The current state of the Russian air defense system. Air defense - Russian air defense systems Russian air defense systems

"Ministry of Defense of Russia"

Air defense troops appeared during the First World War. On December 26, 1915, the first four separate four-gun light batteries were formed and sent to the Western Front for firing at air targets. In accordance with the order of the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation of February 9, 2007, this memorable date began to be celebrated in Russia as the Day military air defense.

Organizationally, these formations are part of the formations, formations and units of the Ground Forces, Airborne Troops, coastal troops Navy(Navy) and perform tasks in the unified air defense system of the country. They are equipped with anti-aircraft missile, anti-aircraft artillery, anti-aircraft cannon-missile systems (systems) of various ranges and methods of missile guidance, as well as portable weapons. Depending on the range of destruction of air targets, they are divided into short-range complexes - up to 10 km, short-range - up to 30 km, medium - up to 100 km and long-range - more than 100 km.

At the final collegium of the Russian Defense Ministry, held on December 22, Oleg Salyukov, Commander-in-Chief of the Ground Forces, said that the Russian military air defense is capable of repelling any means of air attack that exist in the world. He stressed that the development of military threats in the aerospace sphere necessitates "the coordinated development of aerospace and air defense systems, taking into account qualitatively new requirements."

The modern armament of the Air Defense Forces of the Ground Forces in many respects surpasses its predecessors, has no analogues in the world, which is confirmed by the high competitiveness in the arms market

Oleg Salyukov

Commander-in-Chief of the Ground Forces, Colonel General

The military air defense is armed with S-300V4 air defense systems (interception range - up to 400 km) and Tor-M1 (up to 15 km), Buk-M1 air defense systems (up to 45 km), Strela-10M4 (up to 8 km ), "OSA-AKM" (up to 10 km), anti-aircraft gun-missile systems "Tunguska-M1" (up to 10 km), anti-aircraft artillery systems "Shilka-M5" (up to 6 km), all-weather tactical missile systems "Tor- M2U" and others. At present, the troops have already formed new anti-aircraft missile formations armed with S-300V4 and the Buk-M2 complex. Re-equipment is underway with the new Buk-MZ, Tor-M2 and the Verba portable anti-aircraft missile system (MANPADS).

New weapons have incorporated the best qualities of their predecessors and are capable of hitting both aerodynamic and ballistic targets, cruise missiles, aerial reconnaissance and electronic warfare, to fight against airborne assault forces. Military air defense should not be confused with the Air Defense and missile defense(PVO-PRO), which are part of the Aerospace Forces of Russia.

The progress of rearmament

S-300V4, Buk-MZ and Tor-M2 are included in the list of priority weapons and military equipment that determine the appearance of promising weapons systems for the Russian army. Lieutenant-General Alexander Leonov, head of the military air defense of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, told the Krasnaya Zvezda newspaper that in 2017, the main efforts were focused on equipping formations and units of the Southern and Western military districts with this equipment.

As a result, rearmed and retrained: anti-aircraft missile brigade - on air defense systems medium range"Buk-MZ"; anti-aircraft missile regiments of combined arms formations - on the Tor-M2 short-range air defense system; air defense units of combined arms formations - on the Verba MANPADS

Alexander Leonov

The delivery of the Buk-MZ air defense system was carried out for the formation of the Western Military District, whose servicemen next year will have to undergo retraining for new systems and perform docking combat firing in specialized training centers Air Defense Forces of the Ground Forces.

In 2018, it is planned to equip two military air defense units with Tor-M2 systems; air defense units operating in the conditions of the Arctic and the Far North should receive short-range air defense systems "Tor-M2DT"; air defense units of combined arms formations - MANPADS "Verba".

Thus, the systematic and annual increase in the combat strength of the troops, the implementation of a complete re-equipment with modern anti-aircraft missile systems will make it possible by 2020 to increase combat capabilities air defense forces almost 1.3 times

Alexander Leonov

Chief of the Air Defense Forces of the RF Armed Forces, Lieutenant General

Compared to systems previous generation It has a two to three times wider area covered from air strikes and an increased range of the border of the zone of destruction of air targets. These parameters, in particular, provide a guaranteed interception of warheads of medium-range ballistic missiles. S-300V4 - modification of the S-300VM system, which has higher performance characteristics due to the introduction of modern computing tools and the element base, the use of new components. The new system is capable of hitting ballistic and aerodynamic targets at ranges up to 400 km. The supply contract was signed in 2012. The first set was handed over to the customer in December 2014.

Continuation

The evolution of "Thor"

According to open sources, the first modification of the Tor family air defense system entered service in 1986. Since 2011, a modification of the Tor-M2U complex has been supplied to the troops. Fighting machine provides all-round destruction of air targets, including striking elements of high-precision weapons. The air defense system allows you to conduct reconnaissance on the move over any terrain and simultaneously fire at four air targets in a given sector.

The modern "Tor-M2" began to enter the troops in 2016. Compared with previous modifications, it has improved the characteristics of the affected area, the transportable stock of anti-aircraft guided missiles, noise immunity and others by one and a half to two times. It is capable of destroying targets flying at speeds up to 700 m/s, at ranges up to 12 km and altitudes up to 10 km. A battery of four vehicles can simultaneously attack 16 targets.

In 2016, the Almaz-Antey VKO concern began work on the Arctic version of the short-range air defense system - Tor-M2DT. The new version is installed on the chassis of a two-link tracked tractor DT-30PM-T1 (DT - two-link tractor).

In 2018-2019, a marine version of Thor may already appear. This was reported by the press service of the Almaz-Antey concern during the KADEX 2016 exhibition. At the same time, in a number of parameters, the ship version of the complex will surpass the existing representatives of the Tor family.

This issue has been worked out by the concern, and taking into account the experience of cooperation enterprises in the production and installation of complexes such as "Osa", "Dagger" and others on the ships of the Navy, as well as the possibility of using components for serially produced land-based models of the Tor air defense system, we can conclude that the creation of a "marine " version of "Thor" in as soon as possible(the first samples of air defense systems may appear in 2018-2019), and at minimal cost

press service of the concern VKO "Almaz-Antey"

In 2016 chief designer anti-aircraft missiles complexes of the Izhevsk Electromechanical Plant "Kupol" (part of the Almaz-Antey concern) Iosif Drize (the creator of a number of modern air defense systems, died in November 2016 - TASS note) stated that in the future "Tor" will become fully robotic and will be able to shoot down targets without human intervention. As Drize said, the air defense system can still work without human intervention, but in some cases an operator is needed in conditions of strong interference. In addition, the enterprise is engaged in increasing the capabilities of "Tor" to destroy cruise missiles created using stealth technologies.

New military "Gadfly"

Buk-M2 (according to NATO codification - SA-11 Gadfly, "Gadfly") is considered one of the most effective representatives of its class. Its development was completed back in 1988, but it was only 15 years later that it was possible to deploy serial production.

In 2016, the military received the first brigade kit of the new Buk, the Buk-M3. The characteristics of the complex are unknown, but its predecessor is capable of hitting air targets with solid-propellant missiles at a distance of 3 km to 45 km and at an altitude of up to 15 m to 25 km. In addition, it can destroy ballistic missiles with a launch range of up to 150–200 km. Thanks to the new missile "Buk-M3" is almost twice as superior to previous models and has no analogues in the world. In addition, due to the smaller mass of the rocket, it was possible to increase the ammunition load by one and a half times. Another feature of the complex is the placement of the rocket in the launch container.

In the transport and launch containers (complex) there are six missiles on each self-propelled firing system. Rockets have become more compact, but nevertheless they fly faster, farther and more accurately. That is, a new unique missile has been created, which will make it more likely to destroy air targets

Alexander Leonov

Chief of the Air Defense Forces of the RF Armed Forces, Lieutenant General

In 2015, it was reported that the novelty surpassed the long-range S-300 system in a number of parameters. “First of all, we are talking about the probability of hitting targets, which is 0.9999 for the Buk-M3, which is not for the S-300,” a TASS source said. In addition, the maximum engagement range of the complex has been increased by 25 km compared to its predecessor and brought up to 70 km.

"Verba" for landing

The entry into the troops of MANPADS "Verba" continues. In August of this year, it became known that all airborne and airborne assault divisions of the Airborne Forces had already been re-equipped with Verba. According to the commander of the Airborne Forces, Colonel-General Andrey Serdyukov, "Verba" is capable of hitting tactical aircraft, attack helicopters, cruise missiles and remotely piloted aircraft on head-on and overtaking courses, in day and night conditions with visual visibility of the target, including in conditions of background and artificial interference.

Among the advantages of the "Verba" is the possibility of firing on a collision course at low-emitting targets in the infrared range on the far border of the affected area at extremely low altitudes. The new short-range systems, unlike their predecessors (Igla MANPADS), have expanded combat capabilities and provide high efficiency in hitting targets, despite powerful optical countermeasures.

Compared to previous MANPADS, the "Verba" has a several-fold increase in the area of ​​fire for targets with low thermal radiation and dozens of times - noise immunity from powerful pyrotechnic interference. While the order of combat use of new MANPADS is similar to the order of use of complexes of the previous generation, the Verba has reduced the consumption of missiles to hit a single target and expanded the temperature range of use to minus 50 degrees. MANPADS are capable of hitting subtle targets of a mock enemy at altitudes from 10 m to 4.5 km and at ranges from 500 m to 6.5 km.

