In search of the Chinese “Shell”: a selection of options
Currently, the Russian Army is armed with anti-aircraft missile systemsartillery Tunguska and Pantsir family complexes. All elements of these air defense missile and gun systems are located on one combat vehicle. The autonomous self-propelled complexes have their own means of detecting air targets, communication equipment, through which information can be exchanged with other systems. Defense and receiving external target designation, as well as anti-aircraft missiles with radio command guidance and artillery weapons. The concept of using the ZRPK assumes that upon entering the kill zone, the target is first fired upon with guided missiles, and if it is not hit, then it is fired upon with 30-mm machine guns. Russian systems are highly versatile, and, for example, UAVs can be destroyed only with artillery shells in order to save expensive SAMs.
It is quite natural that the Chinese military, closely monitoring the development of foreign means of armed warfare, expressed a desire to equip military and air defense units with combined systems that include artillery and anti-aircraft missiles.
Creation and improvement of air defense missile systems "Tunguska" and "Pantsir"
The Tunguska self-propelled anti-aircraft complex was supposed to replace the ZSU-23-4 Shilka in the military air defense. Calculations have shown that increasing the caliber of artillery machine guns to 30 mm while maintaining the same rate of fire will increase the probability of destruction by 1,5 times. In addition, a heavier projectile allows for greater reach in range and height. The military also wanted an anti-aircraft self-propelled gun equipped with its own surveillance radar with a range of at least 15 km, capable of reliably searching for air targets. It is no secret that the RPK-2 radio instrument complex installed on the Shilka has very limited search capabilities. Satisfactory effectiveness of the ZSU-23-4's actions was achieved only upon receipt of preliminary target designation from the battery command post, which, in turn, used data received from the control post of the division's air defense chief, who had at his disposal a low-altitude all-round radar of the P-15 or P type -19. As the experience of exercises and real combat operations has shown, if communication with control points disappeared, the crews of the ZSU-23-4, acting autonomously, detected no more than a third of air targets with their own radars in a circular search mode.
At a certain stage, the military believed that the effectiveness of the Shilka could be significantly improved by introducing an additional radar on a tracked chassis into the anti-aircraft battery and equipping the self-propelled installation with missiles with an infrared seeker. However, after analyzing the results of the use of AH-1 Cobra combat helicopters armed with anti-tank guided missiles in Vietnam, it was concluded that it was necessary to create a new self-propelled complex.
The military air defense systems available in the early 1970s were mainly focused on combating jet fighter-bombers, attack aircraft and front-line bombers and could not effectively counteract combat helicopters using short-term climb tactics (no more than 30-40 s) to launch ATGMs . In this case, the air defense systems of the regimental level were powerless. The operators of the Strela-1 air defense system and the Strela-2M MANPADS did not have the opportunity to detect and capture a target that hovered briefly at an altitude of 30-50 m at a distance of several kilometers. The ZSU-23-4 gunners did not have time to receive external target designation, and the effective firing range of 23-mm machine guns was much less than the launch range of anti-tank missiles. The Osa-AK divisional level anti-aircraft missile systems, located in the depths of their positions at a distance of up to 5-7 km from the attacking helicopters, based on the total reaction time of the complex and the flight of the missile defense system, could not hit the helicopter before it exited the attack.
In order to increase the firepower, probability and range of hitting air targets, it was decided to arm the new complex, which was put into service in 1982, in addition to 30-mm artillery machine guns with anti-aircraft missiles. In addition to a pair of double-barreled 30-mm 2A38 cannons, the air defense system included: a decimeter range all-round radar and a missile defense system with radio command guidance through an optical channel along the missile tracer. Fire from 30-mm cannons can be carried out on the move or from a place, and the missile defense system can be launched only after stopping. The radar-optical fire control system receives primary information from a surveillance radar with a target detection range of 18 km. There is also a target tracking radar with a range of 13 km.
The maximum range for hitting air targets with artillery machine guns is 4 km, in height - up to 3 km. Anti-aircraft missiles can fire at targets at a range from 2,5 to 8 km, and at a height of up to 3,5 km. Initially, the vehicle had 4 missiles, then their number was doubled. The probability of hitting a fighter-type target when fired from cannons is 0,6. For missile weapons - 0,65.
