Work continues on the Sosna advanced anti-aircraft missile system for air defense of ground forces. Not so long ago, the developers of this air defense system showed a prototype corresponding to the expected serial configuration. Unlike the previous prototype, built on the MT-LB transporter chassis, the new prototype is based on the BMP-3 vehicle. This gives the complex well-known advantages, which are favorably combined with other positive qualities.
Serial appearance
Serial samples of "Pine" in their appearance will correspond to the recently shown prototype. The air defense missile system is proposed to be built on the chassis of the BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicle and equipped with a new launcher with target equipment. On such a module, made in the form of a rotary tower, two packages with six missiles on each are installed.
The launcher is based on a gyro-stabilized platform. It has an optical and thermal imaging camera, a laser rangefinder with a missile control function, a state recognition system and control equipment. Search and tracking of targets are carried out by optical-electronic means. The missile is guided using a laser beam guided by an automation. The SAM equipment can operate in fully automatic or semi-automatic modes.
The defeat of targets is carried out using the 9M340 "Sosna-R" anti-aircraft missile. This product weighing 30 kg is made according to the bicaliber scheme and is capable of speeds up to 900 m / s, as well as maneuvering with an overload of up to 40. It provides destruction of targets at ranges up to 10 km and altitudes up to 5 km. Used two warheads - armor-piercing and fragmentation. The aiming of the missile defense system is provided by the automation of ground-based air defense missile systems controlled by a laser beam.
SAM "Sosna" is operated by a crew of two - a driver and an operator. The complex can interact with third-party air defense systems, receiving or transmitting data on the air situation. The mission of "Sosny" is to escort troops on the march or in positions with simultaneous cover from an attack from the air. In this role, the new air defense system will replace the outdated systems of the Strela family.
Obvious advantages
The serial appearance provides the Strela air defense missile system with a number of characteristic advantages. One of the main ones is the possibility of mounting the launcher on different chassis with a carrying capacity of at least 4 tons. This possibility has already been demonstrated using prototypes made on the MT-LB and BMP-3 chassis. The latter version was approved and will soon go into production.
According to some reports, in the near future "Sosna" will become the basis for the "Ptitselov" air defense system intended for the airborne troops. In this case, the unified launcher will be mounted on the BMD-4M chassis. Regardless of the specific type of base chassis, the design result is a combat vehicle that most fully meets the requirements of a particular type of troops.
All the chassis proposed for use are in service with different types of troops, which simplifies the introduction and operation of new air defense systems. There is no need to arrange the supply of new components. In addition, ready-made complexes can move and work in the same battle formations with other armored vehicles of the army. The unified chassis provides both the required mobility characteristics and a comparable level of protection for the crew and equipment.
The Sosna air defense system uses a passive method of detecting and tracking targets. The source of radiation is only a laser rangefinder, which also controls the missile. Such principles of operation provide the required efficiency, and also allow solving combat missions at any time of the day and in different weather conditions. At the same time, the probability of detecting an air defense missile system by means of electronic reconnaissance decreases, and it also becomes impossible to fully suppress it by electronic warfare systems.
"Pine" is capable of shooting from a standstill, from a short stop and on the move. In all cases, the automation steadily accompanies the selected target and provides missile guidance. Effective control devices allow you to attack both air and ground targets, provided there is a line of sight. Depending on the type of target, automatic tracking starts at ranges up to 25-30 km (aircraft type target).
The Sosna-R missile provides a high probability of hitting various targets within the zone of responsibility of the air defense missile system. High flight speed and the ability to maneuver with overloads make it possible to deal with a wide range of aircraft and weapons. The used guidance system along the laser beam virtually eliminates the suppression of the control channel, which increases the likelihood of hitting the target.
With relatively high performance, the Sosna-R missile defense system is distinguished by its small dimensions and weight. Transport and launch container weighing 42 kg does not require special loading equipment. As a result, the transport-loading vehicle was not included in the anti-aircraft complex. The ammunition supply can be carried out by any suitable transport, and its loading onto the launcher by the forces of the SAM crew takes no more than 10-12 minutes.
From the point of view of certain features and characteristics, the newest Sosna air defense system resembles its predecessors from the Strela family. At the same time, similar ideas are being implemented using modern components and technologies. All this leads to an obvious increase in tactical, technical and operational characteristics.
Notable flaws
Naturally, the newest complex is not devoid of ambiguous features or obvious shortcomings. Such features of the "Sosna" can negatively affect the efficiency of the equipment or the crew and, as a result, affect the practical results.
It is easy to see that the use of the BMP-3 chassis leads to a significant increase in the combat mass of the entire air defense system. The resulting vehicle should weigh about 18-20 tons, which in a known way complicates the transfer of military transport aircraft and imposes some other restrictions. The "Pine" version on the MT-LB chassis is several tons lighter, but loses in the level of protection and some technical characteristics. With all this, the BMP-3 and MT-LB chassis cannot be used for parachute landing, which is why the Airborne Forces needed their own Ptitselov air defense system on the unified BMD-4M chassis.
Search and guidance means of the Sosna air defense missile system are based on optoelectronic systems. This means that the detection, tracking and destruction of the target are possible only under the condition of direct optical visibility and depend on the current conditions. Fog, precipitation and other meteorological phenomena can affect the operation of optics in real combat conditions. In addition, the optoelectronic station has a limited field of view, and the peculiarities of its installation on the launcher make it difficult to all-round visibility.
The Sosna-R missile defense system has limited range and altitude characteristics, which is why, in order to provide a full-fledged air defense system, the Sosna complex must work together with other systems with a larger affected area. In addition, the reduction in the mass and dimensions of the missile affected the weight of the missile's warheads, and this may limit its combat effectiveness.
The absence of TPM in the complex can be considered an ambiguous feature. On the one hand, this simplifies rearmament and the organization of combat work. On the other hand, recharging the launcher is the responsibility of the driver and operator, who, after such physical work, should return to their direct duties. It cannot be ruled out that carrying 12 TPK with a total mass of about 500 kg can tire the crew and complicate further combat work.
SAM "Sosna" has significant advantages over systems of the "Strela" family, but in some characteristics it is not too large. For example, the mobility of the two complexes is comparable. SAM "Sosna" carries a 7-kg warhead against 5-kg in the latest modifications of the "Strela", etc.
Weighted score
It is obvious that the Sosna air defense system - like any other example of military equipment - has both strengths and weaknesses. In addition, in the course of its work, various shortcomings and shortcomings can be identified. It is for this purpose that multistage tests are carried out, based on the results of which a decision is made on the further fate of the new development.
At the end of March this year, the leadership of the Tochmash Design Bureau, which developed the Sosna, announced the successful completion of state tests. By the time such news appeared, measures had been started to prepare for the adoption of the air defense missile system into service with the Russian ground forces. The prototypes confirmed the specified characteristics and were highly appreciated, as a result of which the Sosna air defense missile system was recommended for operation and serial production.
This fact best of all shows the real balance of advantages and disadvantages of "Sosna". It turns out that the promising air defense system has fulfilled all the customer's requirements, and its appearance corresponds to the desired one. In the presented form, "Pine" will go into service, which will happen in the near future. In addition, in the coming days, the public will be able to see this complex in serial configuration for the first time at the upcoming exhibition "Army-2019".
