In early January of this year, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported that Russian air defense (air defense) and electronic warfare (EW) means prevented damage to personnel and damage to our military facilities in Syria - at the Khmeimim airbase and at the logistics center of the Navy (Navy) in Tartus. The terrorists' provocation using 13 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), also called drones, was thwarted (drone - translated from English as "bumblebee").
Russian air defense and electronic warfare specialists were ready to meet this damn dozen "bumblebees". External control of six small-sized air targets Russian EW units "took control". Three were put in controlled territory outside the base. Three more drones collided with the ground during landing and exploded. With the remaining seven "bumblebees" sorted out the calculations of anti-aircraft missile-gun systems (ZRPK) "Pantsir-S1". They destroyed them.
This massive drone attack by terrorists is unprecedented. It is quite natural that after such a successful hunt for "bumblebees" there was an increased interest in the Pantsir-S1 air defense missile system and its modifications. In particular, the American edition of The National Interest notes that the Pantsir-C1, which is in service with Russia, is the most ideal and effective weapon for repelling massive enemy attacks using drones. And there are no analogues of this complex in the United States, and in the whole world.
Speaking in general about the "Pantsir", we note that it is intended for close cover of civil and military point targets (including long-range air defense systems - S-300 and S-400) from all modern and promising air attack weapons. It can also protect objects from ground and surface threats.
Characterizing the general advantages of the Pantsir-C1 complex, it is important to note that it is a universal means of fighting air targets at a distance of 200 to 20,000 meters. It can destroy targets flying at an altitude of 5 to 15 thousand meters. Also, the ZRPK is able to fight against light armored vehicles of the enemy and his manpower. This complex can almost instantly detect and destroy an enemy aircraft, helicopter, cruise missile or guided aerial bomb.
Along with the characteristics noted above, the complex has many more advantages and features. Let us dwell on just a few of them. "Pantsir-S1" can conduct aimed fire directly while driving, which is beyond the power of foreign counterparts of this class. This allows the vehicle to more effectively cover the convoys of equipment from air raids. The armament of the ZRPK consists of two paired 30-mm anti-aircraft machine guns 2A38M with a firing range of four kilometers and 12 guided anti-aircraft missiles (SAM) 57E6, which are located in two blocks on each side of the combat module. The number of simultaneously fired targets is four; ammunition - 12 missiles, as well as 1400 shells.
ZRPK crew - 3 people. Deployment takes less than 5 minutes. The reaction time on the target is 4-6 sec. It takes 1.5 seconds to lock on the target and launch the rocket. It is a flurry of fire. Those who fought in Afghanistan saw the work in combat conditions of the predecessors of the "Pantsir" - the glorified "Shilka". And later her older sister appeared - "Tunguska". In general, targets flying at ultra-low altitudes are the strong point of this complex. He deals with them without much difficulty. Moreover, the speed with which airborne objects can move exceeds a thousand meters per second, and this air defense missile system is capable of simultaneously hitting up to four targets.
The universal "Pantsir" is a visiting card of the Tula Instrument-Making Design Bureau (KBP) and its subsidiary Shcheglovsky Val. The Tula gunsmiths are convinced that there are no analogues to this air defense missile system in the world today and is unlikely to be foreseen in the near future. This complex provides a unique combination of the entire spectrum of air defense missions - from target detection and tracking to direct fire impact on them. Let us add here the possibility of assembling the elements of the complex on a universal chassis of off-road vehicles or tracked vehicles (for example, on the BMP-3 base). This allows them, even in off-road conditions, to go to any area and solve the task as quickly as possible. Moreover, both alone and in a group of anti-aircraft weapons. According to the air defense servicemen, neither existing nor promising air attack weapons are capable of overcoming the invisible protective dome being created by the air defense missile system.
The following fact also speaks about the reliability of "Shell". During testing of locators in production, these devices are placed on a special stand, where they are subjected to powerful vibration for a long time. In fact, the conditions of transportation and use are simulated. In addition, climatic tests are mandatory: the equipment is checked in special chambers, where a temperature regime is created from minus 50 to plus 60 degrees. Each locator is kept in such a chamber for up to several days.
