Anti-aircraft missile systems of the military air defense of Romania
The Ground Forces of the Romanian Armed Forces have air defense units of the divisional, brigade, regimental and battalion levels.
For example, the 61st anti-aircraft missile regiment "Pelendava", which is at the direct disposal of the headquarters of the 2nd infantry division "Getika", has three batteries of low-altitude air defense systems HAWK PIP IIIR, and the 54th anti-aircraft missile regiment, which is in a state of reorganization The Trophy of Trajan had two divisions of the S-75M3 Volkhov medium-range air defense system. The command of the 4th infantry division "Gemina" is subordinate to the 50th anti-aircraft missile regiment "Andrey Mureshanu" of mixed composition, which has batteries of mobile medium-range air defense systems Kub-M3 and short-range air defense systems Osa-AKM.
Each of the eight mechanized, mountain infantry and infantry brigades is assigned an anti-aircraft rocket-artillery or artillery battalion. The missile and artillery battalions of the mechanized brigades are armed with short-range mobile air defense systems CA-95 and ZSU Gepard A2; 30 and 436mm S-35.
The battalion level uses CA-94 MANPADS, quad 14,5 mm MR-4 anti-aircraft machine guns, as well as 12,7 mm DȘKM and Browning M2HB machine guns.
Man-portable air defense systems
In the first half of the 1970s, Romania purchased a relatively small batch of Soviet Strela-2M MANPADS launchers (60 units) and 360 missiles. After several years of operation and application of this weapons on the targets at the range, the Romanian military was convinced that, despite some limitations, the Soviet man-portable systems are a fairly effective air defense system suitable for use by small units. After that, an agreement was reached with the USSR on obtaining a license for the production of Strela-2M complexes in Romania. With Soviet technical support, the production of first-generation MANPADS was launched at the Kudzhir Mechanical Plant, which was the main manufacturer of Romanian small arms. Until the second half of the 1980s, about 300 launchers and several thousand missiles were delivered.
By the mid-1980s, it became obvious that the Strela-2M MANPADS did not meet modern requirements in terms of noise immunity, range and reach in height. By that time, the Soviet Union began to transfer the portable complexes of the new generation Igla-1E to the allies under the Warsaw Pact, but they were not delivered to Romania.
Instead of acquiring new modern MANPADS in Romania, they decided to independently create their own complex based on the Strela-2M mastered in production. In 1987, the production of MANPADS CA-94 began, which lasted until 1995.
As in the Strela-2M complex, the Romanian CA-94 MANPADS used a missile equipped with an uncooled single-channel IR-GOS, which did not allow the selection of heat traps and limited the launch range against targets with low thermal visibility.
The only significant innovation was the introduction of the "friend or foe" system, with an antenna placed on the helmet of the gunner-operator.
In 1995, the Romanian companies Electromecanica Ploiesti and Aerostar Bacau introduced the upgraded SA-94M portable complex. According to Romanian data, small-scale production (10-12 complexes per year) began in 1996.
To increase the probability of hitting a target, the SA-94M anti-aircraft missile was equipped with a more powerful warhead with a proximity fuse that fires when it misses up to 1 m. The introduction of a new two-channel seeker made it possible to improve noise immunity, increase the capture range and improve the ability to hit targets at extremely low altitude. The missile uses a microprocessor that optimizes the trajectory of the anti-aircraft missile, depending on the course and speed of the target, and also controls the vertical angle at launch. The introduction of a new solid fuel formulation slightly increased the rocket's flight speed and firing range.
Model MANPADS SA-94M
The curb weight of the SA-94M complex in combat position is 15 kg. Length - 1 mm, rocket diameter - 532 mm. Transfer time from marching to combat position - 72 s. The thermopile response time is 10 s. Air targets are hit at a distance of 1,4–500 m and in an altitude range of 4–600 m. The maximum speed of an air target is 20 m/s. The maximum flight speed of the rocket is 2 m / s.
At the Expomil-2005 arms exhibition, held in Bucharest, the Ghepard-R air defense missile system was rearranged, the armament of which additionally included four SA-94M missiles.
Although the car showed good results during firing ranges, only one copy was re-armed with SA-94M missiles.
According to reference data, the Romanian air defense units of the Ground Forces now have a little more than 200 launchers for SA-94 and SA-94M MANPADS, which is considered insufficient. Given the fact that these complexes, leading their lineage from the Soviet Strela-2M, are outdated, the Romanian government intends to purchase 300 modern MANPADS.
