The development of the self-propelled air defense system "Kub" (2K12), which was intended to protect troops (mainly tank divisions) from air attack weapons flying at low and medium altitudes, was set by the Decree of the Central Committee of the CPSU and the Council of Ministers of the USSR dated 1958-18-07.
Complex "Cube" was supposed to ensure the defeat of air targets that fly at altitudes from 100 m to 5 thousand. m with speeds from 420 to 600 m / s, at ranges up to 20,000 m. In this case, the probability of hitting a target with one missile should be at least 0.7.
The lead developer of the complex is OKB-15 GKAT (State Committee for Aviation Engineering). Previously, this design bureau was a branch of the main developer of aircraft radar stations - NII-17 GKAT, located in Zhukovsky near Moscow near the Flight Test Institute. Soon OKB-15 was transferred to GKRE. Its name was changed several times and, as a result, transformed into NIIP MRTP (Scientific Research Institute of Instrument Making of the Ministry of Radio Engineering Industry).
The chief designer of the complex was the head of OKB-15 VV Tikhomirov, in the past - the creator of the first domestic aircraft radar "Gneiss-2" and some other stations. In addition, OKB-15 created a self-propelled reconnaissance and guidance installation (under the guidance of the chief designer of the installation - Rastov A. A.) and a semi-active radar homing missile head (under the direction of Vekhova Yu. N., since 1960 - Akopyan I. G.) …
The self-propelled launcher was developed under the guidance of the chief designer A. I. in SKB-203 of the Sverdlovsk SNKh, previously engaged in the development of technological equipment for technical divisions of missile parts. Then SKB was transformed into the State Design Bureau of Compressor Engineering MAP (today NPP "Start").
The design bureau of the Mytishchi machine-building plant of the Moscow regional SNKh was engaged in the creation of tracked chassis for the combat means of the air defense missile system. Later it received the name OKB-40 of the Ministry of Transport Engineering. Today - Design Bureau, part of the Metrowagonmash production association. The chief designer of the chassis, Astrov N. A., even before the Second World War, developed a light tank, and then designed, mainly, self-propelled artillery installations and armored personnel carriers.
The development of an anti-aircraft guided missile for the "Kub" air defense system was entrusted to the design bureau of plant No. 134 GKAT, which initially specialized in the creation of aviation bombs and small arms. By the time this assignment was received, the design team had already gained some experience during the development of the K-7 air-to-air missile. Subsequently, this organization was transformed into GosMKB "Vympel" MAP. The development of the missile complex "Cube" began under the leadership of I. I.
It was planned that work on the complex would ensure the exit of the Kub anti-aircraft missile system in the second quarter of 1961 for joint tests. For various reasons, the work was delayed and completed with a five-year delay, thus two years behind the work on the Krug air defense system, which "started" almost simultaneously. The evidence of the drama of the history of the creation of the "Kub" air defense system was the removal at the most intense moment from the posts of the chief designer of the complex as a whole and the chief designer of the rocket that is part of it.
The main reasons for the difficulties in creating the complex were the novelty and complexity of those adopted in the development. solutions.
For the combat means of the Kub anti-aircraft missile system, in contrast to the Krug air defense system, they used lighter tracked chassis, similar to those used for the Shilka anti-aircraft self-propelled guns. At the same time, radio equipment was installed on one "self-propelled gun", and not on two chassis, as in the "Circle" complex. Self-propelled launcher "self-propelled B" - carried three missiles, and not two as in the Krug complex.
When creating a rocket for an anti-aircraft complex, very complex problems were also solved. For the operation of a supersonic ramjet engine, not liquid, but solid fuel was used. This excluded the possibility of adjusting the fuel consumption in accordance with the height and speed of the rocket. Also, the rocket did not have detachable boosters - the charge of the starting engine was placed in the afterburner chamber of the ramjet engine. In addition, for the first time for an anti-aircraft missile of a mobile complex, the command radio control equipment was replaced with a semi-active Doppler radar homing head.
