Accuracy is the courtesy of kings: adjustable artillery ammunition in Ukraine
The 240-mm correctable mine "Smelchak" is one of the main denazifiers of Azovstal. Source: vpk.name
Management and correction
Like any weapon, adjustable artillery ammunition is a complex tangle of compromises. Let's start with the positives. First of all, "smart" projectiles turn an ordinary field gun, for example, a 152-mm 2A65 howitzer, into a precision weapon. With some conventions, we can say that gunners are getting a long-range guided missile into their arsenal, capable of hitting even moving targets.
The rather high cost of each shot is more than paid off by the total savings of classic ammunition. The sources give different numbers, but on average, a three-minute fire from an artillery battery, for example, with Daredevils or Centimeters, replaces a 15-20-minute artillery preparation in terms of efficiency. This means saving several tons of shells and the ability for artillery batteries to quickly leave positions.
In Ukraine, the nationalists are already armed with counter-battery systems capable of quickly responding to artillery shelling. According to calculations, to suppress an enemy artillery battalion at a distance of 15–20 km, it is required to use up from 600 to 800 conventional ammunition. No more than 152 corrected shells of 30-mm caliber for a similar purpose will be needed. Savings and efficiency are obvious. Unlike high-precision missiles, "smart" projectiles cannot be intercepted in flight - they are invulnerable to air defense systems.
At the same time, they themselves perfectly destroy enemy air defense systems, which Russian artillerymen have repeatedly demonstrated in Ukraine. It is convenient to strike with precision-guided munitions at two group targets located at a distance of up to 1 km from each other. To simplify, it is enough to point artillery pieces at the center of the grouping - it is not required to transfer aiming from one target to another. At the terminal stage of the flight, the projectiles themselves will correct the trajectory to the target, based on the laser illumination. In this case, a strike is possible on a target moving at a speed of up to 36 km / h. Here we come to the main thing - the technical support for the operation of corrected ammunition.
In fact, it is a whole science. First of all, it is necessary to illuminate the target with a laser. In the classic version, this is done by an operator with a target designator-rangefinder. Usually, products 1D20, 1D22 or 1D26, developed at the Polyus Research Institute named after V.I. M.F. Stelmakh. Place of production - JSC "Krasnogorsk plant named after. S. A. Zvereva. The equipment provides optical reconnaissance of targets on the ground, measurement of spherical coordinates (range, directional angle and elevation angle), as well as target illumination. The 1D22 target designator is a removable and remote device that can be mounted on the Mashina-M and Kapustnik-B artillery fire control vehicles. 1D20 "sees" a tank-type target at a distance of up to 5 km, 1D22 - up to 7 km.
In a portable version, these are rather bulky devices - a set of a tripod, a transceiver and a battery weighs from 30 to 42 kilograms. Modification 1D22M is capable of highlighting targets for air-to-surface missiles. Artillery laser designators in various designs, according to the developers, can be installed on Drones and helicopters. Drones with laser emitters, according to the military, have already worked during the Syrian military campaign.
A complex of means for automated fire control of artillery units "Malachite" (index KM-15). Source: roe.ru
The most modern ground-based target designation system in Russia is "Malachite" or "Complex of means for automated fire control of artillery units (index KM-15)". The product is equipped with an additional thermal imaging guidance channel and is placed in three packs with a total weight of 42 kg. Any target designation for gunners is an extremely risky and hard job. Spotters, especially those who cope with the guidance of guided projectiles, are always the top priority target. This, perhaps, is the main disadvantage of guided artillery weapons.
Shot - and did not forget
The logic of using a semi-active homing system for corrected artillery ammunition is as follows. On each laser designator, along with a radio station, synchronization equipment is placed, which, via a coded communication line, provides the broadcast of the “shot” command to the gun. At the point of illumination (ground or drone in the air), a timer is started with a clearly calculated flight time of the guided projectile to the target. Then everything works automatically. Only 1-3 seconds before the hit, the spotter turns on the laser in a pulsed mode, on which the incoming ammunition is guided - the correction engines turn on, and the projectile hits exactly on target.
Such a short period of illumination increases the chances of a group of spotters to survive. The less the laser is directed at the target, the less time the enemy has to respond. It is one thing to designate fortifications of terrorists somewhere in Syria for shells, and quite another to highlight Ukrainian Tanksequipped with radiation warning systems. The enemy can quickly release a smoke screen, start moving, or even hit the emitter from a cannon.
Before flying to the target, the projectile needs to drop the aerodynamic cap that hides the semi-active laser homing head. Perhaps this is the most high-tech part of the corrected projectiles. It is not enough to simply integrate the GOS from the rocket into the product - overloads during the shot will destroy the fragile structure even before leaving the barrel. For extreme overloads at the Leningrad Optical and Mechanical Association (LOMO), semi-active seekers were developed under the indices 9E421 and 9E430. The first is used for shells of 152 and 155 mm caliber, the second - for 122 mm. These are universal seekers used on both guided and corrected munitions.