Roman Azanov

November 30, 1914 can be considered the starting point for the existence of air defense forces in Russia. On this day, the commander-in-chief of the 6th Army, which guarded Petrograd, Adjutant General Konstantin Van der Fleet, by his order, announced a special "Instruction for aeronautics in the area of ​​​​the 6th Army." According to the document, for the first time in Russia, "air defense" of the capital and its environs was organized.

After more than a century of history, in the summer of 2015, the the new kind Armed Forces - Aerospace Forces. It was created by merging Air force and the Aerospace Defense Forces. More than a year has passed since then. The main task of the largest last years The organizational event in the Armed Forces was to be the creation of a unified system of aerospace defense.

However, in Russia, as it turned out, there is still no key component of such a system - a unified air defense (air defense) of the country.

Reforms and Serdyukov

Air defense troops as a separate branch of the armed forces existed in Russia until 1998, when Russian President Boris Yeltsin demanded immediate structural reforms of the army - primarily a sharp reduction in the combat and numerical strength of the armed forces. Then it was decided to unite the Air Defense Forces and the Air Force into one structure with a simultaneous sharp reduction. However, at that time, the relative centralization of management was still preserved.

Since the beginning of the 2000s, the General Staff, the main commands of various troops and military scientific organizations of the Ministry of Defense began to actively develop options for building a unified system of Aerospace Defense (VKO), but then they did not dare to make the necessary structural changes.

A new wave of transformations in this area began in 2010 after joining.

A campaign was launched to form the so-called unified approaches to building the aerospace defense and creating the necessary groupings of troops in four strategic directions: "West", "East", "Center" and "South", to which the main groupings of all types of the Armed Forces and types of troops.

The so-called operational-strategic commands were established (in fact, with the exception of signs, they are not much different from military districts). The Air Force and Air Defense armies were withdrawn from the direct subordination of the Air Force High Command and transferred to the operational subordination of the "local" commands.

Marshal Ogarkov's experiment

There was nothing fundamentally new in this decision, Colonel-General, ex-Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Air Defense Forces, explained to Gazeta.Ru.

“Exactly the same subordination was already carried out in 1975,” recalls Litvinov. - It happened on the initiative of the then head of Marshal Nikolai Ogarkov. Border separate air defense armies on westbound as an experiment, they were transferred to the Baltic, Belarusian and Carpathian military districts. The course of the experiment was repeatedly checked by various commissions. The assessments were very different. Most experts were against these innovations. But the general conclusions were presented only in the way the author of the idea wanted - ".

Those who spoke out against it began to have problems, and those who admired Ogarkov's initiatives were rapidly promoted, the military leader clarifies.

According to the results of the experiment in 1980, all border air defense formations were given to military districts. Thus, the unified air defense system of the country and the Armed Forces was fragmented, says Litvinov.

In 1985, individual air defense armies, after unsuccessful attempts to prove to the USSR Minister of Defense the ability of the commanders of military districts to effectively manage subordinate air defense formations, were again returned to their original state, to the 1975 level. As a result, only personnel, financial and material losses remained from Ogarkov's experiment.

The state of affairs shocked

After the abolition of the Air Defense Forces as a branch of the Armed Forces in 1998, and after another 13 years and the transfer of the relevant associations to the military districts, the unified system built over the years fell apart again, says Lieutenant General Vladimir Ruvimov, ex-Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force for armaments.

“The head section of the aerospace defense system (the Moscow Air Defense District in the old days) went to the leaders of the Space Forces, who had never dealt with the problems of organizing air defense before,” recalls Ruvimov. - By and large, their competence in these complex problems differed little from the awareness and literacy in matters of air defense (aerospace defense) of signalmen, sappers, submariners or rear workers.

And immediately, without really understanding anything, having neither the appropriate education nor service experience for this, they bravely set about building an updated air defense system (VKO) of the country.

When the problem of reforming the air defense (VKO) was once again raised at the General Staff, the opinion of experts in this area was still requested, but never taken into account, Gazeta.Ru interlocutors who are familiar with the reform process assure.

As a result, the combat control of the Russian Air Force and Air Defense armies came under the leadership of the commanders of the four districts and the Northern Fleet.

“What kind of direct control in this case is carried out by the High Command of the Aerospace Forces is still not clear. In fact, it performs the function of combat control only of the 1st air defense-missile defense (special purpose) army, ”

- complained in an interview with Gazeta.Ru a high-ranking source in the leadership of the VKS.

According to him, the Commander-in-Chief of the Aerospace Forces exercises direct control only of the forces of the Aerospace Defense Forces allocated to him from the districts as part of combat duty and only in Peaceful time. The commanders of the five armies of the Air Force and Air Defense of the military districts are not even present at the regular Military Councils held in the Commander-in-Chief of the Aerospace Forces.

“About what unified system of aerospace defense of the country on war time can you speak under these conditions? - says the interlocutor of "Gazeta.Ru".

As usual, all the shortcomings in the organization and structure of the troops were revealed during the fighting.

On the eve of the armed conflict with Georgia in August 2008, the entire leadership of the Air Force was represented exclusively by pilots, which led to their underestimation of the role of other branches of the armed forces - reconnaissance, electronic warfare, air defense - in armed confrontation in the air.

The consequences turned out to be the saddest - absolutely unjustified losses in aviation in the first days of the conflict.

This state of affairs even shocked the Air Force command on the first day of the conflict, recalls the ex-commander of the 4th separate army Air Defense Colonel General Anatoly Hupenen.

“Things could have gone according to a much worse scenario in those days, if not for the urgent transfer of the S-300PS anti-aircraft missile regiment from the Moscow region (at that time from the operational-strategic command of the aerospace defense) to Abkhazia,” says the military leader.

Unforgotten old

In recent years, the Aerospace Forces have seen clear progress in rearmament issues. In 2015, military aviation received about 200 aircraft. The same number of combat vehicles is planned to be transferred to pilots in 2016. A lot of work is underway to improve the entire air defense infrastructure.

New over-the-horizon detection stations are being put into operation, new ones are being actively launched spacecraft military and dual-use, the troops continue to receive the latest S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems and Pantsir-S1 air defense systems, a new fleet of radars, automated control and communication systems. The quality of operational and combat training of personnel is also growing.

In all this, there is a great merit of the current leadership of the Ministry of Defense and the command of the Aerospace Forces, however logistic support air defense associations after subordination to their districts has deteriorated significantly, the interlocutors of Gazeta.Ru emphasize.

The relevant structures of the districts are primarily engaged in providing the Ground Forces.

Air defense regiments and divisions are still “alien” for them and stand in line for allowances at best second, or even third, and most often last, says a Gazeta.Ru source close to the leadership of one of the air defense armies .

In 2014, when it was decided to send an additional contingent of troops to the Republic of Crimea to ensure security during the referendum, Russian Il-76 military transport aircraft with personnel began to make continuous flights to the airfields of the peninsula. Ukrainian planes tried to interfere with the Russian ones by simulating military attacks, says Colonel General Hupenen.

“It was necessary to tightly close the sky of Crimea. And again, in the shortest possible time, the S-300PM anti-aircraft missile regiment from the Moscow region from the air defense-missile defense command is being transferred to the territory of the republic.

From the moment the regiment took up combat duty, all provocations in the air immediately ceased. No one had a desire to enter the zone of destruction of a modern anti-aircraft missile system. But one can only imagine what the consequences of provocations against our aircraft would have been if an appropriate order had been received from Kyiv,” the general explains.

According to him, the role of air defense systems in the Syrian conflict was also noticeable. Already at the initial stage of the campaign, it was known that in the areas of combat use of Russian aviation, aircraft of the air forces of the countries of the coalition led by the United States were flying. There were warnings from Ankara that if our planes violate Turkish airspace, there will be an extremely unfriendly reaction. However, until the Russian Su-24 was shot down, no measures were taken to cover strike aircraft from the ground.

“In just a day, the S-400 anti-aircraft missile system was delivered by air to Latakia and deployed in a new position area,” says Hüpenen.

Nevertheless, according to the interlocutors of Gazeta.Ru, the proper conclusions about the results of the reforms recent decades is not done. Modern leaders of the Aerospace Forces still lack the understanding that, in addition to their relatives and close branches of the armed forces, there are others in the new branch of the Armed Forces that are no less significant and very effective in combat. Moreover, a systematic increase in the combat capabilities of air defense groupings in strategic directions due to new types of weapons is not the solution to all problems.

“Today, the creation of a unified system of the country's aerospace defense in the Commander-in-Chief of the Aerospace Forces is not even out of the question, apparently everyone is satisfied with the current state of affairs. No one wants to come up with an alternative point of view that contradicts the position of the leadership of the military districts, and even more so the General Staff, ”explained the interlocutor of Gazeta.Ru, who is close to the leadership of the VKS.

The creation at one time under the leadership of Marshal Pavel Batitsky of a unified command and control system for the air defense forces of the country was the first and, most importantly, a successful example of the implementation of the idea of ​​​​forming strategic associations in the areas of armed struggle, the former chief of the Main Staff of the Air Defense Forces Colonel-General of Aviation states.

