Finally, work was completed on the creation of new anti-ship missile systems (SCRC) "Ball" and "Bastion". New developments entered serial production, automatically transferring Russia to the world leaders in these systems. At the same time, only operational-tactical SCRC "Bastion", which are designed to defeat large targets, are purchased for the Russian army, but tactical SCRC "Bal", which are less powerful, are not purchased. Such a policy raises considerable doubts, since in modern conditions large-scale military actions are unlikely, rather local conflicts in coastal waters, for which the SCRC "Bal" is more suitable.
Today, the SCRC is a powerful system that can handle both the task of coastal defense and the defeat of naval targets hundreds of kilometers away. Own target designation means, high autonomy and mobility make modern SCRCs difficult to penetrate for serious opponents. That is why interest in modern coastal SCRCs is gradually increasing. In addition, these systems can be used as a means of using high-precision missile weapons to destroy ground targets.
Most widespread foreign SCRC
The world market can offer a variety of coastal SCRCs using all modern types of anti-ship missiles.
Harpoon (Boeing, USA) has a fairly wide distribution, but is used in small quantities only in Spain, Denmark, Egypt and South Korea. SCRC Exocet (MBDA, France) use the first generation of the Exocet MM38 anti-ship missile system and have already been removed from service in the UK. Such weapons are used only in Greece and Chile, more modern Exocet MM40 missiles are also used by Cyprus, Qatar, Thailand and Saudi Arabia. Coastal complexes Otomat (MBDA, Italy) were supplied to Egypt and Saudi Arabia back in the 1980s. Around the same time, Sweden and Finland began using RBS-15 (Saab, Sweden), its coastal variant RBS-15K. Croatia uses this SCRC in conjunction with its own SCRC, created in the 1990s. MOL … Saab is currently offering a coastal SCRC based on a new version of the RBS-15 rocket Mk 3.
Sweden and Norway use RBS-17 missiles (Saab, Sweden), which are a modification of the American Hellfire anti-tank missile. Light coastal launchers (PU) are equipped with them. RCC Penguin (Kongsberg, Norway) has been used in stationary launchers of the Norwegian coastal defense since the 1970s. Outdated complexes are gradually being removed from service. Japanese anti-ship missiles SSM-1A (Mitsubishi, Japan) are used in the manufacturing country for arming mobile coastal SCRC type 88, are not exported. Since the 1970s, the RCC family Hsiung Feng (Taiwan) is in service with the coastal defense of Taiwan for both mobile and stationary SCRCs. The first version was developed on the basis of an improved analogue of anti-ship missiles Gabriel Mk 2created in Israel. After 2002, the mobile SCRC goes into service. Hsiung Feng II with a longer-range missile of local production. Experts do not exclude that the coastal complex based on the Taiwanese supersonic anti-ship missile system will be further developed. Hsiung Feng III … These systems have never been exported.
The end of 2008 was marked by a contract between Poland and Norway for the supply in 2012 of one coastal NSM (Kongsberg, Norway) worth $ 145 million.
HY-2 (China) or S-201 is an improved analogue of the Soviet P-15 rocket, created back in the 1960s. Coastal SCRC in those years were the basis of the coastal defense of the PRC, were exported to Iraq, Iran, Albania and the DPRK. A variant of the rocket equipped with a turbojet engine, the HY-4 (PRC) entered service with the state in the 1980s. After 1991, SCRC based on this missile were exported to the UAE. Analogs of this missile were created in Iran and the DPRK. To date, the rocket is incredibly outdated, therefore, YJ-62 (PRC) or S-602 - modern cruise missiles.
Light modern anti-ship missiles from modification S-701 to S-705 are combined into a family YJ-7 (PRC) Iran is launching S-701 and S-704 missiles under license. YJ-8 (PRC) is a family of modern Chinese missiles S-801, S-802 and S-803. SCRC with C-802 are now in service in the PRC, in the 1990-2000s they were supplied to Iran and the DPRK. Now Thailand is seriously interested in them. S-802 are licensed in Iran, supplied to Syria and Lebanese Hezbollah, SCRCs with these missiles managed to take part in the 2006 Lebanese conflict.
