What is equipped with a forgotten kind of troops
Some aspects of the development of our artillery
But he is really forgotten. As evidenced by the pages of newspapers and magazines, television and radio broadcasts. If they are dedicated to the army and the fleet Russia, then, as a rule, we are talking about the Strategic Missile Forces and aviation, Air defense and naval forces ...
But before starting the conversation on the topic formulated in the subtitle, I want to draw the attention of readers to the next essential point. Military story It teaches that each new type of weapon immediately appear high fans who exaggerates the effectiveness of its actions. Not escaped this and precision weapon.
By no means vundervaffe
Well, indeed, in each of the last local wars (Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, Iraq), the Americans used the order of 40 spacecraft, which provided aviation and artillery with reconnaissance, target designation, topographical reference position, communications, etc. That is, they did what for us now at 90 percent is unscientific fantasy.
How about in the future? Is it worth absolutely relying on satellites in near-Earth space? After all, the United States has an anti-satellite weapon (in the USSR it was, and now it floated). China also knocks down satellites. Yes, and without interceptor missiles and satellite-killers, you can disable the spacecraft. For example, with the help of a powerful laser on board an airliner flying at extreme altitude, or powerful electromagnetic pulses.
Let me remind you that in 1959 – 1962, during tests of Soviet and American nuclear weapons in space, dozens of spacecraft and conventional radio communications were out of service because of the radiation that occurred. The Americans blew up a nuclear weapon at an altitude of 80 kilometers above the Johnson Atoll, so communication was interrupted for the whole day in the entire Pacific Ocean. I note: this was only a side effect of nuclear explosions, which were carried out in the interests of creating an anti-missile defense.
In 2001, one of the Pentagon directorates (Defense Threat Reduce Agency, DTRA) attempted to assess the possible effects of nuclear tests on low-orbit satellites. The results were disappointing: one small nuclear charge (from 10 to 20 kilotons - the power of a bomb dropped on Hiroshima), exploded at an altitude from 125 to 300 kilometers, is enough to disable all satellites that do not have special radiation protection. Denis Papadopoulos, a specialist in plasma physics at the University of Maryland, had a different opinion: "An 10-kiloton nuclear bomb detonated at a specially calculated height can lead to a loss of 90 percent of all low-orbit satellites for about a month."
But how did the laser systems and infrared guidance heads act in the smoky and burning Grozny? It would be nice to recall what happened in Kosovo when the whole of NATO aviation bombed this still autonomous region of Serbia. The Americans announced the destruction of 99 percent of Yugoslav military equipment. And after Belgrade decided to end the resistance, 80–90 percent were removed from Kosovo in the presence of journalists and NATO inspectors safe and sound. tanks, artillery systems, missiles, etc. Do not forget that now false targets are not just mannequins, but also unique electronic and optical traps for all types of precision weapons.
We destroy old, we do not make new
The 2000 Chechen campaign of the year showed that a huge amount of ammunition is required for a relatively small offensive operation. And the vast majority are not high-precision, but ordinary. For example, in January-February of the fifteen 2000-mm mortars “Tulip”, 240 mines were fired, including only 1510 corrected (i.e. their share was 60%). January 4 daily consumption of all types of ammunition reached 18 tons. And by January 1428, Russian troops spent over 30 thousands of tons of ammunition.
They will object to me: during the conflict with Georgia in 2008, the consumption of ammunition was much lower. But there intensive battles lasted two or three days, and then went along Lermontov: "The timid Georgians fled ..."
Under Soviet rule, a huge mobilization reserve of shells was accumulated. It would seem that he should provide the Russian army for many decades. However, the widespread substandard storage and design flaws of certain types of projectiles (shots) led to a dangerous shortage of many types of ammunition.
Here, for example, it was forbidden to use 122-mm projectiles fired before the 1987 year. The reason: copper belts “fly”, and the lateral deviation of shells reaches two kilometers or more. This was one of the reasons for abandoning the 122-mm caliber. True, it is worth noting here that decisions are often made here, but even before they begin to be implemented, management changes its mind and cancels them. How not to recall the unforgettable Ivan Alexandrovich Khlestakov: "I have an extraordinary thought in my thoughts."
The moths of the Msta howitzers - the self-propelled 2C19 and the towed 2А65 - we didn’t write just lazy and yes, a sinner, praised them eight or ten years ago. Here de SF-61 shells can be fired at a distance of 29 kilometers. And how many new shells of RP-61 and RP-45 are in the troops? The cat cried. But the old ones are in bulk, but the range of shooting of them at Msta and the old woman 2C3 Acacia differs only slightly.
By the way, there are no 3NSO projectiles specially designed for the Msta ammunition. Let me remind you that 3NSO equipped with a generator of active radar interference. Tabular firing range of 2C19 - 22,43 kilometers. However, it is believed that its interference is ineffective for new American communications, equipped with a system of frequency hopping.
