The Kinzhal missile is one of the aeroballistic missiles that are delivered to the launch site using a carrier aircraft, and then, after launch and separation from the aircraft, turn on their own engine and head towards the target. In addition to speed characteristics, the Kinzhal missile system is interesting in that carrier aircraft - modernized long-range supersonic fighter-interceptors MiG-31 BM - are capable of launching a missile into the stratosphere.
That is, in order to destroy the target, the Kinzhal missile carrier does not need to approach the dangerous zone of action of the enemy's missile defense forces: it is possible to launch a missile from the layers of space closest to the Earth. The maximum range of the X-47M2 missile exceeds 2000 km. And this is at a unique speed developed by the rocket - more than 12,000 km / h (according to some sources - 12,250 km / h).
At the same time, according to information available in the public space, it turns out that the American competitors of the Kinzhal missile, which are being tested, cannot yet exceed speed indicators of more than 6 speeds of sound (the speed of sound is measured in max and at an altitude of 11 km, 1 max is 1062 km / h ), while the Russian complex has indicators of 12 speeds of sound.
Such a hypersonic flight speed, in itself, devalues a number of capabilities of the potential enemy's missile defense forces - a missile with such a speed, especially in the case of the "Dagger" on the decline, where it develops the highest performance, which is extremely difficult to catch up. But we must not forget about the highest maneuverability of the Kinzhal missile: a combat missile is capable of maneuvering in all areas of the terrain along the entire flight path, which makes it unnoticed by detection tools.
Taking into account the above characteristics, the rocket carrier aircraft is capable of launching a rocket without entering a dangerous zone for itself and calmly returning to the airfield, while the rocket, moving at hypersonic speed and actively maneuvering, will not fall into the field sight of enemy radars and calmly destroy the target.
And all this taking into account the fact that the "Dagger" can be equipped with both conventional missiles and nuclear warheads.
Another advantage of the rocket is the presence of an all-weather homing head, which allows you to effectively and accurately hit the target at any time of the day and in any conditions. With such capabilities, the "Dagger" can really be called an "aircraft carrier killer", and taking into account the nuclear charge, entire aircraft carrier groups (an aircraft carrier and a large number of escort ships).
Experts also argue that in terms of a number of both external and tactical and technical characteristics, the Kinzhal missile has much in common with the missiles of the Iskander family of operational-tactical systems.
On the first day of spring, Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed the Federal Assembly with his annual message. The head of state spoke about recent successes and set new tasks. In addition, he touched upon the topic of strategic weapons designed to ensure the country's security. New systems in the future will receive all major branches of the armed forces, including combat aircraft. Together with existing aircraft, it is proposed to use the Kinzhal aviation missile system.
The story about the new weapon for the aerospace forces V. Putin began with a reminder of the current trends in the field of aerospace technology. Now leading countries with great scientific potential and modern technologies are developing the so-called. hypersonic weapons. Then the president gave a short "lecture" on physics and aerodynamics. He pointed out that the speed of sound is traditionally measured in mach, a unit named after the Austrian physicist Ernst Mach. At an altitude of 11 km, Mach 1 equals 1062 km/h. Speed from M=1 to M=5 is considered supersonic, more than M=5 - hypersonic.
Weapons with hypersonic flight speed give the armed forces the most serious advantages over the enemy. Such weapons can be highly powerful, and high speed protects them from interception by air or missile defense. Interceptors simply cannot catch up with the attacking product. As the president stated, it is understandable why the world's leading countries are striving to acquire such weapons. And Russia already has such funds.
V. Putin called the development of a high-precision aviation missile system, which, allegedly, has no analogues in foreign countries, the most important stage in the creation of modern weapons. Tests of this system have already been completed. Moreover, since December 1, the new complex has been used in the order of experimental combat duty at the airfields of the Southern Military District.
MiG-31BM takes off with a Kinzhal missile
According to V. Putin, a rocket with the help of a high-speed carrier aircraft should reach the launch site in a matter of minutes. After being dropped, the rocket develops a speed ten times the speed of sound. Throughout the trajectory, despite the high speed, the product is able to perform maneuvers. The ability to change the flight path allows you to protect the missile from enemy defenses. According to the president, the new missile is guaranteed to overcome modern and, possibly, advanced air defense and missile defense systems. A hypersonic missile is capable of flying at a range of up to 2,000 km and delivering a conventional or nuclear warhead to the target.