Short-range mobile anti-aircraft missile systems
In the late 1970s, Romania acquired 120 launchers (combat modules) of the Strela-1M short-range air defense system and 5 000M9M missiles. The launcher is a rotating armored turret with four anti-aircraft missile transport and launch containers. The front wall is made of bulletproof glass set at an angle of 31°. Behind the glass is the workplace of the gunner-operator, who turns the installation towards the target with muscular strength. Target search and guidance are carried out visually. Due to the high degree of balance of the swinging part, shooting can be carried out on the move.
As part of the Strela-1M complex, there was a passive radio direction finder that provided target detection with the on-board radio equipment turned on, its tracking and entry into the field of view of the optical sight.
To destroy air targets, a single-stage, solid-propellant 9M31M rocket with a launch weight of 43 kg was used. Capturing and aiming at the target was carried out by a photocontrast seeker, the principle of operation of which was based on the selection of a contrasting target against the sky. With the relative simplicity and cheapness of the design, such a homing head could only function during the day. The sensitivity of the GOS made it possible to fire only at visually visible targets located against the background of continuous clouds or a clear sky, at angles between directions to the sun and to the target of more than 20 °. At the same time, unlike the Strela-2M MANPADS, the use of a photocontrast seeker made it possible to destroy a target with low thermal radiation on a head-on course.
Due to the low characteristics of the GOS, the probability of a missile hitting the target was lower than that of other Soviet air defense systems that were in service at the same time. In hothouse polygon conditions, when firing at a MiG-17 fighter flying on a collision course at a speed of 200 m/s, at an altitude of 50 m, the probability of hitting did not exceed 0,5. With an increase in altitude to 1 km and a speed of up to 300 m/s, the probability of damage was 0,1–0,4.
But at the time of the delivery to Romania of the combat modules of the Strela-1M air defense system, much more advanced Strela-10 mobile complexes mounted on the MT-LB tracked chassis were already mass-produced in the USSR.
Despite the fact that the Strela-1M complex was inferior in characteristics to the Strela-10, the Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu chose it. This is due to the fact that the Strela-1M combat module was very simple and in some ways even primitive, it cost much less, and most importantly, it could be mounted on TAVS-79 wheeled armored vehicles produced in Romania.
The Romanian armored vehicle TAVS-79 outwardly resembled the Soviet BRDM-2, but was developed on the basis of the TAB-77 armored personnel carrier. In Romania, the air defense system based on TAVS-79 received the designation SA-95. In the early 1980s, the Romanian industry mastered the independent production of 9M31M anti-aircraft missiles.
In the late 1990s, Electromecanica Ploiesti launched the upgraded SA-95M complex with improved A95M-RC anti-aircraft missiles.
SAM SA-95M
On the combat vehicle, as before, there are four missiles ready for use. Two more missiles in the TPK can be mounted on the sides. The mass of the SA-95M complex in combat position is 9,2 tons. Turbodiesel with a capacity of 150 liters. With. on the highway provides speeds up to 85 km / h. Armor protects against rifle-caliber bullets. Crew - 3 people.
The A95M-RC missile with a two-stage solid-propellant engine has improved performance compared to the 9M31M SAM. Starting weight without TPK - about 30 kg (70 kg in TPK). Length - 1 844 mm. Diameter - 120 mm. Targeting is carried out by a cooled IR seeker. The warhead, in addition to the contact fuse, is equipped with a non-contact fuse that provides triggering at a miss of up to 2,5 m. The maximum launch range is 4 m, and the minimum is 200 m. Air targets can be hit in the altitude range of 800–50 m. The maximum target speed – up to 3 m/s. Unlike the Strela-500M and SA-310 air defense systems, where the turret with anti-aircraft missiles was turned manually by the gunner-operator, the SA-1M has an electric drive for guidance in the vertical and horizontal plane.
Currently, the troops have up to 40 SA-95M air defense systems. These complexes are physically and morally obsolete and must be replaced.
In 1985, the USSR delivered 28 Osa-AKM short-range mobile air defense systems. This complex is based on the three-axle BAZ-5937 chassis, capable of accelerating up to 80 km/h on the highway. The maximum speed afloat is 10 km/h. All radar elements of the air defense system and missiles are located on one machine. The all-round radar operating in the centimeter range provides detection of a fighter-type target at distances of up to 40 km at a flight altitude of 5 m. The target was hit at a distance of 000-1,5 km and an altitude of 10-25 m was provided by the 5M000 anti-aircraft missile with radio command guidance with a probability of 9–33.
