The Falanga anti-tank complex was demonstrated to the leadership of the armed forces on August 28, 1959, after which, even before the state tests were completed, the military decided to purchase 1,000 ATGMs and 25 launchers based on the BRDM-1 combat vehicles. Factory tests of the new ATGM began on October 15, 1959. The first 5 missile launches ended unsuccessfully, the shortcomings of their radio control system affected. In the future, tests went much more safely, of the 27 launches made, 80% of the missiles hit targets. As a result, after eliminating all the identified shortcomings of the 2K8 ATGM "Phalanx" on August 30, 1960, it was put into service.
ATGM "Phalanx" ensured the defeat of armored targets at a distance of up to 2,500 meters, the minimum firing range was 500 meters. The missile provided armor penetration at the level of 560 mm (at an angle of 90 degrees). The launch weight of the complex missile was 28.5 kg, and the weight of the 2P32 combat vehicle, created on the basis of the BRDM-1, was 6,050 kg. The complex could be deployed from a traveling position to a combat position in 30 seconds, but with the preparation of equipment for launching missiles, it took from 2 to 3 minutes.
The general layout of the 3M11 anti-tank missile was made taking into account the length restrictions imposed by the placement on the BRDM-1 base, and had a blunt fairing. The use of the missile control radio channel required the creators to place equipment in its tail section, which was quite cumbersome in accordance with the realities of those days. Because of this, the rocket propulsion system was made according to a scheme with 2 oblique nozzles and consisted of a launch and sustainer engines. The elevons located at the trailing edge of the wings acted as controls.
To power the pneumatic steering mechanisms, an air pressure accumulator was placed on board the rocket - a special cylinder with compressed air. Compressed air was also fed to the turbine generator, providing power to the rocket equipment. Thanks to this solution, there was no need to put temperature-sensitive batteries or batteries on the rocket. The Falanga missiles on the launcher were placed in an X-shaped pattern, and after the launch, the rocket, turning 45 degrees in a roll, made its flight with a cruciform arrangement of its wings. At the same time, for better compensation of gravity in the horizontal plane, the designers provided a special small destabilizer, thanks to which the aerodynamic configuration of the rocket in the pitch channel became intermediate between the "tailless" and "duck". Tracers were mounted on a horizontal pair of rocket consoles.
Due to the fact that the wing consoles were foldable, the dimensions of the rocket in the transport position were quite small and amounted to only 270 by 270 mm. The opening of the consoles and their preparation for combat use was carried out manually, after which the wing span of the rocket reached 680 mm. The rocket body diameter was 140 mm, the length was 1147 mm. Starting weight 28.5 kg.
Already 4 years after the completion of the work, the first modernization of the complex saw the light. The new 9M17 rocket of the Falanga-M complex received a small-sized powder gyroscope with a spin that took place due to the combustion of the powder charge. With the use of a gyroscope, it was possible to reduce the time required to prepare the rocket for launch. Instead of a propulsion system of 2 engines (starting and sustaining), a lighter single-chamber dual-mode engine was used, the fuel supply of which was doubled. As a result of the modernization, the range of the rocket was increased to 4000 meters, the average speed increased from 150 to 230 m / s, and the launch weight of the rocket increased to 31 kg.
After another 4 years, the army entered the "Phalanx-P" ("Flute") complex, which has semi-automatic missile guidance to the target. At launch, the operator only had to keep the target in the crosshair of the sight, while the guidance commands were automatically generated and issued by helicopter or ground equipment, which tracked the position of the rocket along its tracker. The minimum firing range has been reduced to 450 meters. For a semi-automatic modification of the complex, a new ground-based launcher was developed - the 9P137 combat vehicle, created on the basis of the BRDM-2.
Anti-tank missile 3M11 "Phalanx"
It is also worth noting that the appearance in our country of guided missile weapons on helicopters is associated with the Phalanx complex. The first tests in this area began in 1961, when 4 3M11 missiles were installed on MI-1MU. But at that time, the military could not yet assess the potential and prospect of such an ATGM deployment. Subsequently, tests were carried out with 9M17 missiles, but, despite their positive outcome, the helicopter complex was never put into service.
The fate of the complex under the abbreviation K-4V, which was to be installed on Mi-4AV helicopters, became more successful. Each helicopter carried 4 Falanga-M anti-tank missiles, which were put into service in 1967. 185 previously built Mi-4A helicopters were specially re-equipped for this complex. Well, in 1973, this complex was successfully tested on the basis of the Mi-8TV, and later on the basis of the first truly combat helicopter Mi-24. Each of them also carried 4 Falanga-M missiles.