Unlike some other promising developments presented last week, the aviation missile system has already received its own name. It was designated as "Dagger". Other names and designations, such as the GRAU index, the working code of the project, etc. the President did not.
As in the case of other latest weapons, the president's words were followed by a demonstration video showing the most interesting footage from the tests of a promising missile system. Video filming most clearly confirms V. Putin's statements about the testing. Some of the stages of one of the test launches, filmed by military operators, were allowed to be used in a video for showing to the general public.
The plane before the missile drop
The video begins with shots of the MiG-31BM fighter-interceptor taking off. Already during the takeoff, it is clear that not the usual and standard ammunition load is suspended under the bottom of its fuselage, but some new weapon. The interceptor lifts a large and massive new type of missile into the air. Part of the further flight with access to the launch point, however, was shown using simplified computer graphics. But then again there was a video recording of real tests with a real rocket launch.
Being on a given course and maintaining a certain height and speed, the carrier aircraft dropped the Kinzhal missile. In free flight, she "failed" in height, after which she dropped the tail fairing and started the sustainer engine. The flight of the rocket was again not shown in the form of documentary footage and was depicted schematically. In the next episode, the computer model of the aircraft dropped an animated missile, and it headed towards the mock enemy ship along a ballistic trajectory. It is worth noting that the painted target ship had a recognizable appearance and looked like some kind of real sample.
Product X-47M2 separated
The last stages of the missile's flight, entering the target area, and then pointing at it, were shown using graphics. Moreover, this time the “camera” was located directly on board the rocket. The product headed for the enemy ship, went into a dive, and then the video signal, as expected, disappeared. However, in the video they showed the defeat of the target, although it was different. The ammunition fell on the land fortification and blew it up. The carrier aircraft MiG-31BM, in turn, returned to the airfield and landed.
Shortly after the end of the president's speech, new information about the Dagger project appeared. So, the Russian press gave the second designation of the new missile - X-47M2. The Commander of the Aerospace Forces, Colonel General Sergei Surovikin, indicated that the new missile belongs to the class of hypersonic aeroballistic weapons. According to him, state tests of the new complex have already been carried out at the training grounds of the Ministry of Defense. During the checks, he fully confirmed his effectiveness. All missile launches ended with the exact defeat of the intended targets.
The Commander-in-Chief of the Aerospace Forces also revealed some details of the combat work of the Kinzhal product. So, in the final ballistic phase of the flight, the rocket uses an all-weather homing head. This makes it possible to use the missile at any time of the day with the required accuracy and selectivity of hitting the target. The maximum speed of a rocket in flight is 10 times the speed of sound. The firing range, as confirmed by the commander-in-chief, reaches 2 thousand km.
Resetting the tail fairing
Thus, in the interests of the Aerospace Forces, the latest aeroballistic missile was developed, suitable for the destruction of various ground or surface objects. The Kh-47M2 "Dagger" product can carry both a conventional and a special warhead, which expands the range of tasks to be solved. MiG-31 interceptors of the latest BM modification are now used as carriers.
One of the most interesting features of the Kinzhal project is the choice of carrier aircraft. They decided to use the air-to-surface missile with a fighter, the basis of whose weapons are air-to-air products. The reasons for this are obvious. The maximum speed of the MiG-31BM aircraft at an altitude reaches 3400 km/h, which allows it to reach the launch point in the shortest possible time. In addition, the high speed of the launch vehicle during a missile drop allows you to get some advantages. At the moment of release, the rocket already has a high initial speed, and therefore the energy of its engine is spent only on subsequent acceleration with access to a quasi-ballistic trajectory.
Engine starting
Thus, the potential of the rocket, provided by hypersonic flight speed, is not reduced due to insufficient parameters of the carrier. From the point of view of flight speed, preliminary acceleration of the rocket and the speed of solving combat missions, the MiG-31BM is the most successful platform.
The X-47M2 product has very simple shapes and outlines. The rocket received a conical nose fairing, which accounts for about half the length of the product. The second half of the body is formed by a cylindrical section, equipped with X-shaped planes in the tail section. A smooth tail section of the hull for the duration of the flight under the aircraft is equipped with a drop fairing having the shape of a truncated cone. Exact information about the design of the product has not yet been given, but now we can say that it is equipped with a solid propellant propulsion engine. The type of homing head is unknown.
