Anti-tank MLRS: an effective way to destroy enemy tanks in Ukraine
300 mm
What is the best NATO tank? That's right, burned out. And what is the best NATO tank from the burnt ones? Blazing at a distance of several kilometers from the advanced Russian units. Preferably out of line of sight. All the talk about the defeat of "Leopards" and "Challengers" from ATGMs and grenade launchers suggests that NATO Tanks they plan to let them in at a distance of a couple of kilometers, several hundred and even tens of meters. Theoretically, this means that armored vehicles will go through the stage of operational deployment into combat formations with impunity. Meanwhile, it is here that the Anglo-German-American menagerie must be beaten before the tanks have time to show their fighting qualities on the battlefield.
Cruise and operational-tactical missiles are used against well-explored targets in the strategic depth of the enemy's defense. For example, the famous Iskander-M can be equipped with a wide range of cluster warheads, including HEAT submunitions. Several dozens of such "gifts from heaven" are capable of taking to the other world more than a company of well-placed tanks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. There are just a few restrictions here.
Firstly, in the second year of the special operation, the Ukrainian military has long understood all the delights of the mass accumulation of armored vehicles and will disperse the tanks.
Secondly, it is extremely difficult to detect even a large mass of equipment several hundred kilometers from the front line. Yes, and the missiles of the Iskander complex are expensive for mass anti-tank use.
MLRS "Smerch". Source: enewz.ru
Excluding the above weapons system, the most versatile and powerful anti-tank chariot is the Smerch MLRS of all variants and designs. A 300-mm rocket, even with a high-explosive fragmentation warhead, is quite enough to destroy any tank, both NATO and Soviet. Only it is necessary to lay shells with 95 kilograms of explosives in the immediate vicinity of the armored vehicle. Much more effective are 9M55K1 cluster munitions equipped with Motiv-3M self-guided munitions.
Rocket projectile 9M55K1
Each submunition carries a projectile-forming charge weighing 4,5 kg - this is a classic shock core, especially dangerous for the upper projections of armored vehicles. The infrared guidance system corrects the descent of each "Motive-3M" on a parachute and orients the ammunition to the target. Undermining can be carried out at a distance of up to 150 meters - armor penetration of at least 70 mm. As an option, 9N268 homing submunitions can be placed in the projectile, which favorably differ in greater armor penetration - up to 100 mm.
The shock core is more effective than the cumulative pestle with a much larger over-the-barrier effect on the target. Each Smerch projectile carries five anti-tank ammunition, that is, 60 Motives or 9N268 are hidden in one package of guides. Let's allow ourselves a little optimism - in this case, there are almost one and a half shock cores for every Ukrainian Leopard. The maximum firing range of the 9M55K1 product is 70 km.
Missile 9М55К7
The 9M55K7 rocket projectile, also included in the Smerch ammunition, is even more perfect - it immediately has twenty small-sized self-aiming anti-tank ammunition, each of which pierces up to 70 mm of homogeneous armor.
Theoretically, 300-mm 9M55K5 rockets with cumulative fragmentation elements can be dangerous for a tank. The head of the ammunition is placed 616 miniature submunitions with 35 grams of explosives each. Such freely dissipating elements can only be dangerous for the cover of the engine compartment, or if they accidentally fly into an open hatch.
Mina PTM-3. Source: vpk.name
For "operational remote setting of anti-tank minefields, both in front of enemy military equipment units located at the line of attack, and in the area of \u9b\u55btheir concentration," 4M25K3 rockets are intended. XNUMX PTM-XNUMX mines are hidden in each ammunition, capable of penetrating both the bottom of the tank and interrupting the caterpillar. The product is equipped with a magnetic target sensor that reacts to large masses of steel - tanks, infantry fighting vehicles and armored personnel carriers.
According to the operating instructions, the striking element formed during the explosion pierces the bottom of the car. If you run into the PTM-3 with a wheel or a caterpillar, then the mine will work like a high-explosive charge - the wheel will tear off, the caterpillar will be killed. It is noteworthy that a mine can only be neutralized by destruction - any movement will cause a reaction of the Earth's magnetic field sensor.
