Dawn Clouds will nullify the potential of the P-77 missiles. Argument in favor of the infrared version of "Viper"
In our previous reviews, we have repeatedly focused on the problem of insufficient air defense tactical for experts aviation The Russian Aerospace Forces, associated with the “freezing” of the development program for the promising ultra-long-range guided aerial combat missile RVV-AE-PD (“Product 180-PD”), equipped with an integrated ramjet engine with a gas generator flow control device.
Due to the preservation of high energy and maneuverability qualities in the terminal part of the trajectory, this interceptor would ensure total supremacy in the confrontation with AIM-120D AMRAAM URVB fighter jets, as well as a steady parity in long-range air combat with JAS-XNUMMP fighters modifications of MS39, Typhoon versions of P20E, Rafale and F-3B equipped with air-to-air missiles MBDA Meteor.
Nevertheless, against the background of translational information on the development of promising EW tools, which regularly come to RuNet from American and Western European military analytical publications referring to competent sources in the defense departments of NATO countries and the headquarters of military-industrial corporations, it would be extremely naive to consider The above-described problem as the only weighty gap in the fighter aviation regiments of the Russian Aerospace Forces when performing the task of winning air superiority
In particular, according to data published in the news section of the airrecognition.com portal 23 in May 2019, the Italian engineering and defense holding Leonardo carries out a very successful promotion on the European armament market of unique radio emitting radio beats (jamming microwave transmitters of the centimeter / millimeter range) of the family "BriteCloud" ("Dawn Cloud"). One of the most well-known modifications of these “radar traps” is the “BriteCloud 55” product, which is a cylindrical free-falling module with three folding tail stabilizers, placed in compact 55-mm transport and launch cells mounted on Tornado GR.4 attack tactical fighter jets as well as multi-purpose fighters of the transitional generation "Typhoon" and "Gripen".
The second version of the bait received the index “BriteCloud mod. 218 ”is a free-falling rectangular module that is placed in the respective transport-launch containers, adapted for integration into the fuselage of multi-purpose fighters of the F-15C / E and F-16C families. The third modification of the radar trap, designed to equip the airborne defense systems of both military transport aircraft and tactical aircraft, is the BriteCloud 55-T product, the geometric parameters of which are identical to those of the standard BriteCloud 55 lure.
Electronic "filling" of the first two versions of "BriteCloud" is presented:
- highly sensitive microwave receivers of X / J / Ka-band radiation generated by active radar homing heads of missiles and guided missiles of enemy air combat in the terminal part of the trajectory;
- high-performance on-off computers designed for quick analysis of the frequency parameters of radiation of ARGSN of enemy air defense missiles and air-to-air missiles with subsequent (instantaneous) selection of targeted noise interference having an appropriate frequency and spectral density;
- powerful interference emitters manufactured on the basis of nitride-gallium monolithic integrated circuits and synchronized with compact radio-frequency tunable filters of the RFTF type.
The latter version of the radar bait (“BriteCloud 55-T”) has an even more advanced radio electronic element base, represented not only by the above nodes, but also by the module of imitation of the effective surface of dispersion (LUN) and capable of copying the radar signature of the aircraft carrier, or to simulate a descent from the suspension units of a fighter carrier of high-precision UAB, thereby misleading the flight crews of the enemy’s tactical aviation, as well as enemy operators anti-aircraft missile systems, and radar detectors.
Taking into account the above principles of operation of the lures of the BriteCloud family, as well as the fact that they are combined with the newest onboard AFAR radars of the Captor-E Mk2 of the Typhoon fighter jets, which were able to produce targeted spectral interference (due to hardware adaptation of individual MRP groups) to the mode of EW), it is easy to come to the conclusion that the domestic missiles air combat R-77 (AA-12 "Adder", Russian. "Viper") and RVV-SD, equipped with active radar HH 9-1348E and 9B -1103M-200PP / PS with ordinary By using slotted antenna arrays, there will be extremely few chances for successful interception of the upgraded EF-2000.
After all, for effective and fast selection of enemy fighters against the background of the set of “smart” radar lures “BriteCloud”, the active radar homing head of an air-to-air missile must be represented by an active high-resolution HEADLIGHT to distinguish the true radar signature of the target from simulated interference emitted by false targets. .