Launch of an anti-aircraft missile from the Romanian air defense system "Osa-AKM"
This complex, due to the presence of its own radar facilities, is able to operate autonomously at any time of the day. When firing at helicopters at a height of less than 25 meters, the complex used a special method of guiding missiles with semi-automatic tracking of targets in angular coordinates using a television-optical sight.
The Romanian military highly appreciated the Wasps and treated them with care, which made it possible to keep 16 complexes of this type in service. But, unlike similar Polish air defense systems, the Osa-AKM complexes underwent only refurbishment, without modernization. Due to wear and tear and the lack of spare parts, the Romanian Osa-AKM air defense systems are to be written off in the near future.
Medium-range anti-aircraft missile systems
In the first half of the 1980s, Romania was the last of the ATS countries to receive 10 fire batteries of the Kub-M3 air defense system and two control batteries with attached radar equipment, which was enough to equip two anti-aircraft missile regiments.
Elements of the Romanian air defense system "Kub-M3"
The fire battery included: a self-propelled reconnaissance and guidance unit (SURN), four self-propelled launchers (SPU), a target designation reception cabin (KPTs) and transport-loading vehicles on the chassis of a ZIL-131 car with a special hydraulic lift for reloading missiles.
Each self-propelled launcher accommodates three solid-fuel anti-aircraft missiles with a marching ramjet engine and a semi-active radar guidance system. To accelerate the rocket to cruising flight speed, there is a solid-fuel first stage. The Kub-M3 air defense system is capable of hitting air targets at a distance of 4–23 km, in the altitude range of 50–7 m.
The self-propelled reconnaissance and guidance installation, on which two radar antennas are placed in two tiers, provides independent detection, capture and illumination of a target for aiming anti-aircraft missiles at it. In the case of SNR suppression by electronic interference, it is possible to track the target in angular coordinates using a television-optical sight, but the pointing accuracy is lower than with radar tracking.
Reference publications specializing in defense topics claim that Romania has eight fire batteries of the Kub-M3 air defense system. However, taking into account the fact that these complexes in the 50th Andrey Mureshanu air defense missile system are operated jointly with the Osa-AKM air defense system, most likely, the number of capable launchers does not exceed 30 units. All available 3M9M3 missiles have long gone beyond the guaranteed service life and are unsafe when firing.
As mentioned above, the personnel of the 61st Pelendava air defense missile system operates low-altitude HAWK PIP IIIR air defense systems purchased from the Netherlands in 2004. More details about the Romanian object air defense and missile defense were told here.
Although the HAWK family of air defense systems are not very well suited for use in military air defense, this is a forced decision and is due to the lack of combat-ready medium-range mobile air defense systems suitable for covering important objects, as well as troops in places of concentration and on the march.
Prospects for improving the military air defense of the Romanian army
The problem requiring immediate solution is the need to replace the obsolete SA-94M MANPADS in the troops, without which, in modern conditions, it is impossible to protect small units from bombing and assault strikes. Although the decision to choose the promising VSHORAD (Very Short Range Air Defense) MANPADS has not yet been made, the American FIM-92 Stinger and the French Mistral-3 are considered the most likely contenders to win the competition.
As part of the SHORAD (Short Range Air Defense) program, the Romanian Defense Ministry is looking for a replacement for the outdated SA-95M, Osa-AKM and Kub-M3 air defense systems.
Three different complexes are supposed to be replaced by one. At the same time, the Romanian military department is consciously ready to sacrifice the mobility of a promising air defense system and its ability to directly accompany troops on the march (like SA-95M and Osa-AKM) and act in conjunction with tanks (as "Cube-M3"). It is believed that the lack of mobility can be replaced by a longer range and improved systems for detecting aerial targets.
Among the options under consideration are the German IRIS-T SL air defense system, the French VL MICA complex, and the Israeli Spyder-SR. However, observers are inclined to believe that Romania will choose the Norwegian-American NASAMS-3 system, since using the Link 16 standard equipment it can be connected to the Patriot PAC-3 + air defense systems, which are currently being delivered. An important factor is that the NASAMS-3 air defense system uses anti-aircraft missiles created on the basis of the AIM-120 AMRAAM-ER air-to-air missiles already available in the Romanian Air Force. Representatives of the American company Raytheon say that this will contribute to the standardization of weapons in various branches of the military and reduce maintenance costs.
Relatively recently, it became known that three of the seven ordered Patriot PAC-3 + air defense systems will be transferred to the Air Defense Command of the Ground Forces. American long-range systems should compensate for the decommissioning of the Soviet S-75M3 Volkhov air defense systems and, in the future, replace the HAWK PIP IIIR systems, the life cycle of which is nearing completion.
Information