“Subsequently, this was implemented in the corresponding systems automated control, and for each element of the created structure, starting from the High Command of the country's air defense, air defense formations and ending with formations, units and subunits - up to individual companies inclusive,” emphasizes Maltsev.

According to him, great experience conducted major exercises to repel massive air strikes confirmed the success of this system in different conditions, and this finally convinced the leadership of the air defense that with the outbreak of hostilities, no restructuring of the troops would be required.

The success of the system also consisted in the fact that, depending on the situation, it provided both centralized combat command and control of the air defense forces and decentralized, moreover, in each link of the system in accordance with the assigned combat missions.

1. Introduction

The purpose of this work is to study the history of the development of air defense forces in the USSR and Russia in the period from the 50s of the XX century to the present. The relevance of the topic is emphasized by the fact that as a result of modern scientific and technological progress military science more and more attention is being paid to technologies related to air defense in order to reliably protect Russia's air borders and counter the "global" strike planned by NATO.

Unfortunately, along with brilliant ideas that make life easier for a person and give him new opportunities, there are ideas no less brilliant, but representing a destructive force and a threat to humanity. A number of states now have a multitude of space satellites, aircraft, intercontinental ballistic missiles, and nuclear warheads.

With the advent of new military technologies and formidable forces, forces opposing them always arise on their basis, as a result, new means of air defense (air defense) and anti-missile defense (ABM) appear.

We are interested in the development and experience of using the first air defense systems, starting from the s-25 (adopted into service in 1955), to new modern systems. Also of interest are the possibilities of other countries in the development and use of air defense systems, and the general prospects for the development of air defense systems. main task we put in determining how Russia is protected from potential military threats from the air. Air superiority and long-range strikes have always been a focus opposing sides in any conflict, even potential. It is important for us to understand the capabilities of our country in ensuring air security, because the presence of powerful and modern systems Air defense gives a guarantee of security not only to us, but to the whole world. The weapons of deterrence in the 21st century are by no means limited to the nuclear shield.

2. The history of the emergence of air defense forces

The phrase comes to mind: "A wise man prepares for war in peacetime" - Horace.

Everything in our world appears for some reason and with purpose. The emergence of air defense forces is no exception. Their formation was due to the fact that in many countries the first aircraft and military aviation began to appear. At the same time, the development of weapons to combat the enemy in the air began.

In 1914, the very first air defense weapon, a submachine gun, was manufactured at the Putilov factory in St. Petersburg. It was used in the defense of Petrograd against German air raids during the First World War at the end of 1914.

Each state strives to win the war and Germany is no exception, its new JU 88 V-5 bombers from September 1939 began to fly at altitudes reaching 5000 meters, which brought them out of the reach of the first air defense guns, which required modernization of weapons and new ideas for its development.

It should be noted that the arms race in the 20th century was a powerful engine for the development of weapons systems and military equipment. During the Cold War, the first anti-aircraft missile stations (SAM) and anti-aircraft missile systems (SAM) were developed. In our country, a great contribution to the creation and development of new air defense systems was made by the design engineer Veniamin Pavlovich Efremov, who took part in the development of the S-25Yu radar system, where he showed his talent. He took part in the development of the Tor, S-300V, Buk air defense systems and all their subsequent upgrades.

3. S-25 "Berkut"

3.1 History of creation

After the Second World War, military aviation switched to using jet engines, flight speeds and altitudes increased significantly, outdated anti-aircraft artillery could no longer provide reliable cover in the air, and their combat effectiveness was significantly reduced. So there was a need for new air defense systems.

On August 9, 1950, a resolution was adopted by the Council of Ministers of the USSR on the creation of an air defense missile system controlled by a radar network. Organizational work on this issue was entrusted to the Third Main Directorate under the Council of Ministers of the USSR, personally supervised by L.P. Beria.

The development of the Berkut system was carried out by KB-1 (design bureau), and now OJSC GSKB of the Almaz-Antey Air Defense Concern, headed by K.M. Gerasimov, Deputy Minister of Arms of the USSR and son of L.P. Beria - S.L .Beria, who was the chief designer together with P.N. Kuksenko. At the same time, V-300 missiles were developed for this complex.

According to the plan of the military strategists of the USSR, it was supposed to place two rings of radar detection around Moscow at a distance of 25-30 and 200-250 km from the city. The Kama stations were to become the main control stations. The B-200 stations were also developed to control missile launches.

It was planned to include in the Berkut complex not only a missile resource, but also interceptor aircraft based on Tu-4 bombers. This plan was not carried out. "Berkut" after rigorous testing was adopted on May 7, 1955.

The main performance characteristics (TTX) of this system:

1) hitting a target with a speed of up to 1500 km / h;

2) target height 5-20 km;

3) distance to the target up to 35 km;

4) the number of hit targets - 20;

5) the shelf life of missiles in the warehouse is 2.5 years, on the launcher 6 months.

For the 50s of the twentieth century, this system was the most advanced, designed using the most advanced technologies. It was a real breakthrough! Not a single anti-aircraft missile system of that time had such broad capabilities for detecting and hitting targets. Multi-channel radar stations were a novelty, because. Until the end of the 1960s, there were no analogues of such systems in the world. In developing radar stations participated Soviet scientist, designer Efremov Veniamin Pavlovich.

However, such a perfect air defense system of that time had a colossal cost and high maintenance costs. It was advisable to use it only to cover especially important objects; it was not possible to cover the entire territory with it. The air defense plan provided for covering the area around Leningrad, but this project was not implemented due to its high cost.

Another disadvantage was that the Berkut had low mobility, which made it extremely vulnerable to nuclear strike enemy. In addition, the system was designed to repel a large number of enemy bombers, and by that time the war strategy had changed and the bombers began to fly in small units, which significantly reduced the chances of their detection. It should also be noted that low-flying bombers and cruise missiles were able to bypass this defense system.

3.2 Goals, objectives and experience with the use of S-25

The S-25 complex was developed and put into service in order to protect strategically important objects from enemy aircraft and cruise missiles. According to the general plan, the ground elements of the complex were supposed to monitor the air target, process the received data and issue commands to the guided missile. It was supposed to start vertically and could hit a target at a distance of up to 70 meters from the place of its explosion (the error value of hitting the target).

At the end of July 1951, the first tests of the S-25 and the V-300 missile in particular began. Test runs consisted of several stages. The first 3 launches were to check the rocket at the start, check the characteristics, the time of dropping the gas rudders. The next 5 launches were carried out to test the missile control system. This time, only the second launch occurred without any failures. As a result, shortcomings in the rocket equipment and ground cables were revealed. The following months, until the end of 1951, test launches were carried out, which were crowned with some success, but the missiles still needed to be finalized.

In 1952, a series of launches were carried out aimed at testing various electronic equipment of the rocket. In 1953, after 10 series of launches, the rocket and other elements of the Berkut anti-aircraft missile system received a recommendation for mass production.

In the late spring of 1953, testing and measurement of the combat characteristics of the system began. The possibility of destroying Tu-4 and Il-28 aircraft was tested. The destruction of targets required from one to four missiles. The task was solved by two missiles, as it is established at the present time - 2 missiles are used simultaneously to completely destroy the target.

S-25 "Berkut" was used until the 60s of the twentieth century, after which it was modernized and became known as S-25M. New characteristics made it possible to destroy targets at a speed of 4200 km / h at altitudes from 1.5 to 30 km. The flight range was increased to 43 km, and the storage periods at the launcher and warehouse were increased to 5 and 15 years, respectively.

S-25M were in service with the USSR and protected the sky over Moscow and the Moscow region until the early 80s of the twentieth century. Subsequently, the missiles were replaced with more modern ones and decommissioned in 1988. The sky over our country, together with the S-25, was protected by the S-75 air defense systems, which were simpler, cheaper and had a sufficient degree of mobility.

3.3 Foreign analogues

In 1953, the United States adopted the MIM-3 Nike Ajax anti-aircraft missile system. The complex has been developed since 1946 as a means for the effective destruction of enemy aircraft. The radar system had one channel, unlike our multi-channel system, but was much cheaper and covered all cities and military bases. It consisted of two radars, one of which tracked the enemy target, and the second directed the missile at the target itself. The combat capabilities of the MIM-3 Nike Ajax and C-25 were about the same, although American system was simpler and by the time the S-75 complexes appeared in our country, there were several hundred MIM-3 complexes in the USA.

4. C-75

4.1 History of creation and performance characteristics

On November 20, 1953, the design of a mobile anti-aircraft missile system began on the basis of Decree of the Council of Ministers of the USSR No. 2838/1201 "On the creation of a mobile system of anti-aircraft guided missile weapons to combat enemy aircraft." At that time, tests of the S-25 complex were in full swing, but due to its enormous cost and low mobility, the S-25 could not protect all important facilities and places of concentration of troops. The development was entrusted to the management of KB-1 under the leadership of A.A. Raspletin. At the same time, the OKB-2 department began work under the leadership of P.D. Grushin, who was engaged in the design of the S-75 using the existing developments on the S-25 complex, including those that were not implemented. The missile created for this complex was called the B-750. It was equipped with two stages - starting and marching, which gave the rocket more initial speed at an inclined start. The SM-63 launchers and the PR-11 transport-loading vehicle were specially developed for it.

The complex was put into service in 1957. The characteristics of the S-75 allowed it to compete with its analogues from other states.

In total there were 3 modifications "Dvina", "Desna" and "Volkhov".

