40-mm anti-aircraft gun RAPIDFire from Thales in combat position with lowered stabilizers and optoelectronic station on the roof of the tower
Traditional anti-aircraft designs have focused more and more on advanced and correspondingly expensive missiles in recent years, but in this article we will look at how the potential UAV threat has forced users to turn again to affordable anti-aircraft guns and directed energy weapons
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have proven to be a valuable tool in modern combat. Therefore, in the past few years, some of the more discerning users have begun to put themselves on the other side of the barricades and ask themselves: how much more of a threat could such enemy systems pose in future conflicts?
Manufacturers quickly took advantage of this. If you look at the latest weapons catalogs, you can see the many surface-to-air systems that currently boast the ability to engage UAVs, as well as more traditional jet aircraft, helicopters, and ballistic missiles. However, many of these systems have not been upgraded to deal with unmanned targets, but industry recognizes that customers nevertheless intend to purchase them, since medium and large UAVs fit well into the set of goals of these systems.
Although, on the other hand, these types of UAVs are not particularly difficult targets. Even fairly large and well-performing UAVs, such as the General Atomics' Predator and Reaper, fly at modest speeds of 300 knots or so and make relatively gentle turns along predictable flight paths.
Despite their small wings, curved fuselage lines, widespread use of plastics, they also cannot boast of special invisibility. Rene de Jong, director of sensor systems at Thales Nederland, said that the Predator-type UAVs have an effective reflection area (EPO) similar to that of a light aircraft, making them relatively easy to track with existing air defense radars.
In June 2013, at the Eurosatory exhibition in Paris, a representative of the Rafael company said something similar. In support of his claim, he provided a live firing video of a Python / Derby-based Spyder surface-to-air missile, from which it is clear that large tactical or medium-altitude UAVs with long flight durations are fairly simple targets.
In addition, from the perspective of aircraft protection systems, it is clear that, despite the clear evidence of the vulnerability of medium and large UAVs, little is being done in this area to improve the UAV's chances of surviving in combat airspace.
As a consequence, medium and large UAVs fit well into the capabilities of many existing surface-to-air missiles.
However, at the lower echelon, the proliferation of small, cheap tactical UAVs at the platoon or squad level imposes completely different tasks. It would seem that these small systems operating at low speeds and altitudes are easier to shoot down, but by their nature they have lower EPO, infrared and acoustic signatures and therefore are more difficult to detect and harder to hit.
Like missile manufacturers, many radar designers have added UAVs to the list of target types they can track, although few ground-based air defense systems actually have great capabilities against small UAVs. Things are starting to change, though, as users want the ability to track their tactical UAVs and scan enemy UAVs with tactical radars.
In the United States, in particular, they studied the potential of various radar systems, conducting various activities, such as last year's Black Dart exercises. John Jaydik, vice president of weapons and sensor systems at Northrop Grumman, reported on the successful testing of a highly adaptive multi-mission radar (HAMMR) (Highly Adaptable Multi-Mission Radar) based on an electronically scanned active antenna array designed for a fighter in this exercise.
De Jong said Thales Nederland has conducted extensive testing to test the capabilities of its radar systems against small, tactical UAVs, using unplanned targets at various ranges, such as remotely controlled aircraft and military systems like toys with pre-measured control cameras. EPO. He said that the detection of targets with EPO 0, 1 m2 is not a problem, the real task is to identify them and separate them from birds, interference and other reflected signals, which are usually filtered out by radars.
Thales Nederland's solution, used in the Squire tactical radar and its other systems, is to use multi-beam techniques with biaxial accumulated beams and active scanning gratings in order to achieve the necessary high Doppler resolution and time required for target illumination. Therefore, it will be difficult to remodel or upgrade existing radars for this role.
Model of the system for detection, identification and destruction of UAVs Vigilant Falcon from SRC
Electronic suppression
Meanwhile, the American company SRC in October 2012 at the AUSA conference in Washington showed a mock-up of its product, called the Vigilant Falcon. The company declined to provide details on the system, but noted that it is based on existing systems developed by SRC, which are able to detect and track potential threats, provide "visual and electronic identification and provide electronic suppression capabilities."