In my opinion, the development of projectiles that create active interference or just a super-powerful magnetic pulse, disabling enemy electronics, is very promising. Moreover, the action of the projectile does not infect personnel and cannot be visually detected, which allows it to be used during the occurrence of conflict situations before the use of conventional weapons. And go and prove “was there a boy ...” Another question is that the power and, accordingly, the weight of such ammunition should be significantly larger than the 152-mm 3-mm projectile. As a carrier of such projectiles, you can use the MLRS "Smerch" or any remotely piloted aircraft, for example, "Bee-1".
From 1979 to 1989 year in the USSR 1432 self-propelled tracked units "Nona-S" were produced. They were equipped with 120-2 unique 51-mm guns, which can shoot cumulative anti-tank shells, rotating high-explosive fragmentation shells and all types of 120-mm domestic mines. In addition, the gun is capable of firing and 120-mm mines of Western production, in particular from the French mortar PT-61.
In 1990, the limited production of wheeled 120-mm self-propelled guns Nona-SVK 2C23 began.
Both systems are generally quite good and their fire is effective. The only question is how many new projectiles in the troops were available to them in November 2011. So, it remains to shoot from 120-mm guns only extremely old 120-mm mortar mines?
The trouble is that in the last ten years in the Russian Federation there is no large-scale manufacture of ammunition. Only experimental production is carried out in small batches. Well, the powerful factories of the developed Soviet ammunition industry were closed long ago and their equipment was largely "privatized."
Bad luck and good luck
From 1997, the State Unitary Enterprise “Plant No. 9” heavily advertised the 152-mm howitzer 2-61. It is installed on a three-sided gun car from the X-NUMX-mm D-122 howitzer and is designed to use 30-mm projectiles from the ML-152, D-20 and D-20, including the Krasnopol anti-roll projectile. The author of these lines wrote back in 1: “However, a lot of weight - tons of 2000 - will turn the system into a stillborn child.” And now (in the middle of 4,3), the PMU is selling the only prototype 2011А2 to organizations or individuals. The price is quite acceptable - 61 thousand rubles.
In 2006, the media demonstrated an experienced sample of the unique ACS “Coalition-SV”. The system is equipped with two twin 152-mm trunks. In the export version can be used pipes caliber 155 millimeters.
The leading performer of the self-propelled gun is FSUE TsNII Burevestnik (Nizhny Novgorod), co-performers are FSUE Uraltransmash, FSUE TsNIIM, FSUE Uralvagonzavod. The loading system is fully automated on all 50 shots, the fighting compartment is uninhabited.
Compared with large-caliber single-barrel artillery systems, the maximum technical rate of fire has been increased by providing the simultaneous loading of two barrels, which brings this gun mount to fire rocket launcher systems with simultaneous preservation of rifled barreled artillery. The entire system must be serviced by a crew of two people (for comparison: the demonstration model was serviced by a crew of five), which will be located in a well-protected compartment located in front of the chassis.
Everything said about the “Coalition” is taken by me from advertising brochures. But apparently, the issue of its mass production is not resolved. At the beginning of 2010, a message appeared that the project was not funded by the state, since the Coalition-SV was not included in the priority samples of military equipment, however, no official statements about the complete cessation of work were made.
Nevertheless, the work on the Coalition is underway and by the end of this year it is planned to finish the release of working design documentation for the wheeled and tracked versions of the system, as well as the transport-loading machine for them. And in the middle of 2012, state tests will supposedly be completed. Why supposedly? Is it possible to seriously consider this date? In my opinion, if the state tests are completed, what are the big doubts, then no earlier than 2014 – 2016.
I would like to remind the authors of laudatory prospectuses that there is a rate of fire in the first seconds of shooting, which is determined by the feed rate, the action time of the shutter, etc. And there is a rate of fire in 10 minutes, per hour, determined by heating the barrel and fluid in recoil devices. The howitzer is not an anti-tank gun, and it must conduct fire training and 30, and even 60 minutes.
After the Chechen war, under the leadership of V. A. Odintsov, a light assault gun, the 122 / 152-mm howitzer D-395 “Tver”, was designed. Its weight in the combat position is 800 kilograms for the 122-mm barrel and 1000 kilograms for the 152-mm barrel. Elevation angle -3º, + 70º. The rate of fire is five to six shots per minute. The difference between the guns is a unique carriage, wheels from a UAZ car. The ammunition includes regular projectiles from 122-mm and 152-mm howitzers, charges No. 4 from howitzers M-30 and D-1.
With funding, the D-395 howitzers could be submitted for testing as early as 2008.
Alas, the Chechen war was forgotten and full-scale work on Tver and similar systems did not start.
In my opinion, it is dangerous to limit the Russian artillery caliber 152 millimeter. Recall that this caliber was often not enough in Chechnya and Dagestan. Finally, we recall the local wars of the second half of the twentieth century. Then there were dozens of conflicts without the use of aircraft and tactical missiles. We are talking about an artillery duel in the Formoz Strait at the end of 50, artillery firing through the Suez Canal and on the Golan Heights at the beginning of 70, the “first socialist war” between China and Vietnam, etc. And everywhere, the long-range war played heavy artillery.