All these difficulties affected already at the beginning of flight tests of missiles. At the end of 1959, the first launcher was delivered to the Donguz test site, which made it possible to start throwing tests of an anti-aircraft guided missile. However, until July of next year, it was not possible to successfully launch missiles with a working sustainer stage. In this case, bench tests revealed three burnouts of the chamber. To analyze the reasons for the failures, one of the leading scientific organizations of the GKAT, NII-2, was involved. NII-2 recommended abandoning the large-sized plumage, which was dropped after passing the starting section of the flight.
During bench tests of a full-scale homing head, insufficient power of the HMN drive was revealed. Also, the poor-quality performance of the head fairing was identified, which caused significant signal distortions, with the subsequent appearance of synchronous noise, leading to instability of the stabilization circuit. These shortcomings were common to many Soviet missiles with first-generation radar seeker. The designers decided to switch to a sital fairing. However, in addition to such relatively "subtle" phenomena, during the tests, they encountered the destruction of the fairing in flight. The destruction was caused by aeroelastic vibrations of the structure.
Another significant drawback, which was identified at the early stage of testing the anti-aircraft guided missile, was the unsuccessful design of the air intakes. The swing wings were adversely affected by the shock wave system from the leading edge of the air intakes. At the same time, large aerodynamic moments were created that the steering machines could not overcome - the steering wheels simply wedged in the extreme position. During tests in wind tunnels of full-scale models, a suitable design solution was found - the air intake was lengthened by moving the front edges of the diffuser 200 millimeters forward.
Self-propelled launcher 2P25 ZRK 2K12 "Kub-M3" with 3M9M3 anti-aircraft missiles © Bundesgerhard, 2002
In the early 1960s. In addition to the main version of the SAM combat vehicles on tracked chassis of the design bureau of the Mytishchi plant, other self-propelled vehicles were also developed - the hull four-axle wheeled amphibious chassis "560" developed by the same organization and used for the Krug air defense missile system of the SU-100P family.
Tests in 1961 also had unsatisfactory results. It was not possible to achieve reliable operation of the seeker, no launches along the reference trajectory were carried out, there was no reliable information on the amount of fuel consumption per second. Also, the technology of reliable deposition of heat-shielding coatings on the inner surface of the body of the afterburner made of titanium alloy has not been developed. The chamber was exposed to the erosive action of the combustion products of the main engine gas generator containing magnesium and aluminum oxides. Titanium was later replaced by steel.
This was followed by "organizational conclusions". I. I. Toropova in August 1961 he was replaced by Lyapin A. L., the place of Tikhomirov V. V. three times the winner of the Stalin Prize in January 1962 was taken by Figurovsky Yu. N. However, the time for the labor of the designers who determined those. the appearance of the complex, gave a fair assessment. Ten years later, Soviet newspapers enthusiastically reprinted part of an article from "Pari Match", which characterized the effectiveness of the missile designed by Toropov with the words "The Syrians will someday erect a monument to the inventor of these missiles …". Today the former OKB-15 is named after V. V. Tikhomirov.
The dispersal of the pioneers of development did not lead to the acceleration of work. Of the 83 missiles launched by the beginning of 1963, only 11 were equipped with a homing head. At the same time, only 3 launches ended in luck. Rockets were tested only with experimental heads - the supply of standard ones has not yet begun. The reliability of the seeker was such that after 13 unsuccessful launches with failures of the seeker in September 1963, flight tests had to be interrupted. The tests of the main engine of the anti-aircraft guided missile were also not completed.
Missile launches in 1964 were carried out in a more or less standard design, however, the ground-based anti-aircraft missile system was not yet equipped with communication equipment and mutual position coordination. The first successful launch of a missile equipped with a warhead was carried out in mid-April. We managed to shoot down a target - an Il-28 flying at an average altitude. Further launches were mostly successful, and the accuracy of the guidance simply delighted the participants in these tests.
At the Donguz test site (headed by M. I. Finogenov), in the period from January 1965 to June 1966, under the leadership of a commission headed by N. A. Karandeev, they conducted joint tests of the air defense system. The complex was adopted by the Central Committee of the CPSU and the Council of Ministers of the USSR on 1967-23-01.