The collage presented by SRC shows an HMMWV-based radar (which the company explains is optimized for sedentary low-flying targets (low Doppler signature)) with an optoelectronic camera and an unnamed antenna on top. The SRC specification states that the Vigilant Falcon “analyzes UAV signatures and kinematics for classification and identification, and feeds a signal to an optoelectronic / infrared camera for more accurate identification. The camera also provides highly accurate azimuth and elevation data for the target. " Target identification, apparently, is also facilitated by the electronic support system based on the "unique radio frequency radiation" of the UAV.
The SRC company claims that the system offers "several modes of suppression", but does not specify which ones, simply referring to non-kinetic electronic warfare means. Presumably this is some form of jamming of communication channels or UAV control facilities.
Of course, there are more traditional ways to combat UAVs, but if the various signatures of the aircraft are strong enough to be captured by a surface-to-air missile, then the low cost of small UAVs means that, purely formally, it may not be worth spending even a relatively cheap shoulder-launched missile. to destroy it, although depriving the enemy of information collected by the UAV can save more than one life.
Cannon anti-aircraft guns, however, may provide the answer, although many "Western" operators have long since deprived themselves of most of the self-propelled and towed anti-aircraft guns and now they need to be restored again. As a French soldier recently said, “Some of these UAVs are like birds. What they really need is a big rifle - like a game hunter."
Troops with weapons dating back to the Soviet era are in a better position, since their doctrinal focus on rapid-fire mobile cannons has made it possible to retain a large number of such systems as, for example, the ZSU-23-4 "Shilka" - with a radar and four-barreled 23-mm 2A7 cannons, - and similar systems in service with armies around the world. Armament of this type is especially popular in Africa, where similar systems with low elevation angles are used against ground targets, having a devastating effect.
These multi-tasking capabilities could be the key to bringing the cannons back into air defense for other operators. In an era of tight budgets and a non-existent threat from any kind of air attack, not to mention tactical UAVs, it is unlikely that finance ministries of different countries will support the acquisition of new special anti-UAV weapons for their armies.
The emergence of ammunition with more and more intelligent fuses and a given effect makes it possible to add the ability to combat aircraft and UAVs to existing weapons systems. In particular, the Cased Telescoped Cannon and Ammunition (CTCA) 40-mm telescopic ammunition system from the British-French company CTA International (CTAI) appears to offer great potential. CTAI is working on a new air blast munition known as A3B or AA-AB (Anti-Air Air Burst) to counter air targets.
In fact, the impact of the new ammunition on normally fragile UAVs is similar to the impact of a "shotgun". It is also effective against helicopters, jet aircraft, ballistic missiles, and even unguided rockets and mortar rounds or high-speed anti-radar missiles.
On the way of the aircraft, each projectile releases a cloud of more than 200 tungsten balls, and when performing anti-aircraft missions, the 40-mm cannon has a maximum range of 4 km up to an altitude of 2500 m (8202 ft). When firing at aerial targets, the cannon can usually fire a burst of up to 10 AA-AB rounds.
The CTCA armament complex was approved for the British Specialist Vehicle Scout program and the British Warrior Capability Sustainment Program (BMP), and was also chosen as the preferred option for the French reconnaissance vehicle EBRC (Engin Blinde de Reconnaissance et de Combat). These vehicles can carry new anti-aircraft projectiles, but the limited lifting angles of the cannon barrels will not allow effective combat against UAVs at short distances. However, this is not true for all towers. For example, the T40 tower from Nexter offers a very large vertical angle of up to +45 degrees for exactly the same kind of tasks.
RAPIDFire's response
Thales has also been playing with the idea of developing a dedicated anti-aircraft application for the CTCA for several years and showed its CTCA turret mounted on an BMP-type hull at the Paris Air Show in 2011.
Presentation of the RAPIDFire anti-aircraft system at the Paris air show with my subtitles
A little later this year, the company showed the RAPIDFire anti-aircraft gun at the Eurosatory exhibition. Laurent Duport, head of business development strategy in the Advanced Weapons Department at Thales, said it was specifically designed to counter UAVs, but also offers standard air and ground countermeasures.