It should be noted that the new aircraft missile looks very similar to the ballistic ammunition of the Iskander operational-tactical complex. In the past, there were rumors at various levels about the possible creation of an aviation modification of this system, but they still have not received official confirmation. The characteristic exterior of the newest Kinzhal missile can serve as a kind of confirmation of the rumors of the recent past. At the same time, similarities can only be associated with similar technical requirements and tactical roles.
The rocket headed towards the target
It is alleged that the Kinzhal missile belongs to the aeroballistic class. This means that the product is dropped from the carrier aircraft, after which it turns on the engine and with its help enters the ascending trajectory. Further, the flight is almost the same as in the case of other ballistic missiles. The difference between the X-47M2 and other systems is due to the use of a homing head. Instruments, the type of which has not yet been specified, are used to detect the target and correct the missile's course at all stages of flight, including the descending part of the ballistic trajectory. In the latter case, the most accurate hit on the specified target is ensured.
The promising Kinzhal, like the already well-known Iskander, has characteristic capabilities: the missiles of both complexes are capable of maneuvering along the trajectory. Because of this, enemy anti-missile systems lose the ability to timely calculate the trajectory of an incoming missile and correctly intercept. On the descending section of the trajectory, the rocket develops a maximum speed, up to M=10, which drastically reduces the allowable reaction time. As a result, the Kinzhal system is really capable of showing the highest combat performance and breaking through the existing air and missile defense system.
Demonstration of flight trajectory principles
First, Vladimir Putin, and then Sergey Surovikin spoke about recent work within the framework of the project with the cipher “Dagger”. Not later than the autumn of last year, the industry and the Ministry of Defense conducted all the necessary tests of the latest missile, and also completed its fine-tuning. Already on December 1, an order appeared to take the new missile into experimental combat operation. The X-47M2 product is operated as part of a full-fledged complex, which also includes the MiG-31BM carrier aircraft. So far, only aviation units from the Southern Military District have new weapons.
Apparently, in the foreseeable future, the armed forces will complete the trial operation of the latest weapons, and soon after that the Dagger complex will receive a recommendation for adoption. The result of this will be the re-equipment of aviation units, accompanied by a significant increase in the strike potential of tactical aviation.
The rocket falls on the target
It should be recalled that at the moment, only air-to-surface systems with a launch range of tens or hundreds of kilometers are at the disposal of Russian tactical aviation. Products capable of flying thousands of kilometers are in service only in strategic aviation. The Kinzhal missile system with a launch range of up to 2,000 km will actually occupy an intermediate position between purely tactical and exclusively strategic weapons. With its help, it will be possible to strike as quickly as possible at enemy targets at operational-strategic depths.
Greater flexibility of use will be provided by the existence of special and non-nuclear warheads. Depending on the task and the type of object being attacked, it will be possible to choose one or another warhead. Thus, the combat qualities of the X-47M2 missile will fully correspond to its "intermediate" position. Tactical aviation, in turn, will bring its capabilities closer to strategic ones.
All promising models of strategic weapons presented by Vladimir Putin last Thursday were created in the interests of nuclear forces and in order to ensure the deterrence of a potential adversary. The Kinzhal aviation missile system is fully consistent with such tasks, although it turns out to be more flexible and versatile in comparison with other systems. Depending on the situation in the theater of operations, it can become a means of a powerful strike by tactical aviation forces or solve tasks inherent in strategic complexes.
The Kinzhal missile system has already passed almost all stages of inspections, including state tests. According to the results of development work, he was put on experimental combat duty in parts of the Aerospace Forces. Thus, the armed forces have already received one of the latest strike weapons and are now mastering it. In the foreseeable future, upon completion of all the required checks and trial operation, the new missile will be put into service and will go to the warehouses of parts. The potential of the Aerospace Forces will grow noticeably, and with it the country's defense capability will improve.
One of the most interesting moments of the recent address of the President of Russia Vladimir Putin to the elite and the masses was presentation of the latest weapons, which will soon take up combat duty. As it turned out, one of them is already actively guarding the western borders of our Motherland. Aviation missile system (ARC) "Dagger" is our guest today.