In the Desna variant, the target engagement range was 34 km, and in the Volkhov variant, up to 43 km.

Initially, the range of target engagement heights was from 3 to 22 km, but then in Desna it changed to a range of 0.5-30 km, and in Volkhov it became 0.4-30 km. The maximum speed of hitting targets reached 2300 km / h. In the future, these indicators were improved.

In the mid-70s, the complex began to be equipped with 9Sh33A television optical sights with an optical target tracking channel. This made it possible to guide the target and fire at it without the use of air defense radar systems in the radiation mode. And thanks to the "narrow" beam antennas, the minimum target engagement height was reduced to 100 meters, and the speed was increased to 3600 km / h.

Some of the missiles of the complex were equipped with a special nuclear warhead.

4.2 Goals, objectives and application experience.

The goals of creating the S-75 complex were to reduce the cost compared to the S-25, increase mobility so that it could protect the entire territory of our country. These goals have been achieved. In terms of its capabilities, the S-75 was not inferior to foreign counterparts and was supplied to many Warsaw Pact countries, to Algeria, Vietnam, Iran, Egypt, Iraq, Cuba, China, Libya, Yugoslavia, Syria and many others.

On October 7, 1959, for the first time in the history of air defense, a high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft, an American RB-57D aircraft belonging to the Taiwanese Air Force near Beijing, was shot down by an anti-aircraft guided missile of the S-75 complex. The reconnaissance flight altitude was 20,600 meters.

In the same year, on November 16, an S-75 shot down an American balloon near Stalingrad at an altitude of 28 km.

On May 1, 1960, an S-75 destroyed an American U-2 reconnaissance aircraft of the US Air Force over Sverdlovsk. However, on this day, a MiG-19 fighter of the USSR Air Force was also destroyed by mistake.

In the 60s, during the Caribbean crisis, a U-2 reconnaissance aircraft was also shot down. And then the Chinese Air Force shot down 5 US reconnaissance aircraft over its territory.

During the Vietnam War, according to the USSR Ministry of Defense, 1293 aircraft were destroyed by this complex, including 54 B-52 strategic bombers. But according to the Americans, the losses amounted to only 200 aircraft. In reality, the data of the USSR Ministry of Defense were somewhat overestimated, but in general the complex showed itself from the excellent side.

In addition, the S-75 complex participated in the 1969 Arab-Israeli conflict. During the War doomsday in the Middle East in 1973. In these battles, the complex perfectly demonstrated that it is able to protect the territory and people from enemy attacks.

In the Persian Gulf in 1991, the S-75 was defeated and 38 units were destroyed by electronic warfare and cruise missiles. But the complex managed to shoot down a 4th generation F-15 fighter.

In the 21st century, many countries use this complex, for example, Azerbaijan, Angola, Armenia, Egypt, Iran, but it’s worth moving on to more modern ones, not forgetting to mention foreign counterparts.

4.3 Foreign analogues

To replace the MIM-3, the Americans adopted the MIM-14 Nike-Hercules in 1958.

It was the world's first long-range anti-aircraft missile system - up to 140 km with a strike height of 45 km. The missiles of the complex were designed not only to destroy enemy aircraft, but also to intercept ballistic missiles and destroy ground targets.

MIM-14 Nike-Hercules remained the most advanced until the advent of the Soviet S-200. The large radius of destruction and the presence of a nuclear warhead made it possible to hit all the planes and missiles on the planet at that time.

The MIM-14 is superior to the C-75 in some respects, but in terms of mobility, the MIM-14 Nike-Hercules inherited the low mobility ailment of the MIM-3, which is inferior to the C-75.

5. S-125 "Neva"

5.1 History of creation and performance characteristics

First anti-aircraft missile systems, such as S-25, S-75, their foreign counterparts coped well with their task - the destruction of high-speed high-flying targets that are inaccessible to cannon anti-aircraft artillery and difficult to destroy for fighters.

Due to the fact that previous anti-aircraft missile systems have shown that they are capable of carrying out combat duty and participating in hostilities, it is natural that it was decided to extend this type of weapon to the entire range of heights and speeds of potential threats.

At that time, the minimum height for hitting targets with the S-25 and S-75 complexes was 1-3 km, which fully met the requirements of the early 50s of the twentieth century. But given this trend, it was to be expected that aviation would soon switch to a new method of warfare - combat at low altitudes. Realizing this fact, KB-1 and its head A.A. Raspletin were tasked with creating a low-altitude air defense system. Work began in the autumn of 1955. The latest system was supposed to serve to intercept low-flying targets at altitudes from 100 to 5000 meters at speeds up to 1500 km / h. The range of hitting targets was relatively small - only 12 km. But the main requirement was the full mobility of the complex with all its missiles, radar stations for tracking, control, reconnaissance and communications. The developments were carried out taking into account transportation on an automobile base, but transportation by rail, sea and air was also provided.

As with the S-75, the development of the S-125 used the experience of previous projects. The methods of searching, scanning and tracking the target were completely borrowed from the S-25 and S-75.

The big problem was the reflection of the antenna signal from the surface of the earth and its landscape. It was decided to place the antennas of the guidance stations at an angle, which gave a gradual increase in interference from reflection when tracking the target.

An innovation was the decision to create an automated missile launch system APP-125, which itself determined the boundary of the affected area and fired a missile due to the short time of enemy aircraft approach.

In the course of research and development, a special V-600P rocket was also developed - the first rocket designed according to the "duck" scheme, which provided the rocket with great maneuverability.

In the event of a miss, the rocket automatically went up and self-destructed.

Anti-aircraft missile regiments of the air defense of the USSR Armed Forces were equipped with SNR-125 guidance stations, guided missiles, transport-loading vehicles and interface cabins in 1961.

5.2

The S-125 "Neva" complex was designed to destroy low-flying enemy targets (100 - 5000 meters). Target recognition was provided at a distance of up to 110 km. The Neva had an automatic launch system. It is important to note that during the tests it was revealed that the probability of hitting a target without interference was 0.8-0.9, and the probability of hitting in passive interference was 0.49-0.88.

A large number of S-125s were sold abroad. The buyers were Egypt, Syria, Libya, Myanmar, Vietnam, Venezuela, Turkmenistan. The total cost of deliveries amounted to about $250 million. US dollars.

There were also various modifications of the S-125 for air defense (Neva), for the Navy (Volna) and Export (Pechora).

If we talk about the combat use of the complex, then in 1970 in Egypt, Soviet divisions destroyed 9 Israeli and 1 Egyptian aircraft with 35 missiles.

During the Yom Kippur War between Egypt and Israel, 21 aircraft were shot down by 174 rockets. And Syria shot down 33 aircraft with 131 missiles.

The real sensation was the moment when, on March 27, 1999, a Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk stealth tactical strike aircraft was shot down over Yugoslavia for the first time.

5.3 Foreign analogues

In 1960, the MIM-23 Hawk was adopted by the Americans. Initially, the complex was developed to destroy enemy aircraft, but was later upgraded to destroy missiles.

It was slightly better than our S-125 system in terms of its characteristics, as it could hit targets at altitudes from 60 to 11,000 meters at a distance of 2 to 25 km in its very first modifications. In the future, it was modernized many times until 1995. The Americans themselves did not use this complex in hostilities, but foreign states actively used it.

But, the practice is not so different. For example, during the October War of 1973, Israel fired 57 missiles from this complex, but none of them hit the target.

6. Z RK S-200

6.1 History of creation and performance characteristics

In the mid-1950s, in the context of the rapid development of supersonic aviation and thermonuclear weapons, it became necessary to create a long-range mobile anti-aircraft missile system that could solve the problem of intercepting a high-flying target. Given that the systems available at that time had a short range, it was very expensive to deploy them throughout the country for reliable protection against air strikes. Especially important was the organization of the defense of the northern territories, where there was the shortest distance of approach for American missiles and bombers. And if we take into account that northern regions Since our country is poorly equipped with road infrastructure and the population density is extremely low, a completely new air defense system was required.

According to the Government Decree of March 19, 1956 and May 8, 1957 No. 501 and No. 250, a large number of enterprises and workshops to develop a new long-range air defense system. General designer systems, as before, were A.A. Raspletin and P.D. Grushin.

First sketch new rocket The B-860 was introduced at the end of December 1959. Particular attention was paid to the protection of the internal structural elements of the rocket, since as a result of the flight of the rocket at hypersonic speed, the structures were heated.

The initial characteristics of the missile were far from those of foreign counterparts already in service, such as the MIM-14 Nike-Hercules. It was decided to increase the radius of destruction of supersonic targets up to 110-120 km, and subsonic - up to 160-180 km.

The new generation fire complex included: a command post, a radar for clarifying the situation, a digital computer and up to five firing channels. The firing channel of the firing complex included a target half-light radar, a starting position with six launchers, and power supply facilities.

This complex was put into service in 1967 and is currently in service.

The S-200 was produced in various modifications both for our country and for export to foreign countries.

The S-200 Angara was put into service in 1967. The maximum speed of the hit targets reached 1100 km/h, the number of simultaneously fired targets was 6. The height of the hit was from 0.5 to 20 km. Range of defeat from 17 to 180 km. The probability of hitting targets is 0.45-0.98.

