In one of the previous reviews, we analyzed in detail the flight performance parameters of promising modifications of the 300-mm guided missiles of the 9M528 / 9M542 line to update the ammunition of the Smerch multiple launch rocket systems / Tornado-C, as well as the features of the operating modes of the inertial navigation units "ProNav", allowing the above rockets to implement a complex quasi-ballistic flight path with a final vertical dive in its terminal section, which ensures a confident defeat of modern enemy air defense systems at a distance 150 km through a “breakthrough” into the “dead funnels” above the radars for illumination and guidance of anti-aircraft missile systems. We also came to the conclusion that, that in probable "counter-battery duels" with NATO rocket artillery, these rockets can easily outperform American 227-mm guided missiles of the M31A1GMLRS type, the range of which barely reaches 90 km.
Promising developments of NPO Splav and KTRV, designed to maintain the dominance of rocket artillery of the Russian MFA in the theaters of military operations of the 21st century
Meanwhile, it would be extremely naive to assume, that the above alignment will be objective for at least even 5-10 coming years, after all, the military-industrial complex of a potential enemy, as is known, is not in the "slipping" stage and is quite capable of overshadowing the optimistic vision of the situation of our expert communities by the program of deep modernization of high-precision MLRS / HIMARS MLRS family.
In particular, in the first case, we are talking about a joint US-Swedish program for the development of a promising 227-mm two-stage long-range guided missile GLSDB («Groun Launched Small Diameter Bomb»), which is a constructive hybrid of upper stages (with solid propellant solid propellant charge) rocket projectiles of the M26A2 / M31A1 GMLRS family and the GBU-39B SDB-I stealth planning guided bomb. So, in the case of integrating a small-sized SDB-I guided bomb into the warhead of the M31A1 guided missile, able to "throw" this "equipment" at a distance 70 km due to a more powerful solid propellant charge of the upper stage, the total range of a promising GLSDB projectile can reach 180-200 km (with the stage of "casting" the warhead of the projectile to the stratospheric marching section of the trajectory and a further 130-kilometer section of the independent dive of the GBU-39B bomb), which is quite capable of fending off the performance of the updated 9M528 and 9M542 rockets for the MLRS of the Smerch family / Tornado-C.
The next question: Are there any developments at the disposal of the specialists of the experimental design department of the Tula NPO "Splav", capable of fending off the potential of the above-described brainchild of Boeing and SAAB in the theaters of military operations of the 21st century? Naturally, Yes.
undoubtedly, one of the most interesting options is the project of a promising ultra-long-range 300-mm guided missile with an integrated ramjet engine to upgrade the Smerch MLRS ammunition / Tornado-C. As is known, the design features of this product were given in the demo PDF document of NPO Splav, published several years earlier on the portal "promkatalog.rf". The ability to control the intensity of powder charge supply to the ramjet combustion chamber will provide a more optimal distribution of the fuel charge to all sections of the trajectory, which will allow a promising missile to reach a range of about 250-300 km, and, Consequently, almost 2 times surpass the American-Swedish two-stage rocket GLSDB with a range of 150+ km.
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There is no need to talk about the ability of this projectile to break through modern anti-missile "umbrellas" at the moment. After all, At first, this projectile will be a unitary product with an inseparable warhead, which will eliminate the possibility of reducing the effective reflective surface (EOP) below 0,1 quarter. m. In light of the equipping of carrier-based AWACS aircraft E-2D "Advanced Hawkeye" with advanced anti-jamming AFAR radars AN / APY-9, capable of detecting a similar object at a distance of 230-250 km (Unlike 170 km from earlier AN / APY-2 radars of E-3A / C aircraft), not hard to guess, that the probability of direction finding of these projectiles with the subsequent issuance of target designation to MIM-104F PAC-3MSE interceptor missiles will be quite high. The Smerch missiles will not be able to neutralize the maneuverability of the MIM-104F anti-missiles during the breakthrough of the Patriot "umbrella" of missile defense, due to the absence of transverse control engines in the control systems of "gas-dynamic belts", necessary to perform transverse anti-missile throws on the trajectory.
Secondly, continuous jet flow (combustion products of a solid propellant charge) from the ramjet nozzle throughout the flight will increase the infrared signature of this version of the upgraded 300-mm rockets hundreds of times, turning them into excellent targets for detection using the AN / AAQ-37 DAS distributed aperture optic-electronic systems of the F-35A "Lightning II" fighters, operating in the medium-wave infrared range and capable of transmitting target designation to friendly ground-based air defense systems via the radio channel of the Link-16 tactical network (naturally, after processing in the weapons control systems of the F-35A fighters).
That is, the most optimal option for parrying the potential of the American-Swedish GLSDB projectile may be the conceptual reverse engineering of the latter by specialists from the Tula NPO Splav and Tactical Missiles Corporation JSC. In particular, we are talking about the possibility of designing a hybrid of the upper stage solid propellant rocket engine of a 300-mm rocket type 9M542 and a reduced modification of the 9-A-7759 Grom-1 guided tactical missile, where the latter will be integrated into the split warhead (RGCH) promising projectile and placed in a deployable heat-resistant fairing container (having a layout a la GLSDB) in order to avoid critical aerodynamic heating of the Grom-1 rocket fairing at the stage of high-speed passage of a promising projectile through the dense layers of the troposphere and stratosphere (on the ascending branch of the trajectory). As for the above-mentioned reduction in the weight and size characteristics of the Grom-1 rocket before mating with the solid-propellant block of the projectile, then it is dictated by the need to bring the diameter of the Thunder-1 hull (together with a heat-resistant fairing) to the caliber of the rocket projectile 9M542, component 300 mm. It is well known, that the diameter of the Grom-1 rocket body is 310 mm, while for placement in a heat-resistant fairing, it should not exceed 220-240 mm.
Flight profile of a promising two-stage 300-mm rocket projectile and the principle of head exit (missiles "Grom-1") on the marching section of the trajectory will be similar to those of the US-Swedish projectile GLSDB, but with the only difference, that the release of the heat-resistant fairing of the second stage and the beginning of the stage of independent flight of the Grom-1 rocket will take place at a distance of about 120 km from the position of the launcher of the MLRS "Smerch" / Tornado-C, while solo flight of the GBU-39B glide bomb, detached from the upper stage of the GLSDB projectile begins at a distance of 30-40 km from the position of the MLRS MLRS.
In this way, cumulative range (including a 120-kilometer segment for reaching the marching section of the trajectory and a 150-kilometer segment for independent planning of the Grom-1 guided missile) promising guided missile for the MLRS "Smerch" will approach 270 km, well ahead of the achievements, obtained during the test projectile GMLRS. The noticeably smaller radar signature of the Grom-1 planning blocks (order 0,05 quarter. m compared to 0,1 quarter. m from the original non-separable unitary projectile 9M542) will significantly complicate the tasks of AWACS aircraft operators in timely detection of an approaching threat and the issuance of target designation to combat crews of the Patriot PAC-3MSE anti-missile systems, turning the Smerch multiple launch rocket system into a unique model of offensive weapons of the 21st century.
Eugene Damantsev
