In the first post-war decade, the anti-tank divisions of the ground forces were armed with 57-mm ZIS-2, 85-mm D-44 and 100-mm BS-3 guns. In 1955, in connection with the increase in the thickness of the armor of the tanks of a potential enemy, 85-mm D-48 guns began to arrive in the troops. In the design of the new cannon, some elements of the 85-mm D-44 gun were used, as well as the 100-mm gun mod. 1944 BS-3. At a distance of 1000 m, the Br-372 85-mm armor-piercing projectile fired from the D-48 barrel could normally penetrate 185 mm of armor. But in the mid-60s, this was no longer enough to confidently defeat the frontal armor of the hull and turret of American M60 tanks. In 1961, the T-12 Rapier 100-mm smoothbore cannon was put into service. The problem of stabilizing the projectile after flying out of the barrel was solved by using the drop-down tail. In the early 70s, a modernized version of the MT-12 was launched into production, featuring a new gun carriage. At a distance of 1000 meters, the Rapier's sub-caliber projectile was capable of penetrating 215 mm thick armor. However, the downside of high armor penetration was the significant mass of the gun. MT-12, which weighed 3,100 kg, was transported using MT-LB tracked tractors or Ural-375 and Ural-4320 vehicles.
Already in the 60s, it became clear that an increase in the caliber and barrel length of anti-tank guns, even with the use of highly effective sub-caliber and cumulative projectiles, is a dead-end way of creating monstrous, inactive, expensive artillery systems, the effectiveness of which in modern combat is questionable. An alternative anti-tank weapon was anti-tank guided missiles. The first prototype, designed in Germany during World War II, is known as the X-7 Rotkappchen (Little Red Riding Hood). This rocket was controlled by wire and had a flight range of about 1200 meters. The anti-tank missile system was ready at the very end of the war, but there is no evidence of its real combat use.
The first Soviet complex, which used guided anti-tank missiles, was the 2K15 Bumblebee, created in 1960 on the basis of the Franco-German SS.10 ATGM system. In the rear part of the body of the 2P26 combat vehicle, based on the GAZ-69 all-terrain vehicle, there were four rail-type guides with a 3M6 ATGM. In 1964, the production of the 2K16 Bumblebee combat vehicle began on the BDRM-1 chassis. This vehicle was floating, and the ATGM crew was protected by bulletproof armor. With a launch range of 600 to 2000 m, a missile with a cumulative warhead could penetrate 300 mm of armor. ATGM guidance was carried out in manual mode by wire. The operator's task was to combine the tracer of the rocket, flying at a speed of about 110 m / s, with the target. The launch mass of the rocket was 24 kg, the weight of the warhead was 5.4 kg.
"Bumblebee" was a typical anti-tank complex of the first generation, but for arming the infantry, due to the large mass of guidance equipment and ATGMs, it turned out to be unsuitable and could only be placed on a self-propelled chassis. According to the organizational and staff structure, combat vehicles with ATGMs were reduced to anti-tank batteries attached to motorized rifle regiments. Each battery had three platoons with three launchers. However, the Soviet infantry desperately needed a wearable anti-tank complex capable of hitting enemy armored vehicles with a high probability at a distance of more than 1000 m. For the late 50s and early 60s, the creation of a wearable ATGM was a very difficult task.
On July 6, 1961, a government decree was issued, according to which a competition for a new ATGM was announced. The competition was attended by ATGM "Gadfly", designed in the Tula Central Design Bureau-14 and ATGM "Baby" of the Kolomna SKB. According to the terms of reference, the maximum launch range was supposed to reach 3000 m, armor penetration - at least 200 mm at a meeting angle of 60 °. Rocket weight - no more than 10 kg.
On trials, the Malyutka ATGM, created under the leadership of B. I. Shavyrin, outstripped the competitor in launch range and armor penetration. After being put into service in 1963, the complex received the 9K11 index. For its time, the Malyutka ATGM contained a lot of innovative solutions. In order to meet the anti-tank missile mass limit, the developers decided to simplify the guidance system. ATGM 9M14 became the first missile in our country with a single-channel control system, brought to mass production. In the course of development, in order to reduce the cost and labor intensity of manufacturing the rocket, plastics were widely used; a suitcase-knapsack was made of fiberglass, designed to carry the rocket.