The main combat assets of the Cube air defense system were SURN 1S91 (self-propelled reconnaissance and guidance system) and SPU 2P25 (self-propelled launcher) with 3M9 missiles.
The SURN 1S91 consisted of two radars - a radar station for detecting air targets and target designation (1C11) and a target tracking and illumination radar station 1C31, and means for identifying targets, topographic referencing, relative orientation, navigation, a television-optical sighting device, radiotelecode communication with launchers, an autonomous power supply (gas turbine electric generator), leveling and antenna lifting systems. The SURN equipment was installed on the GM-568 chassis.
The antennas of the radar station were located in two tiers - the antenna of the 1C31 station was located at the top, and 1C11 at the bottom. Azimuth rotation is independent. To reduce the height of the self-propelled installation on the march, the base of the cylindrical antenna devices was retracted inside the vehicle body, and the antenna device of the 1C31 radar station was turned down and placed behind the 1C11 radar antenna.
Based on the desire to provide the required range with limited power supply and taking into account the overall and mass restrictions on antennas for posts for 1C11 and the target tracking mode in 1C31, a coherent-pulse radar station scheme was adopted. However, when the target was illuminated for stable operation of the homing head when flying at low altitude in conditions of powerful reflections from the underlying surface, a continuous radiation mode was implemented.
Station 1C11 is a coherent-pulse radar with all-round visibility (speed - 15 rpm) centimeter range having two independent waveguide transmitting and receiving channels operating at separated carrier frequencies, the emitters of which were installed in the focal plane of a single antenna mirror. Target detection and identification, target designation of the tracking station and illumination occurred if the target was at ranges of 3–70 km and at altitudes of 30–7000 meters. In this case, the pulsed radiation power in each channel was 600 kW, the sensitivity of the receivers was 10-13 W, the width of the beams in azimuth was 1 °, and the total viewing sector in elevation was 20 °. In station 1C11, to ensure noise immunity, the following were envisaged:
- SDTS system (selection of moving targets) and suppression of impulse asynchronous interference;
- manual gain control of receiving channels;
- frequency tuning of transmitters;
- modulation of the pulse repetition rate.
The 1C31 station also included two channels with emitters installed in the focal plane of the parabolic reflector of a single antenna - target illumination and target tracking. In the tracking channel, the station's pulse power was 270 kW, the receiver sensitivity was 10-13 W, and the beam width was about 1 degree. The standard deviation (root-mean-square error) of target tracking in range was about 10 m, and in angular coordinates - 0.5 d.u. The station could capture the Phantom-2 aircraft for automatic tracking at a distance of up to 50,000 m with a probability of 0.9. Protection from ground reflections and passive interference was carried out by the SDC system with a programmed change in the pulse repetition rate. Protection against active interference was carried out using the method of monopulse direction finding of targets, tuning of the operating frequency and an interference indication system. If the 1C31 station was suppressed by interference, the target could be tracked by angular coordinates obtained using a television optical sight, and information about the range was obtained from the 1C11 radar station. The station was provided with special measures that ensured stable tracking of low-flying targets. The target illumination transmitter (as well as the irradiation of the missile homing head with a reference signal) generated continuous oscillations, and also ensured the reliable operation of the rocket homing head.
The mass of the SURN with a combat crew (4 people) was 20,300 kg.
On the SPU 2P25, the base of which was the GM-578 chassis, a carriage with electric power tracking drives and three missile guides, a calculating device, telecode communication equipment, navigation, topographic referencing, prelaunch control of anti-aircraft guided missiles, and an autonomous gas turbine electric generator were installed. The electrical docking of the SPU and the rocket was carried out using two rocket connectors, cut off with special rods at the beginning of the movement of the missile defense system along the guide beam. The carriage drives carried out prelaunch guidance of the missile defense in the direction of the anticipated meeting point of the missile and the target. The drives worked according to data from the RMS, which were received by the SPU via the radiotelecode communication line.