To date, only the Japanese corporation Mitsubishi Electric Corporation has mastered the production of this type of ARGSN, which has mastered the large-scale production of AAM-4B medium-range air combat missiles, which regularly enter the combat forces of Japan’s Self-Defense Forces. It is possible that in the foreseeable future, this technology will be at the disposal of specialists of the defense company BAE Systems, as well as the British division of MBDA, participating in the ambitious Japanese-British project JNAAM, which envisages the development of promising "air-reactive" AEC on the basis of AAM- 4B and "Meteor" for the subsequent equipment of the F-35A and F-35B fighter jets, which are in service with the air forces of both countries. But if we are fully aware of the potentials of the Japanese and European defense industries in the design of compact AFARs based on gallium nitride transistors, then in our military-industrial complex this high-tech and high-tech sector is only at an intermediate stage of development.
And here, the Russian Aerospace Forces face an even more significant problem, which is the absence of medium and long-range air combat missiles capable of effectively countering interference from radar baits of the BriteCloud family during a long-distance air combat. To great happiness, in the arsenal of the GosMKB Vympel, the Moscow Research Institute Agat, as well as the NPO Geofizika-NV, there are options for solving this problem.
First of all, this is the modernization of all the “energy” R-27ET air combat missiles, which consists in replacing the outdated 36-T infrared homing heads with the most modern ESCT “Mayak” / MK-80 (installed on the URVV melee P-73 PMD-2) , as well as integration into the inertial navigation systems of hardware blocks of radio correction, which standard P-27ET do not have.
Infrared GOS “Mayak” / MK-80, presented by modern matrix photoreceivers operating in the mid-wave and long-wave IR ranges (3-5 µm and 8-12 µm, respectively), as well as receiving a block of pulse-time modulation of the signal, will very effectively detect and “capture” the infrared radiation of the enemy’s tactical fighter engines, even against the background of the active use of infrared traps and airborne opto-electronic countermeasures, naturally, despite the use of radio BriteCloud trap.
As for the integration of the radio correction unit, this option will enable the pilots to confidently use the P-27ET not only in the “dog dump” and mid-range combat, but also in long-range combat (at distances exceeding the effective range of the infrared homing), which will be to be achieved by transmitting data packets to the P-27ET inertial navigation system with regularly updated target coordinates at the moment when the rocket is on the march segment of the trajectory and cannot “capture” the target using its own GOS. Conceptually, this update will put the P-27ET on par with the French air-to-air missile MICA-IR.
Meanwhile, the radical modernization of the P-27ET cannot be considered as the only rational solution to the problem of the absence of air combat missiles in the arsenals of the Russian Aerospace Forces capable of countering the use of BriteCloud lures by the enemy. After all, disposable overloads of the URVV of the Р-27 family reach only 20 units, which allows intercepting air objects that maneuver with overloads of no more than 8 units. (especially on the final part of the trajectory, when aerodynamic deceleration reduces the speed of ASU to 1500 — 1200 km / h), while “Typhoons”, “Rafali” and F-16C are capable of making anti-aircraft maneuvers with 9 overloads — 9,5 units.
A much more objective and tactically justified decision will be to re-equip part of the arsenals of the R-77 and RVV-SD air combat missiles to the Mayak infrared seeker or more modern products. The highest available missile overloads of this family of missiles (30 — 35 units), as well as the angular velocity of turn in 150 degrees / s, achieved through the use of highly efficient lattice aerodynamic control surfaces, will make it possible, first, to intercept targets maneuvering with 12 overload —14 units, secondly, to unleash the full potential of the Mayak HMS in terms of the angle of the coordinator’s pumping angles (75 degrees) and the angular velocity of the target line of sight (60 degrees / s).
This modernization concept does not carry any technological difficulties, as well as economically unreasonable “surprises”, all the more so since the development plan for the “infrared” modification of the R-77 was voiced by representatives of Vympel GosMKB back in the late 90s and early 2000s gg., which recorded informationnews and help portals rbase.new-factoria and militaryrussia.ru. It is the “infrared” version of the world-famous air-to-air missile RVV-AE that can put an end to the total air dominance of fighters equipped with BriteCloud radar traps.
