On the morning of April 2, the Department of Information and Mass Communications of the Ministry of Defense of Russia published an official announcement of the recent tests of a new Russian anti-missile. As indicated in a short note, the combat crew of air and missile defense forces of aerospace forces successfully conducted another test launch of a new missile for a strategic missile defense. The tests took place at the Sary-Shagan test site, the main site for such events.
Preparations for the November trial run
Upon completion of the tests, the deputy commander of the air defense and missile defense system of the aerospace forces, Major General Andrei Prikhodko, stated that the upgraded antimissile system had successfully hit a conventional ballistic target. The set test problem was solved at the set time.
The press service of the Ministry of Defense also recalled the goals and objectives of the new project. It is indicated that the missile defense system is in service with the VKS and is designed to protect the capital from attacks using aerospace attacks. In addition, a complex system that includes a lot of different systems and tools is used to monitor outer space and to prevent rocket attacks from third countries.
It should be noted that this is the second test launch of the upgraded antimissile, held this year. If we take the last few months, starting with the fall of 2017, the recent start is the third in the current test program. According to official reports, the first trial launch of the current program took place on November 23 2017. The next start was made only a few weeks ago - February 12. It was reported that in both cases the interceptor missile successfully completed the task and destroyed the training target.
Container loading into the mine
Such moments were not specified in official reports of the Department of Information of the Ministry of Defense, but it is known that in recent months an updated version of an already existing anti-missile missile, known as PRS-1М and 53Т6М, is in flight tests. Also, the profile resources report that the site №35 of the Sary-Shagan test site was selected for the ongoing tests, and the launches are provided with the multichannel shooting complex 5ЖXNNUMP "Amur-P".
According to known data, the current project for the development and testing of a promising missile, ORS-1M, is part of a larger program to modernize the national missile defense system. Since the beginning of the nineties, combat duty to protect Moscow and the nearby region has been carried out by the anti-missile system А-235, also known as RTC-181М and "Samolet-M". It consists of various ground-based technical means and a set of interceptor missiles. In the base configuration of this system, the near-level interception echelon was based on the PRS-1 / 53Т6 rocket. The aim of the current work is to re-equip the A-235 system with new missiles.
Product start
For understandable reasons, the defense industry and the military department were not in a hurry to disclose detailed information about the most important project, as a result of which information was published extremely rarely and in limited quantities. Nevertheless, some information about the PRS-1M rocket did get into open access. In addition, certain estimates and assumptions, which are distinguished by sufficient plausibility, have gained some acceptance.
It is known that Novator, an experimental design bureau (Ekaterinburg), which is part of the Almaz-Antey aerospace defense concern, is developing new guided missiles for the Russian strategic missile defense system. The first reports of the development of a completely new or upgraded interceptor missile date back to the middle of the last decade. In the future, the project of such weapons was mentioned several times in certain messages, but without unnecessary details.
At the turn of the decade, it became known that the Almaz-Antey concern is preparing to resume the production of some components of relatively old 53Т6 rockets. In particular, mention was made of plans to produce new solid-fuel engines for such weapons. Even then, there were certain reasons to assume that it was about the production of power plants for the upgraded version of the ORS-1M rocket. It is believed that all these works were related to the expiration of the warranty period for existing missiles ORS-1. The emergence of new batches of engines allowed to retrofit serial missiles and return them on duty.
12 February launch 2018
In December, the 2011 of the year saw the first test launch of an ORS-1 product, equipped with a new series engine, released after production resumed. Probably, then the anti-rocket was tested in its basic configuration, which fully corresponded to the original 53Т6 project. At the same time, versions appeared about testing a new rocket, which is at least a modernized version of the existing one. However, officials did not comment on such assumptions. The events of the following years, in turn, became an indirect confirmation of the fact that in 2011, the main task was to check the engine of the new batch.
Information about testing a promising product, officially called the "new modernized rocket", appeared only last fall. As reported by the press service of the Ministry of Defense, on November 23, 2017, a test launch of such an antimissile took place. The command noted that the launch was successful and ended with the interception of the training target. The type of product used in the tests, however, was not specified. However, in the video from the Ministry of Defense it was possible to notice that the 53Т6М index was present on the transport and launch container of the test rocket.
