Against the background of the constant threat posed by continuously improving long-range systems, companies specializing in ground-based air defense systems are developing new technologies in order to stay afloat in this rapidly growing segment of the defense industry
The global industry of ground-based air defense systems seeks to improve weapons systems, mass-produced or in the final stages of development, so that they can destroy air targets at long distances. At the same time, its efforts are aimed at countering the growing threat posed by the proliferation of ballistic missiles of various classes.
The American army has two effective long-range systems in its arsenal of ground-based air defense: the Patriot anti-aircraft missile system (SAM) and the THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) mobile anti-missile system (PRK) long-range interception. The MIM-104 Patriot complex, jointly produced by Raytheon and Lockheed Martin, was adopted by the US Army in 1982. The American army supplies 16 anti-aircraft battalions, each with 4 to 6 batteries. Each anti-aircraft battery, in turn, includes 4-8 launchers with four missiles each.
Something old and something new
The US Army, along with the less advanced version of the MIM-10D PAC-2, has deployed the latest version of the MIM-104F PAC-3 complex, which uses modernized missiles with the designations GEM / C (cruise missiles) and GEM / T (tactical ballistic missiles). Guidance of the MIM-104 missile at the target is carried out by radio command control from the ground using the method of "tracking through the onboard missile equipment" (TVM - Track-Via-Missile). The flying missile receives the ground radar signal reflected from the target and retransmits it via a one-way communication channel to the command post. Since the rocket in flight is always closer to the target than the radar accompanying the target, the signal reflected from the target is received by the rocket more efficiently, which provides greater accuracy and more effective countering interference. Thus, the emitter of the guidance radar operates at two receiving stations: the receiver of the radar itself and the receiver of the rocket. The control computer compares the data received from the ground-based radar and from the missile itself, and develops corrections to the trajectory, directing the missile to the target.
The missiles of the new PAC-3 complex also use a Ka-band homing head in order to implement the "hit-to-kill" mode, that is, the destruction of a ballistic target by a direct hit of an anti-aircraft guided missile with a kinetic warhead. Up to 16 PAC-3 complexes can be charged into the installation. Currently, the systems are being upgraded under the MSE (Missile Segment Enhancement) program due to the receipt of a new missile with an increased range, designed to combat tactical ballistic missiles at ranges of up to 30 km versus 20 km for the original version.
The complexes upgraded under the MSE program were first tested in 2008. As part of this upgrade, the existing guidance system of the original PAC-3 complex was combined with a more powerful rocket engine with more thrust and larger stabilizers for better maneuverability in order to combat faster and more intelligent ballistic and cruise missiles. In April 2014, the US Department of Defense placed a $ 611 million order for the production of PAC-3 MSE missiles, the first of which was received in October 2015. The initial combat readiness of the modernized complexes was announced in August 2016.
No further upgrades or replacements are planned for the foreseeable future. In 2013, the United States closed the project on the advanced mobile anti-aircraft missile system MEADS (Medium Extended Air Defense System), a next-generation ground-based air defense system developed by an international consortium with the participation of Lockheed Martin and MBDA.
Lockheed Martin's THAAD is another anti-aircraft missile system deployed by the American army, but adapted for high-altitude transatmospheric interception of medium-range missiles. The complex, which has been in service since 2008, can destroy ballistic missiles in the final section of the trajectory at a range of up to 200 km and an altitude of 150 km by using a missile with an infrared homing head and a kinetic warhead flying at speeds over 8 Mach numbers.
The U. S. Army plans to deploy six to eight THAAD batteries, each with six launchers, two mobile operations centers and an AN / TPY-2 radar station. An improved version, designated THAAD-ER, is currently being developed. In addition to increasing the range, the complex's ability to counter massive attacks, including the attack of several simultaneously launched missiles, will increase.
The UAE became the first foreign customers for this system, the personnel of this country were trained in 2015-2016 at Fort Bliss. However, neither the number of purchased systems, nor the details of the deliveries were announced. Other countries that have shown great interest in acquiring the THAAD complex include Oman and Saudi Arabia. However, no contracts have been signed with them yet.
THAAD has received a lot of media coverage, and there has been a lengthy debate about the deployment of the battery in South Korea. Seoul initially considered purchasing these systems, but ultimately rejected the plan in favor of developing a missile defense system with similar characteristics, which would be handled by its own defense industry. Meanwhile, in July 2016, South Korea and the United States reached an agreement to deploy a THAAD battery on Korean soil to contain and defend against growing threats from North Korean nuclear forces. At the same time, the Ministry of Defense of South Korea said that the United States should pay for the ultra-precise system for intercepting THAAD missiles. The components of the complex arrived in the country in March 2017.
