While the global network and the media are "boiling" about the first long-range campaign of a full-fledged AUG of the Russian Navy to the shores of Syria in order to conduct a military operation against ISIS, as well as to cover our military contingent and the Syrian Armed Forces from possible attacks by the OVS of the Western coalition, new intriguing details are revealed regarding advanced strike weapons deployed on the basis of the 279th separate shipborne fighter aviation regiment, which is deployed on board the TAVKR "Admiral Kuznetsov". It is already known that the strike base of the carrier-based wing will be formed by the multipurpose MiG-29K / KUB with a rich nomenclature of missile and bomb weapons, and the air cover and additional work on ground targets will be provided by several improved Su-33s equipped with the high-precision SVP-24-33 Hephaestus. At the same time, the weapons of the Ka-52K Katran naval attack helicopters were not disclosed until recently.
But on October 26, 2016, the Internet version of the well-known daily newspaper Izvestia revealed some details regarding the missile armament complex of the promising Katran helicopter. It is reported that the pilots of the machines will have at their disposal the anti-tank missile system "Hermes-A" ("Klevok-A"), the range of which has been increased for about a decade by the specialists of the Tula JSC "Instrument Design Bureau", and eventually reached 34 km (maximum reach the most long-range modifications is defined as 100 km). It would seem that 34 km is only slightly more than that of the American JAGM tactical missile (28 km), developed on the basis of the Halfire ATGM, but the advantage of our missile system is not limited only by the range. The design and flight speed are of great importance here, which are strikingly different for 2 missiles.
The maximum flight speed of the JAGM reaches 1530 km / h, the average (on approach and when diving) is about 950-1100 km / h), and the hull diameter is 17.8 cm. Modern radar systems of military air defense systems can detect this missile at a distance of more than 10 km, and 30N6E / 92N6E type radar - about 25-35 km. Its low flight speed gives the air defense system a lot of time to detect, set the track, capture and intercept. "Hermes" has different characteristics.
The two-stage bicaliber missile of the Hermes-A complex is structurally similar to the 9M335 / 57E6 anti-aircraft missile. The first (launch) stage is represented by a solid rocket engine that propels the rocket to a speed of 4680 km / h (note, 3 times faster than the Halfire). During the operation of the booster stage, the rocket gains altitude up to 28 km (the altitude range varies depending on the distance to the target), then the stage is separated and the combat stage continues its high-altitude flight with a descent to the target. The compact arrow-shaped combat stage, having a diameter of 130 mm and a mass of about 50 kg, has a low deceleration rate due to excellent aerodynamic and mass characteristics, due to which the missile speed remains within 1.5-2M at a distance of 34 km. It is as difficult to intercept this stage as it is to intercept a 152-mm high-explosive fragmentation artillery shell.
The flight stability of the combat stage is ensured by a decent lengthening of the hull, as well as by large-area tail fins. The rocket "Hermes-A" also has high maneuverability due to the aerodynamic "duck" design, where the cruciform aerodynamic rudders are placed in front of the aerodynamic focus of the rocket (in its nose).
Hermes, like its anti-aircraft counterpart Pantsir-C1, has a high-performance multi-channel fire control system with at least 4 target channels (exact data were not disclosed). Like the American JAGM multipurpose tactical missile, the Hermes missile has increased noise immunity due to the use of most of the known guidance channels. For example, after climb, declination towards the target and separation, the marching stage of the flight of the combat (2nd) stage begins, in which inertial guidance with radio correction is used, at the final stage of the flight, a combined optoelectronic homing head with infrared and semi-active laser guidance sensors is activated … The on-board computer of the missile, if the enemy uses optical-electronic counteraction complexes against one of the guidance channels (for example, a semi-active laser), can select the information received simultaneously from two GOS sensors, and after identifying the suppressed channel, it (in our case, the laser) is excluded and the targeting process is assigned exclusively to the thermal imaging channel. To counter the systems that ISIS fighters currently possess, a two-channel homing head for Hermes-A missiles is more than enough. But later, if the conflict flares up to the apogee of military-political instability, and regular military units of the Armed Forces of Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United States with wide-spectrum countermeasures against both laser and infrared homing heads get involved in the game, there will be a need to modernize the Hermes complex.