The tracked chassis of the GM-352 gun-missile system, with a combat vehicle mass of 34 tons, provides highway speeds of up to 65 km/h. The crew and internal equipment are covered with armor, providing protection from rifle-caliber bullets from a distance of 300 m.
It was assumed that the combat vehicles of the Tunguska complex in the regimental level would completely replace the ZSU-23-4 Shilka, but in reality this could not be achieved. Although serial production of air defense missile systems for the army began more than 35 years ago, artillery and missile systems have still not been able to completely displace the seemingly hopelessly outdated Shilkas, the production of which ceased in 1982. This was primarily due to the high cost and lack of reliability of the Tunguska. It was not possible to completely eliminate many of the “inherent problems” of the air defense system of the first modification, which used many fundamentally new technical solutions. Although the developers used the latest radio-electronic element base at that time, the reliability of the electronic units left much to be desired, and in order to maintain and repair the on-board equipment, the personnel had to be highly qualified. Operating and maintaining the Tunguska in working order requires costly and time-consuming operations.
Although the combat capabilities of the Tunguska had increased significantly compared to the Shilka, the troops demanded a simpler, more reliable and cheaper to operate gun-missile system capable of operating missiles in the dark and in poor visibility conditions. Taking into account the shortcomings identified during operation, from the second half of the 1980s, work was carried out to create a modernized version. First of all, it was about increasing the technical reliability of the hardware as a whole and improving combat controllability. Combat vehicles of the modernized Tunguska-M complex were interfaced with the Ranzhir unified battery command post, with the ability to transmit information via a telecode communication line. For this purpose, self-propelled units were equipped with appropriate equipment. In the case of controlling the actions of the Tunguska fire platoon from the battery command post, the analysis of the air situation and the selection of targets for firing by each complex were carried out at this command post.
However, even taking into account the increased reliability and command controllability of the Tunguska-M air defense missile system, such a serious drawback as the inability to fire missiles at night and with low atmospheric transparency was not eliminated. In this regard, despite problems with financing, in the 1990s, a modification was created that could use missile weapons regardless of the possibility of visual observation of the target. In 2003, the improved Tunguska-M1 air defense missile system formally entered service.
ZRPK "Tunguska-M1"
A new 9M311M missile defense system with improved characteristics has been introduced into the armament. In this missile, the laser non-contact target sensor is replaced by a radar one, which increased the likelihood of hitting small-sized high-speed targets. Instead of a tracer, a pulse lamp was installed, which, together with an increase in engine operating time, made it possible to increase the destruction range from 8000 m to 10 m. At the same time, the firing efficiency increased by 000-1,3 times. Thanks to the introduction of a new fire control system into the hardware of the complex and the use of a pulsed optical transponder, it was possible to significantly increase the noise immunity of the missile defense control channel and increase the likelihood of destroying air targets that operate under the cover of optical interference. The introduction of a new optoelectronic sight made it possible to significantly simplify the process of target tracking, while at the same time increasing the accuracy of tracking and reducing the dependence of the effectiveness of the combat use of the optical guidance channel on the professional level of training of the gunner. Improvement of the system for measuring pitch and heading angles made it possible to significantly reduce the disturbing influences on the gyroscopes and reduce errors in measuring pitch and heading angles, and increase the stability of the control loop for anti-aircraft guns. A number of sources say that the presence of thermal imaging and television channels on the installation with automatic target tracking guarantees the 1,5-hour use of existing missiles. However, whether this has been implemented on the complexes available in the Russian army is unclear.
Due to a lack of funding, the modernized Tunguska-M/M1 air defense systems were supplied mainly for export, and our armed forces received very few of them. According to reference data available in the public domain, as of December 2023, we had more than 300 anti-aircraft self-propelled guns of the Tunguska family of all modifications in our troops and in storage. Taking into account the fact that most of these air defense missile systems were built during the Soviet era, many of them needed restoration and could not be fully used in combat operations.
