The Grom is the main Polish portable anti-aircraft missile system. Like other MANPADS, it is designed to destroy various low-flying air targets on collision and catch-up courses. It is a fairly well-known complex and one of the personifications of the Polish military-industrial complex, while the first version of this portable complex in composition and design almost completely repeats the Russian Igla MANPADS.
MANPADS "Grom" and its further modernization are now in service with the Polish armed forces, and are also being promoted on the international market. It is known that in addition to Poland, this complex is precisely operated by the armed forces of Georgia and Lithuania. It is curious that the complex was created with the direct support of the Russian side, which from 1995 to 2004 provided Poland with technical assistance in the development and development of the production of individual units of the portable complex, in particular, Russian components and materials were supplied to the country, full localization of the complex and the production of Polish the defense industry was able to provide only after 2004.
MANPADS "Grom" (Thunder) is designed to combat visually observed low-flying air targets of various types (including airplanes, helicopters, cruise missiles) flying at speeds up to 400 m / s on a collision course and at a speed of up to 320 m / s - on catch-up courses, including in conditions of artificial and natural (background) thermal noise. MANPADS "Thunder" was developed by enterprises of the Polish military-industrial complex on the basis of Russian MANPADS "Igla-1" and "Igla". Work on this portable complex began in Poland in 1992.
MANPADS "Grom"
The first samples of the portable complex, designated "Grom-1", began to enter service with the Polish army in 1995. Improvement and modernization of the complex continued within the framework of the "Grom-2" project. For quite a long time, from 1995 to 2004, Russia provided Polish enterprises with technical assistance in the development and production of individual units of MANPADS Grom-2, providing, among other things, the supply of components and materials, for example, GOS 9E410 and 1G-03 production OJSC "LOMO". In accordance with the terms of cooperation, the Polish side pledged not to re-export the complexes, as well as not to sell them to a third party without the consent of Russia, and to use Russian products only for the needs of the Polish Ministry of Defense.
MANPADS "Grom" in design and composition almost completely repeated the Russian portable complex "Igla". It consists of an anti-aircraft guided missile, a launcher with a built-in radar interrogator and a power supply unit, and a launch tube.
The anti-aircraft guided missile of the "Grom" complex is made according to the aerodynamic "duck" scheme, in its front part there are aerodynamic rudders, and in the back there are four drop-down stabilizers. Two-channel homing head, similar to 9E410. The photodetector of the main channel is made on the basis of antimony indium, and is cooled before launching the rocket to a temperature of -196 degrees Celsius. The photodetector of the auxiliary channel is an uncooled photoresistor based on lead sulphide. SAM is operated in a sealed launch tube of the complex, on which there are sockets for connecting the trigger and the power supply. The trigger mechanism of the "Thunder" MANPADS is reusable and can be used repeatedly. It provides automatic preparation of the anti-aircraft missile for launch, checking the operation of the missile systems, as well as the production of the shot itself. The power supply unit of the complex is required to power the trigger and cool the homing head. It consists of a pyrotechnic battery and a compressed nitrogen cylinder (pressure 35 MPa).
Units of the anti-aircraft battalion of the 10th armored cavalry brigade of the Polish army during training sessions at the training ground; February 2018
Developers from Poland designed a new contact fuse for the rocket, and the main engine and warhead were also modified. As a result, the portable "Grom" complex was able to defeat air targets at an altitude of more than 3000 meters, and the range of use increased to 5500 meters. The warhead of the "Grom" missile defense system differs from the Russian prototype in a slightly increased weight and, according to the Polish developers, is more effective. For the portable complex "Grom", a new sensor of the system of recognition of nationality (friend or foe) IK3-02 was also created.
The following observed evolution of the complex can be noted. Initially MANPADS "Grom" (in the 1990s, referred to as "Grom 1") was a licensed version of the Soviet portable complex 9K310 "Igla-1" assembled by the Polish company Mesko with a modified 9M313 missile equipped with a 9E410 homing head (GOS) from the 9M39 missile portable complex 9K38 "Igla" manufactured by St. Petersburg JSC "LOMO". In addition, the missile warhead and the 9P519 launcher underwent refinement.