S-200V "Vega" was put into service in 1970. The maximum speed of the hit targets reached 2300 km / h, the number of simultaneously fired targets was 6. The height of the hit was from 0.3 to 35 km. Range of defeat from 17 to 240 km. The probability of hitting targets is 0.66-0.99.

S-200D "Dubna" was put into service in 1975. The maximum speed of the hit targets reached 2300 km / h, the number of simultaneously fired targets was 6. The height of the hit was from 0.3 to 40 km. Range of defeat from 17 to 300 km. The probability of hitting targets is 0.72-0.99.

For a greater probability of hitting targets, the S-200 complex was combined with low-altitude S-125, from where the formations of anti-aircraft brigades of mixed composition came from.

By that time, long-range air defense systems were already well known in the West. US space intelligence facilities continuously recorded all stages of its deployment. According to American data, in 1970 the number of S-200 launchers was 1100, in 1975 - 1600, in 1980 -1900. The deployment of this system reached its peak in the mid-1980s, when the number of launchers amounted to 2030 units.

6.2 Goals, objectives and application experience

The S-200 was created as a long-range complex, its task was to cover the country's territory from enemy air strikes. A big plus was the increased range of the system, which made it economically possible to deploy it throughout the country.

It is worth noting that the S-200 was the first air defense system that was capable of the specific purpose of the Lockheed SR-71. For this reason, US reconnaissance aircraft have always flown only along the borders of the USSR and the Warsaw Pact countries.

The S-200 is also known for the tragic incident on October 4, 2001, when a civilian Tu-154 aircraft of Siberia Airlines was mistakenly shot down during exercises in Ukraine. Then 78 people died.

Speaking about the combat use of the complex, on December 6, 1983, the Syrian S-200 complex shot down two Israeli MQM-74 drones.

On March 24, 1986, the Libyan S-200 complex is believed to have shot down American attack aircraft, 2 of which were A-6Es.

The complexes were also in service in Libya in the recent conflict of 2011, but nothing is known about their use in it, except that after an air strike they were completely destroyed on the territory of Libya.

6.3 Foreign analogues

An interesting project was the Boeing CIM-10 Bomarc. This complex was developed from 1949 to 1957. It was put into service in 1959. Currently, it is considered the most long-range air defense system. The range of destruction of Bomarc-A was 450 km, and the modification of 1961 Bomarc-B was up to 800 km with a missile speed of almost 4000 km/h.

But, given that the USSR quickly grew its arsenal of strategic missiles, and this system could only hit aircraft and bombers, then in 1972 the system was withdrawn from service.

7. ZRK S-300

7.1 History of creation and performance characteristics

By the end of the 60s, the experience of using air defense systems in the wars in Vietnam and the Middle East showed that it was necessary to create a complex with the greatest mobility and a short transition time from marching and duty to combat and vice versa. The need is due to the rapid change of position before the arrival of enemy aircraft.

In the USSR at that time, the S-25, S-75, S-125 and S-200 were already in service. Progress did not stand still and it took a new weapon, more modern and versatile. Design work on the S-300 began in 1969. It was decided to create air defense for the ground forces S-300V ("Military"), S-300F ("Navy"), S-300P ("air defense of the country").

The chief designer of the S-300 was Veniamin Pavlovich Efremov. The system was developed taking into account the possibility of hitting ballistic and aerodynamic targets. The task of simultaneously tracking 6 targets and aiming 12 missiles at them was set and solved. For the first time, a system of full automation of the work of the complex was implemented. They included the tasks of detection, tracking, target distribution, target designation, target acquisition, its destruction and evaluation of the result. The crew (combat crew) was tasked with assessing the operation of the system and monitoring the launch of missiles. It was also assumed the possibility of manual intervention in the course of the combat system.

Serial production of the complex and testing began in 1975. By 1978, tests of the complex were completed. In 1979, the S-300P took up combat duty to protect the air borders of the USSR.

Important features are that the complex is capable of operating in various combinations within one modification, operating as part of a battery with various other combat units and systems.

In addition, it is permissible to use various means of camouflage, such as simulators of electromagnetic radiation in the infrared and radio ranges, camouflage nets.

The S-300 systems were widely used in the class of modifications. Separate modifications were developed for sale abroad. As can be seen in Figure No. 19, the S-300 was supplied abroad only for the fleet and air defense, as a means of protecting the Ground Forces, the complex remained only for our country. ​

All modifications are distinguished by various missiles, the ability to protect against electronic warfare, range and the ability to deal with short-range ballistic missiles or low-flying targets.

7.2 Main tasks, application and foreign analogues

The S-300 is designed to defend large industrial and administrative facilities, command posts, and military bases from attacks by enemy aerospace weapons.

According to official figures, the S-300 has never taken part in real hostilities. But, training launches are conducted in many countries.

Their results showed the high combat capability of the S-300.

The main tests of the complex were aimed at countering ballistic missiles. Aircraft were destroyed with just one missile, and two shots were enough to destroy missiles.

In 1995, a P-17 missile was shot down at the Kapustin Yar range during demonstration firing at the range. The training ground was attended by delegations from 11 countries. All targets were completely destroyed.

Speaking of foreign analogues, it is worth pointing out the famous American MIM-104 Patriot complex. It has been created since 1963. Its main task is to intercept enemy ballistic missiles, defeat aircraft at medium altitudes. It was put into service in 1982. This complex could not surpass the S-300. There were Patriot, Patriot PAC-1, Patriot PAC-2 complexes, which were put into service in 1982, 1986, 1987, respectively. Considering the performance characteristics of the Patriot PAC-2, we note that it could hit aerodynamic targets at ranges from 3 to 160 km, ballistic targets up to 20 km, altitude range from 60 meters to 24 km. The maximum target speed is 2200 m/s.

8. Modern air defense systems

8.1 Standing in service with the Russian Federation

The main topic of our work was the consideration of air defense systems of the "C" family, and we should start with the most modern S-400 in service with the RF Armed Forces.

S-400 "Triumph" - long-range and medium-range air defense systems. It is designed to destroy the enemy's means of aerospace attack, such as reconnaissance aircraft, ballistic missiles, hypersonic. This system was adopted relatively recently - April 28, 2007. The latest air defense system is capable of hitting aerodynamic targets at ranges up to 400 km and up to 60 km - ballistic targets, the speed of which does not exceed 4.8 km/s. The target itself is detected even earlier, at a distance of 600 km. The difference from the "Patriot" and other complexes is that the minimum target engagement height is only 5 m, which gives this complex a huge advantage over others, making it universal. The number of simultaneously fired targets is 36 with 72 guided missiles. The deployment time of the complex is 5-10 minutes, and the time to bring it to combat readiness- 3 minutes.

The Russian government agreed to sell this complex to China, but not earlier than 2016, when our country will be fully equipped with them.

It is believed that the S-400 has no analogues in the world.

The following complexes that we would like to consider in the framework of this work are TOR M-1 and TOR M-2. These are complexes designed to solve air defense and missile defense tasks at the divisional level. In 1991, the first TOR was put into service as a complex for protecting important administrative facilities and ground forces from all types of enemy air attacks. The complex is a short-range system - from 1 to 12 km, at altitudes from 10 meters to 10 km. The maximum speed of targets hit is 700 m / s.

TOR M-1 is an excellent complex. The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation refused China a license to produce it, and as you know, there is no concept of copyright in China, so they created their own copy of the Hongqi-17 TOP.

Since 2003, the Tunguska-M1 anti-aircraft gun-missile system has also been in service. It is designed to provide air defense for tank and motorized rifle units. Tunguska is capable of destroying helicopters, airplanes, cruise missiles, drones, tactical aircraft. It is also distinguished by the fact that both missile and cannon weapons are combined. Cannon armament - two 30-mm anti-aircraft double-barreled guns, the rate of fire of which is 5000 rounds per minute. It is capable of hitting targets at an altitude of up to 3.5 km, a range of 2.5 to 8 km for missiles, 3 km and from 200 meters to 4 km for anti-aircraft guns.

The next means of combating the enemy in the air, we would note the BUK-M2. This is a multifunctional, highly mobile medium-range air defense system. It is designed to destroy aircraft, tactical and strategic aviation, helicopters, drones, cruise missiles. BUK is used to protect military facilities and troops in general, throughout the country to protect industrial and administrative facilities.

It is very interesting to consider another air defense and missile defense weapon of our time, Pantsir-S1. It can be called an improved Tunguska model. This is also a self-propelled anti-aircraft missile and gun system. It is designed to cover civilian and military facilities, including long-range air defense systems, from all modern air attack weapons. Can do the same fighting and against ground, surface objects.

It was put into service quite recently - November 16, 2012. The missile unit is capable of hitting targets at altitudes from 15 m to 15 km and a range of 1.2-20 km. The target speed is not more than 1 km/s.

Cannon armament - two 30-mm anti-aircraft double-barreled guns used in the Tunguska-M1 complex.

Up to 6 machines can work simultaneously and together via a digital communication network.

known from Russian media that in 2014 the Shells were used in the Crimea and hit the drones of Ukraine.

8.2 Foreign analogues

Let's start with the well-known MIM-104 Patriot PAC-3. This is the most latest modification now in service with the US Army. Its main task is to intercept warheads of tactical ballistic and cruise missiles. modern world. It uses highly maneuverable direct-hit missiles. A feature of the PAC-3 is that it has a short range of hitting targets - up to 20 km for ballistic and 40-60 for aerodynamic targets. It is striking that the sale of the missile stock includes PAC-2 missiles. Modernization work was carried out, but this did not give the Patriot complex an advantage over the S-400.