In the transport position, anti-aircraft guided missiles were located in the direction of the self-propelled launcher with the tail part forward.
The mass of the SPU, three missiles and a combat crew (3 people) was 19,500 kg.
SAM 3M9 anti-aircraft missile system "Kub" in comparison with the missile 3M8 SAM "Krug" have more graceful outlines.
SAM 3M9, like the missile of the "Circle" complex, is made according to the "rotary wing" scheme. But, unlike the 3M8, on the 3M9 anti-aircraft guided missile, rudders located on the stabilizers were used for control. As a result of the implementation of such a scheme, the dimensions of the rotary wing were reduced, the required power of the steering gears was reduced and a lighter pneumatic drive was used, which replaced the hydraulic one.
The missile was equipped with a semi-active radar seeker 1SB4, which captures the target from the start, accompanying it at the Doppler frequency in accordance with the speed of approach of the missile and the target, which generates control signals to guide the anti-aircraft guided missile to the target. The homing head provided rejection of the direct signal from the SURN illumination transmitter and narrow-band filtering of the signal reflected from the target against the background of the noise of this transmitter, the underlying surface and the GOS itself. To protect the homing head from deliberate interference, a hidden target search frequency and the possibility of homing to interference in an amplitude mode of operation were also used.
The homing head was located in front of the missile defense system, while the antenna diameter was approximately equal to the size of the midsection of the guided missile. The warhead was located behind the seeker, followed by the autopilot equipment and the engine.
As already noted, a combined propulsion system was used in the rocket. In the front of the rocket there was a gas generator chamber and a charge of the engine of the second (sustainer) stage 9D16K. The fuel consumption in accordance with the flight conditions for a solid-fuel gas generator cannot be regulated, therefore, to select the form of the charge, a conventional typical trajectory was used, which in those years was considered by the developers to be the most likely during the combat use of the rocket. The nominal operating time is just over 20 seconds, the mass of the fuel charge is about 67 kg with a length of 760 mm. The composition of the LK-6TM fuel, developed by NII-862, was characterized by a large excess of fuel in relation to the oxidizer. The combustion products of the charge entered the afterburner, in which the remnants of the fuel were burned in the flow of air entering through the four air intakes. The inlet devices of the air intakes, which are designed for supersonic flight, were equipped with central bodies of conical shape. The outlets of the air intake channels to the afterburner chamber at the launch site of the flight (until the propulsion engine was turned on) were closed with fiberglass plugs.
In the afterburner chamber, a solid propellant charge of the starting stage was installed - a checker with armored ends (length 1700 mm, diameter 290 mm, diameter of a cylindrical channel 54 mm), made of VIK-2 ballistic fuel (weight 172 kg). Since the gas-dynamic operating conditions of the solid fuel engine at the launch site and the ramjet engine at the cruising area required different geometry of the afterburner nozzle, after the completion of the start stage operation (from 3 to 6 seconds), it was planned to shoot the inside of the nozzle with a fiberglass grid, which held the starting charge.
Self-propelled launcher 2P25
It should be noted that it was in 3M9 that a similar design was for the first time in the world brought to mass production and adoption. Later, after the kidnapping of several 3M9s specially organized by the Israelis during the war in the Middle East, the Soviet anti-aircraft guided missile served as a prototype for a number of foreign anti-ship and anti-aircraft missiles.
The use of a ramjet engine ensured the maintenance of the high speed of the 3M9 throughout the flight path, which contributed to its high maneuverability. When conducting serial control and training launches of 3M9 guided missiles, a direct hit was systematically achieved, which happened quite rarely when using other, larger, anti-aircraft missiles.
The detonation of a 57-kilogram high-explosive fragmentation warhead 3N12 (developed by NII-24) was carried out at the command of a two-channel autodyne continuous-radiation radio fuse 3E27 (developed by NII-571).
The missile ensured hitting a target maneuvering with an overload of up to 8 units, however, the probability of hitting such a target, depending on different conditions, decreased to 0.2-0.55. At the same time, the probability of hitting a non-maneuvering target was 0.4-0. 75.