12 February 2018, one of the sites of the Sary-Shagan test site, was again used to test the launch of the “new upgraded missile”. According to A. Prikhodko, then still having the title of colonel, the product completed the task and struck a conventional goal. In this case, the interceptor missile showed a given accuracy. In just a few weeks, another test launch took place, which ended with the destruction of a third target that imitated enemy weapons. Now official statements indicated successful defeat of the target at a given time.
The anti-missile flies to the conditional goal
Apparently, the concern VKO "Almaz-Antey" and the Ministry of Defense will have to continue testing new missiles. After several test launches with an attack of training objectives, such weapons will be able to receive a recommendation for adoption. A corresponding order and a new order for full-scale mass production will follow. As a result, over the next few years, Moscow’s strategic missile defense system will noticeably upgrade its means of intercepting the near-echelon.
The 53T6М / PRS-1М project, as well as the entire A-235 / Samolet-M program, is of particular importance for the country's defense and strategic security. For this reason, most of the information about it has not yet been announced by official sources. The Ministry of Defense regularly reports on the conduct of certain works, publishes photographs and video filming of various processes, including the launch of rockets, but certain data is kept secret. As a result, there are quite a few versions that describe the technical appearance and characteristics of advanced anti-missile weapons. Which of them are true - is still unknown.
It is known that the PRS-1M rocket, like its predecessor, consists of the starting and marching stages. Assembled product has the shape of a cone with some protruding elements. To obtain the highest possible flight data, both stages are equipped with solid-propellant rocket engines using modern blend fuel. The rocket comes from the factory in a cylindrical transport and launch container. Together with him, she is transported to the place of duty and is loaded into the silo launcher.
The third start of the experienced PRS-1M
According to well-known estimates, the anti-missile 53Т6М maintains the time-tested principles of operation. Her guidance is carried out by commands from the ground. The ground components of the A-235 ABM system monitor the movements of the ballistic target and the rocket, while simultaneously calculating and transmitting commands for the latter. The target is hit with a special warhead, the relatively high power of which compensates for a possible miss. According to some reports, 53Т6М missiles or the like in theory can carry conventional warheads.
Having sufficiently high characteristics, the products PRS-1 and PRS-1М are not distinguished by their large size and weight. The length of such antimissiles together with the container does not exceed 12 m. The diameter of the TPK is no more than 2 m. The launch weight is less than 10 tons. The loading and loading machines based on the MZKT four-axle chassis work with the 53Т6 missiles. At the same time, the relatively large length of the product led to the need to supplement the cargo platform with the removed elements. Also developed a wheel semi-trailer with mounts and means of loading TPK in the launch shaft.
Accurate information about the flight data of the "new modernized" domestic interceptor missile has not yet been officially announced. According to some reports, it develops a speed of at least 4-5 km / s. The firing range, according to various estimates, reaches 100 km, the maximum height is up to 40-50 km. Due to the highest flight speed, the time to intercept the target is reduced to the minimum possible values. A flight to the maximum range takes a few seconds.
Rapid acceleration is provided by a high-powered engine leaving remarkable puffs of smoke.
It should be noted that the intercept zone of the PRS-1M missile is not large. The fact is that such an anti-missile must be used in conjunction with other products of its class that have different flight characteristics. With the help of two or three interceptor missiles with different parameters, the A-235 system creates a layered defense for a fairly large area.
It allows you to intercept dangerous objects at distances up to 1000-1500 km and at altitudes up to several hundred kilometers. The task of the near echelon of the missile defense system represented by the 53Т6 / 53Т6М products, in this case, is the interception of single targets that have managed to break through the zone of responsibility of other missiles. This architecture of the missile defense system makes it possible to obtain a sufficiently high potential and to minimize its probability of successful breakthrough.
Over the past few years, a number of leading enterprises of the Russian defense industry have been working on the modernization of the existing strategic missile defense system. One of the main ways to upgrade it is to upgrade one of the existing missiles, aimed at improving its technical and combat characteristics. This project, known by the 53Т6М index, reached the testing stage last year, and so far three test launches have been completed. Apparently, similar events will be held in the future. At the same time, it should be remembered that the date when the missile was put into service and its subsequent putting on duty is approaching with each new test launch.
On the materials of the sites:
https://function.mil.ru/
http://rg.ru/
http://ria.ru/
http://tass.ru/
https://bmpd.livejournal.com/
http://militaryrussia.ru/blog/topic-354.html