Another object of consideration will be the M1097 Avenger. This is a short-range air defense system. Designed to destroy air targets at altitudes from 0.5 to 3.8 km with a range of 0.5 to 5.5 km. He, like the Patriot, is part of the National Guard, and after September 11, 12 Avenger combat units appeared in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe Congress and the White House.

The last complex that we will consider is the NASAMS air defense system. This is a Norwegian mobile anti-aircraft missile system, which is designed to destroy air targets at low and medium altitudes. It was developed by Norway together with the American company "Raytheon Company System". The range of hitting targets is from 2.4 to 40 km, the height is from 30 meters to 16 km. The maximum speed of the hit target is 1000 m/s, and the probability of hitting it with one missile is 0.85.

Consider what our neighbors, China, have? It should be noted right away that their developments in many areas, both in air defense and missile defense, are mostly borrowed. Many of their air defense systems are copies of our types of weapons. For example, take the Chinese HQ-9, a long-range anti-aircraft missile system that is China's most effective air defense system. The complex was developed back in the 80s, but work on it was completed after the purchase of the S-300PMU-1 air defense system from Russia in 1993.

Designed to destroy aircraft, cruise missiles, helicopters, ballistic missiles. The maximum range is 200 km, the height of the defeat is from 500 meters to 30 km. The interception range of ballistic missiles is 30 km.

9. Prospects for the development of air defense and future projects

Russia has the most modern means of combating enemy missiles and aircraft, but there are already defense projects 15-20 years ahead of time, when the place of air combat will be not only the sky, but also near outer space.

Such a complex is the S-500. This type of weapon has not yet been adopted for service, but is being tested. It is assumed that it will be capable of destroying medium-range ballistic missiles with a launch range of 3500 km and intercontinental ballistic missiles. This complex will be able to destroy targets within a radius of 600 km, the speed of which reaches 7 km / s. The detection range is supposed to be increased by 150-200 km compared to the S-400.

The BUK-M3 is also under development and should soon be put into service.

Thus, we note that soon the air defense and missile defense forces will have to defend and fight not only close to the ground, but also in the nearest space. This shows that development will go in the direction of combating enemy aircraft, missiles and satellites in near space.

10. Conclusion

In our work, we examined the development of the air defense system of our country and the United States in the period from the 50s of the twentieth century to the present day, partly looking into the future. It should be noted that the development of the air defense system was not easy for our country, it was a real breakthrough through a number of difficulties. There was a time when we tried to catch up with world military technology. Now everything is different, Russia occupies a leading position in the field of combating enemy aircraft and missiles. We can really consider that we are under reliable protection.

As we have already noted, at first 60 years ago they fought low-flying bombers at subsonic speeds, and now the battle arena is gradually being transferred to near space and hypersonic speeds. Progress does not stand still, so you should think about the prospects for the development of your Armed Forces and predict the actions and development of technologies and tactics of the enemy.

We hope that all the military technology now available will not be needed for combat use. In our time, weapons of deterrence are not only nuclear weapons, but also any other types of weapons, including air defense and missile defense.

List of used literature

1) Anti-aircraft missile forces in the wars in Vietnam and the Middle East (in the period 1965-1973). Under the general editorship of Colonel-General of Artillery I.M. Gurinov. Military publishing house of the Ministry of Defense of the USSR, Moscow 1980

2) General information about the S-200 anti-aircraft missile system and the 5V21A missile device. Tutorial. Military publishing house of the Ministry of Defense of the USSR, Moscow - 1972

3) Berkut. Technical project. Section 1. General characteristics of the Berkut air defense system. 1951

4) Tactics of anti-aircraft missile troops. Textbook. Military publishing house of the Ministry of Defense of the USSR, Moscow - 1969

5) http://www.arms-expo.ru/ "Arms of Russia" - federal directory

6) http://militaryrussia.ru/ - domestic military equipment(after 1945)

7) http://topwar.ru/ - military review

Http://rbase.new-factoria.ru/ - rocket technology

9) https://ru.wikipedia.org - free encyclopedia

To write this article, I was largely prompted by the excessive jingoistic moods of a significant part of the visitors of the Military Review website, which I respect, as well as the cunning of the domestic media, which regularly publish materials about the strengthening of our country, unprecedented since Soviet times. military power, including the Air Force and Air Defense.

For example, in a number of media outlets, including on "VO", in the section "" not so long ago an article was published entitled: "Two air defense divisions began to protect the airspace of Siberia, the Urals and the Volga region."

In which it is said: “The assistant commander of the troops of the Central Military District, Colonel Yaroslav Roshchupkin, said that two divisions of air defense took up combat duty, starting to protect the airspace of Siberia, the Urals and the Volga region.

“The duty forces of two divisions of air defense took up combat duty to cover administrative, industrial and military facilities in the Volga region, the Urals and Siberia. New formations were formed on the basis of the Novosibirsk and Samara aerospace defense brigades, ”RIA Novosti quotes him as saying.

Combat crews equipped with S-300PS anti-aircraft missile systems will cover the airspace over the territory of 29 constituent entities of the Russian Federation, which are included in the area of ​​​​responsibility of the Central Military District.

After such news, an inexperienced reader may get the impression that our air defense anti-aircraft missile units have received qualitative and quantitative reinforcement with new anti-aircraft systems.

In practice, in this case, no quantitative, much less qualitative strengthening of our air defense has happened. It all comes down to just changing the organizational structure. New technology did not enter the troops.

The S-300PS anti-aircraft missile system mentioned in the publication, with all its advantages, cannot be considered new in any way.

S-300PS with 5V55R missiles was put into service back in 1983. That is, more than 30 years have passed since the adoption of this system. But at present, in the anti-aircraft missile units of air defense, more than half of the long-range S-300P air defense systems belong to this modification.

In the near future (two or three years), most of the S-300PS will either have to be written off or overhauled. However, it is not known which option is economically preferable, the modernization of old or the construction of new anti-aircraft systems.

The earlier towed version of the S-300PT has either been decommissioned or transferred "for storage" without any chance of returning to the troops.

The most "fresh" complex from the "three hundredth" S-300PM family was delivered to the Russian army in the mid-90s. Most of anti-aircraft missiles currently in service, was produced at the same time.

The new, widely advertised S-400 anti-aircraft missile system has just begun to enter service. In total, as of 2014, 10 regimental kits were delivered to the troops. Taking into account the upcoming mass write-off of military equipment that has exhausted its resource, this amount is absolutely not enough.

Of course, experts, of whom there are many on the site, can reasonably object that the S-400 is significantly superior in its capabilities to the systems it is replacing. However, one should not forget that the means of air attack of the main "potential partner" are constantly being improved qualitatively. In addition, as follows from "open sources", mass production of promising 9M96E and 9M96E2 missiles and 40N6E ultra-long-range missiles has not yet been established. Currently, the S-400 uses 48N6E, 48N6E2, 48N6E3 SAM S-300PM missiles, as well as 48N6DM missiles modified for the S-400.

In total, according to "open sources", in our country there are about 1500 launchers of the S-300 family of air defense systems - this, apparently, taking into account the air defense units of the ground forces that are "in storage" and in service.

Today, Russian air defense forces (those that are part of the Air Force and Air Defense) have 34 regiments with S-300PS, S-300PM and S-400 air defense systems. In addition, not so long ago, several anti-aircraft missile brigades, converted into regiments, were transferred to the Air Force and Air Defense from the air defense of the ground forces - two 2-divisional S-300V and Buk brigades and one mixed (two S-300V divisions , one Buk division). Thus, in the troops we have 38 regiments, including 105 divisions.

However, these forces are distributed extremely unevenly throughout the country, Moscow is best protected, around which there are ten regiments of S-300P air defense systems (two of them have two S-400 divisions each).

The northern capital, St. Petersburg, is well covered. The sky above it is protected by two regiments of S-300PS and two regiments of S-300PM.

Satellite image of Google Earth. Scheme of placement of air defense systems around St. Petersburg

The bases of the Northern Fleet in Murmansk, Severomorsk and Polyarny are covered by three S-300PS and S-300PM regiments, at the Pacific Fleet in the Vladivostok and Nakhodka regions - two S-300PS regiments, and the Nakhodka regiment received two S-400 divisions. Avacha Bay in Kamchatka, where SSBNs are based, is covered by one S-300PS regiment.

Satellite image of Google Earth. ZRS S-400 in the vicinity of Nakhodka

The Kaliningrad region and the BF base in Baltiysk are protected from air attack by the S-300PS/S-400 mixed regiment.

Satellite image of Google Earth. ZRS S-400 in Kaliningrad region on the former positions of the S-200 air defense system

Recently, there has been an increase in the anti-aircraft cover of the Black Sea Fleet. Prior to the well-known events related to Ukraine, a mixed regiment with S-300PM and S-400 divisions was deployed in the Novorossiysk region.

At present, there is a significant strengthening of the air defense of the main naval base of the Black Sea Fleet - Sevastopol. It is reported that in November the peninsula's air defense group was replenished with S-300PM air defense systems. Taking into account the fact that complexes of this type are currently not produced by industry for their own needs, most likely they were transferred from another region of the country.

