The strike of the 10-sound combat stage is like lightning. A fiery arrow in an instant pierced the flight, gallery, hangar, third and fourth decks of the aircraft carrier. The contact detonator did not fulfill its function, and the warhead continued its way down through the belly of the giant ship. Through the hold deck, platforms and bottom plating. Having overcome 70 meters of metal structures, it crashed into the depths with a roar. To plunge into the bottom sediments of the South China Sea a second later, disturbing the operators of seismic stations off the coast of Japan …
No. Everything happened differently.
… the embrace of an icy void and brightly acrid stars. Departure from orbit took 150 seconds, and the flight through the fragile stratosphere continued for another quarter of a minute. Every 10 seconds, the automation, according to the data of accelerometers and gyroscopes, put the system into an ever higher state of readiness. At first weak and thin, the air whistled furiously overboard, swinging a small lethal ammunition in its streams. Until inside, in a device the size of a coffee machine, there was a command to detonate. The reaction began, passed and just as suddenly ended at an altitude of 600 meters. During this time, the warhead flying at a speed of 3 km / s managed to cover a distance less than the thickness of a human hair.
The "coffee maker" brought down 300 kilotons of fire. Reflecting from the water, the front of the shock wave spread along the surface of the sea, after a split second collided with the second wave that came straight from the point of explosion. The fire trap closed a kilometer from the epicenter, just where the enemy ships were …
In general, enough of the lyrics. All these colorful descriptions are scenarios for the combat use of the Dongfeng DF-21D (East Wind) anti-ship ballistic missile. The only difference is that they have nothing to do with reality.
More has been said about the advantages of this weapon than about its disadvantages. Among the key points hindering the combat use of the Dongfeng-21D:
In the first minutes, the trajectory and parameters of the DF-21D taking off will be indistinguishable from the parameters of the ICBM flight. The launch of an anti-ship ballistic missile can be perceived by the missile attack warning systems (EWS) of other countries for the start of a nuclear war.
I believe that few will agree to sacrifice themselves because China, as part of some local "complication of relations", fires at US or Japanese ships with ballistic anti-ship missiles.
A group launch of a ballistic missile in a tense geopolitical situation can lead to unpredictable and completely undesirable consequences. To prevent the threat of a local conflict escalating into a full-scale nuclear war, special security measures and weapons control are required. The multi-level mechanism for coordinating the launch and hesitation of the command about the appropriateness of the situation for the use of the DF-21D will sharply limit the tactical use of such a missile, in comparison with “conventional” means.
Dreams of creating a naval superweapon are extremely far from reality.
Many are discussing with interest the effects of a 10-fly warhead hitting the deck, while contemplating the problem of plasma formation, which shields radio waves and makes missile guidance impossible. As if not paying attention to the fact that the appearance of plasma is the result of intense deceleration in the atmosphere. Converting the kinetic energy of a warhead into megajoules of thermal energy.
Warheads of ballistic missiles develop high speeds in near-earth space, sharply slowing down when entering the atmosphere. In practice, the rate of fall of warheads of ICBMs and INFs in the final section does not exceed 3-4 Machs.
In maneuvering warheads (for example, "Pershing-2"), due to their larger size and additional resistance due to the presence of control surfaces (aerodynamic rudders), the speed in the last minutes is even lower than that of conventional "carrots".
At an altitude of about 15 km, the warhead slowed down to 2-3 speeds of sound. At that moment, the radar of the RADAG system came to life under the remnants of the ablation fairing. The warhead received an annular image of the underlying relief by scanning at an angular speed of 2 rev / s. Four reference images of the target area for different heights were stored in the memory, recorded in the form of a matrix, each cell of which corresponded to the brightness of a given area in the selected radio wave range. The stage of trajectory correction began, which ended with a controlled dive to the target.
There could be no impact at a speed of 10M. The speed of a guided ballistic missile warhead at the time of a target meeting is comparable to that of supersonic cruise missiles. And, in this sense, the Chinese ballistic anti-ship missile system has no advantages over the anti-ship missile systems “Onyx” or ZM-54 “Caliber”.
The "unsolvable question" associated with the formation of plasma clouds shielding radio waves was unexpectedly solved by decelerating to 2-3 speeds of sound, at which this effect becomes invisible. It was at this moment that the missile homing system began to work, which had previously been inactive. Most of the way, the warhead flew along the ballistic curve, given by the starting impulse of the 1st and 2nd stage engines.
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The Pershing-2 warhead also had jet rudders to correct its position in near-earth space and, probably, for a more accurate exit to the target area. For the correct orientation of the combat stage when entering the atmosphere and during descent, during which it was required to brake the warhead from more than 10 to 2 sound speeds. Corrective impulses were made according to the data of the inertial navigation system (INS), i.e. only as indicated by internal instruments and gyroscopes.
