For correct and full-fledged preparation of calculations of air defense systems, it is necessary to arrange firing at targets that simulate enemy aircraft or weapons. In particular, there are targets for practicing the fight against anti-ship missiles of a conventional enemy. One of the domestic samples of this kind is present in the product catalog of the developer organization under the official designation ITs-35.
The main threat to warships is currently posed by anti-ship guided missiles deployed on surface or underwater platforms, on aircraft or on coastal complexes. To combat such threats, modern ships carry an advanced air defense system, which includes missile and artillery systems. In the training of calculations of anti-aircraft complexes, radio-controlled or unmanned targets are often used. Among other samples of this kind, the domestic industry has created targets that imitate anti-ship missiles.
Start of the IC-35 target simulator from a missile boat
In the early nineties, the Russian State Research and Production Center Zvezda-Strela, which is now the head enterprise of the Tactical Missile Armament Corporation, began developing several new target missiles for training air defense crews. This time it was about creating systems for training naval anti-aircraft gunners, and therefore capable of imitating the anti-ship missiles of a conditional enemy.
The projects under the names MA-31 and ITs-35 were launched with a minimum interval. It is curious that the American company McDonnell Douglass was the initiator of the first project. At that time, she participated in the US Navy competition for the development of a promising target missile, and in order to simplify and speed up the work, she decided to turn to Russian specialists for help. This approach has fully justified itself. The target missile, created on the basis of Soviet / Russian developments with the leading role of our specialists, won the Pentagon competition a few years later and was recommended for adoption.
Also in the early nineties, the State Scientific and Production Center "Zvezda-Strela" began designing a second missile of a similar purpose, but with a number of noticeable differences. This target received the official designation IC-35 or ITS-35 - for foreign language materials. The name of the rocket fully reflected its essence. The letters "ITs" meant "target simulator", and the number 35 indicated the type of missile taken as a basis - the Kh-35.
Since the future target for the training of anti-aircraft gunners had to repeat as much as possible the characteristics and capabilities of real anti-ship missiles, it was proposed to make it on the basis of the existing X-35 product. The latter is distinguished by high performance and therefore a target based on it could be of great interest to potential customers. Having learned how to deal with the targets of the IC-35, the calculations of the air defense systems could count on good results in repelling a real attack by anti-ship missiles.
According to known data, a large number of ready-made components and assemblies borrowed from the base X-35 missile were used in the design of the IC-35 target. At the same time, some of the devices and devices were removed as unnecessary, and in their place were placed new units corresponding to the tasks being solved. This approach did not require serious revisions of the rocket's appearance, its aerodynamic configuration, power plant, etc.
The target rocket received a large elongation body with a rounded head fairing. For most of its length, the body had a circular or near-circular cross-section. In the central part of the hull, under its bottom, there was an engine air intake, smoothly mated with the skin of the tail compartment. In the center and tail of the hull were placed X-shaped wings and folding rudders. Before the target left the transport and launch container, the planes had to be in a folded state.
The layout of the case has not undergone any major changes. The head and central compartments, previously given over to the homing head and warhead, were now intended for mounting the autopilot and some other devices. The tail section housed the engine; in front of him there was a fuel tank of an annular configuration, covering the air intake channel.
The basic Kh-35 anti-ship missile had an active radar homing head and an autopilot, supplemented by a radio altimeter. The presence of the latter allowed the anti-ship missile to fly over the water at minimum altitudes. During the alteration, the existing combat missile lost its standard means of target detection and guidance. Instead, it was proposed to use a modified autopilot, with which the target could simulate the flight profile of the serial X-35. Both the saved and the new equipment were placed in the head instrument compartment.
To defeat the designated targets, the Kh-35 anti-ship missile system was supposed to use a 145-kg penetrating high-explosive fragmentation warhead. The target, for obvious reasons, did not need such devices, and therefore the central compartment for the warhead was freed. At the same time, like other products of its class, the IC-35 was equipped with a self-liquidator.
In the tail part of the hull, the bypass turbojet engine TRDD-50 was retained. This product, only 850 mm long and 330 mm in diameter, was capable of developing a thrust of up to 450 kgf, sufficient to provide the required characteristics of an anti-ship missile or target.
The X-35 missile in the configuration for shipborne and coastal missile systems was used as the basis for the IC-35 target. In this regard, the product also received a starting accelerator. The latter in both projects is a small solid-propellant engine in a cylindrical body with folding stabilizers, mounted on the tail section of the rocket. The task of the accelerator is to withdraw the rocket from the transport and launch container with subsequent acceleration to the required speeds. After that, the main turbojet engine is switched on, and the spent accelerator is discarded.
