Blowpipe (Dudka) - British universal portable anti-aircraft missile system (MANPADS), designed to destroy low-flying aircraft and helicopters. It was put into service in 1972. In the UK, this complex was operated until 1985. Unlike the models of Soviet and American-made MANPADS, which were also developed in the 1960s, the British portable complex could also be used to destroy unarmored and lightly armored enemy vehicles and various floating equipment.
Blowpipe MANPADS ensured the defeat of air targets at a range of up to 3.5 kilometers and an altitude of up to 2.5 kilometers, the defeat of ground targets was provided at a distance of up to 3.5 kilometers. In addition to the original portable model for arming the infantry in the UK, towed models were developed, as well as modifications of MANPADS designed to accommodate the complex in the body, on the roof and rotating towers of auto and armored vehicles, on board ships and hovercraft, as well as submarines. During production in the UK, more than 34 thousand Blowpipe MANPADS were assembled. In addition to the British army, the complex was in service with the armies of Canada, Afghanistan, Argentina, Malaysia, Chile, Ecuador and other states.
The Blowpipe portable anti-aircraft missile system was developed by Shorts Missile Systems (Belfast, Northern Ireland). Development began in the 1960s on a proactive basis. The company "Shorts" conducted them, based on the existing developments, in the 1960s the company's engineers worked simultaneously on several projects of anti-aircraft guided weapons for the needs of the infantry and the navy. The tests of the complex began already in 1965, and in September of the following year it was presented to the general public as part of the international aviation exhibition in Farnborough.
Shooters of the 129th Canadian Royal Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battery in protective suits with Bloupipe MANPADS
In MANPADS "Blowpipe" a radio command targeting system was implemented. For this reason alone, the British MANPADS was more difficult to handle in comparison with MANPADS with thermal homing heads, which at the same time were created in the USA and the USSR. In addition, the work of the radio link and tracers on the rocket unmasked the guidance process, as well as the location of the gunner's firing position, and the use of manual control led to a strong dependence of the effectiveness of the combat use of the complex on the degree of training and psychophysical state of the fighter. At the same time, the advantages of the British portable complex included the ability to confidently fire at various types of air targets at extremely low altitudes.
The corporate management of Shorts Missile Systems managed to convince the military to place a preliminary order for the purchase of an experimental batch of 285 MANPADS for military trials in the British Army and Royal Marines. Therefore, the serial production of the complex began already at the end of the 1960s, even before the official adoption into service, which took place in 1972. The air defense battalions of the British army, which were armed with portable Dudka complexes, included two platoons of three squads each, each squad had four MANPADS. The development of the complex continued after it was put into service. In 1979, the UK successfully tested a semi-automatic guidance system for the Blowpipe complex. The modernized version of the corps, called "Javelin", was adopted by the British army in 1984.
Combat assets of the portable complex "Blowpipe" are placed in the launcher, on it, and also mounted on the operator's back, the time for bringing the MANPADS into combat readiness is 20 seconds. The complex guidance means include:
- guidance unit (monocular sight, as well as the guidance handle, which the operator had to move using his thumb);
- calculating device;
- a station for transmitting radio commands on board an anti-aircraft guided missile.
The last two devices were attached to the back of the operator-operator of the complex. To power the guidance unit, as well as all the onboard equipment of the rocket (before its launch), an electric battery was placed in the unit. The weight of the guidance unit, which was attached to the launcher, was 3.6 kg.
Rocket MANPADS "Bloupipe" at the time of the adoption of the complex into service
The functions of the system for detecting air targets and target designation were performed by the operator of the complex, who, using a five-fold optical monocular sight or without using sighting devices, detected and recognized enemy aircraft, choosing one of them for firing. Target designation to the MANPADS operator could also be transmitted by radio from a third-party detection and target designation system. After selecting an air target, the operator began the process of tracking it, using the markings of the sight field of view, all this time moving with the launcher on his shoulder. Then the Blowpipe gunner turned on the equipment, selected the type of fuse used and the frequency of the command transmitter. When the target entered the anti-aircraft missile launch zone (determined by the operator visually), he launched. After launching the rocket, the shooter-operator "captured" the tail tracer of the rocket in the field of view of the sight, with which he was already accompanying the target and, moving the aiming handle, tried to combine the missile defense with the target, aiming the missile at it using the "target coverage" method. The angular mismatch between the line of sight of the target and the tracer of the anti-aircraft missile entered the calculating-decisive guidance device, and the commands generated by it were transmitted through the radio command transmission station (dimensions - 129x152x91 mm) to the board of the missile defense system, where they were implemented. If the guidance teams did not get on board the anti-aircraft missile within 5 seconds, then it self-destructed. For safety reasons, special protective uniforms were provided for the shooter-operator of the complex.