The missile was 5800 m long and 330 mm in diameter. To transport the assembled missile defense system in the 9Ya266 container, the left and right consoles of the stabilizers were folded towards each other.
For the development of this anti-aircraft missile system, many of its creators were awarded high state awards. The Lenin Prize was awarded to A. A. Rastov, V. K. Grishin, I. G. Akopyan, A. L. Lyapin, the USSR State Prize to V. V. Matyashev, G. N. Valaev, V. V. Titov. and etc.
The anti-aircraft missile regiment, armed with the Kub anti-aircraft missile system, consisted of a command post, five anti-aircraft batteries, a technical battery and a control battery. Each missile battery consisted of one 1S91 self-propelled reconnaissance and guidance system, four 2P25 self-propelled launchers with three 3M9 anti-aircraft guided missiles on each, two 2T7 transport-loading vehicles (ZIL-157 chassis). If necessary, she could independently perform combat missions. Under centralized control, target designation data and combat control commands to the batteries were received from the regiment's command post (from the combat control cabin (KBU) of the automated combat control complex "Krab" (K-1) with a radar detection station). On the battery, this information was received by the target designation receiving cabin (KPTs) of the K-1 complex, after which it was transmitted to the battery's SURN. The technical battery of the regiment consisted of 9T22 transport vehicles, 2V7 control and measuring stations, 2V8 control and test mobile stations, 9T14 technological trolleys, repair machines and other equipment.
In accordance with the recommendations of the state commission, the first modernization of the Kub anti-aircraft missile system began in 1967. The improvements made made it possible to increase the combat capabilities of the air defense system:
- increased the affected area;
- provided for intermittent modes of operation of the SURN radar station to protect against the impact of Shrike anti-radar missiles;
- increased the security of the homing head from distracting interference;
- improved the reliability indicators of the combat assets of the complex;
- reduced the working time of the complex by about 5 seconds.
In 1972, the modernized complex was tested at the Emben test site under the leadership of a commission headed by V. D. Kirichenko, head of the test site. In January 1973, the air defense system under the designation "Kub-M1" was put into service.
Since 1970, the M-22 anti-aircraft complex was created for the navy, in which the 3M9 family rocket was used. But after 1972, this missile system was developed for the 9M38 missile of the Buk complex, which replaced the Cube.
The next modernization "Cuba" was carried out in the period from 1974 to 1976. As a result, it was possible to further increase the combat capabilities of the anti-aircraft missile system:
- expanded the affected area;
- provided the ability to fire in pursuit of the target at a speed of up to 300 m / s, and at a stationary target at an altitude of over 1,000 m;
- the average flight speed of the anti-aircraft guided missile was increased to 700 m / s;
- ensured the defeat of aircraft that maneuver with an overload of up to 8 units;
- improved the noise immunity of the homing head;
- the probability of hitting maneuvering targets increased by 10-15%;
- increased the reliability of ground combat assets of the complex and improved its operational characteristics.
At the beginning of 1976, at the Embensky test site (chief B. I. Vaschenko), joint tests of an anti-aircraft missile system were carried out under the leadership of a commission headed by O. V. Kuprevich. By the end of the year, the air defense system under the code "Cube-M3" was put into service.
In recent years, another modification of an anti-aircraft guided missile has been presented at aerospace exhibitions - the 3M20M3 target, converted from a combat missile defense system. The 3M20M3 simulates air targets with an RCS of 0.7-5 m2, flying at an altitude of up to 7 thousand meters, along a route of up to 20 kilometers.
Serial production of combat assets of the "Kub" air defense missile system of all modifications was organized on:
- Ulyanovsk Mechanical Plant MRP (Minradioprom) - self-propelled reconnaissance and guidance units;
- Sverdlovsk Machine-Building Plant named after Kalinin - self-propelled launchers;
- Dolgoprudny Machine-Building Plant - anti-aircraft guided missiles.