Developers and manufacturers do not rest on their laurels and continue to work to improve this complex. The troops are already receiving the Pantsir-C2, as well as the Pantsir-SM mounted on the KamAZ-53958 Tornado multipurpose chassis. As reported, the ZRPK will have a new target detection radar with an active phased antenna array (AFAR), which can detect a target at a distance of 70-75 km, even with a low reflective surface. The complex is planned to be equipped with fundamentally new anti-aircraft missiles with a firing range of up to 40 km, and their number will be increased from 12 to 24 pieces. Thus, "Pantsir-SM" will already be an air defense system of a different class - medium-range, and not short, like "Pantsir-C1". It is these modernized complexes that have been instructed to carry out combat duty at the Khmeimim airbase today. Together with the S-400, they cover the units that remained in Syria after the withdrawal of the main group of the Russian Aerospace Forces.
Of course, Russia does not forget about protecting its borders either. So, "Pantsir-S2", together with the S-400 air defense system, began on January 1, 2018, on combat duty in the Crimea. Somewhat earlier, the Pantsirey-SM division took up combat duty to cover Vladivostok and the Pacific Fleet base.
A bit of history. At first, the military did not show much interest in the first samples of the new air defense system. "Pantsir-S1" could not shoot on the move and, in the opinion of the military, could not successfully fight high-precision weapons at a distance of more than 12 kilometers. The army was not satisfied with such characteristics. Taking into account the difficult economic situation of the early 90s, the car was forgotten for a while.
But then chance intervened in the fate of the car. The Russian air defense system was greatly interested in the military of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), but they required qualitatively different characteristics, and the Tula designers had to radically alter the complex. The tests of the new car took place in 2006. The first upgraded Shells were delivered to the UAE in 2009. Transaction price - $ 734 million
Then there were contracts with Algeria, Syria, Oman, Brazil, Iran, Iraq and other countries. Many countries have expressed their desire to acquire this complex. And this is not surprising: in terms of price-quality-efficiency ratio, this is really the ideal weapon of the XXI century. By the way, according to information from open sources, one complex of Pantsir-S1 MANPADS costs from 13 to 15 million dollars.
The well-known portal Liveleak shows "irrefutable evidence" of the "Shell" blown up by the Tomahawk (see photo below).
The Ukrainian news site Obozrevatel has published a large "analytical" review in connection with the footage found. To quote a few paragraphs:
“The Shaybat airbase (let's forgive the Ukrainian for the inability to write the name correctly), which was ironed out by the Tomahawks, is the second largest at the disposal of the Syrian Air Force. This means that it was necessarily covered by an air defense system and it necessarily included several Shells, with Syrian crews, ”writes the Ukrainian media outlet Observer.
"The shell is just a means for intercepting cruise missiles at close range, just in the range that Russian experts talked about," the article says.
TTX "Pantsir-C1"
The Ukrainians remind that the Pantsir-S1 air defense missile system is a fairly recent Russian development to provide the last line of defense against an air attack. The main purpose of the complex is to combat enemy missiles, including cruise missiles, which include the Tomahawk. For this, the complex is equipped with its own radar with an active phased array, missiles and cannons, which makes it possible to find and engage targets at altitudes of 15 meters and above, at a distance of up to 20 km.
Moreover, at the maximum range, the complex works out with missiles, and at the minimum range - with rapid-fire 30 mm cannons. Since the Shell is sharpened to combat missiles, that is, high-speed targets, it has an automatic operation mode, that is, the on-board systems themselves detect the target, direct weapons and open fire from a suitable weapon. At the same time, the radar with AFAR allows you to capture several targets and simultaneously fire from 2 to 4, depending on the angular distance between them.
“Our readers sent us a photo that representatives of the Russian media would never have taken (it's not true, we did, we publish it after the Ukrainians, - approx. RV) - a burnt and inverted“ Shell ”. As far as we know, he has never once confronted in a battle with an enemy capable of destroying him, and so Shayrat showed the price to the Pantsir, like everything else, ”the author of the article on the mentioned portal makes an categorical conclusion.