Although the mass of the 9M14 ATGM exceeded the specified value and was 10, 9 kg, the complex was carried out portable. All elements of the 9K11 ATGM were placed in three knapsack suitcases. The commander of the crew was carrying a pack No. 1 weighing 12.4 kg. It contained a control panel with an optical sight and guidance equipment.
The 9Sh16 monocular sight with an eightfold magnification and a 22.5 ° field of view was intended for observing the target and guiding the missile. Two soldiers of the anti-tank crew transported suitcases-backpacks with missiles and launchers. The mass of the container-launcher with ATGM is 18, 1 kg. Launchers with ATGMs were connected with a cable to the control panel and could be located at a distance of up to 15 m.
The anti-tank guided missile was capable of hitting targets at a distance of 500-3000 m. A warhead weighing 2, 6 kg normally penetrated 400 mm of armor, at an angle of 60 °, armor penetration was 200 mm. The solid-propellant engine accelerated the rocket to a maximum speed of 140 m / s. The average speed on the trajectory is 115 m / s. The flight time to the maximum range was 26 s. The rocket fuse is cocked 1, 5-2 s after the start. A piezoelectric fuse was used to detonate the warhead.
In preparation for combat use, the elements of the disassembled rocket were removed from the fiberglass suitcase and docked using special quick-release locks. In the transport position, the wings of the rocket folded towards each other, so that with an unfolded wing span of 393 mm, the transverse dimensions did not exceed 185x185 mm. In the assembled state, the rocket has dimensions: length - 860 mm, diameter - 125 mm, wingspan - 393 mm.
The warhead was attached to the wing compartment, which houses the main engine, steering gear and gyroscope. In the annular space around the propulsion engine, there is a combustion chamber of a starter engine with a multi-shaft charge, and behind it is a coil of a wire communication line.
A tracer is installed on the outer surface of the rocket body. On the 9M14 rocket there is only one steering gear that moves the nozzles on two opposite oblique nozzles of the main engine. In this case, due to rotation at a speed of 8, 5 rev / s, pitch and heading control is alternately carried out.
Initial rotation is given when starting the starter motor with oblique nozzles. In flight, rotation is maintained by setting the plane of the wings at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the rocket. To link the angular position of the rocket with the ground coordinate system, a gyroscope with a mechanical spin during launch was used. The rocket does not have its own on-board sources of electricity, the only steering gear is powered from ground equipment through one of the circuits of a moisture-resistant three-core wire.
Since after launch the rocket was controlled manually using a special joystick, the probability of hitting directly depended on the operator's training. In ideal polygon conditions, an excellently trained operator hit an average of 7 targets out of 10.
The combat debut of "Baby" took place in 1972, at the final stage of the Vietnam War. Viet Cong units, using ATGMs, fought counterattacking South Vietnamese tanks, destroyed long-term firing points, and struck command posts and communication centers. In total, the Vietnamese calculations of the 9K11 ATGM chalked up up to a dozen M48, M41 and M113 armored personnel carriers.
Israeli tank crews suffered very significant losses from Soviet-made ATGMs in 1973. During the "Yom Kippur" war, the saturation of the battle formations of the Arab infantry with anti-tank weapons was very high. According to American estimates, more than 1,000 guided anti-tank missiles were fired at Israeli tanks. The Israeli tank crews called the ATGM crews "tourists" for the characteristic appearance of their backpacks-suitcases. However, the "tourists" proved to be a very formidable force, managing to burn and immobilize approximately 300 M48 and M60 tanks. Even with active armor in about 50% of hits, the tanks received severe damage or caught fire. The Arabs managed to achieve high efficiency of the Malyutka anti-tank missile system due to the fact that the guidance operators, at the request of Soviet advisers, continued to train on simulators even in the front-line zone.