The launcher of the portable complex "Blowpipe" included a firing mechanism and a transport and launch container (TPK). TPK was designed on the principle of minimizing recoil when fired, it consisted of two cylindrical tubes, and the front of them had a larger diameter. After the completion of the firing, instead of the empty container, a new TPK with an anti-aircraft missile was attached to the firing mechanism of the complex, while the empty TPK could be reused. In order to facilitate the work of the gunner-operator, a telescopic support could be attached to the launcher of the complex. The British also provided for the possibility of dropping TPK with anti-aircraft guided missiles with a parachute, for this they were placed in specially designed boxes.
The main striking force of the "Blowpipe" complex, of course, was a single-stage anti-aircraft guided missile, which was designed according to the "canard" aerodynamic configuration. The missile defense system did not have parts separated during the flight and was unusual in that its nose, in which the fuse and the control system were installed, freely rotated along the longitudinal axis relative to the body of the anti-aircraft missile. The stabilizers, which were fastened into a single block, could move freely along the rocket body. Before launch, they were in the forward position (in the part of the container with a larger diameter). After launch, the stabilizers slid along the body of the missile defense system to the rear position, where they were automatically secured with latches. The high-explosive fragmentation warhead of the rocket was quite impressive (more than 2 kg), it was located in the central part of the anti-aircraft missile. The warhead was equipped with non-contact infrared and shock fuses.
The British also developed a separate version of the Blowpipe MANPADS for submarines. Created by engineers of the British company "Vickers" in the early 1980s, the complex received the designation "SLAM" (Submarine-Launched Air Missile System). Its main purpose was the self-defense of small submarines with a displacement of 500-1100 tons from aircraft, anti-submarine helicopters and small displacement enemy ships.
The SLAM anti-aircraft complex included a stabilized multi-charge launcher with 6 Blowpipe missiles, a television camera, a control and guidance system, a control and verification system. The detection of air and sea targets was carried out using the submarine's periscope. Guidance of this launcher at the target in azimuth was carried out synchronously with the rotation of the periscope, after which the operator of the complex carried out an additional search for the target in elevation and he took control of the complex by pressing a special button in the guidance handle, which led to the separation of the SLAM launcher and submarine periscope drives. After the launch, the anti-aircraft missile was accompanied by a television camera, targeting was carried out by the operator, who controlled the process using the guidance handle.
The angles of guidance of the complex "SLAM" in azimuth were 360 degrees, in elevation: from -10 to +90 degrees. The speed of rotation of the launcher in azimuth was 40 degrees per second, in elevation - 10 degrees per second. The use of the complex was allowed at water temperatures from 0 to +55 degrees, wind speeds up to 37 km / h and sea waves up to 4 points. The SLAM anti-aircraft complex created by the British was mounted on three French-made Israeli submarines - Agosta class submarines.
Launcher "SLAM" with 6 missiles in a firing position
The Blowpipe portable anti-aircraft missile system was widely used during the Falklands War - a military conflict between Argentina and Great Britain, and the complex was used by both sides. On May 21, 1982, during the amphibious assault in the Bay of San Carlos, a detachment of 30 Argentine soldiers managed to destroy two British landing helicopters using MANPADS. On the same day, an anti-aircraft missile of this complex hit the British Harrier aircraft, which was controlled by Lieutenant Jeffrey Glover, the pilot managed to eject. The total losses of the Argentine Air Force from the use of the British MANPADS "Blowpipe" amounted to 9 aircraft.
In the spring of 1986, portable Blowpipe systems hit Afghanistan, where they were used by Afghan mujahideen against Soviet troops, mainly to destroy armored personnel carriers. The effectiveness of using this complex against aviation by that time, especially in comparison with the already existing American MANPADS "Stinger", was very small.
The performance characteristics of MANPADS Blowpipe:
The range of targets hit is up to 3500 m.
Target hitting altitude - 0, 01-2, 5 km.
The maximum rocket speed is 497 m / s (1.5 M).
The caliber of the rocket is 76 mm.
Rocket length - 1350 mm.
The launch mass of the rocket is 11 kg.
The mass of the missile warhead is 2, 2 kg.
The mass of the rocket in the TPK is 14.5 kg.
Aiming block weight - 6, 2 kg.
The preparation time for combat readiness is 20 seconds.