Most NATO member countries in Europe have not paid much attention to the development of ground-based air defense since the end of the Cold War. However, the Crimean events of 2014 showed that the quiet times are over. The situation has been exacerbated by the rapid increase in Russian military power, including the rise of tactical aviation in the Russian Air Force and the adoption of 9K720 Iskander missile systems (NATO designation SS-26 Stone) with a new generation of cruise and quasi-ballistic missiles.
Multilevel protection
Huge efforts have been made by the Israeli military and industry to develop multi-layered defense against a wide range of aerial threats, including tactical ballistic missiles and artillery shells. For this purpose, several types of anti-aircraft missile systems were deployed.
While most anti-aircraft missile systems are used against aircraft and drones, these systems are primarily intended to combat a wide range of unguided and guided missiles, such as ballistic missiles deployed by Iran, Hezbollah's missile arsenal and Qassam rockets used by the Hamas group.
Due to the deployment of modern air defense systems, potential adversaries must shoot several missiles at once in the hope that with such a massive strike some of the missiles will be able to hit their targets. Even one primitive missile that broke through the anti-missile defense, when equipped with a warhead with a chemical or biological filling, can be enough to inflict significant damage.
The Israeli Air Defense Command announced in January 2017 that the Arrow 3 anti-ballistic missile was officially adopted. In collaboration with Boeing, IAI has been developing it since 2008. This missile is based on the Arrow system deployed in 2000. Its main task is to neutralize ballistic missiles at altitudes up to 100 km using a kinetic destruction warhead.
The range is not disclosed, the available information is limited by the fact that the range of the Arrow 3 is significantly greater than its predecessor, the Arrow 2, which has an interception range of 90 to 150 km.
The Arrow 3 missile defense complex is deployed in the Tal Shahar area and consists of four launchers, each with six missiles. The information on the missile launch site was made public in 2013, when the US Department of Defense began an open competition for its construction. Since 2008, Americans have paid for its construction with a total of $ 595 million.
Next on the Israeli missile defense system is the David's Sling, designed to combat ballistic missiles, including new-generation missiles such as the Russian Iskander. Its development began in 2009 by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems in collaboration with Raytheon.
The Sling of David system is designed to intercept unguided short and medium-range missiles launched by Hamas from the Gaza Strip and Hezbollah fighters from southern Lebanon. It declares its ability to hit targets at a distance of up to 300 km through the use of a two-stage missile under the designation Stunner. The system uses a three-dimensional radar with an active phased antenna array of the millimeter wave, while guidance at the end of the trajectory is provided by a television / thermal imaging homing head.
The system was supposed to be rolled out in 2015, but there was a two-year delay due to budgetary constraints and technical problems. According to the head of the Air Defense Directorate of the Israeli Air Force, Zvik Haimovich, in April 2017, she was officially put on combat duty at the Hazor Air Force Base.
The Iron Dome tactical missile defense system, jointly developed by Rafael and IAI, has been on alert since 2011. It is used to combat short-range rockets and artillery shells at a distance of 4 to 70 km.
Iron Dome's capabilities have been widely publicized based on operational results. According to the Israeli Ministry of Defense, the deployed batteries were able to destroy over 90% of all missiles fired at Israel from the Gaza Strip. At the same time, Rafael and IAI are working on an improved version with enhanced anti-aircraft and cruise missile capabilities.
IAI has also developed the Barak 8 missile capable of fighting air-launched missiles at ranges up to 90 km and altitudes up to 16 km. Initially, it was intended to be based on ships, but in 2012 the ground version was sold to Azerbaijan.
Improved mobility
The MEADS complex was considered as a replacement for the Patriot complex. Its development, which began in 2001, was carried out by Lockheed Martin and MBDA with joint funding from the United States, Germany and Italy. In 2004, the project entered the demonstration stage, and the share of US funding increased.
The MEADS complex, using existing PAC-3 MSE missiles, is more mobile than the original Patriot. The complex's radar provides circular coverage, and the missiles are launched from an almost vertical position. This significantly increases the range, which allows the MEADS battery to have a coverage area 8 times larger than that of the Patriot complex.
Each battery consists of two command posts and two multifunctional fire control radars, one air surveillance radar and six launchers (12 missiles each). The open architecture allows MEADS to integrate other sensors and missiles to protect its troops and key systems to defend against ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, drones and manned aircraft. In accordance with the "plug and fight" concept, the means of detection, control and combat support of the system interact with each other as nodes of a single network. Thanks to the capabilities of the control center, the commander of the complex can quickly connect or disconnect such nodes, depending on the combat situation, without shutting down the entire system, providing quick maneuver and concentration of combat capabilities in threatened areas.