Due to its simple design and low cost, the 9K11 anti-tank missile system became widespread and participated in most major armed conflicts of the 20th century. The Vietnamese army, which had about 500 complexes, used them against Chinese Type 59 tanks in 1979. It turned out that the ATGM warhead easily hits the Chinese version of the T-54 in the frontal projection. During the Iranian-Iraqi war, both sides actively used the Malyutki. But if Iraq received them legally from the USSR, then the Iranians fought with Chinese unlicensed copies. After the introduction of Soviet troops into Afghanistan, it turned out that with the help of ATGMs it was possible to effectively fight the firing points of the rebels, since ATGMs with manual guidance were considered obsolete by that time, they were used without restrictions. On the African continent, Cuban and Angolan crews destroyed several armored vehicles of the South African armed forces by "Babies". ATGMs, which were quite actively obsolete by the beginning of the 90s, were used by the Armenian armed formations in Nagorno-Karabakh. In addition to armored personnel carriers, infantry fighting vehicles and old T-55s, the anti-tank crew managed to knock out several Azerbaijani T-72s. During the armed confrontation on the territory of the former Yugoslavia, the Malyutka anti-tank complexes destroyed several T-34-85 and T-55, and ATGMs also fired at the enemy's positions.
Old Soviet anti-tank missiles were noted during the civil war in Libya. The Yemeni Houthis used the Malyutka anti-tank missile system against the Arab coalition troops. Military observers agree that, in most cases, the combat effectiveness of first-generation anti-tank missiles in conflicts of the 21st century is low. Although the warhead of the 9M14 rocket is still capable of confidently hitting modern infantry fighting vehicles and armored personnel carriers, and when it hits the side and main battle tanks, you need to have certain skills to accurately aim the missile at the target. In Soviet times, ATGM operators were trained weekly on special simulators to maintain the necessary training.
The Malyutka ATGM has been produced for 25 years and is in service in more than 40 countries around the world. In the mid-90s, the modernized complex "Malyutka-2" was offered to foreign customers. The operator's work was facilitated by the introduction of anti-jamming semi-automatic control, and the armor penetration increased after the installation of a new warhead. But at the moment, the stocks of old Soviet ATGMs abroad have been greatly reduced. Now in the third world countries there are much more Chinese HJ-73 ATGMs copied from the "Baby".
In the mid-80s, a complex with a semi-automatic guidance system was adopted in the PRC. At the moment, the PLA is still using modernized modifications of the HJ-73B and HJ-73C. According to advertising brochures, the HJ-73C ATGM can penetrate 500 mm armor after overcoming reactive armor. However, despite the modernization, in general, the Chinese complex retained the shortcomings characteristic of its prototype: a rather long preparation time for combat use and a low rocket flight speed.
Although the 9K11 Malyutka ATGM was widespread due to the favorable balance of cost, combat and operational qualities, it also had a number of significant drawbacks. The flight speed of the 9M14 rocket was very low, the missile covered the distance of 2000 m in almost 18 seconds. At the same time, the flying rocket and the launch site were clearly visible visually. Over the period of time that has elapsed since the launch, the target could change its location or hide behind cover. And the deployment of the complex to a combat position took too long. In addition, missile launchers had to be placed at a safe distance from the control panel. During the entire flight of the rocket, the operator had to carefully aim it at the target, focusing on the tracer in the tail section. Due to this, the results of firing at the range were very different from the statistics of use in combat conditions. The effectiveness of the weapon directly depended on the skill and psychophysical state of the shooter. Operator hand shake or slow response to target maneuvers resulted in a miss. The Israelis very quickly realized this shortcoming of the complex and immediately after the missile launch was detected, they opened heavy fire at the operator, as a result of which the accuracy of the "Babies" dropped significantly. In addition, for the effective use of the ATGM, the operators had to regularly maintain their guidance skills, which made the complex incapable of combat in the event of the crew commander's failure. In combat conditions, a situation often developed when serviceable anti-tank systems were available, but there was no one to competently apply them.
The military and designers were well aware of the shortcomings of the first generation anti-tank systems. Already in 1970, the 9K111 Fagot ATGM entered service. The complex was created by specialists from the Tula Instrument Design Bureau. It was intended to engage visually observed moving targets moving at a speed of up to 60 km / h targets at a distance of up to 2 km. In addition, the complex could be used to destroy fixed engineering structures and enemy firing points.