Due to the preservation of high energy and maneuverability qualities in the terminal part of the trajectory, this interceptor would ensure total supremacy in the confrontation with AIM-120D AMRAAM URVB fighter jets, as well as a steady parity in long-range air combat with JAS-XNUMMP fighters modifications of MS39, Typhoon versions of P20E, Rafale and F-3B equipped with air-to-air missiles MBDA Meteor.
Nevertheless, against the background of translational information on the development of promising EW tools, which regularly come to RuNet from American and Western European military analytical publications referring to competent sources in the defense departments of NATO countries and the headquarters of military-industrial corporations, it would be extremely naive to consider The above-described problem as the only weighty gap in the fighter aviation regiments of the Russian Aerospace Forces when performing the task of winning air superiority
Reclaiming "smart" microwave transmitters "BriteCloud" - problem number XXUMX for air combat guided missiles equipped with ARGSN based on slotted antenna arrays
In particular, according to data published in the news section of the airrecognition.com portal 23 in May 2019, the Italian engineering and defense holding Leonardo carries out a very successful promotion on the European armament market of unique radio emitting radio beats (jamming microwave transmitters of the centimeter / millimeter range) of the family "BriteCloud" ("Dawn Cloud"). One of the most well-known modifications of these “radar traps” is the “BriteCloud 55” product, which is a cylindrical free-falling module with three folding tail stabilizers, placed in compact 55-mm transport and launch cells mounted on Tornado GR.4 attack tactical fighter jets as well as multi-purpose fighters of the transitional generation "Typhoon" and "Gripen".
The second version of the bait received the index “BriteCloud mod. 218 ”is a free-falling rectangular module that is placed in the respective transport-launch containers, adapted for integration into the fuselage of multi-purpose fighters of the F-15C / E and F-16C families. The third modification of the radar trap, designed to equip the airborne defense systems of both military transport aircraft and tactical aircraft, is the BriteCloud 55-T product, the geometric parameters of which are identical to those of the standard BriteCloud 55 lure.
Demonstrators of radar baits “BriteCloud mod.218” (left) and “BriteCloud 55” (right)
Electronic "filling" of the first two versions of "BriteCloud" is presented:
- highly sensitive microwave receivers of X / J / Ka-band radiation generated by active radar homing heads of missiles and guided missiles of enemy air combat in the terminal part of the trajectory;
- high-performance on-off computers designed for quick analysis of the frequency parameters of radiation of ARGSN of enemy air defense missiles and air-to-air missiles with subsequent (instantaneous) selection of targeted noise interference having an appropriate frequency and spectral density;
- powerful interference emitters manufactured on the basis of nitride-gallium monolithic integrated circuits and synchronized with compact radio-frequency tunable filters of the RFTF type.
The latter version of the radar bait (“BriteCloud 55-T”) has an even more advanced radio electronic element base, represented not only by the above nodes, but also by the module of imitation of the effective surface of dispersion (LUN) and capable of copying the radar signature of the aircraft carrier, or to simulate a descent from the suspension units of a fighter carrier of high-precision UAB, thereby misleading the flight crews of the enemy’s tactical aviation, as well as enemy operators anti-aircraft missile systems, and radar detectors.
Taking into account the above principles of operation of the lures of the BriteCloud family, as well as the fact that they are combined with the newest onboard AFAR radars of the Captor-E Mk2 of the Typhoon fighter jets, which were able to produce targeted spectral interference (due to hardware adaptation of individual MRP groups) to the mode of EW), it is easy to come to the conclusion that the domestic missiles air combat R-77 (AA-12 "Adder", Russian. "Viper") and RVV-SD, equipped with active radar HH 9-1348E and 9B -1103M-200PP / PS with ordinary By using slotted antenna arrays, there will be extremely few chances for successful interception of the upgraded EF-2000.
After all, for effective and fast selection of enemy fighters against the background of the set of “smart” radar lures “BriteCloud”, the active radar homing head of an air-to-air missile must be represented by an active high-resolution HEADLIGHT to distinguish the true radar signature of the target from simulated interference emitted by false targets. .
