The Russian 9K333 Verba portable anti-aircraft missile system is today one of the most modern MANPADS in the world, being a further development of the domestic line of portable systems that are traditionally in demand on the international arms market. MANPADS "Verba" is designed to destroy aircraft, helicopters, cruise missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles on head-on and catch-up courses in conditions of organized optical interference with visual visibility of air targets, as well as at night. The complex can be used in any geographic area. Currently MANPADS "Verba" is in service with the armies of Russia and Armenia.
State tests of the new MANPADS, developed in Kolomna by the designers of JSC NPK "KB Mashinostroeniya", took place in 2011. In 2015, the portable complex was officially adopted, at the same time the premiere of the new complex for the general public took place, it was demonstrated as part of the Army-2015 International Military-Technical Forum. At the same time, deliveries of the Verba MANPADS to military units began back in 2014. The first new complexes were received by the soldiers of the anti-aircraft regiment of the 98th Guards Airborne Division, stationed in Ivanovo. A special feature of the deliveries was that, along with the combat assets, the military air defense units also received automated control systems, radar weapons, training equipment and test equipment.
According to information from the official website of the company-developer of the complex, the new MANPADS "Verba" in its efficiency surpasses the MANPADS of the previous generation by 1.5-2 times, especially at the borders of more than three kilometers. The firing zone of targets with low thermal radiation was increased 2, 5 times, this was achieved by increasing the sensitivity of the seeker of the anti-aircraft missile. The protection of the complex against powerful pyrotechnic interference was increased by 10 times. According to the assurances of the Kolomna Machine Building Design Bureau, the new complex is able to be effectively used in the military air defense system to combat enemy drones and other air targets with low infrared radiation. Also, the designers returned the practice of using a ground interrogator of the "friend or foe" system. The operating temperature of the complex was expanded to -50 degrees Celsius. Also, the designers managed to reduce the mass of the complex's combat assets relative to the Igla-S MANPADS (from 18, 25 kg to 17, 25 kg).
Being the successor of the Igla-S MANPADS, the new complex has surpassed its predecessor in the efficiency of its use, while retaining the best advantages: implementation of the “fire-and-forget” principle; the ability to shoot one person from the shoulder; simplicity of actions of the shooter-operator when aiming and launching; high reliability during operation; ensuring a high level of noise immunity in conditions of artificial and natural (background) interference; high secrecy of application, preservation of performance even under extreme conditions of use.
The composition of the combat assets of the 9K333 "Verba" complex:
- anti-aircraft guided missile 9M336 in the tube;
- trigger mechanism 9P521;
- ground radio requestor 1L229V.
The main feature of the anti-aircraft guided missile of the 9M336 MANPADS "Verba" complex is a new homing head, and the missile also received a new instrument compartment. The missile seeker is a three-spectral passive tracking system, it operates in the near and middle infrared, as well as in the ultraviolet ranges, the three-spectral small-sized seeker first appeared in Russian MANPADS missiles. The new seeker provides good selection of false thermal targets with powerful thermal radiation. Thanks to this, the rocket, while still approaching the target, is able to distinguish an enemy helicopter or aircraft from the heat "traps" released by them, having made the right choice. According to the manufacturer's assurances, due to an increase in the sensitivity of the homing head, the capture and defeat zone of typical air targets has grown 2.5 times compared to the previous Igla-S MANPADS. The important advantages of the new complex include a high probability of hitting air targets even with low radiation such as UAVs and cruise missiles.
The Verba complex is another step towards the creation of hyperspectral MANPADS. Strela-2 was monospectral (the GOS operated at the same wavelength), Igla and Igla-S were two-spectral, and Verba became three-spectral. Movement forward in the development of MANPADS is obvious, noted General Designer of JSC "NPK KBM" Valery Kashin in an interview with "Independent Military Review". Kashin also noted that the Strela-2 MANPADS had one receiver (platform), Igla - two platforms, Verba - nine photodetector platforms, in the next portable complexes there will be even more of them. The development of MANPADS is moving towards obtaining an image of the target. This will be achievable due to promising monophotonic technologies that allow irradiating an air target with waves of 0.3 microns and getting not just a target location, but an image of the target.
The warhead of the 9M336 SAM is a high-explosive fragmentation with a non-contact detonator. As in the Igla-S complex, a non-contact target sensor was introduced into the rocket while maintaining a contact fuse, their joint work under the conditions of a meeting with an air target was optimized. In the anti-aircraft missile guidance system, a scheme was retained that assumes the displacement of the missile defense system when approaching an air target to the most vulnerable parts of the aircraft, as well as the principle of detonation of engine fuel residues, which had previously been used in Igla-S MANPADS.