As the developers themselves write, they “are designed to capture in flight and auto-track a target illuminated by a laser illuminator and generate commands in a two-channel projectile control system using the proportional approach method.” Due to the specifics of the work, these GOS withstand shock overloads from 9 to 000 g.
The line of corrected ammunition of the Russian army. Note the exotic 130 mm Firn-1 for M46 guns. Source: Encyclopedia of the XXI century. Weapons and technologies of Russia.
Domestic impulse correction ammunition appeared in the army in the early 80s. This is real Soviet know-how, known as RCIC technology. The most famous representatives of corrected ammunition are the 240 mm Daredevil mine and the 152 mm Centimeter artillery shell. During "Special Operation Z" both products are widely used. Recently released footage shows the Daredevils demilitarizing Nazis at Azovstal with a 2S4 Tyulpan self-propelled mortar.
A little about RCIC technology. Its essence is to change the trajectory of the projectile due to the work of miniature powder charges (gas rudders) directed perpendicular to the axis of the ammunition. In turn, each charge is placed in nozzles located in the tail section of the ammunition. The Daredevil has three such charges for each nozzle, the Centimeter has two. Of the entire line of guided (or corrected) ammunition, these products are the most budgetary. Unlike guided projectiles, adjustable ones do not require the installation of a complex gyroscope inside the body. Preparation for firing is also minimal - in fact, you only need to select the launch time of the seeker (1–3 seconds) and the fuse mode (“instantly” or “slowly”).
Mortar "Tulip" and his "Smelchak-M" work on "Azovstal". Source: t.me/vladlentatarsky
But there are also specific disadvantages. Due to the fact that "Smelchaki-M" and "Centimeters" move along a ballistic trajectory, they do not like low clouds. The GOS does not see the laser in the clouds, and when it emerges on the final part of the trajectory, it often does not have time to make a correction to the target - the maximum three seconds allotted for this may not be enough. Therefore, it is better to use corrected artillery in sunny weather. And yes, it is also desirable to choose a battlefield without smoke that distorts the aiming of products.
Corrected projectiles are less accurate than guided counterparts. On average, the probability of hitting the target (KVO) of the “Daredevil” - “Centimeter” pair varies from 0,8 to 1,5 m. For example, the controlled “Krasnopol” hits the target with a circular probability deviation of 0,7–0,8 m That is, for some well-protected and compact targets, not one, but two or three corrected projectiles may be needed.
However, this threatens the 240-mm artillery mine "Smelchak" to a lesser extent. A high-explosive ammunition weighing 135 kg carries 32 kg of explosives to the enemy's fortifications. Firing range from 3,2 to 9,2 km. A simple enumeration of the “ingredients” that ensure the operation of an adjustable mine is impressive: the 2F5 shot itself, the 1D15 laser designator-range finder, the 1A35K or 1A35I synchronization means, the R-107M radio station, the TA-57 field telephone and, finally, the Tulip self-propelled mortar. By the way, the "Daredevil" can also be operated from the outdated towed M-240 of the 1950 model.
Source: Encyclopedia of the XXI century. Weapons and technologies of Russia.
120-mm corrected mine "Beta" for the 2S12 "Sani" gun. Source: Encyclopedia of the XXI century. Weapons and technologies of Russia.
The 120-mm corrected Beta mine for the 2S12 Sani gun works on a similar principle. There are also RCIC ammunition in the arsenal of rocket artillery - the Threat-1M weapon system for the Grad system. For tank guns, an adjustable projectile of the Sokol-1 complex is used, which allows the armored vehicle to conduct high-precision firing from closed positions at a distance of up to 12 km. The main thing is to have an external target designation.
According to a number of sources, the next generation projectile, the Sokol-V, is at the development stage. And finally, a series of 152-mm shells "Centimeter". For a number of foreign countries, the product is produced in a 155 mm form factor under the Centimeter-1M index. After the collapse of the USSR, the developer of NTK Ameteh worked directly with the Americans to adapt the projectile to the M-109 howitzer and a number of other artillery systems.
The very first "Centimeter" appeared in service in the early 80s and was first tested in Afghanistan. This impressive 1,2-meter projectile weighing almost 50 kg was loaded with only 8,5 kg of explosives. The next model was the Centimeter-M. It shortened to 0,94 meters, reduced the weight to 43 kg, but the explosive charge increased to 12 kg. Depending on the type of projectile and artillery system, the range of "Centimeters" varies from 12 to 20 km.
The use of corrected munitions in Ukraine perfectly fits the main paradigm of the special operation - the destruction of only enemy military facilities. And it is desirable to carry out this with a minimum consumption of ammunition.
Information