Self-aiming combat elements "Motiv-3M" in the Special Operation
Use of the SPBE Motiv-3M in November 2023. The flight of the impact core is captured as a bright beam. Photo: Telegram / "Military Chronicle"
The Russian army has a wide range of anti-tank weapons and weapons. One of the most interesting examples of such a purpose is the self-aiming combat element "Motiv-3M". According to known data, such products have been repeatedly used during the current Special Operation. They successfully destroyed enemy armored vehicles, and it can be expected that in the future the combat score of such weapons will continue to grow.
Combat elements in Special Operations
In early November 2022, Ukrainian formations attempted an offensive in the Berdyansk and Melitopol directions. The operation involved tank and mechanized brigades, as well as territorial defense. This group was promptly detected by a Russian drone aviation.
Soon after, Ukrainian columns came under attack from Russian aircraft, as well as cannon and rocket fire. artillery. Industry sources reported that Smerch multiple launch rocket systems were used to repel the attack. They used several types of rockets, including 9M526 products with a cluster warhead carrying Motiv-3M self-aiming warheads (SPBE).
As a result of a series of Russian strikes, the enemy lost several armored vehicles, a lot of improvised military equipment and manpower. After that, he was forced to retreat to his original positions.
The next time the Motiv-3M product was in news about a year later, in early November 2023. Then, reports appeared on specialized resources about the use of such weapons in the area of Avdiivka. It is noteworthy that this time a video demonstrating the operation of combat elements was made publicly available.
The video showed a certain area where enemy armored vehicles were located. Then bright lines flashed in the frame, after which the equipment caught fire and began to smoke. This is exactly what it looks like when a ground target is hit by a flying combat element, which forms the so-called strike core.
Since November 2023, there has been no new reliable information about the combat use of the SPBE "Motiv-3M". At the same time, some known episodes allowed us to assume that such weapons continue to be used and participate in the demilitarization of Ukraine.
Recently, at the end of July 2025, specialized blogs remembered the "Motive" again, but this time without any real reason. Once again, both the product itself and the old video from Avdiivka are discussed. The combat element, which showed itself from the best side, receives high marks.
In development and in service
According to known data, the domestic industry has been working on the topic of anti-tank SPBE since at least the eighties. The lead developer of such weapons was NPO Bazalt, which had extensive experience in creating various ammunition, including for rocket artillery.
In the nineties and two thousandths, the first version of the SPBE-D combat element became a permanent exhibit at military-technical exhibitions. Later, a more advanced product, the Motiv-3M, appeared. It was based on the same ideas, but differed in design and characteristics.
The SPBE "Motiv-3M" was adopted by the Russian army in the XNUMXs. It was planned to be used as part of cluster warheads for ammunition of different classes and types. The combat elements were to end up in the arsenals of rocket artillery and frontline aviation.
Along with other ammunition, Motives have been used in various exercises over the past decades and demonstrated their capabilities. No later than November 2022, they were used for the first time in a real military operation. Such products have proven in practice the ability to independently target a ground target and then destroy it.
The Motiv-3M product in flight configuration. Photo: Telegram / Callsign Katzman
Combat element
The Motiv-3M product is made in a complex-shaped housing, the dimensions of which correspond to the limitations of the 300-mm Smerch rockets. The housing is structurally divided into two cylindrical parts connected asymmetrically. The upper part has a parachute mount.
The upper part of the body is the instrument compartment. On its lower end there is an infrared target sensor, and inside there are devices for signal processing and control of the warhead.
The lower half of the hull performs the functions of the warhead. It contains a cumulative charge, which forms the so-called impact core. The relatively large diameter of such a warhead allowed achieving high penetration characteristics. For such a SPBE, the ability to penetrate at least 70 mm of homogeneous armor when detonated at a distance from the target is declared.
Motiv-3M products are designed for use with cluster munitions of various types. Thus, the 9M526 projectile, the warhead of which holds 5 SPBE, was developed for the Smerch MLRS. The RBK-500 disposable bomb cluster with 15 elements is intended for combat aviation.
The principle of operation of the SPBE is quite simple. Several elements are delivered to the target area rocket or a bomb, after which they are ejected from the cassette. The element opens the parachute and begins to descend. Due to the asymmetrical suspension of the parachute, the "Motiv-3M" rotates around its axis during the descent.
During the descent, the target's infrared sensor scans the underlying surface in a narrowing spiral. When a hot object is detected, a command is given to detonate the warhead. The charge forms a strike core. It flies at high speed along the line of sight and hits the detected target. In this case, the strike falls on the least protected upper projection.
9M526 rocket for the Smerch multiple launch rocket system. Graphics Missilery.info
Rocket projectiles and cluster bombs carry several self-aiming combat elements and disperse them over the terrain. This increases the probability of successfully detecting a target or targets and subsequently destroying them. In case of a miss, a self-destructor is provided: the element detonates some time after falling to the ground.
Special tool
Self-aiming combat elements, such as the Motiv-3M, are designed to destroy enemy armored vehicles at significant distances. Such weapons have several characteristic features that determine their potential and value to the troops.
All SPBEs are made in the form of compact devices that can be placed in the warheads of different types of ammunition. For example, Motiv-3M is used with 300-mm rockets and bomb clusters. Due to this, the unified combat element can be used by both artillery and aviation, which provides certain advantages of production and other nature.
Compatible delivery vehicles have high characteristics, which have a positive effect on the potential of the SPBE. Thus, Smerch missiles deliver their payload at a range of up to 70 km. Combat aviation can demonstrate a significantly larger combat radius. As a result, cluster munitions with Motives surpass any other anti-tank weapons in terms of range.
One missile or cluster bomb delivers several SPBEs to the target area. This increases the probability of hitting a specific object and/or allows attacking several targets. In turn, the simultaneous use of several delivery vehicles increases the chances of a successful strike and also ensures coverage of a larger area.
The Motiv-3M product is one of the latest domestic developments in its class. It appeared in the decade before last, but still remains a relevant and useful means of combating enemy armored vehicles. Its competent use allows you to get the desired results - as the practice of the current Special Operation has shown several times.
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