Precise guidance was carried out already at the terminal phase of the flight: the radar scanned the terrain from low altitudes, and the warhead, vigorously maneuvering due to 4 movable "lobes", was aimed at the selected point target.
Common tasks dictate similar design decisions. That is why, when describing the Chinese ballistic anti-ship missile system, many sources refer to the MGM-31 Pershing-2 concept. In fact, the only reliably created and adopted structure of this purpose with a radar seeker. The design and performance characteristics of which were declassified long ago and are currently in the public domain.
Indeed, it is unlikely that the Chinese were able to change the laws of nature and create weapons based on new physical principles. Currently, the simplest and most logical solution is a guided warhead with a terminal guidance system (RLGSN) combined with aerodynamic controls.
In the presented material, the Soviet R-27K was undeservedly deprived of attention. The world's first homing ballistic anti-ship missile system to destroy ships (work on the project was carried out in the period 1962-1975). On the other hand, Soviet specialists failed to create anything like the deadly masterpiece from Martin-Marietta. Option "A" with a guided warhead was rejected even at the level of sketches, due to its inadequate complexity. As a ballistic anti-ship missile was chosen option "B" with a rather ingenious, but primitive guidance system.
As conceived by the designers, during takeoff, the R-27K was supposed to track the radar radiation of enemy ships from a distance of several hundred kilometers. Further, according to the radio direction finder, the liquid-propellant rocket engine of multiple activation gave a starting impulse, which brought the missile along a ballistic trajectory to the target area. No correction was made in the final section. Of course, there could be no question of hitting point mobile targets (ships) with a direct hit. The anti-ship R-27K was equipped with a 650 kt thermonuclear warhead, which, in part, alleviated the problem. But only partially. So, a deviation of only 10 kilometers meant failure to fulfill the task: at such a distance, the AUG ships could hardly receive serious damage. Also, the question itself remained with passive guidance only to working sources of radio emission, which greatly limited the combat capabilities.
How much the power of nuclear fire is exaggerated and how resistant large ships are to such threats can be found in detail and with illustrations in the above articles on "VO":
For this reason, further discussion of the Soviet version in the context of the current article can be considered complete. According to the published photographs of the Chinese side, in the 2nd Military Academy of the PRC they are working precisely on a direct hit on the ship. In order to avoid undesirable complications, it is planned to equip the missile with a conventional warhead.
Based on the above materials, the anti-ship BR “Dongfeng-21 mod. D”is presented in a completely different light, different from what the colorful imagination of ordinary people and journalists depicts.
Among the strengths of this weapon is the range of destruction (the declared value is 1500 km), which exceeds the indicators of all existing anti-ship missiles, incl. heavy giants of the “Chelomey school” (Granite-Volcano, etc.).
Such characteristics make it possible to fight enemy naval groupings in open sea areas, without the need for rapprochement with the enemy. At the same time, the main “probable enemy” of the DF-21D, the US Navy ship groups, will have to take special measures to ensure their safety, even on the way to the shores of Asia.
The need for early activation of Aegis radars to detect a possible threat from space will lead to unmasking of the AUG and will contribute to a more effective use of other anti-ship weapons. The position of the AUG will be easily tracked by means of electronic reconnaissance, which will solve the problem with target designation for the PLA air and naval forces.
As for the DF-21D's own combat capabilities, they, according to the author, look doubtful in modern conditions. The main reason is the high-altitude trajectory (i.e. visibility) and too low speed in the final section. Based on the characteristics of the existing shipborne air defense systems and the families of anti-aircraft missiles (Aster, Standard), a supersonic target at an altitude of 10-15 km is a typical and desirable target for them. Moreover, the appearance of a threat will be known in advance - a few minutes before the DF-21D enters the "Standards" affected area.
Also, overseas efforts in the field of missile defense cannot be disregarded: an approaching missile can be intercepted even in transatmospheric space with the help of kinetic interceptors SM-3.
Reflections on the high cost of a 15-ton two-stage missile as an anti-ship weapon are not without foundation. Ammunition is not a luxury, but a consumable item. Inadequate size and cost complicate the training of personnel, making it impossible for them to gain experience in handling weapons, to detect and eliminate all design flaws in advance. Ground models and stands are not a substitute for full-fledged shooting. At a time when the Americans and their allies are used to releasing dozens of small-sized "Harpoons" on naval exercises.
On the other hand, the opinion about the prohibitively high cost of the DF-21D may be wrong. The bulk of the ballistic "Dongfeng" falls on its TTRD, i.e. compressed gunpowder. At the same time, the cost of any modern aircraft is determined by the high-tech stuffing, the main element of which is the sensitive GOS. And in this aspect, the Chinese ballistic anti-ship missile does not stand out against the background of other heavy anti-ship missiles.