In the second-generation anti-tank complex, a special infrared direction finder was used to control the flight of the anti-tank missile, which controlled the position of the missile and transmitted information to the control equipment of the complex, and the latter transmitted commands to the missile through a two-wire wire that unwound behind it. The main difference between the "Fagot" and the "Baby" was the semi-automatic guidance system. To hit the target, the operator simply had to point the sighting device at it and hold it throughout the entire flight of the rocket. The rocket flight was fully controlled by the complex automation. In the 9K111 complex, semi-automatic ATGM guidance to the target is used - the control commands are transmitted to the missile via wires. After the start, the rocket is automatically displayed on the aiming line. The rocket is stabilized in flight by rotation, and the deflection of the nose rudders is controlled by signals transmitted from the launcher. In the tail section there is a headlamp lamp with a mirror reflector and a coil with a wire. At launch, the reflector and the lamp are protected by curtains that open after the missile leaves the container. At the same time, the products of the expelling charge combustion during the launch warmed up the reflector mirror, eliminating the possibility of its fogging at low temperatures. The lamp with the maximum radiation in the IR - spectrum is covered with a special varnish. It was decided to abandon the use of the tracer, since during test launches it sometimes burned out the control wire.
Outwardly, "Fagot" differs from its predecessors by a transport and launch container, in which the rocket is located throughout the entire period of its "life" - from assembly at the plant to the moment of launch. The sealed TPK provides protection against moisture, mechanical damage and sudden temperature changes, reducing the preparation time for start-up. The container serves as a kind of "barrel" from which the rocket is fired under the action of the expelling charge, and the solid-propellant propulsion engine is started later, already on the trajectory, which excludes the impact of the jet stream on the launcher and the arrow. This solution made it possible to combine the sighting system and the launcher in one unit, eliminated the sectors inherent in the same "Baby" inaccessible to defeat, facilitated the choice of location in battle and camouflage, and also simplified the change of position.
The portable version of the "Fagot" consisted of a pack weighing 22.5 kg with a launcher and control equipment, as well as two 26.85 kg packs, with two ATGMs in each. An anti-tank complex in a combat position when changing position is carried by two fighters. The deployment time of the complex is 90 s. The 9P135 launcher includes: a tripod with folding supports, a rotating part on a swivel, a swinging part with screw rotary and lifting mechanisms, missile control equipment and a launch mechanism. Angle of guidance vertically - from -20 to + 20 °, horizontally - 360 °. The transport and launch container with a rocket is installed in the grooves of the swinging part cradle. After firing, the empty TPK is manually dropped. Combat rate of fire - 3 rds / min.
The launching device is equipped with control equipment, which serves for visual target detection and monitoring, launch support, automatic determination of the coordinates of the flying missile relative to the line of sight, generation of control commands and their issuance to the ATGM communication line. Target detection and tracking is carried out using a monocular tenfold periscopic sight with an optical-mechanical coordinator in its upper part. The device has two direction finding channels - with a wide field of view for tracking ATGMs at ranges of up to 500 m and a narrow one for a range of more than 500 m.
The 9M111 rocket is made according to the aerodynamic "canard" design - plastic aerodynamic rudders with an electromagnetic drive are installed in the bow, and the bearing surfaces of thin sheet steel that open after the start are installed in the tail. The flexibility of the consoles allows them to be rolled around the rocket body before loading into the transport and launch container, and after leaving the container, they straighten out by their own elastic force.
The rocket weighing 13 kg carried a 2.5 kg cumulative warhead capable of penetrating 400 mm of homogeneous armor along the normal. At an angle of 60 °, the armor penetration was 200 mm. This ensured a reliable defeat of all Western tanks of that time: M48, M60, Leopard-1, Chieftain, AMX-30. The overall dimensions of the rocket with the unfolded wing were practically the same as that of the "Baby": diameter - 120 mm, length - 863 mm, wingspan - 369 mm.
After the start of mass deliveries of the Fagot ATGM, it was favorably received by the troops. Compared to the portable version of the "Baby", the new complex was more convenient to operate, quickly deployed in position and had a greater probability of hitting the target. The 9K111 "Fagot" complex was a battalion-level anti-tank weapon.
In 1975, an upgraded 9M111M Factoria rocket was adopted for Fagot with increased armor penetration to 550 mm, the launch range increased by 500 m. Although the length of the new missile increased to 910 mm, the dimensions of the TPK remained the same - length 1098 mm, diameter - 150 mm … In ATGM 9M111M, the design of the hull and warhead has been changed to accommodate a charge of increased mass. The increase in combat capabilities was achieved with a decrease in the average flight speed of the rocket from 186 m / s to 177 m / s, as well as an increase in the mass of the TPK and the minimum launch range. Flight time to maximum range increased from 11 to 13 s.