In fact, the CTCA turret, combined with Starstreak rocket launchers, is mounted on an all-terrain chassis - in common with the chassis of the CAESAR 155-mm howitzer. Duport said that the system presented at Eurosatory is just a demonstration and that this weapon system can be installed on any other suitable vehicle.
He declined to say whether the company has any orders for the system, but it is clear that it is being closely watched in the Middle East. Saudi Arabia takes the UAV threat quite seriously and, since it operates the CAESAR howitzers, there have been speculations that RAPIDFire systems may be purchased by that country.
More specifically, several systems are intended for the Saudi Guard as part of an integrated, low-altitude short-range air defense system, which includes approximately 87 RAPIDFire complexes with other elements, including 49 Multi-Purpose Combat Vehicles (MPCVs) armed with MBDA Mistral homing missiles.
ZSU RAPIDFire from Thales Air Defense
Meanwhile, tests of RAPIDFire for air defense missions continue. Duport said that Thales conducted successful firing tests on mock targets in 2012, but CTAI is still developing A3B / AA-AB in order to qualify and certify an anti-aircraft system for the army by the end of this year.
Thales Air Defense is promoting RAPIDFire as part of a complete anti-aircraft complex, which also includes a Thales CONTROL Master 60 surveillance radar and a CONTROLView control module, which can typically monitor up to six RAPIDFire installations.
In this case, the cannons can be guided using a radar or an optical-electronic sighting system installed on the roof of the RAPIDFire tower.
The RAPIDFire can carry up to six Starstreak missile launchers, also manufactured by Thales Air Defense. These missiles reach speeds of Mach 3 and have a maximum range of about 7 km. This extended-range missile offers more capabilities in the fight against large aircraft, which allows the commander of the complex to provide a scalable response.
According to Thales Air Defense, the 40-mm RAPIDFire complex is brought into action in 60 seconds and has the potential to fire on the move. The latter is especially important for systems of counteraction to tactical and small UAVs, since it is with them that soldiers are most likely to meet in combat conditions.
The potential of systems to intercept unguided missiles, artillery shells and mines (C-RAM)
Another self-propelled anti-aircraft gun is the Oerlikon Skyranger from Rheinmetall Air Defense. She was shown on a Piranha car from General Dynamics European Land Systems - MOWAG.
It uses the same 35/1000 cannon as the Skyshield stationary complex, designed to intercept unguided rockets, artillery shells and mines. In this complex, the gun is installed in a remotely controlled turret.
Very important for countering UAVs, Skyshield, and broadly Skyranger, it can fire 35mm anti-aircraft ammunition with an AHEAD (Advanced Hit Efficiency and Destruction) smart fuse. Recently, this ammunition received a new designation KETZ (Programmable Fuze Ammunition / Kinetic Energy Time Fuze - ammunition with a programmable fuse / impact delay fuse), but it remains essentially the same system as the proven AHEAD developed by RWM Schweiz.
The German armed forces received their first Oerlikon Skyshield (local designation Mantis) from Rheinmetall Air Defense in June 2012 and the second complex arrived by the end of the same year.
The original 35 mm PMD062 AHEAD ammunition was optimized for traditional air defense missions and was sold to a number of countries for use with the upgraded GDF towed twin 35 mm anti-aircraft gun. The PMD062 projectile contains 152 cylindrical tungsten submunitions each weighing 3.3 grams. To obtain an optimal impact on the target, they are released right in front of the target with a small expelling charge weighing 0.9 grams.
The cannon can also fire the PMD330 projectile, optimized for firing at ground targets, against dismounted personnel and enclosed defenses. It emits 407 small cylindrical tungsten submunitions weighing 1, 24 grams.
The newest version of the projectile has even more smaller striking elements; its effect is comparable to the defeat of the shot, which is optimal for the fight against UAVs. The PMD375 emits 860 cylindrical tungsten elements each weighing 0.64 grams. The result is a dense cloud of cylindrical debris that is likely to hit a small target.
All of these 35-mm ammunition are compatible with the "Regulations for insensitive ammunition" and have a muzzle velocity of 1050 m / s and a self-destruction time of about 8.2 seconds.
