Expenditure and deficit: problems of the Kyiv regime with tactical missile systems
Ukrainian "Points" at the parade in 2008. Probably, all these vehicles have already been destroyed. Photo by Wikimedia Commons
The armed formations of the Kyiv regime still have long-range missile systems of various classes at their disposal. A number of Soviet-designed complexes remain, attempts have been made to independently create such weapons, and since last year there have been foreign deliveries. However, the overall effectiveness of such strike weapons remains low, and in addition, they constantly suffer significant losses.
Old "Points"
With the collapse of the Soviet Union, a large number of missile weapons of the ground forces remained on the territory of the former Ukrainian SSR. In particular, independent Ukraine got the Tochka and Tochka-U tactical missile systems. According to various sources, at the beginning of 2022, Ukrainian units had up to 90 launchers and about 500 missiles.
Fuel dispensers of the Tochka family use a ballistic missile with a launch weight of 2 tons, capable of carrying warheads of various types weighing 450-480 kg. The base "Point" could hit targets at ranges from 15 to 70 km. The upgraded Tochka-U has a maximum range of up to 120 km.
Since February last year, Ukrainian formations have regularly used the Tochka air defense missile system against Russian troops and settlements in Donbass. In addition, the Kyiv regime used such weapon in cannibalistic provocations in the territories controlled by him.
The engine compartment of the Tochka rocket used by Ukrainian forces for a provocation in the city of Kramatorsk, April 2022. Photo by Wikimedia Commons
During the use of "Points" Ukrainian rocket scientists faced a number of characteristic problems. First of all, the large age of the complexes became a negative factor. Existing missiles have long expired all storage periods with the corresponding degradation of solid-propellant engines and mechanisms. As a result, the reliability of the complexes has fallen sharply.
In addition, Tochka missiles are morally obsolete and have become an easy target for Russian air defense systems. It was regularly reported about the interception of flying missiles aimed at certain settlements of Donbass. Measures are also being taken to search for and destroy launchers in parking lots, on the move or at a firing position.
Recently, the use of "Points" is reported quite rarely. The last time the interception of such missiles came from the report of our Ministry of Defense back in June, i.e. over a month ago. This means that the enemy has lost at least most of the combat-ready systems and missiles. The Tochki park is in a very bad state, if it exists at all.
A few "Thunder"
For a long time, Ukrainian enterprises have been trying to develop their own fuel dispensers / OTRKs to replace the old Soviet Tochkas. The real results of this activity appeared in the first half of the XNUMXs - the project of the Grim (Thunder) complex was proposed. In the future, it was finalized and they talked about improving the main tactical and technical characteristics.
Launcher OTRK "Grom-2" Photo KB "Yuzhnoye"
According to the project, "Grom" was a self-propelled operational-tactical missile system for attacking remote ground targets. It included a single-stage solid-propellant missile with a range of 280 km. It was also reported about the possibility of increasing the firing range. The use of combat units of different types was envisaged.
Due to the lack of sufficient funding, the Grim project developed slowly. In addition, for all the time they managed to build only a few experimental launchers and assemble a small number of missiles. The hypothetical launch of mass production and adoption for service has been repeatedly postponed to the future.
On September 30, 2022, the Russian army attacked the facilities of the Southern Machine-Building Plant (Dnepropetrovsk), which were used to manufacture missile weapons. This blow deprived the Kiev regime of the possibility of producing Thunder products. However, the enemy tried to use the few missiles collected earlier. In the spring, our air defense successfully intercepted such a product.
It cannot be ruled out that the Kiev regime still has launchers and missiles of the Grom series and will even try to use them again. However, these episodes will remain isolated. The possibilities of mass production and mass use of such weapons are now absent.
Model rocket "Grom-2". Photo by Wikimedia Commons
foreign replacement
During the first months of the Special Operation, the Russian army inflicted serious damage on the Ukrainian missile forces and artillery - hundreds of guns, multiple launch rocket systems and tactical missile systems were knocked out. Foreign partners began to help the Kyiv regime with the supply of certain systems, and some of the received samples began to be used as a kind of replacement for the fuel dispenser.
About a year ago, Ukraine received the M142 HIMARS and M270 MLRS MLRS, as well as their modifications supplied by the United States and other NATO countries. Together with them, corrected missiles of the GMLRS series were shipped. In total, the Kiev regime received several dozen launchers and significant amounts of ammunition. Later, foreign partners promised to provide GLSDB missiles based on guided bombs.
