Guided missiles and missiles for main battle tanks
A shot with the 9M112 rocket of the Cobra complex in the cell of the T-64 MBT loading mechanism. Wikimedia Commons Photos
Missile systems
In the sixties, progress in the field of anti-tank missile systems led to the idea of launching a rocket through the barrel of a gun. A few years later, the first samples of such complexes of guided weapons of the tank (KUVT) appeared. To date, a number of tanks produced in different countries can use guided missiles launched through the barrel of the main gun. New KWTTs are being developed.
The most famous are KUVT developed by the USSR. The design of such systems began in the late sixties, and in the middle of the next decade, the first domestic tank KUVT 9K112 "Cobra" entered service. Subsequently, several other systems of a similar class were created, characterized by enhanced characteristics. All Soviet tank KUVTs were designed for the 2A46 cannon-launcher with a caliber of 125 mm. Accordingly, they could be installed on all domestic MBTs, starting with the T-64B.
The Cobra KWT was built around an 9M112 rocket with a length of 968 mm and a body diameter of 125 mm, with folding planes. A semi-automatic guidance was used, in which the tank control devices monitored the rocket along the direction finder and issued commands over the air. Provided firing at a range of up to 4 km. Penetration - up to 700 mm.
9K119 KUVT Reflex elements (from top to bottom): 9X119 missile, 9X949 missile launcher, and ZUBK14 full assembly. Photo Rbase.new-factoria.ru
The newest of serial KUVT of Russia is the product 9K119M "Reflex-M". His rocket 9M119 is independently held in the laser beam of control and is capable of flying at 5 km. There is a tandem cumulative warhead with a penetration of 900 mm behind dynamic protection. Reflex-M carriers can be modern Russian MBT and other models with an 125-mm gun. Interestingly, 9K119 is part of the armament of the Chinese tank "Type 99."
Soviet developments on the topic of KWT were used in the Ukrainian Combat project. This complex entered service with Ukraine in the middle of the 2000s. Compatibility with 125-mm guns and some other design solutions were maintained. The Kombat missile is guided by a laser beam, has a flight range of 5 km and penetrates 750 mm of armor beyond the DZ.
Of particular interest is the LAHAT complex of the Israeli company IAI. This is a universal system suitable for use on different platforms, but it was initially developed for tanks with guns of 105 and 120 mm calibers. LAHAT missiles can be launched through the barrel of a compatible gun or from other launchers. The missile has a semi-active laser seeker and is aimed at the illuminated target. Target designation can be carried out by launching a tank or a third-party gunner. When firing from the ground, the maximum launch range reaches 8 km. A rocket autopilot maneuvers and brings the rocket to the target with a dive. Penetration - 800 mm per DZ.
LAHAT missile in configuration for use on tanks. Wikimedia Commons Photos
Tank systems of guided weapons with missiles are widespread. Such systems are available on all modern tanks of Soviet and Russian production, including actively exported. Israeli KHWT LAHAT are available on tanks in Israel, Germany, India and other countries. Other samples of such weapons came in the armies of their countries and were sold limitedly to foreign armies.
Thus, at present, tanks with missile weapons are available in the armies of several dozen countries, both developed and developing. In fact, guided missiles launched through the barrel have already become almost as common and commonplace as "conventional" shells.
Guided shells
One of the basic principles of improving the combat qualities of a tank was the improvement of "ordinary" shells. Similar processes continue to this day and give some results. The idea of creating an artillery shell with homing systems capable of showing increased accuracy when firing at various targets has great potential.
Key points of the MRM program. Figure Globalsecurity.org
In the past, as part of the Future Combat Systems program in the United States, 120-mm guided projectiles of the MRM (Mid-Range Munition) and TERM (Tank Extended Range Munition) families were developed. Based on available technologies, it was proposed to create cumulative and sub-caliber ammunition capable of aiming at the selected object. Several options for control systems based on a semi-active laser or infrared seeker were studied. It was expected that the presence of the GOS would allow to reliably hit targets in the entire range of firing ranges, regardless of the accuracy of the gun.
In the middle of the 2000s, the XM-1111 MRM projectile reached field tests and showed high performance. A moving target of the “tank” type was able to hit at ranges of more than 8 km. The maximum firing range of shells of the MRM and TERM families was supposed to reach 10-12 km. However, the programs were not finalized. In 2009, they were abandoned due to the scaling down of FCS work. In the future, attempts were made to launch new similar projects.
A similar project was successfully developed in South Korea. The ammunition MBT L2 Black Panther includes 120-mm guided shells of the KSTAM family (Korean Smart Top-Attack Munition). When creating them, foreign ideas and developments were used, as well as our own achievements in the field of guided weapons. Foreign organizations were involved in the design. The range includes two shells of different designs with different operating principles, designed to defeat armored vehicles.
Features of the TERM missiles. Figure Globalsecurity.org
The KSTAM-I projectile is a product with a cumulative warhead and, according to various sources, a radar or infrared seeker. In flight, the ammunition is able to track the position of the target and adjust its trajectory. The flight is carried out along a high trajectory with the defeat of the target from the upper hemisphere. The KSTAM-II shell is built and works differently. With the help of a tank gun, he goes to the target area, where he throws a parachute and begins a slow descent. During the descent, the automatics search for the target and hit it with a cumulative warhead.
KSTAM shells can be used at ranges of at least 2 km. The maximum range, according to various sources, reaches 5-8 km. There are reports of the abandonment of the KSTAM-I shell in favor of the second model of the family. At the same time, official sources are in no hurry to disclose accurate data on the shells.
Development prospects
Guided weapons have long been included in the ammunition of modern tanks, and abandonment of it is simply impossible. At the same time, work is underway to develop such systems, aimed at creating new models with enhanced tactical and technical characteristics. Obviously, this will have a positive effect on the combat qualities of MBT.
Sectional guided KSTAM projectile. Photo Dogswar.ru
To date, in the field of guided tank weapons there have been several major trends. First of all, the development of KUVT with anti-tank missiles launched through the barrel of the gun continues. In addition, the development of shells with full-fledged seekers is ongoing, but this area is still lagging behind. Simpler programmable fuses are being actively introduced.
One can imagine the ways for the further development of tank guided munitions. One should expect the appearance of new shells for various purposes with GOS. Such products make it possible to increase the range and accuracy of firing at different targets, at least without loss of power. Shells like KSTAM should be considered as a successful addition to guided missiles with close combat qualities.
Promising KUVT will have to get new missiles with enhanced range characteristics and firing accuracy. You should also expect a gradual abandonment of semi-automatic control with the transition to the principle of "run-and-forget." However, the development of KUVT is faced with the overall limitations of existing tank guns, and therefore its pace and achievements may be lower than desired.
It cannot be ruled out that in the future, the weapons system of the main battle tanks will include fundamentally new systems, including managed weapons. What kind of new products will be is unknown. We can expect the appearance of tank combat lasers, UAVs with a combat load and other samples, while seemingly fantastic. Nevertheless, the creation and implementation of such systems is unlikely to lead to the abandonment of guns with unguided and “smart” shells or guided missiles. Various types of guided weapons have long taken their place in the fighting compartment of tanks and are unlikely to ever go out of service.
Information