If you do not take into account the high cost and low reliability of the Tunguska, then it was a quite effective complex by the standards of the 1980-2000s. However, the air defense missile system on a tracked chassis, designed to move in the same combat formations with tanks and infantry fighting vehicle, was not optimal for escorting transport convoys and maintaining long-term duty at a prepared position.
In this regard, in the late 1980s, the military initiated the creation of an unarmored air defense missile system on a wheeled base under the tentative name “Tunguska-3”. The tactical and technical specifications specifically stipulated the possibility of XNUMX-hour use of all types of weapons and resistance to organized radio and thermal interference.
The first modification of the new complex, tested in 1996, was mounted on a Ural-5323.4 vehicle chassis, armed with two 30-mm 2A72 cannons (used as part of the BMP-3 armament) and 9M335 anti-aircraft guided missiles. However, this air defense missile system with a maximum firing range of 12 km and a reach height of 8 km was not recommended for adoption. The radio engineering part worked unreliably and could not confirm the declared characteristics. Fire could only be fired after stopping. 30-mm 2A72 cannons with a total rate of fire of 660 rounds/min did not provide an acceptable probability of hitting air targets.
In the 1990s, in the context of a massive reduction in defense spending and the presence in the troops of a large number of different anti-aircraft systems inherited from the USSR, the need to fine-tune the new air defense system did not seem obvious. Due to the unreliability of radar equipment, an option was being developed with a passive optoelectronic system and a thermal imaging channel for detecting air targets and guiding missiles, but in this case there was no particular advantage over the Tunguska-M1 air defense missile system.
The development of the new air defense missile system and its launch into mass production became possible thanks to a contract concluded with the United Arab Emirates in May 2000. The Russian side undertook to supply 50 complexes with a total cost of $734 million (50% was paid by the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation to pay off Russia’s debt to the UAE). At the same time, the foreign customer provided an advance of $100 million to finance R&D and testing.
The complex, called Pantsir-S1, was significantly different from the first prototype. The changes affected both weapons and hardware. The export version of the Pantsir-S1E was mounted on an eight-axle MAN-SX45 truck chassis. This modification used foreign-made equipment, 2A38 anti-aircraft guns and 9M311 missile defense systems - also used as part of the Tunguska air defense missile system.
In November 2012, the Pantsir-C1 ZRPK on the KamAZ-6560 chassis entered service with the Russian army. A machine weighing about 30 tons with an 8x8 wheel arrangement can develop speeds of up to 90 km / h on the highway. Cruising range - 500 km. The crew of the complex is 3 people. Deployment time is 5 minutes. The threat response time is 5 seconds.
The combat module is armed with two units with six 57E6 anti-aircraft guided missiles and two double-barreled 30-mm 2A38M cannons. The 57E6 anti-aircraft missile is similar in appearance and layout to the 9M311 missile defense system used as part of the Tunguska air defense missile system. The bi-caliber rocket is made according to the aerodynamic “canard” design. Radio command control is used to target the target. The engine is in the first separating stage. The length of the rocket is 3160 mm. The diameter of the 1st stage is 90 mm. Weight in the TPK is 94 kg. Weight without TPK - 75,7 kg. The mass of the rod warhead is 20 kg. The average flight speed of a missile defense system at a range of 18 km is 780 m/s. Firing range - from 1 to 18 km. The height of destruction is from 5 to 15 m. Detonation of the warhead in the event of a direct hit is ensured by a contact fuse, and in the event of a miss, by a non-contact fuse. The probability of hitting an air target is 000-0,7. It is possible to fire two missiles at one target.
Anti-aircraft missile 57E6 and 30-mm artillery machine gun 2A38M
Two 30-mm 2A38M artillery machine guns have a total rate of fire of up to 5000 rounds/min. The initial projectile speed is 960 m/s. Effective firing range – up to 4000 m. Height reach – up to 3000 m.
In addition to weapons, the combat module houses a detection radar station, a radar complex for tracking targets and missiles, as well as optoelectronic fire control equipment.