In terms of air defense cover, the central region of our country resembles a "patchwork quilt" in which there are more holes than patches. There is one S-300PS regiment each in the Novgorod region, near Voronezh, Samara and Saratov. Rostov region cover one S-300PM and Buk regiment each.

In the Urals, near Yekaterinburg, there are positions of an anti-aircraft missile regiment armed with S-300PS. Beyond the Urals, in Siberia, only three regiments are deployed on a gigantic territory, one S-300PS regiment each near Novosibirsk, in Irkutsk and Achinsk. In Buryatia, not far from the Dzhida station, one regiment of the Buk air defense system is deployed.

Satellite image of Google Earth. ZRS S-300PS near Irkutsk

In addition to anti-aircraft systems protecting the fleet bases in Primorye and Kamchatka, in the Far East there are two more S-300PS regiments covering Khabarovsk (Knyaz-Volkonskoye) and Komsomolsk-on-Amur (Lian), respectively, one S-300PS regiment is deployed in the vicinity of Birobidzhan. 300V.

That is, the entire vast Far Eastern Federal District is protected by: one regiment of mixed S-300PS / S-400, four regiments of S-300PS, one regiment of S-300V. This is all that remains of the once powerful 11th Air Defense Army.

The "holes" between the air defense facilities in the east of the country are several thousand kilometers long, anyone and anything can fly into them. However, not only in Siberia and the Far East, but throughout the country, a huge number of critical industrial and infrastructure facilities are not covered by any air defense systems.

In a significant part of the country's territory, nuclear and hydroelectric power plants remain unprotected, air strikes on which can lead to catastrophic consequences. Vulnerability from air attack means of deployment of Russian strategic nuclear forces provokes “potential partners” to attempt a “disarming strike” with high-precision means of destroying non-nuclear equipment.

In addition, long-range anti-aircraft systems themselves need protection. They need to be covered from the air with short-range air defense systems. Today, regiments with the S-400 receive the Pantsir-S air defense missile systems for this (2 per division), but the S-300P and B are not covered by anything, except, of course, for effective protection of anti-aircraft machine gun installations of 12.7 mm caliber.

"Pantsir-S"

The situation with the lighting of the air situation is no better. This should be done by radio engineering troops, their functional duty is to issue early information about the beginning of an enemy air attack, provide target designation for anti-aircraft missile forces and air defense aviation, as well as information for controlling air defense formations, units and subunits.

During the years of “reforms”, the continuous radar field formed during the Soviet era was partially, and in some places completely lost.
At present, there is practically no possibility of controlling the air situation over the polar latitudes.

Until recently, our political and former military leadership, apparently, was preoccupied with other more pressing issues, such as the reduction of the armed forces and the sale of "surplus" military equipment and real estate.

Only recently, at the end of 2014, the Minister of Defense, General of the Army Sergei Shoigu, announced measures that should help correct the existing situation in this area.

As part of the expansion of our military presence in the Arctic, it is planned to build and reconstruct existing facilities on the New Siberian Islands and Franz Josef Land, reconstruct airfields and deploy modern radar stations in Tiksi, Naryan-Mar, Alykel, Vorkuta, Anadyr and Rogachevo. The creation of a continuous radar field over the territory of Russia should be completed by 2018. At the same time, it is planned to upgrade radar stations and data processing and transmission facilities by 30%.

Separate mention deserves fighter aircraft, designed to deal with enemy air attack weapons and carry out tasks to gain air superiority. Currently, the Russian Air Force formally has (taking into account those in "storage") about 900 fighters, of which: Su-27 of all modifications - more than 300, Su-30 of all modifications - about 50, Su-35S - 34, MiG -29 of all modifications - about 250, MiG-31 of all modifications - about 250.

It should be borne in mind that a significant part of the Russian fighter fleet is only nominally in the Air Force. Many aircraft produced in the late 80s and early 90s require major repairs and modernization. In addition, due to problems with the supply of spare parts and the replacement of failed avionics units, some of the upgraded fighters are in fact, as the aviators put it, "doves of peace." They can still take to the air, but they can fully perform combat mission- not anymore.

The past year 2014 was notable for the volumes of deliveries of aviation equipment to the Russian armed forces that were unprecedented since the times of the USSR.

In 2014, our Air Force received 24 Su-35S multifunctional fighters manufactured by the Yu.A. Gagarin in Komsomolsk-on-Amur (branch of Sukhoi Company OJSC):

Twenty of them became part of the reconstructed 23rd Fighter Aviation Regiment of the 303rd Guards Mixed Aviation Division of the 3rd Air Force and Air Defense Command of Russia at the Dzemgi airfield (Khabarovsk Territory), which is joint with the plant.

All these fighters were built under a contract dated August 2009 with the Russian Ministry of Defense for the construction of 48 Su-35S fighters. Thus, the total number of vehicles manufactured under this contract by the beginning of 2015 reached 34.

The production of Su-30SM fighters for the Russian Air Force is carried out by the Irkut Corporation under two contracts for 30 aircraft each, concluded with the Russian Ministry of Defense in March and December 2012. After the delivery of 18 vehicles in 2014, the total number of Su-30SMs delivered to the Russian Air Force reached 34 units.

Eight more Su-30M2 fighters were produced by the Yu.A. Gagarin in Komsomolsk-on-Amur.

Three fighters of this type entered the newly formed 38th Fighter Aviation Regiment of the 27th Mixed Aviation Division of the 4th Air Force and Air Defense Command of Russia at the Belbek airfield (Crimea).

The Su-30M2 aircraft were built under a contract dated December 2012 for the supply of 16 Su-30M2 fighters, bringing the total number of aircraft built under this contract to 12, and the total number of Su-30M2 in the Russian Air Force to 16.

However, this significant amount by today's standards is absolutely not enough to replace fighter regiments written off due to the complete physical deterioration of aircraft.

Even if the current pace of deliveries of aircraft to the troops is maintained, according to forecasts, in five years the fighter fleet of the Russian Air Force will be reduced to about 600 aircraft.

During the next five years, about 400 Russian fighters will probably be written off - up to 40% of the current payroll.

This is primarily due to the upcoming decommissioning of the old-built MiG-29s (about 200 units) in the very near future. Due to problems with the airframe, about 100 aircraft have already been rejected.

The non-modernized Su-27s, whose flight life is ending in the near future, will also be decommissioned. The number of MiG-31 interceptors will be reduced by more than half. As part of the Air Force, it is planned to leave 30-40 MiG-31s ​​in DZ and BS modifications, another 60 MiG-31s ​​will be upgraded to the BM version. The remaining MiG-31s ​​(about 150 units) are planned to be written off.

Partially, the shortage of long-range interceptors should be resolved after the start of mass deliveries of the PAK FA. It was announced that it is planned to purchase up to 60 PAK FA units by 2020, but so far these are only plans that are likely to undergo significant adjustments.

The Russian Air Force has 15 AWACS A-50 aircraft (another 4 are in “storage”), recently they were supplemented by 3 modernized A-50U.
The first A-50U was delivered to the Russian Air Force in 2011.

As a result of the work carried out as part of the modernization, the functionality of the airborne early warning and control complex has significantly increased. The number of simultaneously tracked targets and simultaneously guided fighters has been increased, the detection range of various aircraft has been increased.

The A-50 should be replaced by the A-100 AWACS aircraft based on the Il-76MD-90A with the PS-90A-76 engine. The antenna complex is built on the basis of an antenna with an active phased array.

At the end of November 2014 TANTK them. G. M. Beriev received the first Il-76MD-90A aircraft for conversion into A-100 AWACS aircraft. Deliveries to the Russian Air Force are scheduled to begin in 2016.

All domestic aircraft AWACS are based on a permanent basis in the European part of the country. Beyond the Urals, they appear quite rarely, for the most part during large-scale exercises.

Unfortunately, loud statements from high tribunes about the revival of our Air Force and Air Defense often have little in common with reality. Absolute irresponsibility for the promises made by high-ranking civil and military officials has become an unpleasant tradition in the "new" Russia.

As part of the state armaments program, it was supposed to have twenty-eight 2-divisional S-400 regiments and up to ten divisions of the latest S-500 air defense system (the latter should perform tasks not only for air defense and tactical missile defense, but also for strategic missile defense) by 2020. Now there is no doubt that these plans will be thwarted. The same fully applies to plans for the production of PAK FA.

However, no one, as usual, will be seriously punished for disrupting the state program. After all, we “do not hand over our own”, and “we are not in our 37th year”, right?

P. S. All the information provided in the article regarding the Russian Air Force and Air Defense is taken from open public sources, the list of which is given. The same applies to possible inaccuracies and errors.

Sources of information:
http://rbase.new-factoria.ru
http://bmpd.livejournal.com
http://geimint.blogspot.ru
Satellite imagery courtesy of Google Earth

Svyatoslav Petrov

Russia celebrated the Day of Military Air Defense on Tuesday. Control over the sky is one of the most urgent tasks for ensuring the security of the country. Air defense units of the Russian Federation are replenished with the latest radar and anti-aircraft systems, some of them have no analogues in the world. As the Ministry of Defense expects, the current pace of rearmament will allow by 2020 to significantly increase the combat capabilities of the units. Due to what Russia has become one of the leaders in the field of air defense, RT understood.