The first tests of the MEADS complex were carried out in 2011 at the White Sands test site in the United States. According to Lockheed Martin, during the main test in November 2011, the first flight test of the MEADS system was successfully carried out as part of the PAC-3 MSE interceptor missile, a lightweight launcher and a command post. During the test, a missile was launched to intercept a target attacking in the rear half-space. After completing the mission, the interceptor missile self-destructed.
Its development, however, was very complicated by the US withdrawal from the program in 2013, when it became clear that the replacement of the Patriot air defense system by the American army would not be funded. The question arose about the actual completion of the development of the MEADS complex. In 2015, Germany officially announced that the military would purchase MEADS systems to replace the Patriot. The cost of the future agreement was estimated at about 4 billion euros, which made it one of the most expensive acquisitions of the German military, although a firm contract was never signed.
In March 2017, the German Ministry of Defense announced that the contract would not be signed until a general election scheduled for this fall. Italy has a long-standing need for at least one MEADS battery, but has yet to sign any contracts.
Problems with the development and financing of the MEADS complex led to the fact that SAMP / T (Surface-to-Air Missile Platform / Terrain) remained the only medium-range land-based anti-aircraft missile system deployed in Europe. The complex, developed by the Eurosam concern (a joint venture between MBDA and Thales), is armed with the Aster 30 missile, originally developed under the ship's SAM program. Full-scale development of the Aster 30 missile and SAMP / T complex began in 1990, qualification tests were completed in 2006, and the first ballistic target was intercepted in October 2010.
Possessing high mobility, the SAMP / T anti-aircraft missile system includes a multifunctional three-dimensional Arabel radar. It can intercept air targets at distances up to 100 km and altitudes up to 20 km. When fighting tactical ballistic missiles, its range is reduced to 35 km. A typical SAMP / T battery includes a command vehicle, one Arabel multifunctional radar and up to six self-propelled vertical launch launchers with launch modules for 8 combat-ready missiles.
15 complexes were adopted by France in 2015, which was also followed by Italy. Singapore is the third customer of SAMP / T, the sale of the complex to this country was announced in 2013, but there was no exact information on the status of deliveries.
The most interesting developments in the field of ground-based air defense in Europe in recent years have been associated with the Polish Wisla program, which provides for the purchase of eight anti-missile / air defense batteries.
In 2014, Poland received four different proposals for the air defense system, including Patriot, the Israeli Sling of David complex, SAMP / T, and an invitation to join the MEADS program. However, the Polish Ministry of Defense relied on expedited deliveries and a proven track record, and therefore proposals for the Prashcha David and the European MEADS were rejected. In April 2015, Poland chose the Patriot air defense system, but, however, the United States imposed a ban on the sale of this complex to Poland (the United States finances the bulk of the development of the "David's Sling" and has the right to such a decision). The proposal for the Patriot PAC-3 was rejected and instead Poland requested a new and improved version called Patriot POL, equipped with all-round radar and new command and control systems and communications, along with other improvements.
This delayed the signing of the contract, but at the end of March 2017, Polish Defense Minister Anthony Macerevich announced that the Vistula contract would be signed by the end of the year, and the first deliveries would take place in 2019. The program, worth $ 7, 1 billion, provides for the purchase of 8 complexes. The first complex will not include a new generation all-round radar, but it will become part of it at a later stage.
The Polish Patriot complex will be equipped with SkyCeptor missiles, a variant of the Stunner missile used in the Israeli Sling of David complex. Raytheon has partnered with Rafael to develop this rocket; according to the plan, 60% of the Stunner for the Sling of David is to be produced in the USA. And in April, there were reports that Israel had allowed Rafael to negotiate with Poland for the supply of Stunner missiles. Israel expects that Rafael will account for about one billion dollars of the total Polish order.
The biggest obstacle to Polish ambitions in the implementation of this large program is likely to be the cost of the new integrated air defense and missile defense system IBCS (Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command System), which is still being developed in the United States and is not yet ready for production. IBCS tests took place in April 2016.
Serious investment
Unlike Europe, Russia has invested heavily in a program to improve its air defense, starting in 2010 a massive deployment of new ground forces and air defense systems.
Its air defense system consists of several zones, as it is fashionable now to say "restriction / blocking of access" with numerous "belts" that will be difficult to overcome by the strike aircraft of the United States and its allies. Reinforced "defensive belts" consist of long-range air defense systems and modern early warning radars, integrated by means of automated operational control systems at the regimental and divisional levels.
Since ground-based air defense systems are usually cheaper than a fighter jet, they are generally more affordable. There is a whole range of modern long-range air defense systems that can create echeloned defense in order to further complicate access to restricted areas.