On March 11, 2018, the Russian Ministry of Defense published footage of a “combat training” launch of the Kinzhal missile from a MiG-31 carrier aircraft. This aircraft is unique in itself. For more details about it, we told you in the context of developing the newest replacement for it under the name MiG-41. It is also called PAK-DP (A promising aviation complex for long-range interception).
As it turned out, it is impossible to hang a high-altitude rocket under an ordinary aircraft. Even the actually stratospheric MiG-31 in its, including anti-satellite version, is not capable of “working” with such an overall burden without additional changes in the design. The plane was finalized, the rocket was fixed and sent on combat duty.
Many users note a number of inconsistencies in the published video. Why was it necessary to “blur” rocket elements on the ground and open them in the air? A number of experts, such as the BMPD blog, noticed in the video one of the RAC MiG used as a flying laboratory of fighter instances. These facts may indicate the presence of a montage of a plot from several clips that differ in the time of shooting up to several years.Personnel of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
Another important fact is the unique similarity of the latest "Dagger" and the relatively middle-aged operational-tactical complex "Iskander-E". More precisely, missiles to it under the symbol 9M723. Visually, there is practically no difference between them, and an increase in the length of the product by 70 cm can be caused by the installation of an aerodynamic fairing and the rocket nozzle protection that is dropped after separation from the carrier.
MiG-31 with the Kinzhal missile. Personnel of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
As for hypersound! Vladimir Putin, like our military, unanimously call new complex - hypersonic, i.e. flying towards the target at a speed 10-12 times higher than the speed of sound. From a theoretical point of view, everything is correct. Just think about it 12,000 km/h! Hypersonic refers to the speed of an object above Mach 5.(Mach 1 = 1062 km/h at an altitude of 11 km) However, American experts interpret the concept of a hypersonic product as using a ramjet engine for movement. And our blog, frankly, doesn't give a damn what Western "partners" think. Such a weapon operating at such speeds, ranges and altitudes ... no other country in the world has, except OURS!
"Russian newspaper"
She still maneuvers. Despite the enormous speed, the rocket is able to actively maneuver throughout the flight to the target. If we draw an analogy with the Iskander, then even the developers cannot predict the trajectory of its movement ... it flies as it wants, this is a Russian rocket.
According to the magazine " Air&Cosmos"in the article" Le Kinzhal Devoile”, during his annual address to the Federal Assembly, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the existence of several weapons programs in Russia, including the existence of the Kinzhal missile and a nuclear-powered cruise missile.
The Russian President announced that the development of a system from the Kinzhal supersonic airborne system from the MiG-31 carrier aircraft and the Iskander ballistic missile (mounted on the central suspension point) has been completed. The video shown by the president shows a MiG-31 taking off with a rocket, which then separates from the carrier. Then the video shows the trajectory of the missile, which, after separation from the carrier at an altitude of 12 km and a speed of 2M (the exact characteristics were not announced), continues to fly from the stratosphere, then changes course several times to hit targets, which are represented by an American cruiser of the type Ticonderoga and ground targets.
MiG-31 fighter (tail number "93 red") with a missile of the "Dagger" complex (c) frame from the video of the Russian Ministry of Defense
Vladimir Putin said that the speed of the rocket is 10 times the speed of sound, it can maneuver throughout the entire flight and be invulnerable to existing and future missile defense systems. This allows you to hit targets at ranges up to 2000 km.
The Iskander missile was developed at the Design Bureau of Mechanical Engineering in Kolomna. The missile has been in service with the Russian Army since 2007. The missile, designed to be placed on the MiG-31, is 8 meters long, comparable to the length of the 9M723 surface-to-surface missile, which is 7.3 meters long. This difference is explained by the presence of an aerodynamic nose, as well as the protection of the nozzle, which is reset after the start of the rocket engine of the aircraft version of the rocket. The mass of the rocket is 4 tons. The Iskander is equipped with various types of guidance systems - radar with correction or optical with correction. Both options were developed at the Moscow TsNIIAG. There is also an option with an active seeker developed by the St. Petersburg company Radar-MMS, which is installed on anti-ship options.