History of the SCRC in Russia during Soviet times
The USSR considered the SCRC as the most important means of coastal defense with the military superiority of the West at sea. At that time, the Soviet Union was engaged in the development and production of both tactical and operational-tactical SCRCs, the firing range of the second SCRC was over 200 km.
In 1955, work began on the creation of a mobile complex "Sopka" … An earlier development - the Strela complex - used the same C-2 missiles, so it was often called the Sopka stationary complex. The mobile complex was put into service in 1958. Complex "Sopka" was equipped with a cruise aircraft turbojet engine, in order for the rocket to start, a solid-propellant jet booster was attached to the tail of its hull. The complex was equipped with a Mys detection radar, a central bridge combined with a S-1M guidance radar and a Burun tracking radar.
In 1959, S-2 missiles were equipped with Sputnik-2 thermal homing heads. If the missile was fired in the S-1M RKL beam, and the homing mechanism began to operate at a distance of 15 km, the firing range reached 105 km. In the second mode, the rocket was brought into the homing zone by the autopilot. The Sopka complex was at one time the basis of the coastal defense of the USSR, in the 1960s it was actively exported to the allied states. The complex was finally removed from service in the 1980s.
At the coastal defense post, the Sopka complex was replaced by the mobile coastal SCRC 4K40 "Rubezh" and the SCRC "Redut", put into service in 1978.
The "Rubezh" complex is equipped with the "Harpoon" radar station. The battery includes four launchers and the same number of transport-loading vehicles, the total number of missiles is equal to 16 naval P-15M missiles with a firing range of up to 80 km. Self-propelled launchers (SPU) are fully autonomous combat vehicles, they are capable of independently detecting surface targets and firing.
Two types of homing heads (GOS) - ARL and IK, the presence of a powerful warhead increases the likelihood of hitting a target with a salvo of two missiles with one SPU or a multi-missile salvo from several SPUs, even in the presence of interference, both active and passive. The main disadvantage of the complex is the use of outdated missiles with a large mass and low flight speed. In addition, the operation is complicated by the presence of liquid-propellant rocket engines.
In the 1980s, the Rubezh SCRC underwent modernization, thanks to which it still forms the basis of the coastal defense of the Russian Federation, although it is still considered obsolete. The export version of the complex was received in the 1980s by Poland, the German Democratic Republic, Romania, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Algeria and many other countries. Ukraine received part of the complexes after the collapse of the USSR.
The coastal SCRC "Redut" belongs to the second-generation operational-tactical missile systems. It was developed in the 1960s, the purpose of its use was to defeat any surface ships using the P-35B anti-ship missile system, the firing range is 270 km. The complex was put into service in 1966, like the "Rubezh", the SCRC "Redut" is used to this day. The SCRC is capable of receiving target designation from Tu-16D, Tu-95D aircraft, as well as Ka-25 Ts helicopters equipped with the Uspekh radar. In the late 1970s, the new ZM44 Progress rocket began to be used. A powerful warhead and a high cruising speed of the missile increases the likelihood of a target's air defense breaking through with a single missile or a salvo from several launchers.
In the presence of external target designation, the Redut SCRC is capable of covering several hundred kilometers of the coast. A powerful nuclear or high-explosive warhead disables any ship with a single missile. The disadvantages of the complex are associated with an outdated rocket model, which is large and heavy, so the SPU carries only one missile, and its long flight range leads to problems with target designation. The SPU is not autonomous, like the Redoubt SCRC, therefore it cannot independently detect targets and fire at them. The time for the SCRC deployment is long.
