ATGM "Shturm-S" in the Special Operation: reliable equipment and skilled crews
Upgraded ATGM "Shturm-SM". Photo "Rostec"
The Russian army, as part of the forced demilitarization of Ukraine, is actively using anti-tank missile systems of all current types. Together with other ATGMs, the self-propelled Shturm-S is used. Despite its considerable age, this complex is fully consistent with the tasks and features of the current operation. Proper use of such a technique allows you to get all the necessary results and inflict significant damage on the enemy.
Technique in battle
Almost from the very beginning of the Special Operations, combat vehicles of the self-propelled ATGM 9K114 Shturm-S or its upgraded version 9K132 Shturm-SM regularly appear in the published photo and video materials. Rocket launches were also demonstrated. Now some details of the combat use of such equipment have become known.
On April 10, military commander Yevgeny Poddubny published an interview with the commander-operator of the Shturm-S complex. The crew of Boris (surname and rank not named) recently participated in building a crossing in the area of Grushevakha. Together with several tanks he was responsible for covering the engineering units. During this event, Boris had to shoot at a real target for the first time.
The position of the Shturm-S ATGM made it possible to view one of the roads leading to the bridge being restored. An enemy column was moving along the road, consisting of the main tank, three infantry fighting vehicles and a truck - a reinforced platoon of motorized infantry. The distance to the column exceeded 2 km.
Operator Boris is the winner of the Ukrainian column. Frame from video Telegram / "Poddubny"
Due to the terrain, the tankers could not open fire on the column, and Boris began the attack on Shturm-S. With the very first rocket, he successfully hit the enemy tank. The launch was successful: the rocket hit the ammunition rack, and the explosion of shells destroyed the armored vehicle. Having knocked out the main threat, the operator continued the destruction of the column. He successively performed several launches on a truck and an infantry fighting vehicle.
The operator himself observed three missile hits and the defeat of three targets. Other servicemen pointed to four destroyed objects. Thus, only one infantry fighting vehicle and a certain number of personnel survived from the entire column. At the same time, the combat episode took the minimum time - thanks to the high rate of fire of the Shturma-S.
Obviously, this is not the only example of the successful combat use of the Shturm-S ATGM during the current Special Operation. There are a large number of such equipment in the involved formations and units, and there is enough work for it at the forefront. Perhaps soon the Ministry of Defense will reveal new interesting episodes and tell about other exploits of the crews.
Land "Sturm"
In the seventies, the Kolomna Design Bureau of Mechanical Engineering, as part of the Sturm development work, developed the 9M114 Kokon guided missile and two advanced anti-tank systems. For helicopters, the 9K113 Shturm-V complex, which was put into service in 1976, was intended. A few years later, the self-propelled 9K114 Shturm-S was adopted by the ground forces.
"Shturm-S", involved in the Special Operation. Frame from video Telegram / "Poddubny"
Later, the development of the project continued, and on the basis of the "Cocoon" a new 9M120 "Ataka" missile was created in several modifications with different capabilities and characteristics. In the mid-nineties, the 9M120 product was included in the Shturm-S ATGM ammunition load. In the future, other facilities of the complex were also upgraded. As a result of this, the improved 2012K9 Shturm-SM appeared and was put into service in 132.
The first and main customer of the 9K114 complexes was the USSR. A significant part of Soviet-made equipment was subsequently transferred to the Russian army, and a certain number of Shturmov-S remained in independent states. In particular, until recently Ukraine had its own fleet of such equipment, but now it has suffered serious losses. In addition, Soviet and Russian-made equipment was supplied to two dozen foreign countries.
Technical features
The main element of the Shturm-S (M) ATGM is the 9P149 (M) self-propelled combat vehicle with a launcher and other equipment. It is built on the MT-LB chassis, which gives high mobility and cross-country characteristics, and also allows you to overcome water obstacles by swimming, incl. with shooting.
In the forward compartment of the hull there are jobs for two crew members, the driver and the commander-operator. In the aft compartment there is a lifting launcher and mechanical stacking for 12 transport and launch containers with missiles. Preparation for launch is carried out automatically, taking into account the operator's commands. In particular, it is possible to transport missiles of several types with the issuance of the necessary.
The crew of "Shturma-S" during the exercises, 2017. Photo by the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
The 9P149 machine is equipped with optical instruments for target search and guidance. In the Shturm-SM project, standard equipment was replaced by an optical system with a thermal imaging channel. Missile guidance - semi-automatic radio command. The operator must follow the target, and the automation monitors the missile and issues commands to it for maneuvering. Commands are transmitted over five letter frequencies using two codes.