To date, only the Japanese corporation Mitsubishi Electric Corporation has mastered the production of this type of ARGSN, which has mastered the large-scale production of AAM-4B medium-range air combat missiles, which regularly enter the combat forces of Japan’s Self-Defense Forces. It is possible that in the foreseeable future, this technology will be at the disposal of specialists of the defense company BAE Systems, as well as the British division of MBDA, participating in the ambitious Japanese-British project JNAAM, which envisages the development of promising "air-reactive" AEC on the basis of AAM- 4B and "Meteor" for the subsequent equipment of the F-35A and F-35B fighter jets, which are in service with the air forces of both countries. But if we are fully aware of the potentials of the Japanese and European defense industries in the design of compact AFARs based on gallium nitride transistors, then in our military-industrial complex this high-tech and high-tech sector is only at an intermediate stage of development.
And here, the Russian Aerospace Forces face an even more significant problem, which is the absence of medium and long-range air combat missiles capable of effectively countering interference from radar baits of the BriteCloud family during a long-distance air combat. To great happiness, in the arsenal of the GosMKB Vympel, the Moscow Research Institute Agat, as well as the NPO Geofizika-NV, there are options for solving this problem.
The key to solving the problem. Implementation of the P-77 / РВВ-СD infrared modification development program, and Р-27ЭТ URVV update
First of all, this is the modernization of all the “energy” R-27ET air combat missiles, which consists in replacing the outdated 36-T infrared homing heads with the most modern ESCT “Mayak” / MK-80 (installed on the URVV melee P-73 PMD-2) , as well as integration into the inertial navigation systems of hardware blocks of radio correction, which standard P-27ET do not have.
Infrared GOS “Mayak” / MK-80, presented by modern matrix photoreceivers operating in the mid-wave and long-wave IR ranges (3-5 µm and 8-12 µm, respectively), as well as receiving a block of pulse-time modulation of the signal, will very effectively detect and “capture” the infrared radiation of the enemy’s tactical fighter engines, even against the background of the active use of infrared traps and airborne opto-electronic countermeasures, naturally, despite the use of radio BriteCloud trap.
As for the integration of the radio correction unit, this option will enable the pilots to confidently use the P-27ET not only in the “dog dump” and mid-range combat, but also in long-range combat (at distances exceeding the effective range of the infrared homing), which will be to be achieved by transmitting data packets to the P-27ET inertial navigation system with regularly updated target coordinates at the moment when the rocket is on the march segment of the trajectory and cannot “capture” the target using its own GOS. Conceptually, this update will put the P-27ET on par with the French air-to-air missile MICA-IR.
Meanwhile, the radical modernization of the P-27ET cannot be considered as the only rational solution to the problem of the absence of air combat missiles in the arsenals of the Russian Aerospace Forces capable of countering the use of BriteCloud lures by the enemy. After all, disposable overloads of the URVV of the Р-27 family reach only 20 units, which allows intercepting air objects that maneuver with overloads of no more than 8 units. (especially on the final part of the trajectory, when aerodynamic deceleration reduces the speed of ASU to 1500 — 1200 km / h), while “Typhoons”, “Rafali” and F-16C are capable of making anti-aircraft maneuvers with 9 overloads — 9,5 units.
A much more objective and tactically justified decision will be to re-equip part of the arsenals of the R-77 and RVV-SD air combat missiles to the Mayak infrared seeker or more modern products. The highest available missile overloads of this family of missiles (30 — 35 units), as well as the angular velocity of turn in 150 degrees / s, achieved through the use of highly efficient lattice aerodynamic control surfaces, will make it possible, first, to intercept targets maneuvering with 12 overload —14 units, secondly, to unleash the full potential of the Mayak HMS in terms of the angle of the coordinator’s pumping angles (75 degrees) and the angular velocity of the target line of sight (60 degrees / s).
This modernization concept does not carry any technological difficulties, as well as economically unreasonable “surprises”, all the more so since the development plan for the “infrared” modification of the R-77 was voiced by representatives of Vympel GosMKB back in the late 90s and early 2000s gg., which recorded informationnews and help portals rbase.new-factoria and militaryrussia.ru. It is the “infrared” version of the world-famous air-to-air missile RVV-AE that can put an end to the total air dominance of fighters equipped with BriteCloud radar traps.
Information