"Shell" and "chemical weapons", which were not
Further, the “expert” accuses the Russian media: “There is silence about the completely destroyed air defense system, consisting of“ unparalleled ”S-300 and Pantsirey. Silence on the air. As well as about the field of containers of chemical weapons - silence. " About containers with chemical weapons - this is another loud fake sofa experts, exposed by experts, including Ukrainian.
The Russian Pantsir-S anti-aircraft missile-gun system is an unsurpassed weapon in the air defense system, according to a military analyst for The National Interest. In his opinion, in Syria, this air defense missile system has gained fame as the most effective means of countering drone attacks, so the lack of an analogue of such a complex in the United States is a significant drawback of American air defense. About the unique characteristics of the "Pantsir" - in the material RT.
The S-400 air defense missile system and the Pantsir-S1 self-propelled anti-aircraft missile-gun system (right) during the intercession on alert duty at the Russian airbase in Syria RIA Novosti
The US Armed Forces lack an effective short-range air defense system like the Russian Pantsir-S anti-aircraft missile and cannon system (ZRPK). This is the conclusion reached by the American military expert Sebastian Roblin in an article that was published in The National Interest.
According to the analyst, the drone attack on Russian military facilities, carried out on January 5, will sooner or later be repeated, but the terrorists' UAVs may already be directed to American bases. Meanwhile, the United States is deprived of an anti-aircraft complex that is capable of repelling the simultaneous attack of several UAVs.
“The US Armed Forces do not have a short-range air defense system like the Shell. This is due to the fact that the ground forces are used to relying on the Air Force's ability to neutralize all air threats. And the Russian ground forces, on the other hand, always expect an attack from the air - and therefore have such a diverse arsenal of air defense, ”writes Roblin.
Military expert Yuri Knutov, director of the Air Defense Museum in Balashikha, agrees with the point of view of his American colleague from The National Interest. Since the Cold War, the United States has tried not to engage in combat without ensuring complete air supremacy, he said. In the USSR (and in Russia), on the contrary, the emphasis was placed on the development of defensive systems.
“The Air Defense Forces of Russia, to which the Pantsir belongs, is rightfully considered the best in the world. We have always had to take care of countering the enemy's high-tech aviation. Participation in local conflicts gave our designers invaluable experience, which helped to create effective anti-aircraft systems and radar equipment, "Knutov said in an interview with RT.
"Efficiency - cost"
On the night of January 5-6, the Pantsir-S crews repulsed an attack by militant drones at the Khmeimim airbase and the naval logistics center in Tartus. The complexes hit 7 out of 13 drones, the remaining six vehicles were disabled by means of electronic warfare (EW).
- Anti-aircraft missile-gun complex 96K6 "Pantsir-C1" during demonstration exercises at the Alabino training ground at the international military-technical forum "Army-2016"
- Evgeny Biyatov / RIA Novosti
According to the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, in 2017, "Pantsiri" shot down 16 drones and 53 shells of multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) of militants.
“Complexes S-400, S-300V and“ Pantsir ”together with fighter aircraft ensured the complete superiority of our Aerospace Forces in the Syrian airspace. Not a single fact of violation of the security zones of the Russian bases in Tartus and Khmeimim was allowed, ”says the report of the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation Sergei Shoigu on December 22, 2017.
Analyzing attacks on Russian bases, Roblin doubts the ability of US troops to effectively repel a jihadist drone attack on American targets.
Over the more than three years of its presence in Syria, the United States military shot down several drones. The defeat of the UAV was carried out by aviation, which led to unreasonably high costs for fuel and missile weapons. From an economic point of view, this method of dealing with drones is too wasteful, the analyst points out.
“American missiles are several times more expensive than their Russian counterparts. This is, in principle, a surplus weapon to defeat the artisanal drones of terrorists. At the moment, it is the "Pantsir" that is the best means of combating UAVs according to the criterion "efficiency - cost", - Knutov noted.
On one battle platform
Among the American military air defense systems, in terms of its functionality, the Centurion artillery complex of the Raytheon corporation is the closest to the "Shell". It includes a 20mm six-barreled M61A1 Vulcan cannon and a three-axis radar. All weapons are mounted on a four-axle HEMTT A3 army truck.