Since 2000, the MESKO S. A plant has launched the production of a modified MANPADS, designated "Grom 2". The main difference of this version of the complex was a modified anti-aircraft missile, which received a new GOS 1G03 developed by JSC LOMO, as well as a new warhead, the mass of which increased from 1.27 to 1.83 kg. Initially, the GOS for the new portable complex was supplied by the St. Petersburg enterprise "LOMO", but since 2004 Poland was able to completely localize the production of GOS. Also, in the launching device of the complex, a new element base and new storage batteries were used. Both modifications of the Grom MANPADS are able to use standard trigger mechanisms for Igla MANPADS (9P516) and Igla-1 MANPADS (9P519).
A further modification of the complex was the Piorun (Lightning) MANPADS, originally designated as Grom-M and being an option for further modernization of the Grom 2 complex. The development of an improved version of "Thunder" was carried out by the Military Technical Academy (Wojskowa Akademia Techniczna) together with the companies BUMAR and ZM Mesko. The main goals of the modernization program were to increase the missile speed (increased to 660 m / s), range and height of target destruction, increase the jamming immunity of the seeker, as well as ensure the possibility of using MANPADS against new types of air targets, including unmanned aerial vehicles.
The main differences of the latter at the moment of modernization of the portable complex include equipping an anti-aircraft guided missile with a new solid-fuel engine, which is a proprietary development of the Polish company Mesko. The use of the new engine should increase the firing range of the complex to 6500 meters, and the reach of air targets in height will grow to 4000 meters. Among other things, the Piorun MANPADS missile received a modified seeker with digital signal processing, as well as a new proximity fuse, which can be programmed depending on the type of target. The mass of the warhead has increased to 2 kg, while it is equipped with a new high-energy explosive of the new generation CL-20 and ready-made submunitions. An infrared sight was added to the launcher.
In December 2016, the Polish Ministry of National Defense signed an agreement with Mesko for the supply of 420 launchers and 1,300 Piorun missiles. According to the plans, they were supposed to replace all the "Thunder" complexes in service, but it is difficult to say when exactly this will happen. It turned out that the development of its own new solid-propellant engine for the Piorun portable complex turned out to be a rather difficult task for Mesko, the incompleteness of this engine and problems with its production became an obstacle to the serial production of a new version of MANPADS.
Lithuanian soldier with Polish MANPADS "Grom" at the Polish training center in Koszalin
MANPADS "Thunder" were produced at the MESKO S. A enterprise located in the town of Skarzysko-Kamen. Currently, the complex is actively promoted on the international market as part of various short-range anti-aircraft systems (ZUR-23-2KG Jodek-G, ZSU-23-4MP Biala, Poprad), placed on various chassis. It is also known that in 2007 Poland sold to Georgia about 30 portable Grom complexes and up to 100 missiles for them. These complexes were then used during the Georgian-Ossetian conflict in August 2008.
Earlier in 2005, Poland was able to conclude a contract for $ 35 million for the supply of its own Kobra air defense system to Indonesia. This complex includes WD-95 combat control vehicles, MMSR mobile radar, Poprad mobile rocket launchers with Thunder anti-aircraft missiles and ZUR-23-2KG launchers. The first battery of the complex was purchased by Indonesia in 2007. In total, the Indonesian military purchased 74 Grom missiles and a significant amount of 23mm ammunition.
Another foreign customer of the portable version of the complex was Lithuania, which at the end of December 2014 received the first batch of Grom MANPADS (most likely in the Grom-2 version). The value of the contract signed by Lithuania is 34.041 million euros, it was signed in September 2014, the details of the contract were not disclosed. Deliveries of Polish MANPADS in small batches will be carried out until 2021. The cost of the first batch, received in 2014, was estimated at 4.8 million euros, and its possible size could be 12 launchers and up to 60 missiles for them.
The performance characteristics of MANPADS "Grom":
The range of targets hit is from 500 to 5500 m.
The height of the targets hit is from 10 to 3500 m.
The speed of the targets hit: up to 400 m / s (on a head-on course), up to 320 m / s (on a catch-up course).
The maximum rocket speed is 580 m / s.
The rocket body diameter is 72 mm.
Missile length - 1648 mm.
The launch mass of the rocket is 10, 25 kg.
Warhead weight - 1, 27 kg.
The mass of the complex in the firing position is 18, 5 kg.
The transfer time to the firing position is 13 seconds.