BRDM-1
Work on the creation of an armored reconnaissance vehicle (BRDM-1) began at the end of 1954 at the design bureau of the Gorky Automobile Plant, led by the leading designer of the enterprise V. K. Rubtsov. Initially, it was planned to create the BRDM as a floating version of the well-known BTR-40 in the troops (it is no coincidence that the vehicle even received the BTR-40P index). However, in the course of the work, the designers came to the conclusion that it would not be possible to limit themselves only to the modification of an existing machine. In the course of design work, a new machine began to emerge, which had no analogues not only in the USSR, but also in the world.
The demands of the military to overcome trenches and trenches led to the creation of a unique chassis, which consisted of a main four-wheeled propeller and 4 additional wheels, which were located in the central part of the vehicle and were intended to overcome trenches. The 4 central wheels, if necessary, were lowered and set in motion using a specially designed transmission. Thanks to this, the BRDM easily transformed from a four-wheeled vehicle into an eight-wheeled vehicle, which was able to overcome trenches and obstacles up to 1.22 meters wide. The main wheels of the BRDM-1 had a centralized pumping system, which had already been tested on the BTR-40 and BTR-152 models.
For the possibility of forcing water obstacles, the car was supposed to be equipped with a traditional propeller, but later, during the discussions, the designers opted for a water cannon, which had already been developed for the PT-76 light amphibious tank. Such a water cannon was more "tenacious" and compact. In addition, it could be used to pump out water from the body of an armored vehicle and increase its maneuverability on the water - the turning radius on the water surface was only 1.5 meters.
Fighting vehicle ATGM 2P32 ATGM 2K8 "Phalanx" in ceremonial color
The BRDM-1 had a sealed supporting body welded from rolled armor plates of various thicknesses - 6, 8 and 12 mm. An armored wheelhouse was welded onto the hull, equipped with two inspection hatches with inserted bulletproof glass blocks. A double-leaf hatch was located in the rear of the vehicle. The combat weight of the vehicle was 5,600 kg, the maximum speed was 80 km / h. The car could carry 5 people (2 crew members + 3 paratroopers).
It was on the basis of the BRDM-1 that the 2P32 combat vehicle was created. Its main armament was the 3M11 Phalanx anti-tank missiles. This self-propelled ATGM complex had 4 guides and could carry out up to 2 missile launches per minute. The vehicle's ammunition consisted of 8 anti-tank missiles, as well as an RPG-7 hand-held anti-tank grenade launcher.
Aircraft version "Phalanx-PV"
The Falanga-PV airborne anti-tank missile system is used to destroy enemy armored vehicles with manual control, provided there is direct optical visibility of the target, or in a semi-automatic mode. The complex was created at the Design Bureau of Precision Engineering (chief designer AE Nudelman) on the basis of the Falanga-M complex. The Falanga-PV anti-tank missile system was adopted by the army in 1969, and since 1973, Mi-24D attack helicopters, which carried 4 9M17P ATGMs, went into production. In the future, this rocket became the main weapon for many other types of helicopters, on which the Falanga-M complex had already been installed. The launchers of the Mi-4AV and Mi-8TV helicopters could accommodate up to 4 of these missiles at a time.
The complex was produced at the Kovrov Mechanical Plant and was sold for export. It is assumed that he is still in service with the armies of Afghanistan, Cuba, Egypt, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Vietnam, Bulgaria, Hungary and the Czech Republic. In the west, this complex was named AT-2C "Swatter-C" (Russian fly swatter).
ATGM "Falanga-PV"
The 9M17P rocket is manufactured according to a normal aerodynamic design and is almost completely similar to the Falanga-M missile. The main difference between the missiles lies in the use of a new radio command system of semi-automatic control, which was coupled with the "Raduga-F" equipment and was installed on a helicopter carrier of the missiles. The missile was aimed at the target using the 3-point method. The controls were aerodynamic rudders.
Currently, the developer of the rocket offers on the market its deep modernization, which has the best armor penetration. The new level of penetration guarantees the defeat of modern enemy MBTs, including those with dynamic protection. In the course of modernization, the range of application of the missile was significantly expanded through the use of various types of warheads (volume-detonating, fragmentation and other warheads).
New versions of the rocket were presented at the MAKS air show in Zhukovsky in August 1999. The modified version of the rocket could be used on all launchers in service: on Mi-24 helicopters and 9P137 self-propelled launchers in manual and semi-automatic guidance modes, when launched from PU 9P124 installations - only in manual control mode.
The upgraded versions of the 9M17P retained all the operational and combat characteristics of the previous modifications, differing only in the types of warheads used:
Rocket 9M17P modification 1 is equipped with a warhead with increased efficiency to overcome armor protection up to 400 mm thick (at an angle of 60 degrees from the normal). The new missile warhead is equivalent to a cumulative warhead weighing 4.1 kg.
The 9M17P missile modification 2 is equipped with an improved warhead with a total weight of 7.5 kg, with the possibility of guaranteed overcoming of armor protection more than 400 mm thick (at an angle of 60 degrees from the normal)