Centurion is capable of destroying large-caliber mines, multiple launch rocket systems, UAVs, armored vehicles and shelters. However, the range of destruction of targets M61A1 is limited to 2 km.
The combat radius of the "Pantsir-S" in conventional equipment exceeds 12 km, and the upgraded versions can fire at ranges of up to 20-40 km. The Russian air defense missile system is designed to intercept all types of low-flying targets and destroy ground equipment, including tanks (in the event of a shell hitting the side).
- Calculation of the Pantsir-C1 universal short-range anti-aircraft missile-gun system during a comprehensive training in fire control and units of the 5th Combined Arms Army of the Far Eastern Military District at the Sergeevsky training ground in the Primorsky Territory
- Vitaly Ankov / RIA Novosti
The main feature of the Pantsir-S is that it is equipped with both anti-aircraft guns (30-mm 2A38M assault rifles) and missile weapons (57E6E installations). Along with the Tor-M2 anti-aircraft missile system, the Pantsir is the only air defense system capable of firing at targets in motion.
“Only our country was able to realize the excellent idea of placing artillery and missile weapons on one combat platform. It was a hugely successful move. The Americans, as far as I know, are forced to artificially form such an anti-aircraft battery, placing artillery and missile weapons nearby, "Knutov emphasized.
The result of hard work
Roblin drew attention to the great popularity of "Armor" in the foreign market. Russian MANPADS were purchased by Algeria, Iraq, Syria, UAE, Oman, Jordan and Brazil. The price of one complex is $ 13-15 million. The total value of export contracts exceeds $ 1.5 billion.
The Instrument Design Bureau (Tula), together with other enterprises of the defense complex, is modernizing the Pantsirey line. Since the end of 2016, the Ministry of Defense has been purchasing Pantsir-C2. Since February 2017, these complexes are responsible for the air defense of the naval base in Vladivostok.
- The Pantsir-SA anti-aircraft missile and gun system based on the DT-30 all-terrain vehicle at the dress rehearsal of the military parade in Moscow dedicated to the 72nd anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945.
- Alexey Nikolsky / RIA Novosti
In 2017, the Aerospace Forces received over 200 Pantsir-S combat kits, including upgraded versions. In 2019, the development of Pantsir-SM will be completed.
The updated air defense missile systems are distinguished by more advanced radar equipment, an expanded range of targets and an increased range of their destruction. Thus, "Pantsir-S2" intercepts not only cruise missiles, but also ballistic missiles.
Roblin believes that an important advantage of the "Carapace" is the ability to function at extremely high and low temperatures. For example, in Syria, Russian MANPADS are on alert at a temperature of + 50 ° C, and in the Arctic - at -50 ° C.
“The incredible characteristics of the Pantsir are the result of a very long and painstaking work of Russian designers. The first prototype was assembled in 1994, but the complex was adopted only in 2012. However, we see that the money and labor invested have brought the result, which was exactly what the military was trying to achieve, ”Knutov said.
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On July 17, 2016, an amusing incident occurred. The unknown but heroic Russian army serviceman who flew a reconnaissance drone in Syria gape somewhat and confused a couple of states. Although he was instructed to scout terrorists in Syria, he turned into Israel and began to "scout" the kibbutz (agricultural commune in Israel), in which, to be honest, there was not a damn thing - neither terrorists nor the Israeli military.
The trivial situation forced the Israelis to talk with the Russian military on a hotline. But in the Russian headquarters they were not yet aware of the "exploit of the scout" described above and said that the UAVs were not theirs. As a result, the Israelis tried to shoot him down with the Patriot anti-aircraft missile system. However, this was not done. The first missile could not hold the target with its homing head, the second simply exploded not close enough - and the UAV calmly continued its flight. And even a couple of F-16s raised to intercept could not cope with this matter.
The funny thing about this story is that the unknown hero-operator did not notice the serious efforts (three attempts!) Of the Israeli side to shoot down his drone. Only after some time did he return the device to Syrian territory, where he continued his reconnaissance. There was a storm of indignation in the Israeli press.