227-mm GMLRS rockets have a range of more than 90 km and carry a high-explosive fragmentation warhead weighing 91 kg. The products are equipped with a correction system based on satellite and inertial navigation, due to which, as stated, high accuracy of hits is ensured over the entire range of ranges. The GLSDB product, in turn, is assembled from an engine for the GMLRS and a GBU-39 SDB guided bomb. The maximum flight range is declared at the level of 150 km; The warhead is comparable to the charge of 227 mm rockets.
According to known data, Ukrainian rocket scientists tried to use the HIMARS and MLRS systems as a kind of replacement for the lost fuel dispensers. This use of foreign MLRS should have been facilitated by the high declared characteristics of range and accuracy. However, in terms of general performance, the GMLRS products are inferior even to the old Tochka missiles, and their only advantage was their availability and the possibility of mass use.
MLRS M142 launches GMLRS missiles, July 2022. Photo by the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine
Hopes for the M142 and M270 as a whole did not materialize. Russian air defense quickly learned to deal with such a threat. The navigation systems of missiles and air bombs are suppressed by electronic warfare systems, which deprives them of the ability to effectively correct the trajectory. In addition, American-made rockets are successfully shot down by modern air defense systems, such as Pantsir or Tor. As a result, most Ukrainian missiles do not reach their targets.
Help Not Received
Together with the M270 and M142 launchers, the Kiev regime wanted to get tactical ballistic missiles of the ATACMS family compatible with them. With their help, it would be possible to replace the spent and lost Tochka products, as well as to increase the potential of the missile forces. However, last year foreign partners limited themselves to the supply of GMLRS rockets.
It is regularly reported that the United States is discussing the possibility of sending ATACMS missiles to Ukraine, but a final decision has not yet been made. Recently, the foreign press again claimed that Washington decided to take such a step, but officials soon denied these rumors. Despite all the requests from Kyiv and the arguments of its supporters, the Pentagon and the White House do not plan to transfer tactical missiles to it.
As part of the ATACMS family, a number of missiles were developed, of which five models and modifications were mass-produced. The first sample of the family, the MGM-140A missile had a range of 165 km and delivered a 560-kg cluster-type warhead to the target. More recent developments, such as the MGM-140B or MGM-168, fly 300 km and carry other combat equipment. Which variants of ARACMS could be supplied to Ukraine is not specified.
Launch of an ATACMS missile by the M270 installation. Photo by the US Department of Defense
It is quite possible that ATACMS products will never fall into the hands of Ukrainian formations, and there will be no additional threat to our troops and civilians in the area of the Special Operation. However, the possibility of deliveries cannot be completely ruled out. In this case, our air defense will again have to take appropriate measures.
All ATACMS missiles are ballistic and follow a predictable trajectory. In addition, the firing range within 165-300 km limits the maximum speed of the product, incl. in the downward section. All this to a certain extent simplifies the detection and interception of missiles by modern air defense and missile defense systems. It should also be noted that the ATACMS complex, the main weapon of its class in the US Army, was considered by the Russian military and air defense system developers as one of the typical threats and, accordingly, targets. As a result, the effectiveness of the combat use of ATACMS missiles will be extremely low, probably at the level of the old Soviet "Points".
Results of demilitarization
One of the main goals of the current Russian Special Operation is the forced demilitarization of the Kyiv regime. Our army is successfully coping with it and systematically destroying the weapons and equipment of the enemy. Tactical missile systems are considered as priority targets and are destroyed at the first opportunity.
Such actions of the Russian army have already led to the almost complete destruction of the old Tochka fuel and missile systems and stocks of missiles for them. It was also possible to prevent the release of newer Grim complexes. As a result, the Kiev regime is forced to fill the niche of the fuel dispenser with multiple launch rocket systems, and foreign-made ones. This tactic has its drawbacks and problems. At the same time, it has not yet been possible to obtain real tactical missiles from abroad, and their deliveries are not planned.
As a result of these processes, the quantitative and qualitative indicators of the Ukrainian missile forces are gradually falling. Together with them, the missile threat to our troops, as well as to people and infrastructure in the liberated territories, is reduced. However, the enemy's missile forces have not yet been completely destroyed, and demilitarization continues.
Information