First of all, this concerns the integration into the seeker of an active radar homing module operating in the millimeter wave range, which can provide a high-precision strike even against that radio-contrast ground target, which is "reflected" by all possible methods of optical and thermal distortion - from infrared traps to aerosol curtains and infrared spotlights.
During a conversation with Izvestia correspondents, the editor-in-chief of the Militaryrussia resource Dmitry Kornev identified the two-stage rocket design of the Hermes-A complex as one of the few flaws of the rocket, but one cannot completely agree with such a judgment. Yes, the two-stage bicaliber concept has always been more complicated from a technological point of view (calculating the center of mass and aerodynamic focus), the mass of such missiles is usually more than that of single-stage products, but all the positive features are obvious. So, we have: a higher flight speed due to acceleration by a powerful 1st stage; lower deceleration rate of the "thin" marching (combat) stage, which ensures high-speed penetration of the missile defense system of the enemy's protected object; smaller radar, infrared and optical signatures of the compact combat stage.
Target designation for "Hermes-A" will be carried out both from the onboard radar "Arbalet" and the stabilized optical-electronic sighting complex GOES-451 "Katran", as well as through the radio channel for exchanging tactical information with other reconnaissance units of land, sea and air bases. So, the coordinates of the target can be obtained from the ORTR Tu-214R aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, tactical aviation, warships and ground infantry units equipped with appropriate electronic equipment. The Syrian theater of military operations is distinguished by the most complete list of external target designation means. The transmission of target designation from the helicopter CIUS to the Hermes computer complex is carried out through the standard data bus MIL-STD-1553. One of the main elements of the complex is a 2-channel semi-active laser target designation module that illuminates 2 ground targets for Hermes missiles at once within a radius of 25 km (depending on the meteorological situation, this distance may be shorter).
In later modifications of the Hermes, it became possible to fire simultaneously at 12 targets using laser and infrared guidance channels simultaneously: 2 laser channels plus 10 radio command correction channels for infrared sensors. It is reported that "Hermes" can destroy targets with EPR up to 0.01 m2, apparently, here we are talking about a future modification of the rocket with ARGSN. In addition to destroying ground and sea targets, the complex can also operate against air targets at a distance of up to 15 km, although the 100-km range of the complex and the IKGSN theoretically also provides for long-range interception of an air enemy. For such use in the "air-to-air" mode, with the possibility of equipping with R-77 / RVV-SD, Ka-52K missiles, in the near future, instead of "Crossbows", they will receive advanced radars with an active phased array.
Tactical missiles of the aviation version "Hermes-A" in the standard version will be delivered to helicopter shelves in twin launchers (2 transport-launch containers), assembled in pairs, forming a quad launch module. Each Ka-52K will be able to carry 8 URVZ, but thanks to a combat load of 2000 kg, after the launch modules have been revised, the helicopters will be able to take on board up to 16 missiles (the arsenal is really huge). In the skies of Syria, Katrans will operate with 8 missiles of the Hermes-A complex.
Despite the fact that the Hermes was originally planned as an extended-range anti-tank complex, over the years of testing and modernization it turned into an advanced multipurpose tactical missile system both for destroying enemy armored vehicles and for suppressing strongpoints and destroying enemy fortifications at extreme distances. For this, the 2nd (combat) stage is equipped with a high-power high-explosive fragmentation warhead weighing up to 28 kg, its declared equivalent armor penetration reaches 1 meter of steel armor plate. When attacking with such a "blank" in the upper projection, not a single modern tank simply has a chance. Even if only one Hermes-A missile is used against a modern MBT with an active protection complex, and KAZ manages to intercept it, the "hail" of fragments of a heavy warhead at supersonic speed will definitely damage the optical-electronic sighting equipment of the tank, antennas radar sensors KAZ, and possibly a power plant. This warhead is capable of easily penetrating thick concrete floors of structures in which enemy armored vehicles may be located.