The "Verba" portable complex can be used by military personnel in any geographic zones of the planet, including in sea and mountain conditions, in a wide temperature range from -50 to +50 degrees Celsius. For greater efficiency of combat use, the portable complex can be equipped with means of recognition, detection, fire control and target designation. The complex may additionally include a compact radar, resistant to interference, we are talking about a small-sized radar target detector 1L122 "Garmon". To use the "Willow" at night, a special removable night vision sight 1PN97M "Mowgli-2M" can be introduced into the complex.
Radar "Garmon" is designed to detect various types of air targets, their automatic tracking and issuing the necessary information to the shooter along the routes. The use of a phased antenna array (PAR) in the design of the radar with a size of 1200x800 mm is a characteristic feature of the "Harmony", which has a positive effect on the parameters of its operation. The vertical view is provided by electronic scanning, and the horizontal view is provided by the antenna rotation mechanism. Depending on the modification, this radar is able to update data on air targets at a rate of 2 to 10 seconds, which is determined by the speed of rotation of the antenna array. Radar 1L122 "Garmon" provides reliable search for air targets at a distance of up to 40 km. The station provides an all-round azimuth view and sector tracking within elevation angles from -5 to +45 degrees. The maximum speed of detected air targets is 700 m / s. The Garmon determines the coordinates of air targets with an accuracy of 100 meters in range, up to 30’in azimuth and up to 1 ° 30’ in elevation. There is a possibility of radar operation in the conditions of the enemy's use of active and passive jamming. If used as a mobile radar system, it is completed with a control and monitoring system in the form of communication means and a protected laptop computer.
Radar 1L122 "Garmon"
Especially for equipping the command post of the platoon commander of anti-aircraft gunners of portable complexes, Russian developers created a portable fire control module (PMUO), which received the index 9S933. It is part of the Barnaul-T Automation Toolkit (KSA), designed to automate the process of actions of a detachment of anti-aircraft gunners MANPADS and improve effective weapons control. This module is made in the form of a standard army knapsack, which in just a couple of minutes can be deployed into a full-fledged automated commander's workplace. The equipment that is part of this module provides data exchange with higher command centers, tracking air targets using information from external radars, communicating with anti-aircraft gunners, target designation, as well as receiving and generating reports on the fulfillment of assigned tasks. The 9S933 portable fire control module provides a simultaneous solution of fire missions for 15 different air targets. The module allows its operator to quickly receive information about the air situation in a given firing sector, displays on the computer screen all information about the trajectory of air targets, automatically performs target designation and sets fire missions to anti-aircraft gunners MANPADS, taking into account their readiness to perform the task and location on terrain.
In addition to this module, Russian designers have also created the Complex of Automation Tools for the Anti-Aircraft Gunners Squad (KSAS), which received the index 9S935 and is also part of the KSA "Barnaul-T". This complex is designed to equip anti-aircraft gunner squads with MANPADS, improve the efficiency of weapon control under any conditions of a combat situation and coordinate their actions. The elements of the complex are placed on the shooter's protective helmet and wearable vest, in order not to reduce the maneuverability of anti-aircraft gunners' squads and platoons.
The 9M336 anti-aircraft missile of the Verba complex can be used not only for firing from the shoulder, but also as a modern interspecific unified combat weapon against various air targets when deployed on different types of carriers: air, land and sea. For example, already at the international military-technical forum "Army-2016", the platoon commander's reconnaissance and command vehicle (MRUK) and the squad combat vehicle (BMO) from the "Gibka-S" complex were presented to the general public. BMO of this complex can use both the latest Russian MANPADS "Verba" and MANPADS "Igla-S". There are 8 anti-aircraft missiles in the vehicle's ammunition. Four of them are placed on the launcher, the rest are in the cabin. The work of the BMO was automated as much as possible. The squad's combat vehicle can operate both in autonomous mode and under the control of command posts from the base complex of the KSA "Barnaul-T".
Fighting vehicle squad (BOM) complex "Gibka-S"
The reconnaissance and control vehicle of the platoon commander is designed for automated control of the actions of anti-aircraft gunner squads of Russian MANPADS. As part of this machine there is a small-sized radar 1L122 "Garmon". The capabilities of the MRUK allow it to quickly interact with higher command posts and control four squads of anti-aircraft gunners or six subordinate combat vehicles equipped with 9S935 automation systems. The guaranteed communication range of MRUK vehicles with BMO is 8 km while driving and 17 km while parked. Both vehicles and MRUK, and BMO are made on the basis of the armored car "Tiger".
The performance characteristics of the "Verba" MANPADS:
The range of targets hit is from 500 to 6000 (6500) m.
The height of the targets hit is from 10 to 3500 (4500) m.
The speed of the targets hit is up to 400 m / s (on a collision course), up to 320 m / s (on a catch-up course).
The rocket body diameter is 72 mm.
The combat weight of the complex is 17, 25 kg.
Homing head type - tracking passive three-spectral.
The warhead is high-explosive fragmentation.
Warhead weight - 2.5 kg.
The time for transferring combat assets from the traveling position to the combat position is no more than 12 seconds.
Operating temperature range - from -50 to +50 ° С.