The fuse of each charge is programmed when leaving the muzzle. At this moment, the point of detonation is selected from the data of the search and tracking Doppler radars of the X-band of the multisensor tracking unit as part of the weapons control system.
Typical bursts for normal fast targets are approximately 24 shots, but the number of shots can vary depending on the target type. Slowly flying UAVs do not perform sharp anti-aircraft maneuvers, and in this case, much less ammunition is likely to be required.
The Skyshield C-RAM complex can also be installed on a 6x6 chassis in order to gain mobility in the fight against unguided missiles, artillery shells, mines and aircraft.
The Chinese industry has recently begun promoting a similar 35mm system based on the same basic Oerlikon design.
The twin 35-mm CS / SA1 self-propelled anti-aircraft gun from North Industries Corporation (NORINCO) was installed on a 6x6 high-mobility truck chassis (the previous complex was installed on a trailer) and integrated with the AF902A control system. The cannons can fire 35mm programmable pre-fragmented rounds with a PTFP (Programmable Time Fuze Pre-Fragmented) remote fuse.
According to NORINCO, the twin 35mm CS / SA1 ZSU is optimized for the destruction of UAVs and ballistic missiles using PTFP ammunition, which is very similar to the 35mm AHEAD ammunition from Rheinmetall Air Defense RWS Schweiz. The presentation material shown in China in support of this system is identical to material released by Rheinmetall Air Defense several years ago.
35-mm SPAAG CS / SA1 from North Industries Corporation (NORINCO)
China licensed the obsolete, twinned 35mm Oerlikon GDF series anti-aircraft gun many years ago, along with the first generation of ammunition. These weapons are marketed by NORINCO and Poly Technologies under the designation Type PG99, but according to reliable sources, China has never received any technology for more modern GDF weapons or AHEAD ammunition.
Each PTFP projectile creates a cloud of over 100 spin-stabilized tungsten projectiles for increased area of impact. The shells are programmed, passing at a speed of 1050 m / s through the winding on the muzzle of each barrel, their self-destruction time is 5, 5 - 8 seconds.
An upgrade kit is available from Poly Technologies that allows a Chinese version of the Swiss GDF 35mm coaxial anti-aircraft gun to fire improved PTFP ammunition. Supposedly, the gun was sold to at least one customer from Asia, but this information is not confirmed.
The AF902A MSA is a modification of the AF902 system installed on the trailer, which is capable of controlling the fire of missile systems and towed guns. The new variant features an air-conditioned control compartment behind the four-door enclosed cockpit and a roof-mounted 3-D search radar. Tracking radar and optoelectronic station provide work in passive mode or jamming mode. The fire control system has its own auxiliary power unit and can operate continuously for 12 hours.
Twin anti-aircraft 35-mm installation NORINCO CA / SA1 in the stowed position with fixed guns
According to NORINCO, the surveillance radar has a maximum detection and identification range for aircraft up to 35 km and small ballistic missiles up to 15 km. The maximum detection altitude is currently 6,000 m (19,700 ft). One AF902A OMS can usually control from two to four twin anti-aircraft 35-mm CS / SA1 installations, which can be supplemented by missile systems.
In typical operation, twin cannons have a cyclic rate of fire of 550 rounds / min per cannon with a total of 378 rounds of ammunition ready for each vehicle. They can fire PTFP-type projectiles, high-explosive incendiary (HEI) projectiles, high-explosive incendiary with tracer (HEI-T) and semi-armor-piercing high-explosive incendiary tracer (SAPHEIT). They have the same ballistic characteristics: a muzzle velocity of 1175 m / s and a maximum effective range of 4000 m to an altitude of 9800 feet.
This system can deal with some types of UAVs, but it cannot fire on the move and therefore does not have the mobility necessary for maneuverable units.
Similar criticisms can be attributed to the LD2000 melee ground complex, which NORINCO positions as a means of protecting valuable objects, such as command centers, missile launchers and strategic facilities.