The transfer to the Syrian theater of operations "Katrans", armed with "Hermes", will provide much better safety for the Ka-52K pilots than when using the anti-tank complex 9K121 "Whirlwind". So, for the latter to confidently hit the target, it is necessary to approach the enemy positions at a distance of 8-10 km, where the crew of the rotary-wing strike vehicle is within the range of the military air defense systems, and can also be fired upon by enemy MANPADS anti-aircraft missiles, which can be scattered within 4 - 7 km from the defended object. Complex "Hermes" can completely suddenly cover the armored vehicles and fortified areas of the so-called "moderate" and ISIS from over-the-horizon distances, according to target designation of external reconnaissance means. The threat to the lives of the pilots in this case is minimal.
The baptism of fire of the Hermes-A tactical missile system in Syria is planned not only for the purpose of testing the regimes and analyzing the effectiveness of the advanced strike tool of the Russian Navy and Aerospace Forces against a fairly experienced enemy in the person of ISIS and other paramilitary formations, but also to demonstrate its capabilities to potential customers in Asia and in the Middle East, which in the near future will lead to an increase in the competitiveness of Hermes.
Egypt occupies one of the first places among such buyers today. For the Air Force of this state, 50 Ka-52 Alligator attack helicopters were purchased, with the help of which it is planned to resist possible terrorist activities of ISIS and other organizations on the territory of their own state, as well as to carry out strike operations in the territory of North African states (for example, in Libya), where terrorist enclaves managed to raise their heads almost to the level of the armed forces of these countries. Also, the Egyptian Navy is preparing to fulfill the contract for the purchase of the Ka-52 "Katran" for manning the purchased French Mistral-class amphibious assault ships, after which the Egyptian fleet will be able to carry out long-distance campaigns, as well as participate in military operations of the "Arabian coalition" that are beneficial to it. within Asia Minor and the eastern shores of the African continent. For the Ka-52 and Ka-52K, the Hermes-A tactical / anti-tank missile system is of paramount importance in view of the renewal of the potential enemy's air defense systems, which cannot be matched by the 10-kilometer Whirlwind.
Experts and amateurs prefer to compare "Hermes" with another complex, similar in some performance characteristics. According to Viktor Murakhovsky, editor-in-chief of the Arsenal of the Fatherland magazine, the Spike-NLOS (Tamuz) long-range anti-tank missile system created by the Israeli company Rafael is the only analogue of our Hermes-A worthy in terms of tactical and technical characteristics. An Israeli product has been created since the late 70s, taking into account the experience of using anti-tank weapons obtained during the Six Day War and the Yom Kippur War. Therefore, the "Spike-NLOS" missile received a "long-playing" solid-propellant rocket engine, which allows it to strike at armored vehicles, bunkers and pillboxes of the enemy at a distance of up to 25 kilometers or more. The combined two-channel TV / IR homing head of this complex, as well as the anti-jamming telemetry radio channel, allow the operator in the PBU on the MFI to clearly view the territory over which the "Spike-NLOS" trajectory passes, to detect other targets, and, if possible, to retarget more priority. Thus, the Israeli complex is also a good reconnaissance combat drone, capable of conducting optical-electronic reconnaissance of the area.
"Spike-NLOS" has three controllable flight profiles: "low-altitude" (with terrain bending), which is often used in dense cloud cover; medium-altitude; and "optimal", which is the highest. "Optimal" mode is used to view large areas of the surface before approaching the battlefield, as well as to hit the most vulnerable upper projection of the AFV. But despite all these qualities, the Israeli complex is significantly inferior to the Hermes-A in flight speed, which ranges from 475 to 700 km / h. Intercepting such a target with the help of modern air defense systems will not be difficult.
The uniqueness of the "Hermes-A", the ground and ship versions of which will also later appear in service with the Russian Army, does not cause us any doubts. When equipped with a more powerful solid-propellant first stage, the range of the Russian tactical missile could be about 100 km: conceived as a conventional long-range ATGM, the Hermes will become one of the most sophisticated and compact air attack weapons of the turn of the century. We will observe the success of the first combat operations in direct support of the Syrian government forces, carried out by our Katrans with a new complex on board to liberate the Syrian lands, in the coming weeks.