Concern VKO "Almaz-Antey" is a monopoly manufacturer of air defense systems and weapons in Russia. Its flagship product is the new generation S-400 Triumph mobile complex (NATO designation SA-21 Growler), developed in the late 90s and early 2000s. It was officially adopted by the Russian aerospace forces in April 2007.
The S-400 complex can launch several types of missiles, which are loaded into launchers transported on trailers by BAZ-64022 or MAZ-543M tractors. This allows the unit commander to select the most appropriate missile type depending on the target captured by the regimental command post. Five indices of anti-aircraft missiles that the S-400 air defense system can launch are disclosed: the 48N6E, 48N6E2, 48N6E3 anti-aircraft missiles of the existing S-300PMU1 and S-300PMU2 air defense systems, as well as the 9M96E and 9M96E2 missiles and the 40N6E ultra-long-range missile. The 9M96 missile is equipped with an active radar seeker and comes in two sub-versions. The first sub-variant 9M96E has a range of 40 km, while the 9M96E2 has a range of 120 km. The height reach is up to 20 km for the 9M96E and 30 km for the 9M96E2. The maneuverability of the M96 series missiles in the final section of the trajectory is very high, which makes it possible to achieve a direct hit into the target's warhead compartment, and this is a very significant factor when firing at tactical ballistic missiles.
Long-range, long-term
The 40N6E ultra-long-range anti-aircraft guided missile passed acceptance tests in 2015. The range of destruction of the ultra-long-range missile is 380 km, it is designed to destroy modern manned and unmanned air attack weapons, including WTO and their carriers, AWACS aircraft, hypersonic missiles, tactical and operational-tactical medium-range ballistic missiles flying at speeds up to 4800 m / with.
The first full-scale tests of the 40N6E ultra-long-range missile were reportedly successfully completed in June 2014 at the Kapustin Yar missile military range in the Astrakhan region. The missile with a maximum range of 380 km has a dual-mode seeker (GOS) operating in active and semi-active radar homing modes.
These characteristics make it possible to perform an independent search for targets after launch from a seeker operating in the active radar guidance mode. When capturing targets at extremely long ranges, preliminary commands are received from the regimental control center. The missiles use inertial guidance in the initial and middle sections of the trajectory after the capture of the seeker, since its own multifunctional 92N6 radar is not capable of tracking the target and providing reliable command guidance after launch.
The basic composition of the 40P6 (S-400) system: 30K6E control facilities as part of the 55K6E combat control station based on the Ural-5323 vehicle and the 91N6E radar complex (panoramic radar with anti-jamming, mounted on the MZKT-7930); up to 6 98Zh6E anti-aircraft missile systems, maximum 10 targets with 20 missiles guided at them; anti-aircraft missiles 48N6E, 48N6E2, 48N6E3 of the existing S-300PMU1 and S-300PMU2 air defense systems, plus 9M96E and 9M96E2 missiles and an ultra-long-range missile 40N6E, as well as a set of technical support systems for the 30TS6E system.
As of May 1, 2017, the Russian army has 19 regiments of S-400/38 divisions / 304 PU / 1216 SAMs. In accordance with the armament program, the purchase of 56 S-400 systems is envisaged by 2020, which is enough to arm 25-27 regiments.
China became the first foreign customer for this complex. The contract was officially announced in April 2015, and the contract value is over $ 3 billion. Supposedly, deliveries of three regiments (6 divisions) will begin for objective reasons no earlier than 2019.
India became the second buyer of the S-400 air defense system in accordance with an intergovernmental agreement signed in October 2016. At the same time, deliveries of S-400 anti-aircraft systems to India may begin no earlier than 2018. According to Indian sources, the country can purchase up to five regiments of the S-400 system (10 anti-aircraft missile battalions) and six thousand missiles.
"Concern VKO" Almaz-Antey "is developing a new generation of anti-aircraft missile systems, in which it is supposed to apply the principle of separate solution of the tasks of destroying ballistic and aerodynamic targets. The main task of the S-500 "Prometheus" complex is to combat the combat equipment of medium-range ballistic missiles: it is independently possible to intercept medium-range ballistic missiles with a launch range of up to 3500 km, and, if necessary, intercontinental ballistic missiles at the end of the trajectory and, within certain limits, in the middle section.
It is assumed that the S-500 complex will retain the structure that the S-400 has. That is, one division will include a command post, an early warning radar, an all-altitude radar, a control radar, a mobile antenna post tower and 8–12 launchers. A total of 12 to 17 cars.
Representatives of the Russian Ministry of Defense spoke about the timing of the appearance of a prototype of the modern S-500 Prometheus anti-aircraft missile system. According to them, the long and medium range system will appear by 2020.
