or guided weapons is a directional beam of electromagnetic radiation of sufficient power. When the electronics of a cruise missile or an aircraft gets under such an impact, there is a serious disruption of its operation, and in some cases it literally burns out. Accordingly, the aircraft or rocket is no longer able to perform a combat mission.
More than ten years ago, at the Malaysian arms exhibition LIMA-2001, employees of the Moscow Radiotechnical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences for the first time demonstrated their latest development called the Ranets-E (also the designation Ranets-E is found). The presented sample was made on the basis of the MAZ-543 chassis and in appearance resembled some kind of communication machine. A container-cabin with a parabolic antenna on the roof was located on a four-axle chassis. The purpose of the “Ranets-E” complex, as was clear from the accompanying brochures, is to direct “firing” an electromagnetic pulse of the microwave range at various air and (if possible) ground targets in order to disable their electronics.
Mobile microwave protection system "Ranets-E" - this is exactly what the full name of the complex looks like - incorporates a high-power electric generator, a control system, an electromagnetic pulse generator and an antenna. Depending on the requirements of the customer, the complex can be manufactured both in stationary and mobile versions. Judging by the same declared mass of both versions of five tons, mobile is a container with equipment and a remote control mounted on the chassis. Stationary, respectively, differs only in supports for placement on the ground. The rest, apparently, the version of "Rantz-E" are similar.
The stated maximum radiation power of the “Rance-E” is 500 megawatts. This indicator produces a complex when the waves of the centimeter range are emitted and when a pulse is generated with a duration of the order of 10-20 nanoseconds. With longer work, respectively, the power of the electromagnetic beam is reduced. From the published data on the effectiveness of the complex, using the 50-decibel antenna unit (there is also an 45-decibel) guaranteed damage to the electronics of the aircraft or controlled ammunition is possible at distances up to 12-14 kilometers, and serious violations in its operation are observed at a distance to 40 km. Thus, with properly placed detection and target designation, the Ranets-E complex can easily cover objects or troops on the march from a large number of existing types of controlled weapons.
When firing an 50-decibel antenna, the electromagnetic radiation is transmitted by a relatively narrow beam, of the order of 15-20 degrees. In some cases, for example, when working on speed or maneuvering targets, another antenna, an 45 decibel, is required. It has a slightly lower radiation power and, as a result, a smaller effective range. Guaranteed damage to the enemy's electronics using this antenna is possible at ranges of no more than 8-10 kilometers. At the same time, this antenna has a much larger radiation angle: 60 °. Thus, depending on the tactical situation, you can use the most suitable antenna and hit existing targets.
As can be seen, the Ranets-E complex is a kind of alternative to short-range anti-aircraft missile systems. In addition, he even has some advantage over them: after hitting a target, only the target itself falls to the ground, without missile debris. This can be useful when covering objects surrounded by buildings or in similar conditions. In addition, this "microwave gun" is enough to know in which sector of the space the enemy aircraft is located. Having sufficiently recent data on this subject, "Ranets-E" can produce a "salvo" and destroy the enemy object. This can be useful when destroying aircrafts created using stealth technology: such a device only needs to appear on the radar screen a couple of times and with high probability it will get into the “Rantse-E” action area.
However, despite all its advantages, the Ranets-E mobile microwave protection system, even more than ten years after the first demonstration, has not been adopted. The fact is that in addition to the advantages it has its drawbacks. Thus, the normal operation of the complex is possible only in direct visibility conditions. Various objects of natural and artificial nature that are on the path of an electromagnetic pulse, if not screening it, at least significantly weaken it. Moreover, even at distances of more than ten kilometers, a “beam” of radiation is dangerous to humans. The second drawback directly follows from the need for "direct interference". A relatively small radius of guaranteed damage to the enemy's electronics can provoke him to use "smart" ammunition with a range of more than 15-20 kilometers, if any. Obviously, a massive strike with such missiles or bombs will make it relatively easy to destroy the covered objects together with the “Knapsacks-E” themselves - these “electromagnetic guns” may simply not have time to work on all targets. Finally, relatively long pauses should follow between pulses of maximum possible power to recharge the radiation generator.
All these shortcomings of the Ranets-E system ultimately affected the fate of the project. In its current state, it is simply disadvantageous to the military. At the same time, the further development of the project may well bring it into an acceptable form. If further versions of the Rantz-E will have a greater range of guaranteed destruction, less reload time and better opportunities to work at maximum power, then they will undoubtedly be able to break into the troops. Yes, and the commercial potential of such systems seems to be quite good, because it is a convenient, and most importantly, cheap means against expensive and accurate "smart" weapons.
Information