DR-3 Cruise Missile: Hezbollah's Flight
The Israel Defense Forces continue military operations against the Lebanese Hezbollah movement. It uses all available means to detect and destroy the launch sites of the enemy's missile systems. Recently, during these operations, the Israelis for the first time spotted and successfully destroyed a previously unknown cruise missile. According to preliminary information, this product is of foreign origin and was created on the basis of a well-known model.
Intelligence and defeat
The IDF recently shared new details about its fight against Hezbollah, claiming that several weeks ago the Israeli military learned of the enemy's possession of a new type of cruise missile.
It is reported that during reconnaissance operations on Lebanese territory, a camouflaged launcher with an unknown type of cruise missile was discovered and destroyed. arms assigned the temporary designation DR-3. Having become convinced of the danger of the discovered object, the Israeli military launched an attack and prevented the missile from being launched.
The DR-3 missile claim was accompanied by a video taken by a reconnaissance UAV using a thermal imaging camera. The video shows a one-story structure that looks like a house or garage. A large hatch opens at the end of the building and an unknown person runs out.
Having taken a more comfortable position, the UAV was able to film the inside of the structure. Inside was an aircraft that was identified as a new type of cruise missile. The quality of the filming leaves much to be desired, but the video shows the outline of the missile's nose.
A missile inside a structure. Its warhead is marked. Still from an IDF video
The IDF considered the detected object dangerous and carried out a strike. The video of the UAV ends with a bright flash. The results of the strike are not shown, but it can be assumed that the aircraft inside the building was fatally damaged and became unusable.
The IDF Spokesperson's Office claims that a DR-3 missile launcher was placed in a residential building in a Lebanese village near the border. It is believed that placing weapons in residential buildings has become a common practice for Lebanese militants. In this regard, the IDF calls on Lebanese civilians not to cooperate with Hezbollah, not to allow their homes to be used as accommodation for militants, and to keep a safe distance from them.
Assumption of origin
In the IDF video released, only the nose of the new Lebanese missile can be seen. In addition, the video was filmed in the infrared range and is not of high quality. However, these circumstances did not prevent the emergence of bold theories about the origin of the missile.
A number of foreign experts and media outlets, based only on the missile's nose cone, have put forward the hypothesis that Hezbollah's new missile is based on the heavy Tu-143 Reis UAV developed in the USSR. Whether this version is true has not yet been established.
There are also explanations offered as to how Soviet equipment could have ended up in Lebanon. Reis products were not officially supplied to that country. However, in the early 80s, such UAVs were purchased by Iraq and Syria. It is unclear whether Iraq has such products. It is likely that some of them were used during the war with Iran, and the rest were disposed of or destroyed.
Some Tu-143s could still remain in Syria. Based on its military-political interests, it could transfer this equipment to the friendly Hezbollah movement for use against hostile Israel.
Tu-143 UAV on a transport trolley. Photo by Airwar.ru
However, the details of such cooperation, if it took place, remain unknown. The fact of the transfer of UAVs, their quantity, and the timing of the shipment are both questionable. It is also unclear where and how the reconnaissance was restructured. drone into a cruise missile.
It should be noted that all the assumptions about the Reis UAV and the Syrian trace are built on a rather shaky foundation. They are based only on a poor-quality video, on which it is difficult to recognize the real product. Nevertheless, even from this material they are trying to get the most complete and detailed picture.
Technical capabilities
One way or another, abroad they believe that Hezbollah has acquired heavy UAVs Tu-143 "Reis". Let's consider this model and its capabilities, initial and after modification.
The Tu-143 was developed in the USSR at the turn of the 1960s and 1970s as a key element of the promising tactical reconnaissance complex "Reis". The first flight of the new type of UAV took place in 1970, and in 1976 the complex was accepted into service.
Serial production of the Reis began in the mid-1970s and continued until the end of the next decade. During this time, about 950 UAVs were built. The main customer for these systems was the Soviet Air Force. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, their equipment went to independent states. In addition, supplies were made to friendly foreign countries, including the Middle East.
The Tu-143 was initially developed as an unmanned reconnaissance aircraft equipped with a set of cameras or a television camera. Its tasks were to fly over enemy territory, film objects of interest, and return the films for further processing and analysis.
The launcher of the Reis complex in working position. Photo by Vitalykuzmin.su
The Tu-143 airframe was designed as a tailless aircraft. It had a spindle-shaped fuselage with an upper engine nacelle, a delta wing, and a nose destabilizer. The total length of the UAV exceeded 8 m, and the wingspan was 2,25 m. The takeoff weight was 1230 kg.
The UAV was equipped with a TRZ-117 turbojet engine with a thrust of 640 kgf and a SPRD-251 booster. The cruising speed reached 950 km/h, the practical range when solving combat missions was up to 180 km, and the flight duration was up to 13 minutes. The practical ceiling was limited to 1000 m.
The UAV was equipped with an automatic control system ABSU-143, which included an autopilot, a Doppler speed and drift angle meter, a computer, a radio altimeter and actuators. The automation could fly along a given route with simple maneuvering, as well as land.
The Reis complex included two types of reconnaissance equipment, housed in replaceable nose modules. The first version of the module was equipped with a PA-1 panoramic aerial camera and 120 m of film. The second compartment carried the I-429B Chibis-B television reconnaissance system with a television camera and recording equipment.
The Tu-143 UAV was launched from a container launcher mounted on a special chassis. The exit from the container was provided by a solid-fuel engine, and a turbojet cruise engine was used in flight. The drone flew along a predetermined route and filmed the designated area.
The flight ended with a parachute landing. After that, the reconnaissance crew could pick up the films and begin analyzing the data collected.
Launch of a drone. Photo Airwar.ru
In a new role
The Tu-143 reconnaissance aircraft in its original configuration has long been hopelessly outdated. More convenient and effective alternatives with similar or even better characteristics exist and are used. Therefore, the main operators have abandoned the use of the Reis complexes.
However, attempts are being made to return these UAVs to service, but in a new capacity. The most obvious solution is to transform a reconnaissance drone into a cruise missile. To do this, it is only necessary to replace the reconnaissance module with a warhead and develop a corresponding flight program.
It is known that the attack version of the Tu-143 was created in Ukraine. Improvised missiles of this kind have repeatedly been tried to be used to strike Russian targets. However, the old and large drone turned out to be an easy target for our air defense, and the attacks were unsuccessful.
According to recent reports, a similar project has been carried out by the military wing of the Hezbollah movement with the support of Syria. So far, only one attempt to deploy this missile has been recorded, but it was promptly stopped by IDF forces. More attempts and even successful missile strikes can be expected.
However, the situation around the DR-3 missile is still ambiguous. There are many questions about this product and too few answers. In addition, the missile is only known from the interested party - Israel. Perhaps in the future the situation will change, and new information and details will appear.
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