In January 1974, the self-propelled anti-tank missile system of the regimental and divisional level 9K113 "Konkurs" was adopted. It was intended to combat modern armored targets at a distance of up to 4 km. The design solutions used in the 9M113 anti-tank missile basically corresponded to those previously worked out in the Fagot complex, with significantly greater weight and size characteristics due to the need to ensure a longer launch range and increased armor penetration. The mass of the rocket in the TPK has increased to 25, 16 kg - that is, almost doubled. The dimensions of the ATGM also increased significantly, with a caliber of 135 mm, the length was 1165 mm, the wingspan was 468 mm. The cumulative warhead of the 9M113 rocket could penetrate 600 mm of homogeneous armor along the normal. The average flight speed is about 200 m / s, the flight time to the maximum range is 20 s.
Missiles of the "Competition" type were used in the armament of the BMP-1P, BMP-2, BMD-2 and BMD-3 infantry fighting vehicles, as well as in specialized self-propelled 9P148 ATGM systems based on the BRDM-2 and on the BTR-RD "Robot" for the Airborne Forces … At the same time, it was possible to install a TPK with a 9M113 ATGM on the 9P135 launcher of the Fagot complex, which in turn gave a significant increase in the range of destruction by battalion anti-tank weapons.
In connection with the increase in the protection of the tanks of a potential enemy in 1991, the modernized ATGM "Konkurs-M" was adopted. Thanks to the introduction of the 1PN86-1 "Mulat" thermal imaging sight into the sighting equipment, the complex can be effectively used at night. A missile in a transport and launch container weighing 26.5 kg at a distance of up to 4000 m is capable of penetrating 800 mm of homogeneous armor. To overcome the dynamic protection ATGM 9M113M is equipped with a tandem warhead. Armor penetration after overcoming the DZ when hit at an angle of 90 ° is 750 mm. In addition, missiles with a thermobaric warhead have been created for the Konkurs-M ATGM system.
ATGM "Fagot" and "Konkurs" have established themselves as a fairly reliable means of dealing with modern armored vehicles. "Bassoons" were first used in combat during the Iran-Iraq war and since then have been in service in the armies of more than 40 states. These complexes were actively used during the conflict in the North Caucasus. Chechen militants used them against T-72 and T-80 tanks, and also managed to destroy one Mi-8 helicopter by launching an ATGM. Federal forces used ATGMs against enemy fortifications, destroyed firing points and single snipers with them. "Fagots" and "Competitions" were noted in the conflict in the south-east of Ukraine, confidently piercing the armor of the modernized T-64 tanks. Currently, Soviet-made ATGMs are actively fighting in Yemen. According to official Saudi data, by the end of 2015, 14 M1A2S Abrams tanks had been destroyed during the fighting.
In 1979, anti-tank squads of motorized rifle companies began to receive 9K115 Metis ATGMs. The complex, developed under the leadership of the chief designer A. G. Shipunov in the Instrument Design Bureau (Tula), was intended to destroy visible stationary and moving at different course angles at speeds up to 60 km / h armored targets at ranges of 40 - 1000 m.
In order to reduce the mass, size and cost of the complex, the developers decided to simplify the design of the rocket, allowing the complexity of the reusable guidance equipment. When designing the 9M115 rocket, it was decided to abandon the expensive onboard gyroscope. The flight correction of the 9M115 ATGM is carried out according to the commands of the ground equipment, which tracks the position of the tracer installed on one of the wings. In flight, due to the rotation of the rocket at a speed of 8-12 rev / s, the tracer moves in a spiral, and the tracking equipment receives information about the angular position of the rocket, which makes it possible to appropriately adjust the commands issued to the controls via the wired communication line. Another original solution, which made it possible to significantly reduce the cost of the product, was the rudders in the bow with an open-type air-dynamic drive using the air pressure of the incoming flow. The absence of an air or gunpowder pressure accumulator on board the rocket, the use of plastic molding for the manufacture of the main drive elements significantly reduces the cost compared to previously adopted technical solutions.
