Aeroballistic missile Elbit Rampage
Promotional image of the Rampage rocket. Graphics Elbit Systems
Several years ago, the Israeli company IMI Systems introduced a promising Rampage aeroballistic missile designed to destroy remote ground targets. It was reported that this product has a number of important advantages and can find its place in the arsenals of the Air Forces of different countries. However, the reality turned out to be more complicated - potential customers were not interested in such a rocket, and the first order for it appeared only recently.
New rocket
In June 2018, the Israeli companies IMI Systems (later merged with Elbit Systems and was renamed Elbit Systems Land) and the state-owned IAI announced a new project. At that time, they were jointly creating a promising aviation an air-to-surface missile called Rampage.
By the time the first information was published, the rocket had passed the design stage and had time to enter testing. It was reported that the following work will not take much time, and mass production could be launched as early as 2019. The time frame for all this work was reduced due to a distinctive approach to development. The Rampage missile was actually based on one of the existing ammunition from IMI Systems.
As part of the first announcement, it was reported that the promising missile could enter service with at least two states. The Israeli Air Force was considered as the main customer. There was also mention of a foreign buyer who could sign the contract in the foreseeable future. However, as subsequent events showed, these forecasts were far from fully justified.
Rampage (below) and other Israeli-made weapons. Photo: Thedrive.com
In attempts to interest new buyers, the development companies mentioned several positive features of the promising Rampage product. First of all, the advertising campaign was based on a favorable ratio of cost and tactical and technical characteristics of the rocket. It was mentioned that it is 25-30 percent. cheaper than foreign air-to-surface missiles with similar parameters. They also pointed to high performance and expected combat effectiveness.
First customers
According to rumors and unconfirmed data from the foreign press, already in 2018-19. The new Rampage missile has begun to enter service with the Israeli Air Force. It was also reported that since 2019, products of this type have been used in attacks on targets in Syria. However, confirmation of this news still haven't appeared. This may indicate a lack of interest in the missile on the part of the IDF Air Force - or the traditional Israeli desire to classify all new products.
However, “Fury” was still able to find buyers who did not hide their desire to purchase it. News on this topic has appeared several times over the past year, and several foreign countries appear in them. In some cases, it was only about exploring possibilities, but some potential customers still received Israeli weapon.
At the very end of 2022, the Indian press reported that the national air force was interested in the Rampage missile and was considering purchasing it. At that time, it was stated that the Su-30MKI multirole fighters would receive new weapons. The timing and volume of deliveries, for obvious reasons, were not specified.
An Israeli missile in a training unit of the Indian Navy. Photo: Bmpd.livejournal.com
At the end of August 2023, the Indian Ministry of Defense hosted a delegation from the UAE Navy. As part of the trip, foreign guests visited the Indian Navy Aviation Training Center, where they were shown modern aviation weapons. One of the exhibits of such an exhibition was the Rampage missile - the Indian armed forces demonstrated it as their weapon for the first time. Why the missile ordered by the Air Force was shown at the Navy facility is unknown.
In June 2023, the foreign press reported that Great Britain was interested in the Rampage missile. Specialists from its Air Force visited Israel and got acquainted with these weapons, and also discussed with the developers the possibility of integrating them into the Typhoon fighter’s weapons system. The results of such a visit remain unknown, and the British Ministry of Defense did not comment on the news.
According to press reports, Fury is being considered as a simpler and cheaper addition and alternative to the Storm Shadow cruise missile. By helping the Kyiv regime, the Royal Air Force has reduced its stocks of such weapons and now needs to be replenished. It is not possible to quickly purchase Storm Shadow at an affordable price, and therefore we have to look for other solutions.
At the beginning of August, news appeared about the strengthening of military and military-technical cooperation between Israel and Cyprus. In this context, the possibility of the island state purchasing Israeli weapons was mentioned, incl. Rampage missiles. However, as often happens, the details of such cooperation remained unknown. Perhaps the volumes of supplies and the cost of the contract will be revealed later.
Demonstration of the principles of using Rampage missiles. Graphics Elbit Systems
Thus, in the five years after its announcement, the Israeli Rampage missile showed very limited commercial success. Presumably, it entered service with the developing country. In addition, there is one export contract and one or two more are expected. Such results do not yet allow Fury to claim a leadership position in the market.
From earth to sky
The Rampage aircraft missile was developed on the basis of EXTRA (Extended Range Artillery) ammunition for multiple launch rocket systems, created by IMI Systems at the beginning of the last decade. The original design has not undergone fundamental changes, but some components and assemblies have been updated. Due to this, they ensured the possibility of launching from air platforms of various types.
“Fury” has an elongated cylindrical body with a pointed head fairing, traditional for such weapons. There are aerodynamic rudders in the head section, and stabilizers in the tail section. The length of the product reaches 4,7 m with a diameter of 306 mm. Starting weight – 580 kg. The layout used is traditional for adjustable MLRS missiles: the control equipment is located in the head compartment, the warhead is located behind it, and the remaining volumes are given over to the solid propellant engine.
The missile control system includes satellite and inertial navigation devices, which provide a CEP of up to 10 m. Previously mentioned was the possibility of introducing a homing head with the ability to search and track a target. Communication with the carrier and transmission of target data is carried out through wired or wireless interfaces of NATO standards.
Launching an EXTRA rocket from a ground installation. Photo: Wikimedia Commons
The missile carries a warhead weighing 150 kg. A “universal” charge with penetrating and high-explosive fragmentation action was used. The possibility of hitting various stationary objects - infrastructure, command posts, incl. buried, airfields, concentrations of manpower and equipment, etc.
The Rampage rocket is launched by a carrier aircraft at high subsonic speeds and altitudes from 900 m to 12 km. After separation, the rocket starts the engine and accelerates along the active part of the trajectory. Having exhausted the fuel, the rocket flies by inertia along a ballistic trajectory with the possibility of its correction. At the final stage, the rocket develops a speed in the range of 350-550 m/s. Depending on the launch parameters, the range reaches 150-200 km.
Goals and Results
The goal of any promising project in the field of armaments is not only to obtain improved tactical and technical characteristics, but also to reduce costs and complexity of production. Such problems can be solved in different ways, incl. through the use and minor processing of the finished structure. The Israeli Rampage aeroballistic missile project, based on MLRS ammunition, is an excellent example of this approach.
Designers from IMI / Elbit and IAI managed to solve the assigned engineering problems and create an aircraft weapon with high performance. However, their rocket, despite its declared simplicity and low cost, has not yet shown outstanding commercial results. Potential customers were not interested in the Rampage product, and it is unknown whether the situation will change in the future.
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