MANPADS "Verba": potential and experience of use
Anti-aircraft gunner with a Verba MANPADS
The Russian army has several types of portable anti-aircraft guns in its arsenal. missile complexes. The latest development in this area was the 9K333 "Verba" product, which was adopted for service in 2014. Over 10 years of operation, the new MANPADS have demonstrated all their advantages and have proven themselves to be excellent.
New generation
The promising Verba MANPADS was developed in the 2000s at the Machine-Building Design Bureau (Kolomna) by order of the Ministry of Defense. The goal of the project was to create a new portable means Defense, which would surpass existing models in its characteristics.
The main design work was completed in 2007-2008, after which factory testing of the new product began. In 2011, Verba entered state testing, which also took some time. The promising MANPADS successfully passed all tests and confirmed its calculated tactical and technical characteristics.
By 2012, the developer company had prepared a production line. Then assembly of serial complexes began under a state contract from the Ministry of Defense.
The start of deliveries of the 9K333 MANPADS to the troops became known in early 2014. Subsequently, the defense department and industry regularly reported on new deliveries of such systems. weapons to various units and formations. Production reached a high rate, but the volumes of deliveries, for obvious reasons, were not disclosed.
Educational model of the product 9K333
The new Verba systems became an addition to the Igla family models already in service. Later, as production continued, modern products began to displace their predecessors. According to some data, by the end of the last decade, the 9K333 had displaced other MANPADS and became the most widespread of this class in our armed forces.
Like other weapons, the Verba has been presented on the international market. This development attracts attention at exhibitions, but reliable information about sales has not yet been received. However, at the end of the last decade, foreign media reported on the delivery of a certain number of 9K333 to Armenia.
Applied in practice
The Verba MANPADS was adopted by several branches of the armed forces. The main users, for obvious reasons, were the ground and airborne forces. The systems are also in the Aerospace Forces, Navy, etc. In all cases, they are a short-range air defense system and are used against targets that have managed to pass through other defense echelons.
Since their appearance in the troops, the Verba product has been actively used in various exercises and shooting. Depending on the program of events, electronic or practical missile launches were conducted. In real shooting, air targets of all the main types available in the arsenal of the Russian army were used.
During numerous exercises, the Verba MANPADS demonstrated high potential and the ability to successfully combat all typical air targets. In fact, the success of using this weapon depends only on the level of training and skills of the anti-aircraft gunner. At the same time, the fighters take a responsible approach to training and fully utilize the technical capabilities of their weapons.
Use of "Verba" in a Special Operation: an Airborne Forces soldier monitors the air situation
According to known data, the first episodes of combat use of the Verba against real targets date back to 2017. Russian military personnel participating in the operation in Syria discovered UAV enemy and successfully shot it down with the help of a new domestic MANPADS. Several more such episodes took place later.
Full-scale combat use of 9K333 systems began in February 2022, together with the start of the Special Operation to Demilitarize Ukraine. Such MANPADS are available in almost all units involved in the operation, and they are actively used in all directions.
The enemy still maintains a presence in the air, and the Verb operators are not left without work. They identify and destroy various types of objects. The Ministry of Defense, in turn, regularly reports on various successes of anti-aircraft gunners.
In the early stages of the special operation, Russian MANPADS mainly targeted helicopters and frontline vehicles. aviation enemy. Anti-aircraft gunners account for a significant portion of their losses. However, it is impossible to establish exact numbers and percentages.
Due to the sharp reduction in Ukrainian manned air traffic fleet The nature of the MANPADS operation has changed. Now the main targets for the Verba and other systems are heavy aircraft and copter-type drones. Modern MANPADS successfully track and destroy such targets, despite their small size and limited heat generation.
Russian industry continues mass production of the Verba MANPADS and regularly supplies troops with new batches of these products. The latest such shipment became known several days ago. Along with the portable air defense systems, various auxiliary systems and devices are being sent to the army.
Launch of 9M336 missile at Ukrainian UAV
Modern technology
The 9K333 "Verba" product was developed using accumulated experience in the field of MANPADS, supplemented by modern solutions. Due to this, it was possible to obtain high technical and combat characteristics, while maintaining convenience and ease of use.
The Verba system includes a 9M336 guided missile in a transport and launch container and a 9P521 launch mechanism. In combat situations, the MANPADS can be supplemented with various auxiliary elements, such as a 1L112 compact radar, a 1L229 ground-based friend-or-foe interrogator, mobile command posts, communications equipment, etc.
In terms of dimensions and ergonomics, the Verba MANPADS is no different from earlier systems, such as the Igla. In the combat position, it includes a TPK with a missile with a total length of about 1,8 m with an attached launch mechanism. The launch is carried out from the shoulder with preliminary guidance using the existing sight. The mass of the MANPADS in the combat position is 17,25 kg.
The Verba missile is made in an elongated cylindrical body. Under the nose fairing is the homing head, followed by the warhead. The remaining space of the body is occupied by a solid-fuel engine. The missile is slightly shorter than the TPK and weighs no more than 10-12 kg.
A new three-range seeker was developed for the 9M336 missile. It searches for and tracks targets in the ultraviolet, near and far infrared ranges. Working in three ranges allows for more effective detection of targets with weak radiation. In addition, by comparing radiation of different frequencies, the seeker is able to distinguish real targets from false ones.
Result of combat shooting
The missile hits the target with a 1,5 kg fragmentation warhead. The target sensor is non-contact; its type is not specified.
The solid-fuel engine accelerates the missile to high supersonic speed. It provides a firing range of 6,4 km and hits targets at an altitude of up to 4,5 km. The missile is capable of hitting a target flying at a speed of 400 m/s on a head-on course or 320 m/s on a chase course.
Various methods of transportation and use of the Verba are envisaged. The system can be carried by the operator or transported by any available transport. The development of this idea was the Typhoon-PVO combat vehicle, which transports MANPADS with ammunition and has communications and control facilities for working with other air defense components.
The 9K333 product is also compatible with the Dzhigit support-launcher. In addition, the possibility of using the Verba or other MANPADS is provided for in a number of combat module projects for armored vehicles.
Positive experience
The promising 9K333 Verba MANPADS was adopted by the Russian army 10 years ago. During this time, it has taken its place in the arsenals and is gradually replacing other types of systems. In addition, the system has confirmed its design characteristics in practice and demonstrated high potential.
Over the past years, considerable experience has been accumulated in the operation and combat use of the Verba. This experience shows that this MANPADS has become one of the most successful, useful and significant developments in recent years in the field of air defense. The army continues to use this weapon and will not abandon it in the coming years.
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