The all-round radar in the decimeter range is capable of detecting an air target with an ESR of 2 m² at a range of up to 40 km and tracking up to 20 targets simultaneously. The target tracking and missile guidance radar, operating in the millimeter and centimeter frequency ranges, ensures the detection and destruction of targets with an ESR of 0,1 square meters. m at a distance of up to 20 km. In addition to radar equipment, the fire control system also contains a passive optoelectronic complex with an infrared direction finder, which is capable of digital signal processing and automatic target tracking. The entire system can operate automatically. The optoelectronic complex is designed for 26-hour target detection, tracking and missile guidance. The tracking range in automatic mode for a fighter-type target can reach 15 km, the HARM anti-radar missile can be detected at a range of 4 km. The optoelectronic complex is also used when firing at sea and ground targets. Digital signal processing is carried out by a central computing complex, which provides simultaneous tracking of XNUMX targets with a radar and optical channel.
The Pantsir-S1 air defense missile system is capable of operating both as part of a battery and individually. The battery contains up to 6 combat vehicles. The effectiveness of the complex increases significantly when interacting with other combat vehicles and when receiving external target designation from the control center of the covered area.
It is worth recognizing that Pantsir-S1 turned out to be very successful and has balanced characteristics. But it also has its drawbacks. During operation, it turned out that the base chassis of the KamAZ-6560 does not have very good maneuverability and is prone to capsizing. In addition, the capabilities of the optoelectronic station in terms of target detection and missile tracking are very dependent on the transparency of the atmosphere. Since this air defense missile system was designed to destroy combat aircraft, subsonic cruise missiles and helicopters, its effectiveness when firing at maneuvering small targets such as drones-kamikaze, is not always satisfactory and requires more ammunition consumption.
Despite some shortcomings, the Pantsir-S1 air defense system is actively used in the Russian army. The complex’s baptism of fire took place in 2014, when it shot down several Ukrainian UAVs over Crimea.
In 2016, the improved Pantsir-S2 entered service with the troops. The updated air defense missile system differs from the previous version by a radar with improved characteristics and an expanded missile range. Several years ago it became known about the testing of the Pantsir-SM air defense missile system. The features of this complex are: a new multifunctional radar station with phased array, capable of seeing a target at a distance of up to 75 kilometers, a high-speed computing complex and longer-range anti-aircraft missiles. Thanks to these innovations, the Pantsir-SM’s firing range can reach 40 kilometers.
Chinese air defense missile systems
In the 21st century, China, thanks to rapid economic growth and access to Western and Russian technologies, has developed a scientific and industrial base that makes it possible to create modern-level air defense systems. Currently, three Chinese air defense missile systems are known, differing in design, concept of use and composition of weapons.
At the international air show Airshow China 2014, the FK-1000 (Sky Dragon 12) air defense system was demonstrated, which is declared as the Chinese analogue of the Pantsir.
Armament consists of two 25-mm cannons and 12 anti-aircraft missiles. Chinese bicaliber missiles are very similar in appearance to the Russian missiles used in the Tunguska and Pantsir complexes.
According to information announced at Airshow China 2014, the FK-1000 air defense missile and gun system can simultaneously fire at four targets at a range of 2 to 12 km and altitudes of 15 to 5000 m. The system is equipped with the FW2 fire control system and the IBIS-80 detection radar.
Although 1000 years have passed since the public demonstration of the FK-10 air defense missile system, there is no information about the adoption of this complex into service by the PLA or about export deliveries. This may be due to the fact that the weight and dimensions of the FK-1000 are significantly greater than those of the Russian Pantsir, and the firing range and height reach are significantly less.
After the failure with the FK-1000 air defense missile system, Chinese designers began working on combined missile and artillery military systems on a wheelbase with light armor.
In May 2021, the new Type 12 (SWS2) air defense missile system, built on the ZBL-08 (Type 08) wheeled armored chassis, was shown on China Central Television (CCTV).
The weight of the machine is about 22 tons. ZBL-08 is equipped with a Deutz BF6M1015C diesel engine with a power of 440 hp, which provides highway speeds of up to 90 km/h and a range of 800 km.
The television report stated that the complex was armed with a 35-mm cannon capable of firing programmable remote-detonation munitions and TY-90 guided missiles.