In the 1980s, the export version of the complex was supplied to countries such as Bulgaria, Syria and Vietnam. In all these countries, as well as in the Russian Federation, the Redoubt SCRC has not been removed from service.
What do we have for today
In the 1980s, work began on the creation of new SCRCs based on the then promising anti-ship missiles to replace the outdated Redut and Rubezh complexes. Due to the collapse of the USSR, the work ended only in recent years. New SCRC "Ball" and "Bastion" immediately brought Russia to a leading position in the world market for serial production of SCRC. It is likely that Russia will hold the title of leader throughout the next decade due to the fact that the latest systems "Ball-U" and Club-M are being developed.
SCRC "Bastion" is designed to destroy various types of ships and ground-based radar targets with intense fire and electronic countermeasures. One complex is capable of protecting more than 600 km of the coast from enemy troops. The new complex was originally created as a universal one, which can be placed on surface ships and submarines, on airplanes, boats and coastal launchers. The system is designed in two versions - mobile ("Bastion-P") and stationary ("Bastion-S"). SCRC "Bastion" uses the SCR "Yakhont". The advantages of this type of anti-ship missile system include over-the-horizon firing range, full autonomy of use in combat conditions, a set of flexible trajectories, supersonic speed during the entire flight, low visibility for modern radars, as well as complete unification for a number of carriers. The missile guidance system is combined - inertial on the cruising section and active radar - in the last stage of the flight. The GOS radar captures a cruiser-class surface target at a distance of up to 75 km. As much as possible, the complex allows you to see the volley. The missiles themselves are able to distribute and classify the target according to the degree of importance, choose the tactics of the attack and the plan for its implementation. The autonomous system allows missiles to evade enemy air defense fire. The full ammunition load of the coastal anti-ship missile system "Bastion" includes 36 anti-ship missiles (12 anti-ship missiles, 3 anti-ship missiles each). The deployment time of the complex is less than 5 minutes, and the frequency of shots is 2-5 seconds.
In 2006, Vietnam signed a contract for the supply of an entire battalion of the Bastion-P SCRC, the amount of the contract was approximately $ 150 million, two such divisions were requested by Syria. The Vietnamese contract paid for the final stage of the development of the SCRC. The deliveries of the complexes along with the missiles were carried out in 2010.
In 2008, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation signed a contract for the supply during 2009-2011 of three Bastion-P missiles with Yakhont missiles to equip the 11th rifle missile and artillery brigade of the Black Sea Fleet, which is deployed in the Anapa area.
The replacement of the tactical complex "Rubezh" was supposed to be the SCRC "Bal", using the small-sized subsonic anti-ship missiles "Uran". The firing range of the complex is 120 km. The complex consists of four SPUs of 8 anti-ship missiles in each, two self-propelled command and control and communication posts using the Harpoon-Bal target designation radar, and four transport-loading vehicles. The total ammunition load of the Ball anti-ship missile system consists of 64 anti-ship missiles. Modern navigation equipment and night vision devices allow deploying the complex within 10 minutes at any time of the day or night. A single salvo of the complex is up to 32 missiles, the interval between launches is 15 seconds.
The power supply of the machines is provided by autonomous sources of alternating and direct current with a gas turbine drive, a backup power source is located on each machine and operates from the power take-off shaft of the vehicle chassis. This feature speaks not only of the high survivability of the complex, but also of the possibility of autonomous use of all machines.
The only SCRC "Ball", manufactured for testing, was transferred to the same brigade of the Black Sea Fleet, where it is now, without having an ammunition load of missiles. Formally, the complex was put into service back in 2008, but it never entered mass production. The export version - "Bal-E" with export missiles 3M24E - is of interest to a number of states, but there have been no orders for it yet.
The latest developments in the field of SCRC are the Club-M mobile complex with a firing range of up to 290 km and the Moskit-E complex.