Fighting vehicle of the melee system LD2000 CIWS
Typical declared targets include UAVs, ballistic missiles, airplanes, helicopters and precision-guided munitions with speeds of no more than Mach 2, located within a radius of 3.5 km, but having a small EPO of 0.1 m2.
Two key elements of the LD2000 melee system are the combat vehicle (CV) on the chassis of the 8 × 8 truck and the reconnaissance and control vehicle (ICV) based on the 6 × 6 truck, and support vehicles are also part of the complex.
The combat vehicle has an improved version of the seven-barreled 30-mm naval Gatling gun Type 730В with a cyclic rate of fire up to 4200 rounds per minute and an ammunition load of 1000 ready rounds.
The gun is aimed at the target using a J-band tracking radar and a TV / IR optical-electronic tracking system; the 30mm cannon is said to have an effective range of 2.5 km. One control vehicle can control up to six anti-aircraft installations, and also provide a communication channel with the general air defense system.
While the LD2000 system can destroy large UAVs, it probably cannot successfully hit many of the smaller UAVs and is not suitable for the air defense of combat units.
Keeping with the trend of reorienting melee systems, the Raytheon Phalanx ship complex made the expected step ashore following the Centurion C-RAM system in 2005. Raytheon installed a 20mm Gatling cannon and sensor kit on a low loader trailer to cover convoys.
This system has an impressive rate of fire of 3000 rounds / min, which will probably allow very effective combat against UAVs, but so far no army has bought this system.
Lasers in the fight against UAVs
If missile or cannon air defense may be unsuitable, too expensive or ineffective against UAVs, directed energy weapons may provide another option in this case.
Other advantages of laser systems include the following: in theory, they require a short supply chain, since they do not need to be recharged and they can last as long as energy is supplied. The use of a laser against unmanned UAVs also removes the ethical and legal issues of using laser blinding weapons.
Several systems are currently beginning to demonstrate their potential.
Initial trials in 2009 of the Laser Avenger system installed on Boeing tested the mixed use of combat lasers to help conventional weapons systems destroy UAVs beyond traditional combat capabilities. During the tests, a non-destructive infrared solid-state laser Laser Avenger was used to heat a small UAV with a very low thermal signature to the point where it could be captured for tracking and destroyed by the FIM-92 Stinger missile.
As for the more active kinetic systems, here the Swiss company Rheinmetall Air Defense and the German Rheinmetall Defense have teamed up to develop a high-power laser system HPLW (high-power laser weapon), intended initially to intercept unguided missiles, artillery shells and mines, but in the future to fight also with UAVs.
The HPLW system, in a typical configuration, will be housed in a container in a Rheinmetall Air Defense remote control tower similar to that included with the Skyshield 35mm AHEAD complex, but equipped with laser beam guides.
In 2010, tests on ground targets were successfully carried out. A kilowatt HPLW laser destroyed a mortar round. And then in 2011, demo firing of a 5 kW system connected to the Skyguard computer LMS, which is usually used to control paired 35-mm anti-aircraft guns, took place in Switzerland. Even with such a relatively low power, this system successfully destroyed the UAV. A longer range 20 kW system could be tested in 2016 with possible deployment in 2018.
However, if the HPLW system in its current configuration is capable of neutralizing UAVs, nevertheless, it is still too cumbersome for use by mobile formations.
Raytheon has also tested lasers in proven installations, adding lasers to the Phalanx CIWS complex. Like the Rheinmetall system, the initial task of the complex was to destroy mortar rounds, but in mid-2010, Raytheon announced that, during tests off the coast of California, organized by the Research Center of Surface Weapon Systems of the US Navy, a small UAV was successfully set on fire.
A sequence of frames of a burning UAV shot down by a Phalanx laser system
Video of laser tests off the coast of California
The Navy initially planned to use lasers to blind the sensor stations on board the UAV with relatively low-power lasers, but it is clear that the physical destruction of the device is now more interesting.
Although the Phalanx complex is currently quite large, the laser version should be lighter and smaller so that it can be installed on a highly mobile platform.
However, the main obstacles to the use of lasers - the demarcation and control of congested airspace and avoidance of their losses at long ranges - are a daunting problem, especially on the modern battlefield.