According to Vladimir Putin, on December 1, 2017, the complex began to carry out experimental combat duty from the airfields of the Southern Military District (SMD). And this means that it has not yet been adopted. What was mentioned by the Southern Military District deserves additional explanation. In its composition (where aviation is subordinate to the 4th Air Force and Air Defense Army) there are no units that are armed with the MiG-31. Only the 929th State Flight Test Center of the Ministry of Defense named after V.P. Chkalov in Akhtubinsk has a MiG-31. The board "blue 592", shown in the video, belongs to the RAC MiG. He has been taking part in tests in Zhukovsky and Akhtubinsk for many years. In 1987, he became the first MiG-31 capable of refueling in the air. The video was not dated, so it cannot be ruled out that it was made several years ago.
The Kinzhal system with the Iskander missile is not the only Russian hypersonic weapons program currently under development in Russia. For its part, this work is carried out by the Tactical Missiles Corporation with the GZUR missile (“Product 75”), designed for heavy bombers. At the same time, NPO Mashinostroeniya is developing the 3M22 Zircon missile for submarines and surface ships. The priority of these programs is higher than that of the "Dagger". No one knows why Vladimir Putin chose Kinzhal for his speech. Maybe because it looks more impressive compared to the GZUR and Zircon.
Various sources report that the RAC MiG is working on two new modifications of the MiG-31 - “product 06” and “product 08”. Perhaps one of them is the "Dagger". A new version of the interceptor may be under a different index, with a completely different purpose, for example, anti-satellite weapons. With its high-altitude cruising speed of Mach 2.5, the MiG-31 is a good platform for a variety of weapon systems that are not standard interceptor weapons.
So, more than 30 years ago, in January 1987, the MiG-31D (“product 07”), which was the carrier of the 79M6 anti-satellite missile, made its first flight. The aircraft and missiles were elements of the 30P6 Kontakt anti-satellite weapon system. Two MiG-31Ds were assembled. In 1991, work on the MiG-31D and its improved version of the MiG-31DM with the 95M6 missile (an upgraded version of the 79M6) was stopped. After the collapse of the USSR, both MiG-31D prototypes remained at the Sary-Shagan training ground in Kazakhstan, that is, in the same place where they were tested.
In 2005, Russia and Kazakhstan announced the existence of the Ishim project, which included the MiG-31I and the Ishim rocket weighing 10.3 tons, which was suspended from a central suspension point. Ishim could launch satellites weighing up to 160 kg into orbit 300 km high. This project was financed from the budget of Kazakhstan and was abandoned due to funding cuts.
Vladimir Putin also announced the presence of other weapons systems, including the Sarmat ICBM, the Avangard missile, the combat laser, and, without a doubt, the most amazing program, a mini-nuclear plant that can be used as a power plant for missiles and torpedoes. At the end of 2017, a cruise missile with a nuclear power plant was successfully launched at the Central Test Site of the Russian Ministry of Defense, located in the Arkhangelsk Region. During the flight, the reactor worked in accordance with the task and gave out the necessary thrust. According to Vladimir Putin, the nuclear power plant gives the missile an unlimited flight range. The video showed the launch of a rocket from a ground-based launcher, after which the animation of the rocket flew over the Atlantic from north to south, and then headed for the United States. A similar compact reactor will also be used on an intercontinental torpedo.
The principle of operation of the reactor, which is designed to heat the air that passes through the combustion chambers located on both sides of the tail of the rocket. Due to a sharp increase in temperature, the necessary thrust is created. The concept of using a nuclear reactor on a rocket is controversial. It is more expensive than a turbojet engine, and at the same time creates serious environmental risks. And the rocket itself, the temperature of the gases at the nozzle of which reaches several thousand degrees, is easily detected. Is it worth the effort to get unlimited range when cruise missiles have a range of 5,000 km?
Vladimir Putin's speech also mentioned two Su-57 fighter jets that arrived in Syria on February 21. Most likely these were copies of the T-50-9 and T-50-11. For reasons still unknown, two days after appearing in Syria, they were sent to Russia. It is likely that the well-known Su-57s did not make the same impression as the unlimited-range missile. Be that as it may, during his speech, Putin mentioned Syria only once in one phrase: “The operation in Syria demonstrated the increased capabilities of the Russian Armed Forces.”
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