All this comical situation revealed a big problem with modern air defense and aviation: drones are cheap, but difficult to shoot them down. They are small in size, made mainly of plastics, which is why they are almost invisible on the radar. Patriot missiles weigh a third of a ton and have a complex homing head, which is why each launch costs three million dollars. The sloppy operator cost Israel six million dollars, plus the wasted flight time of the F-16. For understanding: the T-90 tank is worth three million dollars on the world arms market. That is, the modest hero-operator "shod" the IDF on a couple of good tanks "!
But even if the Patriot had shot down our UAV with the first missile, it would have hit Israel harder than Russia. After all, a Russian drone is much cheaper than one American-made air defense missile system. As US General David Perkins pointed out this spring, "If I were an enemy [of the US], I would think," Hey, we need to buy quadrocopters on eBay for three hundred bucks for all the money and let the Patriots shoot them down! "
And now a year later, in August 2017, information appeared that how the "Pantsir" copes with drones. It turned out that he shot down three Israeli Herons, one American RQ-21 and one Turkish UAV. Why did the Tula product succeed in something that much more expensive aircraft and air defense systems did not cope with?
The reasons are pretty commonplace. A large multichannel dual-band radar at the Pantsir's operating range (up to 20 kilometers) turned out to be a better guidance tool than the Patriot's homing head, which, whatever one may say, is smaller in size and does not have such good working conditions. In addition, the "Pantsir" has a duplicate optical target detection and tracking system. As a result, he coped with drones missiles, which cost many times less than three million dollars per launch. One launcher of an American anti-aircraft missile system is two dozen times more expensive than one "Pantsir". That is, it also cannot cover the same number of objects.
Until recently, the West seemed to be a partner, so the state did not invest in the development of air defense systems. Only export allowed the Tula KBP to find funds to create one of the world's best anti-aircraft missile systems. Now their presence allows Russia to shoot down targets that, in practice, were too tough for either the Patriots or the F-16.
From the experience of the Second World War, it became clear: our infantry and navy were sorely lacking in self-defense means from enemy aircraft. The price for this was paid the highest, and the Soviet generals did not want to repeat such a mistake. Therefore, funds soon appeared: "Shilka" with a radar and a quad 23-mm cannon satisfied this task for quite a long time. The problems began with the advent of massive and cheap air-to-surface missiles, and then corrected bombs.
With a bunch of such bombs, an aircraft can attack a target from outside the reach of tactical anti-aircraft missile systems - and all this bunch must be shot down with something
For example, American guided JDAM bombs can be dropped at a distance of up to 28 kilometers from the target - and they will still fall no further than a few meters from it, ensuring a reliable defeat. Neither Shilka (range 2.5 kilometers, height - 1.5 kilometers), nor the more modern Tunguska (3.5 kilometers and 8.0 kilometers, respectively) can do anything about it. An Apache helicopter or an American attack aircraft, in theory, could rise from the folds of the terrain, throw a guided missile at the same Tunguska and immediately disappear, while mobile air defense systems would have to survive under a missile attack.
"The Motherland absolutely did not need him"
It all started in 1990 with the Roman anti-aircraft missile system, which was ordered on the personal initiative of General V.F. Margelova for the needs ... of the Airborne Forces. Yes, that's so very strange. Although the "Roman" was not very suitable for landing, the Airborne Forces understood that their people behind enemy lines would not fight much with their MANPADS: enemy helicopters and aircraft would be able to shoot them from a height and from a distance without loss. Therefore, Margelov asked A.G. Shipunov - already then a very famous head of the Tula Instrument Design Bureau (KBP).
It was possible to bring for testing a complex with 12 missiles with a range of up to 12 kilometers, a hitting height of up to 8 kilometers and a pair of 30-mm 2A72 cannons (known from the BMP). All this was made to be airborne. It was the beginning of the 90s, the military had neither money, nor an understanding that Russia would ever have to fight the developed states of the Western type. Of course, they did not have much interest in the new car. They tried to offer the future "Pantsir" air defense. Ultimately, they refused there, saying that "the complex cannot fire in motion," and its range did not exceed 12 kilometers. True, this was much better than a few kilometers of "Tunguska".