The rocket is launched from a sealed transport and launch container. In the tail section of the ATGM there are three trapezoidal wings. The wings are made of thin, steel plates. When equipped in a TPK, they are rolled up around the rocket body without residual deformation. After the rocket leaves the TPK, the wings are straightened under the influence of elastic forces. To launch the ATGM, a starting solid-propellant engine with a multiscale charge is used. ATGM 9M115 with TPK weighs 6, 3 kg. Missile length - 733 mm, caliber - 93 mm. TPK length - 784 mm, diameter - 138 mm. The average flight speed of the rocket is about 190 m / s. It flies a distance of 1 km in 5, 5 s. A warhead weighing 2.5 kg penetrates homogeneous armor along the normal to 500 mm.
The 9P151 launcher with a folding tripod includes a machine with a lifting and turning mechanism, on which control equipment is installed - a guidance device and a hardware unit. The launcher is equipped with a precise targeting mechanism, which facilitates the operator's combat work. A container with a missile is placed above the sight.
The launcher and four missiles are carried in two packs by a two-man crew. Pack number 1 with a launcher and one TPK with a rocket weighs 17 kg, pack number 2 - with three ATGMs - 19.4 kg. "Metis" is quite flexible in its application; it can be launched from a prone position, from a standing trench, as well as from a shoulder. When shooting from buildings, about 6 meters of free space is required behind the complex. The rate of fire with coordinated actions of the calculation is up to 5 starts per minute. The time to bring the complex into a combat position is 10 s.
With all its merits, "Metis" by the end of the 80s had a low probability of hitting modern Western tanks head-on. In addition, the military wanted to increase the launch range of the ATGM and expand the possibilities of combat use in the dark. However, the reserves of modernization ATGM "Metis", which had a record low weight, were very limited. In this regard, the designers had to create a new rocket anew while maintaining the same guidance equipment. At the same time, a thermal imaging sight "Mulat-115" weighing 5.5 kg was introduced into the complex. This sight made it possible to observe armored targets at a distance of up to 3.2 km, which ensures the launch of an ATGM at night at a maximum range of destruction. ATGM "Metis-M" was developed in the Instrument Design Bureau and was officially adopted in 1992.
The structural scheme of the 9M131 ATGM, with the exception of the cumulative tandem warhead, is similar to the 9M115 missile, but increased in size. The caliber of the rocket increased to 130 mm, and the length was 810 mm. At the same time, the mass of a ready-to-use TPK with an ATGM reached 13, 8 kg, and a length of 980 mm. The armor penetration of a tandem warhead weighing 5 kg is 800 mm behind ERA. The calculation of the complex of two people carries two packs: No. 1 - weighing 25, 1 kg with a launcher and one container with a rocket and No. 2 - with two TPK weighing 28 kg. When replacing one container with a rocket with a thermal imager, the weight of the pack is reduced to 18.5 kg. Deployment of the complex into a combat position takes 10-20 s. Combat rate of fire - 3 rds / min. Sighting launch range - up to 1500 m.
To expand the combat capabilities of the Metis-M ATGM, a 9M131F guided missile with a thermobaric warhead weighing 4.95 kg was created. It has a high-explosive effect at the level of a 152-mm artillery shell and is especially effective when firing at engineering and fortifications. However, the characteristics of a thermobaric warhead make it possible to successfully use it against manpower and lightly armored vehicles.
At the end of the 90s, tests of the Metis-M1 complex were completed. Thanks to the use of more energy-consuming jet fuel, the firing range has been increased to 2000 m. The thickness of the penetrated armor after overcoming the DZ is 900 mm. In 2008, an even more advanced version of the Metis-2 was developed, featuring a modern electronic element base and a new thermal imager. Officially "Metis-2" was put into service in 2016. Prior to that, since 2004, the upgraded Metis-M1 complexes were supplied only for export.
Complexes of the "Metis" family are officially in service with the armies of 15 states and are used by various paramilitaries around the world. During the hostilities in the Syrian Arab Republic, "Metis" were used by all parties to the conflict. Before the start of the civil war, the Syrian army had about 200 ATGMs of this type, some of them were captured by the Islamists. In addition, several complexes were at the disposal of the Kurdish armed groups. The victims of the ATGM were both the T-72 of the government Syrian forces, as well as the Turkish M60 and 155-mm self-propelled guns T-155 Firtina. Guided missiles equipped with a thermobaric warhead are a very effective means of dealing with snipers and long-term fortifications. Also ATGM "Metis-M1" were seen in service with the DPR army during the armed confrontation with the Armed Forces of Ukraine in 2014.