Club-M uses cruise missiles of the Club family of types 3M54E, 3M14E and 3M54E1; options for export are offered on different chassis with 3-6 missiles on launchers. There were no orders for its production yet. The export version of the Moskit-E shipborne SCRC based on 3M80E supersonic missiles has a firing range of up to 130 km. Perhaps the lack of demand for this complex is due to the large size of the not new missiles and the small firing range.
Future prospects
The most promising for the Russian Navy is the Bal-U coastal SCRC under development. Presumably, the new complex will use Yakhont and Caliber missiles, and will also be equipped with new target designation means. Perhaps the Ministry of Defense is awaiting the completion of development and therefore does not order more SCRC "Ball" and "Bastion" with 3M24 missiles.
If the coastal defense system is fully equipped with the Bal-U complexes, it will turn out that all weapons are represented by operational-tactical systems. Only expensive powerful supersonic anti-ship missiles Yakhont and anti-ship missiles with a supersonic stage "Caliber", which are designed to engage large targets, will be used. But tactical complexes will be absent as a class. This choice can hardly be called optimal both from a military point of view and from an economic point of view.
Large enemy ships, even during large-scale hostilities, will not appear in coastal waters, substituting a missile strike. The likelihood of this behavior is close to zero. The near naval blockade is a thing of the past. And it is possible to strike with sea-based cruise missiles from a distance exceeding the firing range of the SCRC. Thus, it becomes clear that the invasion of large ships, which the Bal-U SCRC is aiming at, will be carried out only after the destruction of the coastal defense by high-precision aviation weapons and cruise missiles.
A significant firing range will be reduced due to the difficulty of target designation at a great distance, moreover, from the enemy's side, all kinds of interference can be expected to determine targets. In the worst case, the SCRC will have to rely only on its own radar, whose range is limited by the radio horizon. So all the advantages of long-range missiles will be reduced to almost zero.
As a result, it turns out that in the context of real hostilities, the declared advantages of using SCRC with powerful operational-tactical missiles will be nullified by significant restrictions. Therefore, Bal-U will not be able to fully realize its combat potential. The use of powerful expensive missiles in local conflicts is not rational.
If you observe the modern development of the naval forces of neighboring states, it is easy to see that the stake is placed on small combat units, such as small combat boats, in the future - unmanned combat assets. Therefore, one can expect the appearance in the coastal waters of Russia not of a small number of large ships, but of a large number of small ones. So the Russian Navy needs to create modern effective means of dealing with small and medium surface targets at a short distance, especially in the waters of inland seas.
As a solution to these issues, inexpensive subsonic and small anti-ship missiles can be considered. "Uranus" with missiles of the 3M24 series and its coastal version - the SCRC "Bal" - are successful, already worked out modern systems, suitable in all respects for solving such problems. The lack of orders for these complexes seems to be very short-sighted.
The orientation of the naval forces to combat light and boat forces (at least in the Black, Baltic and Japanese Seas) will affect the construction of all branches and forces of the Navy - the construction of ships, naval aviation, coastal missile and artillery units. The best option for purchasing a SCRC would be a combination of the Bal-U and Bastion-P complexes with powerful and high-speed missiles and the Bal complexes with Uranus missiles.
It is also worth noting that the cost of one Onyx / Yakhont missile is three to four times higher than the cost of a Uranus-class missile. The cost of the Bastion-P complex with 16 missiles is commensurate with the cost of the Bal missile battery with 64 missiles. At the same time, a salvo of 32 subsonic missiles is often more effective than a salvo of 8 supersonic missiles.
Most likely, practice will show that the rather high cost of the Bal-U and Bastion SCRCs will either limit their purchase or extend it over time. Therefore, the fleet runs the risk of remaining armed with mostly outdated coastal complexes Redut and Rubezh, the combat significance of which will soon become negligible. In addition, 3M24 missiles are easier to upgrade, relatively low costs can significantly increase the flexibility and effectiveness of the use of CPRK based on them.
To be continued.