Cassette block KPTM-4 with two mines PTM-4. Source: imp-navigator.livejournal.com
A pair of PTM-4s in Syria. Devices for orientation of mines in flight are visible. Allegedly, they were dropped with cluster bombs. Source: diana-mihailova.livejournal.com
In the 1990s, the PTM-4 mine appeared in service. It is almost two kilograms lighter than its predecessor, but no less lethal. The mine is equipped with a special orienting device-case, which lands the product with a cumulative trough-shaped chute up. Already on the ground, the covers are fired. Mina compares favorably with a minimal unmasking silhouette. The principle of operation of the mine is similar to the PTM-3 - an electromagnetic sensor pierces the bottom of an armored vehicle or cuts a caterpillar. On the armor, the product leaves a through hole with a diameter of 30 mm or more and forms a mass of armor fragments.
220 mm
Next in the rankings is the 220-mm Uragan system, which is devoid of specific anti-tank ammunition for attack from above. Only work as a long-range minelayer. The Hurricane uses 9M27K2 remote mining ammunition, equipped with two dozen anti-tank engineering ammunition. These are PTM1-G products weighing 1,6 kg, made of polyethylene, and they belong to anti-track mines. More than a kilogram of explosives can immobilize any armored vehicle. Usually, such gifts are promptly thrown into the areas of the alleged advancement of enemy equipment - the self-destruction time is no more than 40 hours.
MLRS "Hurricane". Source: zr.ru
Also, two terms have to wait before the elimination of the PTM-3 mine. The device does not imply the removal of a mine - only destruction. Better under the wheels of the enemy. Interestingly, in the operating instructions it is forbidden to eliminate mines with an overhead charge until 80 hours have elapsed from the moment of platooning. If you really feel like it, then you can shoot from a machine gun. The PTM1-G detonator is triggered by the deformation of the polyethylene case and the plastic explosive inside the mine. The Hurricane can operate mine-laden 9M27K2 projectiles at a maximum range of up to 34 km, but the operating distance varies from 7,5 to 23 km. With one gulp, the system makes about 150 hectares of territory impassable for any equipment.
Mine model PTM1G. Source: guns.allzip.org
PTM1-G are not the only anti-tank mines that can be loaded with Uragan MLRS shells. The 220-mm 9M29 remote mining ammunition carries nine PTM-3 electromagnetic mines, which were discussed above. This is where the specific anti-tank capabilities of the Hurricane end, except that you can hit with a volley of thermobaric 9M51 Quarantine.
Such a tank can be set on fire, and a hot shock wave flowing through open hatches will do a lot of harm to the crew. In this case, the MLRS works as a long-range analogue of the TOS-1 system. Smerch has an even more powerful 9M55S thermobaric ammunition - when it hits the target, a section of a thermal field with a diameter of 25 meters is formed. The temperature rises to 1 degrees. The tank, if it does not roll over, will burn for sure.
122 mm
Continuing the discussion of the topic of anti-tank capabilities of the MLRS, let's move on to the younger models - the Grad and Tornado-G vehicles. Here we have the fruits of unification with the older models of the line of domestic multiple rocket launchers. 122-mm shells can scatter anti-tank mines across the fields, and bombard the enemy with cumulative free-falling elements, and bring down self-aiming impact cores.
"Grad-1". Source: wikipedia.org
Shell 9M218
Shell 9M217
Sufficiently compact and mobile MLRS based on tactical trucks "Ural" and "KamAZ" are well sharpened to fight against enemy tanks. Do not forget that there are still a lot of Grad-1 vehicles on the ZIL-131 platform (36 guides) and Grad-V with a dozen guides based on the GAZ-66 in warehouses for long-term storage. The maximum ammunition range of 30 km makes the systems formidable enemies of armored vehicles.
It’s worth starting with the 9M217 projectile with the two mentioned homing “Motives” inside. For light armored vehicles, the 9M218 is more suitable - a reduced copy of a heavy 300-mm projectile with cumulative fragmentation submunitions. There are 616 of these hidden in the Smerch ammunition alone, and 45 are provided for the Grad projectile. Three PTM-3 electromagnetic mines are hidden in the body of the 9M28K remote mining projectile.
The realities of a special operation dictate special ways to deal with enemy armored vehicles.
On the one hand, aviation cannot enter the rear of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and work on tanks with ATGMs and cumulative bombs. More precisely, maybe, but then Russia will not have a videoconferencing system in a matter of months.
On the other hand, it is impossible to let NATO tanks into the effective range of ATGMs and grenade launchers - losses among anti-tankers will be inevitable and considerable. At ranges from 3 to 70 km, the Russian army has a whole arsenal of anti-tank equipment, and MLRS with cluster shells are in the forefront here.
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