Until now, in the Russian armed forces, most of the ATGMs are second-generation complexes with semi-automatic missile guidance and transmission of control commands by wire. On the ATGM "Fagot", "Konkurs" and "Metis" in the tail of the missiles there is a source of a frequency-modulated light signal emitting in the visible and near-infrared range. The ATGM guidance system coordinator automatically determines the deviation of the radiation source, and therefore the missile from the aiming line, and sends correction commands to the missile via wires, ensuring the ATGM flight strictly along the aiming line until it hits the target. However, such a guidance system is very vulnerable to blinding by special optoelectronic jamming stations and even infrared searchlights used for driving at night. In addition, the wired communication line with the ATGM limited the maximum flight speed and launch range. Already in the 70s, it became clear that it was necessary to develop an ATGM with new guidance principles.
In the first half of the 80s, the development of an anti-tank complex of a regimental level with laser-guided missiles began in the Tula Instrument Design Bureau. During the creation of the Kornet wearable ATGM, the existing groundwork for the Reflex guided tank weapon system was used, while maintaining the layout solutions of the guided tank projectile. The functions of the Kornet ATGM operator are to detect a target through an optical or thermal imaging sight, take it for tracking, launch a missile and keep the crosshair on the target until it is hit. The launch of the rocket after the launch to the line of sight and its further retention on it is carried out automatically.
ATGM "Kornet" can be placed on any carriers, including those with automated ammunition stowage, due to the relatively small mass of the remote launcher, it can also be used autonomously in a portable version. The portable version of the Kornet ATGM is located on the 9P163M-1 launcher, which includes a tripod machine with precise aiming mechanisms, a sight-guidance device and a missile launch mechanism. For warfare at night, various devices with electronic optical amplification or thermal imagers can be used. The 1PN79M Metis-2 thermal imaging sight is installed on the Kornet-E export modification. For the complex "Kornet-P", intended for the Russian army, a combined thermal imaging sight 1PN80 "Kornet-TP" is used, which makes it possible to fire not only at night, but also when the enemy uses a smoke screen. The detection range of a tank-type target reaches 5000 meters. The latest version of the Kornet-D ATGM guidance equipment, due to the introduction of an automatic target acquisition and tracking, implements the “fire and forget” concept, but the target must remain within line of sight until the missile hits.
The periscopic sight-guidance device is installed in the container under the cradle of the ATGM transport and launch container, the rotary eyepiece is at the bottom left. Thus, the operator can be out of the line of fire, observing the target and guiding the missile from cover. The height of the firing line can vary widely, which allows missiles to be launched from different positions and to adapt to local conditions. It is possible to use remote guidance equipment for launching missiles at a distance of up to 50 meters from the launcher. In order to increase the likelihood of overcoming the active protection of armored vehicles, it is possible to simultaneously launch two missiles in one laser beam from different launchers, with a delay between missile launches less than the response time of protective systems. To exclude the detection of laser radiation and the possibility of setting up a protective smoke screen, during most of the missile flight, the laser beam holds 2-3 meters above the target. For transportation, the launcher weighing 25 kg is folded into a compact position, the thermal imaging sight is transported in a pack case. The complex is transferred from a traveling to a combat position in one minute. Combat rate of fire - 2 launches per minute.
The 9M133 missile uses a guidance principle known as the "laser trail". The photodetector of laser radiation and other control elements are located in the tail section of the ATGM. Four folding wings made of thin sheets of steel, which open after launch under the action of their own elastic forces, are placed on the tail section hull. The middle compartment houses a solid-propellant jet engine with air intake ducts and two oblique nozzles. The main cumulative warhead is located behind the solid-propellant engine. After the missile leaves the TPK, two steering surfaces are revealed in the front of the hull. It also houses the leading charge of the tandem warhead and elements of the air-dynamic drive with a frontal air intake.