Self-propelled reconnaissance and guidance unit 1S91 SAM 2K12 "Kub-M3" © Bundesgerhard, 2002
The main characteristics of anti-aircraft missile systems of the "KUB" type:
Name - "Cube" / "Cube-M1" / "Cube-M3" / "Cube-M4";
The affected area in range is 6-8..22 km / 4..23 km / 4..25 km /4..24** km;
The affected area in height - 0, 1..7 (12 *) km / 0, 03..8 (12 *) km / 0, 02..8 (12 *) km / 0, 03.. 14 ** km;
The affected area by parameter - up to 15 km / up to 15 km / up to 18 km / up to 18 km;
The probability of hitting one SAM of a fighter is 0, 7/0, 8..0, 95/0, 8..0, 95/0, 8..0, 9;
The probability of hitting one missile defense system of the helicopter is… /… /… / 0, 3..0, 6;
The probability of hitting one missile guided missile -… /… /… / 0, 25..0, 5;
Maximum speed of targets hit - 600 m / s
Reaction time - 26..28 s / 22..24 s / 22..24 s / 24 ** s;
The flight speed of the anti-aircraft guided missile is 600 m / s / 600 m / s / 700 m / s / 700 ** m / s;
Rocket weight - 630 kg;
Warhead weight - 57 kg;
Target channeling - 1/1/1/2;
ZUR channeling - 2..3 (up to 3 for "Cube-M4");
Deployment (folding) time - 5 minutes;
The number of anti-aircraft guided missiles on a combat vehicle - 3;
Year of adoption - 1967/1973/1976/1978
* using the K-1 "Crab" complex
** with SAM 3M9M3. When using SAM 9M38 characteristics are similar to SAM "BUK"
During the serial production of anti-aircraft missile systems of the "Cube" family in the period from 1967 to 1983, about 500 complexes were produced, several tens of thousands of homing heads. During tests and exercises, more than 4 thousand missile launches were performed.
The anti-aircraft missile system "Cub" through foreign economic channels under the code "Square" was supplied to the Armed Forces of 25 countries (Algeria, Angola, Bulgaria, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, Egypt, Ethiopia, Guinea, Hungary, India, Kuwait, Libya, Mozambique, Poland, Romania, Yemen, Syria, Tanzania, Vietnam, Somalia, Yugoslavia and others).
The "Cube" complex has been successfully used in almost all Middle East military conflicts. Particularly impressive was the use of the missile system on October 6-24, 1973, when, according to the Syrian side, 64 Israeli aircraft were shot down by 95 Kvadrat guided missiles. The exceptional efficiency of the Kvadrat air defense system was determined by the following factors:
- high noise immunity of complexes with semi-active homing;
- the Israeli side lacks the means of electronic countermeasures (electronic countermeasures) operating in the required frequency range - the equipment supplied by the United States was designed to combat the radio command C-125 and ZRKS-75, which operated at longer wavelengths;
- high probability of hitting the target by a maneuverable anti-aircraft guided missile with a ramjet engine.
Israeli aviation, not having those. by means of suppressing complexes "Kvadrat", was forced to use very risky tactics. Multiple entry into the launch zone and the subsequent hasty exit from it became the reason for the rapid consumption of the ammunition of the complex, after which the means of the disarmed missile complex were further destroyed. In addition, the approach of fighter-bombers at an altitude close to their practical ceiling was used, and a further dive into the "dead zone" funnel above the anti-aircraft complex was used.
The high efficiency of "Kvadrat" was confirmed on May 8-30, 1974, when 8 guided missiles destroyed up to 6 aircraft.
Also, the Kvadrat air defense system was used in 1981-1982 during the hostilities in Lebanon, during the conflicts between Egypt and Libya, on the Algerian-Moroccan border, in 1986 when repelling American raids on Libya, in 1986-1987 in Chad, in 1999 in Yugoslavia.
Until now, the Kvadrat anti-aircraft missile system is in service in many countries of the world. The combat effectiveness of the complex can be increased without significant structural modifications by using elements of the Buk complex - the 9A38 self-propelled firing units and the 3M38 missiles, which was implemented in the Kub-M4 complex, developed in 1978.