The artillery weapon used is a 35-mm PG-99 gun, which is a Chinese copy of the Oerlikon KDA GDF-005. This automatic cannon has a rate of fire of 550 rounds/min. The maximum range against air targets reaches 4 km, the ceiling is 3 km.
The TY-90 guided missile was originally developed for arming combat helicopters and is currently actively used as part of Chinese short-range air defense systems. This missile defense system has a noise-proof IR seeker with a viewing angle of ±40°.
The launch weight of the rocket is about 20 kg. The firing range is from 0,5 to 6 km, the combat altitude is from 15 m to 4 km, the maximum overload is 20g. The rod warhead weighing 3 kg is equipped with contact and non-contact laser fuses and has a destruction radius of 4 m. The probability of hitting a target with one missile in the absence of interference is 0,8.
The Type 12 air defense missile system has an all-round radar. For a low-altitude fighter-type target, the detection range reaches 18 km, the automatic tracking range is 10 km. The maximum detection range of a fighter using an optoelectronic station is up to 12 km, but the performance of the OLS is highly dependent on weather conditions.
Apparently, the Type 12 is currently undergoing military tests, based on the results of which a decision will be made on the future fate of this complex.
In 2023, TV cameras captured Type 625E air defense systems involved in exercises of PLA military air defense units. It is reported that this complex is intended to equip anti-aircraft divisions of motorized rifle brigades.
The Type 625E air defense missile system is built on a lightly armored four-axle chassis, which, as a number of sources say, is based on the ZBL-08. The complex is equipped with a surveillance radar, OLS and a laser rangefinder, the characteristics of which are not disclosed.
To combat air targets, there are eight FN-16 missiles with an infrared seeker. The maximum range is 6000 m. Damage zone in height: 0,015-3,5 km. The mass of the rocket is 10,77 kg.
The six-barreled 25-mm cannon with a rotating barrel block has a rate of fire of over 3000 rounds/min and can destroy air targets at a range of up to 2500 m, at a flight altitude of 2000 m.
At the beginning of the 21st century, deliveries of the HQ-64 short-range air defense system with the LY-60 missile system began. This missile with a launch weight of 220 kg and a firing range of 15 km is designed on the basis of the Italian air-to-air missile Aspide Mk.1 with a semi-active radar guidance system, which, in turn, is a development of the American AIM-7 Sparrow.
In the HQ-6D air defense system, missiles are placed in transport and launch containers, which allows for faster loading and protects the missiles from external influences. In 2010, deliveries of improved HQ-6D air defense systems with missiles began, the flight speed of which was increased to 1350 m/s and the range to 18 km.
Around 2014, the HQ-6A air defense missile system entered service. At this complex, the illumination and guidance station was additionally armed with a turret with a seven-barreled 30-mm Tour 730 assault rifle, created on the basis of the Dutch Goalkeeper anti-aircraft artillery system.
The tower is equipped with a stabilization system and a radar capable of detecting and tracking air targets at a maximum range of 15 km.
Initially, the Toure 730 artillery mount was intended to arm warships, but was also adapted into the HQ-6A ground-based missile and artillery complex.
At a rate of fire of 5800 rounds/min, the effective range against air targets is 3500 m, at altitude - 2500 m. Ammunition - 1280 rounds.
The HQ-6A air defense missile system is mainly intended to cover stationary targets. Chinese sources write that this complex is capable of effectively combating a wide range of air targets, as well as intercepting mortar shells and rockets.
Thus, it can be stated that air defense systems for various purposes were designed in China. But Chinese developers have not yet managed to create a complex whose characteristics can be compared with the Russian Pantsir. Mobile Chinese air defense missile systems are armed with good artillery machine guns, but their missiles do not reach the level of the 57E6 missile defense system and have an infrared seeker, which imposes restrictions when firing missile defense systems in poor visibility conditions. The HQ-6A target air defense missile system is significantly superior to the Pantsir in terms of the firing range of the missile defense system and the rate of fire of the artillery unit. At the same time, the HQ-6A consists of several mobile launchers, a guidance station and a detection radar located on a separate chassis, and cannot accompany transport convoys.
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