According to data published by the Tula Instrument Design Bureau, the 9M133 rocket has a launch weight of 26 kg. The weight of the TPK with the rocket is 29 kg. The rocket body diameter is 152 mm, the length is 1200 mm. The wingspan after leaving the TPK is 460 mm. A tandem cumulative warhead weighing 7 kg is capable of penetrating 1200 mm armor plate after overcoming reactive armor or 3 meters of concrete monolith. The maximum firing range during daylight hours is 5000 m. The minimum launch range is 100 m. The 9M133F modification rocket is equipped with a thermobaric warhead, which has a high explosive effect, its power in TNT equivalent is estimated at about 8 kg. When a missile with a thermobaric warhead hits the embrasure of a reinforced concrete pillbox, it is completely destroyed. Also, such a rocket, in case of a successful hit, is capable of folding a standard five-story building. A powerful thermobaric charge poses a threat to armored vehicles, a shock wave in combination with a high temperature is capable of breaking through the armor of a modern BMP. If it enters a modern main battle tank, it will most likely be incapacitated, since all external equipment will be swept away from the surface of the armor, observation devices, sights and weapons will be damaged.
In the 21st century, there was a consistent build-up of the combat characteristics of the Kornet ATGM. ATGM modification 9M133-1 have a launch range of 5500 m. On modification 9M133M-2 it is increased to 8000 m, while the mass of the missile in the TPK has increased to 31 kg. As part of the Kornet-D complex, the 9M133M-3 ATGM is used with a launch range of up to 10,000 m. The armor penetration of this missile is 1300 mm behind the DZ. The 9M133FM-2 missile with a thermobaric warhead equivalent to 10 kg of TNT, in addition to destroying ground targets, can be used against air targets flying at speeds up to 250 m / s (900 km / h) and an altitude of up to 9000 m. up to 3 m.
The export version of the Kornet-E ATGM is in steady demand in the world arms market. According to information published on the official website of the KBP, as of 2010, more than 35,000 anti-tank missiles of the 9M133 family were sold. According to expert estimates, over 40,000 missiles have been produced to date. Official deliveries of the latest Russian laser-guided anti-tank complex were carried out to 12 countries.
Despite the fact that the Kornet anti-tank complex appeared relatively recently, it already has a rich history of combat use. In 2006, the Kornet-E came as an unpleasant surprise for the Israel Defense Forces, which were conducting Operation Cast Lead in southern Lebanon. Fighters of the Hezbollah armed movement announced the destruction of 164 units of Israeli armored vehicles. According to Israeli data, 45 tanks received combat damage from ATGMs and RPGs, while armor penetration was recorded in 24 tanks. In total, 400 Merkava tanks of various models were involved in the conflict. Thus, it can be argued that every tenth tank that participated in the campaign was hit. Several armored bulldozers and heavy armored personnel carriers were also hit. At the same time, experts agreed that the 9M133 ATGM posed the greatest danger to the Israeli Merkava tanks. According to Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah, the Kornet-E complexes were received from Syria. In 2014, the Israeli military said that during Operation Unbreakable Rock in the Gaza Strip, of 15 missiles launched at Israeli tanks and intercepted by Trophy active tank protection systems, most of them were launched from the Kornet ATGM. On January 28, 2015, a 9M133 rocket launched from Lebanese territory hit an Israeli military jeep, killing two soldiers.
In 2014, radical Islamists used Kornet-E against the armored vehicles of the Iraqi government forces. It is reported that in addition to the T-55 tanks, BMP-1, M113 armored personnel carriers and armored Hummers, at least one American-made M1A1M Abrams was destroyed.
The Kornet-E ATGM was even more actively used during the civil war in the Syrian Arab Republic. As of 2013, there were about 150 ATGMs and 2,500 ATGMs in Syria. Some of these stocks were seized by anti-government armed groups. At a certain stage of the hostilities, captured "Cornets" inflicted heavy losses on the armored units of the Syrian army. Not only the old T-55 and T-62, but also the relatively modern T-72s turned out to be very vulnerable to them. At the same time, dynamic protection, multilayer armor and shielding did not save from missiles with a tandem warhead. In turn, the Syrian government forces burned Islamist tanks with "Cornets" and destroyed "jihadmobiles". During the liberation of settlements from the militants, missiles with a thermobaric warhead demonstrated their effectiveness, blowing up buildings that were turned by jihadists into firing points to dust.