As Valery Slugin, the chief designer of the KBP for air defense systems, noted later, the true reasons for the refusal were more prosaic: "At first, the Motherland did not need it at all, it was not up to it then - crisis, devastation."
Fortunately, in the mid-90s, the Tula KBP was not only "freed" from funding, but also given the right to look for customers abroad. A. Shipunov in the second half of that decade came into contact with the military from the United Arab Emirates, who presented him with demands even more ambitious than those implemented in "Roman". They needed a single machine, which, unlike the Buk, would have radars and missiles in one fist. In addition, they agreed with the need for cannons, very convenient for firing low-flying cruise missiles.
However, 12 kilometers, in their opinion, was not enough - they wanted 20. From this, the area protected by the complex should have almost tripled. In other words, a completely new car had to be created. Therefore, Shipunov, returning to Russia, demanded a radically new missile with a completely different range. By the way, with this he won the competition - the Emirates were also offered the Russian "Tor" with the range of the first "Pantsir". Its manufacturers did not dare to go to create a new product with a longer range. I had to alter the caliber of the missile's main stage from 76 to 90 millimeters - otherwise the required range could not be achieved.
A prophet in a foreign land
In 2000 alone, a contract was signed with the UAE for $ 734 million. The funny thing is that before him the Tula could not even do what they were going to sell to the Arabs - they simply did not have the money to develop it. “When we signed a contract with the Emirates, it was honestly said that we didn’t have a complex yet. And they gave us four years, ”says a participant in the events, the chief designer of the KBP for air defense systems.
As the reader sees, we have before us, perhaps, the most adventurous story about the creation of a new weapon in the world. The contract was concluded for the purchase of a complex that does not exist in nature, on the basis of only Shipunov's promises in the style of "everything will be done now." Probably, only in the hopeless chaos of the 90s, in the absence of internal orders, the Tula gunsmiths could take such a desperate step.
The problem was that the future "Pantsir" needed a radar with a high detail "picture". In Soviet times, similar complexes used the centimeter range. Millimeter radio waves are shorter, so they can bounce off smaller parts. In addition, for immunity from interference, they decided to make the radar multichannel with a phased antenna array.
But this is a fundamentally new radar, and who will make it? Other enterprises of the Russian military-industrial complex were not very interested in this work - the domestic customer (military) did not press on them from above. And they didn’t allocate much funding. In 2000-2004, it was not possible to make a centimeter-millimeter radar. The Tula people were so desperate that they set about creating it themselves. The calculations were entrusted to people from Baumanka, they did the hardware themselves. And here is an absolutely fantastic result: the task was completed, a dual-band extremely accurate radar was made. To fully understand how difficult this task is, let's add: many very advanced foreign air defense systems with a millimeter range had problems for many years.
Without a king in your head
The basic missile "Pantsir" looks like a combination of seemingly incongruous qualities. It has a very low weight - 75 kilograms and at the same time a rather powerful warhead (with rod striking elements) - 20 kilograms. In addition, it is also high-speed - up to 1.3 kilometers per second, but at the same time it costs much less than short-range missiles of the same S-400 or Patriots. The reason for such a successful set of properties is in the absence of unnecessary
Many modern air defense missiles are made with a seeker. The "Shell" does not have them - commands when directed to the target are given by the launcher computer. The accelerating part with a diameter of 170 millimeters gives the sustainer a speed of up to 1.3 kilometers per second and after a second and a half, having spent all the fuel, it separates. There remains only a "thin" marching stage with a diameter of only 90 millimeters. It is devoid of engines, flies by inertia and can change course only to a limited extent. But due to the small diameter it loses speed very slowly. Even at 20 kilometers, it still has 0.7 kilometers per second.
Due to the absence of a homing head and engines of the sustainer stage, the rocket is not only cheap, but also with a large warhead. Therefore, having been blown up by a radio fuse five meters from a cruise missile or an armored aircraft, it reliably violates its integrity with rods.