The Syrians, suffering from long-range fire (32 km) American 175-mm ACS M107, turned to Moscow for help. And thanks to my dear Nikita Sergeevich, we no longer had long-range guns. As a result, they recalled the 180-mm CGNNX Grabinsky gun. Eight such guns were made in 23 – 1953, and then the rocket lobby insisted that they be discontinued. Urgently and literally from scratch had to resume the manufacture of tools at the factory "Barricades". In 1955, twelve C-1971 cannons were handed over to Syria, for which they urgently designed and manufactured an active-rocket RP-23 with a range of 23 kilometers.
Even now, American propaganda imposes on the world the concept that aviation is an inhuman weapon and its participation in local conflicts should be prohibited.
So, in my opinion, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation should maintain in complete safety those few samples of 203-mm self-propelled gun "Peony" and 240-mm mortars "Tulip", which still remained in warehouses. They have not been in the army for about eight years. Fortunately, for these systems, many 203-mm shells and 240-mm mines with special combat units were built in their time. I hope that our leadership is smart enough to keep these nuclear warheads.
Do I need a "Hurricane" and "Buratino"?
Finally, you need to pay a little attention and rocket artillery. By the fall of 2011, the Russian Ground Forces had three-caliber MLRS - 122, 220 and 300 millimeters. In the caliber 122 millimeter created divisional MLRS "Grad" (adopted by 1963-m) and the regimental MLRS "Grad-1" (adopted by the 1976-m). In the caliber 220 of millimeters, the Army developed the Uragan RSZO (put into service in 1975), in the 300 millimeter caliber - long-range RSZO Smerch (High Command) adopted (adopted in 1987). Until the beginning of the XXI century, these systems were considered the best in the world. For example, the Grad system was exported to 60 states.
However, to date, domestic systems are inferior to the best foreign models in terms of degree of autonomy, level of automation of a combat vehicle, survivability, reloading time and fire missions, the actual absence of cluster warheads with cumulative fragmentation combat elements.
Nevertheless, for financial reasons, it is much more expedient to upgrade existing MLRS systems - 122-mm Grad and 300-mm Smerch, rather than create fundamentally new systems.
As for the MLRS "Hurricane", there are serious doubts about the need to have an intermediate caliber 220 millimeters. In addition, already manufactured shells "Hurricane" have a number of design defects, including burnout chambers and others. And the engine of a combat vehicle is not economical enough.
In the heavy flamethrower system TOC-1 “Buratino”, the firing range of the 45-kilogram incendiary projectiles is only 3,5 kilometers, and the 74-kilogram thermobaric ones - 37 kilometers. For comparison: 300-mm projectile 9М55 MLRS Smerch with a thermobaric warhead weighing 800 kilograms (warhead - 243 kg) has a firing range of 70 kilometers. So Buratino has a chance to survive only in the fight against an enemy armed with small arms and grenade launchers.
The development of composite fuels made it possible to significantly increase the firing range of 122-mm shells of the Grad system while maintaining the same weight and size characteristics. So, on the A-215 ship launchers, shells are already in service with shells with a range of 40 kilometers. Previously, the 122-mm M-210F projectile firing range did not exceed 20 kilometers. It can be assumed that in the foreseeable future, the limit in 40 kilometers for Grad shells will be surpassed and reach 60 – 70 kilometers.
Needless to say, doubling the firing range would also lead to a twofold increase in dispersion. If the firing range increases 3 – 3,5 times, the scattering will be just as large. Naturally, the idea appears to design a control system 122-mm projectile. Considered two options. The first involves the design of a complex electronic control system, close to the US, which was created for the 240-mm MLRS MLRS. However, we have no similar equipment, its development will be expensive and the cost of one projectile will increase significantly. The alternative is a simplified correction system, as in the "Tornado". However, in the first, in the second variant, it is not clear where to place the control system in the Grad 122-mm projectile - there is no free space there. Is that by reducing the weight of the explosive.
In conclusion, I will repeat what 20 has been enduring for years in my articles and books. With the current economic system in Russia, the salvation of the domestic defense industry in general and artillery plants in particular is in mass export of weapons “in all azimuths”, that is, despite the buyers policy and the opinion of the “Washington regional committee”.
Example - France 1950 – 1990's, where for a number of types of military equipment, exports ranged from 50 to 80 percent. They used French weapons fighting for the Falkland Islands, the British and Argentines, in the Middle East - the Arabs and Israelis, both sides in the Iran-Iraq war. Does the Kremlin really not understand that if Russia is afraid of shouting from overseas, the same weapon to the “bad”, in the opinion of the Americans, “guys” will be sold to Belarus, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, etc. Finally, in China both copies are made, and deep modernization of many Soviet missiles and artillery systems. So, in the Celestial Empire created MLRS PHL-03, copied from our "Tornado". Beijing is not afraid of Washington and is selling arms with whom it is necessary, completely forgetting the remnants of the communist ideology. As we see, in any case, the Russian defense-industrial complex is the loser.
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