There are different modes of operation of the guidance system. Of great interest is the "Dust" mode, which allows you to maintain control over the rocket throughout the flight. In this mode, the main part of the trajectory passes at a height of 6 m above the ground, and only the last 500-700 m the product flies at the height of the target. Thanks to this, a supersonic rocket does not raise dust from the ground, and it does not interfere with optics or a laser.
Product 9M114 "Cocoon" is a guided missile in a cylindrical body 1,83 m long and 130 mm in diameter, excluding deployable planes. The mass of the rocket in the TPK is 46,5 kg. The rocket is equipped with starting and sustainer solid-fuel engines. The flight speed exceeds 350 m / s, the range from the ground launcher is 5 km.
"Cocoon" uses radio command guidance; the flight is controlled by the equipment of the combat vehicle. The missile carries a HEAT warhead with penetration, depending on the modification, of at least 650-700 mm.
The 9M120 "Ataka" missile is similar in size and design to the 9M114. At the same time, a new main engine was used, which gives speed up to 550 m / s and increases the range up to 6 km (up to 8 km when launched from a helicopter). Radio command guidance is supplemented by laser beam guidance. Several modifications of the "Attack" are offered with different variants of the warhead, different flight characteristics, etc.
Practical potential
Self-propelled ATGM "Shturm-S" was put into service more than 40 years ago. In the future, it was improved several times, and the last major modernization was completed at the beginning of the last decade. Thanks to all the updates, the 9K114 / 9K132 complex shows quite high performance characteristics and is still able to effectively hit all intended targets. Such capabilities of Shturma-S (M) are being confirmed right now within the framework of the Special Operation.
Loading ammunition. Photo by the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
The Shturm-S complex is built on the MT-LB chassis, which gives high technical, running and operational characteristics. Optical means are installed on the combat vehicle, which ensure the observation and guidance of missiles in the entire range of operating ranges. At the same time, in the latest modernization project, new devices appeared that make it possible to work at any time of the day.
High combat qualities are provided by the Cocoon and Ataka missiles. They allow you to attack ground and low-speed air targets at ranges up to 5-6 km. Due to this, the launch can be carried out from outside the zone of destruction of the weapons of the enemy's armored vehicles. The supersonic speed of the rocket makes it difficult to counter it.
The 9M114 and 9M120 missiles have radio command and/or laser beam guidance, which provides high guidance accuracy over the entire range of launch ranges. There are also economic benefits. The fact is that the most complex control equipment remains on board the combat vehicle, while the rocket receives simple and cheap instruments.
Guidance using a narrowly focused radio or laser beam provides high stealth and noise immunity. The enemy does not have the opportunity to detect control signals in time, suppress them or respond in any other way. This is especially noticeable in the "Dust" mode, when the signal is directed above the target most of the time.
Rocket launch for training purposes. Photo by the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
However, radio control of a rocket has some drawbacks. The command transmission channel can be detected and suppressed by electronic warfare. Having lost control, the product "Cocoon" or "Attack" will miss the target. However, it should be borne in mind that not every enemy has such means and can deploy them in any area of \uXNUMXb\uXNUMXbShturma-S. For example, Ukrainian tanks do not have such protection.
Warheads of missiles of all modifications are characterized by high penetration characteristics. Perhaps the older 9M114 missile cannot cope with the latest models of tanks, but the newer 9M120 is able to solve this problem. At the same time, it should be borne in mind that the current enemy of the Russian Shturmov-S simply does not have modern tanks with powerful armor protection. Old T-64s are not an inaccessible target even for the outdated Cocoon.
Equipment and crews
Thus, the potential of the Shturm-S(M) self-propelled ATGM remains at a high level and corresponds to the emerging tasks. This is confirmed in the course of the massive use of equipment within the framework of the current Special Operation. Accurate data on this subject are not yet available, but it can be assumed that Shturm-S made a significant contribution to the destruction of several thousand Ukrainian armored vehicles.
At the same time, it should be remembered that the real efficiency weapons, incl. anti-tank systems, is determined not only by tabular characteristics. Realization of the technical potential of the complex and its weapons directly depends on the crews. The achieved results show that the operator Boris and his comrades in the specialty have perfectly mastered the materiel and are ready for battle.
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