The eyes and brain of the rocket are on the Shell base vehicle. In addition to the radar, they include an optical-location system, simply - effective cameras with image recognition and the ability to capture a target. The radar does not distinguish objects at the very ground - and the Apache, emerging from behind a hill, or a cruise missile may be only five meters from the surface. The optical system fully sees them - as well as ground targets - and allows you to effectively fire cannon fire at such a complex target.
The fruits of the adventure
For a long time, the country's leadership did not understand that all our attempts to improve relations with the West in the position of junior partners are doomed to failure. The turning point came only in 2006-2007, when accurate intelligence reports appeared that the United States was pumping weapons and instructors into Georgia with the expectation of its capture of South Ossetia. Only after that (the Munich speech and so on) did the leadership really take defense seriously. Therefore, in 2006, Russia spent on it like Italy (seventh in the world), and by 2011, Moscow's defense spending had doubled and came to second in the world. Gradually, an understanding arose: the threat of war with the United States requires good protection from cruise missiles.
If our economy was comparable to the American one, it would be possible to buy more S-300 and S-400. The problem is that the lightest missile of these complexes - 9M96E1 - weighs 330 kilograms and is, accordingly, much more expensive than the "armor" one. And her warhead is 24 kilograms - only 20 percent more powerful. Alas, the presence of fuel and engines in the sustainer stage "ate" the kilograms of the warhead, and the price of such a product is radically higher (including due to the need for a homing head).
In general, the "Pantsir" for short distances turned out to be radically cheaper than the "esok", and besides, it had cannons that allowed to shoot down cruise missiles at a short distance - when they emerge from the nearby hills and when the launch of an anti-aircraft missile was obviously late. Therefore, on November 16, 2012, by order of the government, "Pantsir" was nevertheless adopted. By the way, the corresponding order for the Ministry of Defense was issued only in 2013. Many years have passed since the start of deliveries to foreign customers - and finally, the country benefited from the risky initiative of KBP.
The real finest hour of the car came a little later. After the involvement of Russia in the Syrian conflict and before the introduction of the S-400 into the country, "Pantsiri" were the main means of defense for Khmeimim and Russian military facilities in general. They were used precisely as object air defense, and in this capacity they showed themselves extremely well.
Doubling the "Shell"
The developers of the system decided that the mastered niche of object-based short-range air defense was too tight for them. They wanted more - to enter medium-range systems. This will be done by a new, more effective radar, with the help of which the target detection range will rise to 75 kilometers, and new missiles - in the same dimensions, but with a flight range of up to 40 kilometers. A two-fold increase in the range will allow the complex to quadruple the covered area.
By the way, the sea "Pantsiri-M", due to their small size and long range, will be put on the "Buyan" -type RTOs - for the first time having given decent air defense to so many small ships.
Of course, this will require more missiles. Therefore, it is planned to install new short-range missiles on "Pantsir-SM", first presented to the public in August 2017 at the military-technical forum "Army-2017". If standard missiles are placed one by one in one transport and launch container (there are 12 of them at the launcher), then four new ones are included in one container. That is, the installation will be able to repel the blow of many air attack weapons at once - and carry dozens of missiles instead of today's 12.
Most importantly, the new system will finally make it possible to keep the distance of guided bombs dropped under fire. If earlier the plane could safely drop JDAM guided bombs from a distance of more than 20 kilometers, without risking getting a missile, now it will have to do it in the "Pantsir" fire zone. This means that bombing the area covered by this anti-aircraft missile system will become an extremely difficult and risky undertaking. Missile launches from aircraft are still possible - but missiles of the required range will be much larger and more expensive than guided bombs of the same power.
War as the criterion of truth
Very often, in peacetime, the military makes demands on weapons that turn out to be superfluous in war. At the same time, the really necessary innovations are not noticed by them at close range. This is exactly what happened before World War II, when the USSR did not want to adopt automatic weapons. They say that the cartridge for it is weaker, the bullet flies not far, the accuracy and range are not the same - a weapon for bank robbers, not for the military. Automatic fire in the army was quite seriously considered less important than range. The results are known: the Finnish war quickly brought the Soviet commanders closer to real life. It turned out that a soldier shoots very rarely at a kilometer, and very often at a hundred meters or closer. Alas, similar stories are repeated today.