• The calculation of the self-propelled firing system alerts the Buk-M1-2 air defense system
• Kirill Braga / RIA Novosti

On December 26, Russia celebrates Military Air Defense Day. The formation of this type of troops began with the decree of Nicholas II, signed exactly 102 years ago. Then the emperor ordered to send an automobile battery to the front in the Warsaw region, designed to destroy enemy aircraft. The first air defense system in Russia was created on the basis of the chassis of the Russo-Balt T truck, on which a 76-mm Lender-Tarnovsky anti-aircraft gun was installed.

Now Russian forces air defense are divided into military air defense, the units of which are part of ground forces, Airborne Forces and Navy, as well as an air defense / missile defense facility, parts of which belong to the aerospace forces.

Military air defense is responsible for covering military infrastructure, groupings of troops at permanent deployment points and during various maneuvers. Objective air defense / missile defense performs strategic tasks related to protecting Russia's borders from air attack and covering some of the most important objects.

The military air defense is armed with medium and short-range complexes, a military expert, director of the air defense museum in Balashikha, Yuri Knutov, said in an interview with RT. At the same time, the site air defense/missile defense systems are provided with systems that allow monitoring airspace and hitting targets at long distances.

“Military air defense should have high mobility and cross-country ability, fast deployment time, enhanced survivability and the ability to work as autonomously as possible. Objective air defense is included in the overall defense control system and can detect and hit the enemy at long distances, ”Knutov said.

According to the expert, the experience of local conflicts of recent decades, including the Syrian operation, demonstrates the urgent need to cover ground forces from air threats. Airspace control is critical in a theater of operations (theatre).

So, in Syria, the Russian military deployed the S-300V4 anti-aircraft missile system (SAM) (military air defense weapon) to protect the naval support point in Tartus, and the S-400 Triumph system (refers to the object air defense / missile defense system) is responsible for the air defense of the Khmeimim airbase. ).

• Self-propelled launcher ZRS S-300V
• Evgeny Biyatov / RIA Novosti

“Who owns the sky wins the battle on earth. Without air defense systems, ground equipment becomes an easy target for aviation. Examples are the military defeats of Saddam Hussein's army in Iraq, the Serbian army in the Balkans, terrorists in Iraq and Syria," Knutov explained.

In his opinion, the lag in the aviation sector from the United States became an incentive for the rapid development of anti-aircraft technology in the USSR. The Soviet government accelerated the development of air defense systems and radar stations (RLS) in order to neutralize the superiority of the Americans.

“We were forced to defend ourselves against threats from the air. However, this historical lag has led to the fact that for the last 50-60 years our country has been creating the best air defense systems in the world, which have no equal, ”the expert emphasized.

far frontier

On December 26, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that at present the military air defense is at the stage of rearmament. The military department expects that the arrival of the latest air defense systems will allow by 2020 to significantly increase the combat capabilities of the air defense forces. Earlier, plans were announced to increase the share of modern equipment in military air defense to 70% in 2020.

"AT current year the anti-aircraft missile brigade of the Western Military District received the Buk-MZ medium-range anti-aircraft missile system, and the anti-aircraft missile regiments of the combined arms formations received the Tor-M2 short-range anti-aircraft missile systems, the air defense units of the combined arms formations received the latest Verba anti-aircraft missile systems, - noted in the Ministry of Defense.

The main developers of air defense systems in Russia are NPO Almaz-Antey and the Design Bureau of Mechanical Engineering. Air defense systems are divided among themselves according to a number of characteristics, one of the main ones is the range of interception of an air target. There are complexes of long-range, medium and small ranges.

In military air defense, the S-300 air defense system is responsible for the long line of defense. The system was developed in the USSR in the 1980s, but has undergone many upgrades, which improved its combat effectiveness.

Most modern version complex - S-300V4. The air defense system is armed with three types of guided hypersonic two-stage solid-propellant missiles: light (9M83M), medium (9M82M) and heavy (9M82MD).

C-300B4 provides simultaneous destruction of 16 ballistic missiles and 24 aerodynamic targets (aircraft and drones) at a distance of up to 400 km (heavy missile), 200 km ( medium rocket) or 150 km (light rocket), at an altitude of up to 40 km. This air defense system is capable of hitting targets whose speed can reach up to 4500 m/s.

The S-300V4 includes launchers (9A83 / 9A843M), radar systems for software (9S19M2 "Ginger") and all-round visibility (9S15M "Obzor-3"). All machines have tracked chassis and therefore are all-terrain vehicles. The S-300V4 is capable of long-term combat duty in the most extreme natural and climatic conditions.

The C-300V4 entered service in 2014. The Western Military District was the first to receive this missile system. The latest anti-aircraft missile systems were used to protect the Olympic facilities in Sochi in 2014, and later the air defense system was deployed to cover Tartus. In the future, the C-300V4 will replace all long-range military systems.

“The S-300V4 is capable of fighting both aircraft and missiles. The main problem of our time in the field of air defense is the fight against hypersonic missiles. S-300V4 air defense missiles due to the dual homing system and high flight characteristics capable of hitting almost all types of modern ballistic, tactical and cruise missiles, ”said Knutov.

According to the expert, the United States was hunting for S-300 technologies - and at the turn of the 1980-1990s they managed to get several Soviet air defense systems. On the basis of these complexes, the United States developed the THAAD air defense / missile defense system and improved the characteristics of the Patriot air defense system, but the Americans could not completely repeat the success of Soviet specialists.

"Shoot and forget"

In 2016, the Buk-M3 medium-range anti-aircraft missile system entered service with the military air defense. This is the fourth generation of the Buk air defense system created in the 1970s. It is designed to destroy maneuvering aerodynamic, radio-contrast ground and surface targets.

The air defense system provides simultaneous shelling of up to 36 air targets flying from any direction at a speed of up to 3 km / s, at a distance of 2.5 km to 70 km and an altitude of 15 m to 35 km. The launcher can carry both six (9K317M) and 12 (9A316M) missiles in transport and launch containers.

The Buk-M3 is equipped with 9M317M two-stage solid-propellant anti-aircraft guided missiles, which are capable of hitting a target in conditions of active radio suppression by the enemy. To do this, the 9M317M design provides for two homing modes at the end points of the route.

The maximum flight speed of the Buk-M3 rocket is 1700 m/s. This allows it to hit almost all types of operational-tactical ballistic and aeroballistic missiles.

The Buk-M3 divisional set consists of an air defense system command post (9S510M), three detection and target designation stations (9S18M1), an illumination and guidance radar (9S36M), at least two launchers, and also transport-loading vehicles (9T243M). All military medium-range air defense systems are planned to be replaced by Buk-M2 and Buk-M3.

“In this complex, a unique rocket with an active warhead has been implemented. It allows you to implement the "fire and forget" principle, since the missile has the ability to homing on a target, which is especially important in conditions of radio suppression by the enemy. Moreover, the updated Buk complex is capable of tracking and firing at several targets at the same time, which significantly increases its effectiveness, ”said Knutov.

fire on the march

Since 2015, the Tor-M2 short-range air defense systems began to enter the Russian army. There are two versions of this technique - "Tor-M2U" for Russia on caterpillar tracks and export "Tor-M2E" on a wheeled chassis.

The complex is designed to protect motorized rifle and tank formations from air-to-ground missiles, corrected and guided bombs, anti-radar missiles and other new generation high-precision weapons.

"Tor-M2" can hit targets at a distance of 1 km to 15 km, at an altitude of 10 m to 10 km, flying at speeds up to 700 m/s. The capture and tracking of the target in this case occur in automatic mode with the ability to conduct almost continuous fire at several targets in turn. In addition, the unique air defense system has increased noise immunity.

According to Knutov, the Tor-M2 and the Pantsir anti-aircraft gun-missile system are the only vehicles in the world capable of firing on the march. Along with this, Thor has implemented a number of measures to automate and protect the complex from interference, which greatly facilitates the crew's combat mission.

“The machine itself selects the most suitable targets, while people can only give a command to open fire. The complex can partly solve the issues of combating cruise missiles, although it is most effective against enemy attack aircraft, helicopters and drones, ”the RT interlocutor emphasized.

Technology of the future

Yuri Knutov believes that Russian air defense systems will continue to improve, taking into account latest trends in the development of aviation and rocket technology. SAM systems of the future generation will become more versatile, will be able to recognize subtle targets and hit hypersonic missiles.

The expert drew attention to the fact that the role of automation has increased significantly in military air defense. It not only allows you to unload the crew of combat vehicles, but also insures against possible errors. In addition, the Air Defense Forces implement the principle of network-centrism, that is, interspecific interaction in the theater of operations within the framework of a single information field.

“The most effective means of air defense will manifest themselves when a common network of interaction and control appears. This will bring the combat capabilities of vehicles to a completely different level - both in joint operations as part of a joint link, and in the presence of a global intelligence and information space. The efficiency and awareness of the command will increase, as well as the overall coherence of the formations, ”explained Knutov.

Along with this, he noted that air defense systems are often used as an effective weapon against ground targets. In particular, the Shilka anti-aircraft artillery system proved to be excellent in the fight against the armored vehicles of terrorists in Syria. Military air defense units, according to Knutov, may in the future receive a more universal purpose and be used in the protection of strategic facilities.