Kh-35 anti-ship missile
According to available data, the onboard equipment of the IC-35 target missile had all the necessary algorithms and provided an imitation of the flight of a full-fledged X-35 anti-ship missile system. Recall that the cruise part of the flight of an anti-ship missile is performed at altitudes of no more than 10-15 m. In the target area, the missile is reduced to 3-4 m. The low flight altitude makes it possible to reduce the likelihood of timely detection of the missile by means of the ship's air defense or warrant. In addition, such a flight profile significantly complicates the use of anti-aircraft weapons. The Kh-35 missile is a complex threat to ships, and the ITs-35 target is designed to recreate all the features of military weapons during firing practice.
The target simulator ITs-35 in the launch configuration had a length of 4.4 m, of which about 550 mm fell on the solid-propellant launch accelerator. The rocket body had a diameter of 420 mm. The spread of the unfolded planes is 1.33 m. The starting mass was determined at the level of 620 kg. The steady-state flight speed provided by the main engine ranged from M = 0.8 to M = 0.85. The minimum firing range was determined by the developer at 5 km, and the maximum at 70 km.
Tactical and technical characteristics show that the IC-35 target rocket in size and flight speed was as similar as possible to the basic X-35 product. At the same time, it was distinguished by a smaller fuel tank capacity, which reduced the maximum flight range. For comparison, the Kh-35 anti-ship missile system is capable of delivering a warhead to a range of up to 130 km. However, the target's only task does not impose special requirements on its flight range. Even a 70 km range is quite possible to simulate the flight profile of an anti-ship missile in a correct way.
Like the base rocket, the IC-35 product could be used with different carrier platforms. A rocket with a starting engine, placed in a transport and launch container, was compatible with the shipborne missile system "Uranus". The latter is used on domestic and foreign missile boats, patrol ships, etc. In addition, the target, like the base missile, could be used by the Bal coastal complexes.
As follows from official reports, there is no aircraft modification of the IC-35 target. At the same time, the Tactical Missile Armament Corporation claims that, at the request of the customer, the existing complex can be appropriately modified. Apparently, such improvements are not particularly difficult. So, the aviation version of the X-35 anti-ship missile differs from the base one in the absence of a launch booster and a transport-launch container. The required revision of the IC-35, probably, consists in the abandonment of the container and the launching accelerator.
Design work on a promising target simulator, developed on the basis of the existing missile, was completed in the early nineties. According to some sources, in the fall of 1992, ITs-35 products were submitted for flight design tests. The results of these checks are unknown, but there is some information about further events. So, according to known data, in the summer and autumn of 1994, the target rocket underwent joint state tests. According to other sources, state tests were not carried out during this period. The development company was unable to prepare new experimental missiles, which is why the checks had to be abandoned.
Perhaps the IC-35 rocket could receive a recommendation for acceptance for supply, but the economic problems of the nineties made themselves felt. The target did not go into production and was not supplied to the Russian armed forces. In this regard, the State Scientific and Production Center "Zvezda-Strela" began to look for orders abroad. The new product was introduced to the international market under the changed name ITS-35. Since the mid-nineties, various foreign customers have shown interest in the X-35 anti-ship missiles, and therefore one could expect that someone would want to purchase targets imitating them.
Several years ago it became known that India was interested in ITS-35 products. The naval forces of this country have several ships with the Uran-E missile system and are actively operating the export anti-ship missiles X-35. As a result, the Indian command has an interest in unified target missiles. A 2010 report from the Tactical Missiles Corporation mentioned the elaboration of a possible agreement to convert some of the Indian Navy's military missiles into target simulators. Whether such plans were implemented is unknown.
From open data it follows that the IC-35 type target missile did not show much success and did not even come close to the list of the most massive samples of domestic defense products. Nevertheless, the Tactical Missiles Corporation still keeps this product in its product catalog and is probably not going to give it up yet. The Kh-35 anti-ship missiles are in service with several countries, and therefore the ITS-35 target simulators can still find their buyer.
For certain reasons, the IC-35 target missile, designed to imitate the anti-ship X-35, was not produced in a large series and was not in active operation. Nevertheless, in the event of an order, the development organization will be ready to launch the production of such products. In the meantime, before such an order appears, the IC-35 target simulator can only be an example of an interesting approach to creating special systems for training calculations of shipborne anti-aircraft complexes.