When the Pantsir was put into service in 2012, a number of the military were against it. V.V. Belotserkovsky and I.A. Razin devoted a whole report to the shortcomings of the complex. Too simple missile (without homing), too unstable wheeled chassis, which prevents the cannons from firing on the move, does not know how to shoot down ballistic missiles, and so on and so forth. Inevitably, the question arises: could the Tula air defense system appear at all if the money for its development were given by the Russian, and not the Arab military? Have customers from the UAE turned out to be more far-sighted than their domestic counterparts?
The Syrian campaign has put everything in its place. It was "discovered" that the systems for covering rear objects do not have to shoot from the march at all - only from the spot, with sliding supports that increase stability. That a "brainless" missile without homing successfully knocks down drones cheaply, but a "big-headed" Patriot missile cannot do this - but its failed launches cost millions of dollars apiece.
"It turned out" that "Armor" is not used alone in an open field, but in conjunction with the S-400, which can shoot down long-range enemy missiles. And also the fact that such missiles are not used at all against our troops in real wars - because only developed countries have them, which for some reason are somewhat afraid to fight with us. In general, it turned out that "Pantsir" for all its apparent simplicity and cheapness in a number of parameters coped better than much more expensive and sophisticated complexes. The fact that its range can be dramatically increased by creating systems with fundamentally different capabilities shows that the potential of a "simple" rocket is still far from being exhausted.
In repelling the recent Israeli raids on targets in Syria, not only the S-200 and Buk air defense systems participated, but also the Pantsir-S anti-aircraft missile and cannon systems (ZRPK), Izvestia reports.
According to the newspaper, citing the Syrian Defense Ministry, “On February 10, the country's air defense forces had to repel a massive strike using air-launched cruise missiles, while the main targets of the Syrian anti-aircraft gunners were not airplanes, but air-to-ground missiles launched outside the country's airspace. ".
The first attack destroyed eight of the 11 Israeli missiles found, and the second attack, with seven missiles, destroyed five. The only plane that entered the country's airspace was shot down by our anti-aircraft missile system, a Syrian officer told the publication.
The interlocutor, however, refused to clarify what specific air defense system was hit by the F-16I Sufa fighter that fell in Israel, but noted that during the raid "all the Syrian crews acted independently."
According to him, this could not have been achieved "without the assistance provided earlier by Russian specialists, who restored the technical readiness of the S-125, S-200 and Buk complexes, and also retrained the Syrian military."
The February 10 incident was not the first in the past few days. This was reported to Izvestia by a source in the General Staff of Syria. The information was confirmed by an interlocutor in the Russian military department.
On February 7, Israeli Air Force planes, violating the state border of Syria, fired eight air-to-surface missiles at the building of the National Science Center in the city of Salamiya, Hama province. Then the Pantsir-S, S-200 and Buk complexes destroyed six missiles. The remaining two fell near the National Science Center without causing significant damage, a military source said.
As representatives of the Israeli Defense Ministry previously reported, "the situation escalated after an Iranian drone was discovered, which had flown in from the direction of Jordan, at around 4:00 am on Saturday (February 10)." The reconnaissance UAV was intercepted by an Apache helicopter. The Israeli Air Force launched an air raid to destroy the drone control station. It was located in the interior of the SAR not far from the city of Palmyra.
Israel used cruise missiles to strike. These are very difficult targets to fly at low altitude. To intercept them requires not only prepared calculations, but also centralization, as well as a high level of control. Of the 26 targets, 19 were intercepted. It turns out that the Syrian air defense demonstrated an efficiency close to 0.8. And this is a very high figure, the former commander of the anti-aircraft missile forces of the Russian Federation, Lieutenant General Alexander Gorkov, told the newspaper.
In total, the Syrian air defense forces are armed with 8 divisions of the S-200 air defense system, supplied from the USSR, and about 20 Buk complexes of various modifications. The last large consignment of eight "Buk" version M2E was transferred to Damascus in 2011. In addition, in 2013-2015, Russia supplied Damascus with more than three dozen Pantsir air defense missile systems, including the latest C modification.
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