This article will focus on the Israeli missile defense system Homa (stone wall), which is better known as Hetz-2 or Strela-2, by the name of the anti-missile that is part of it. Israel's air defense system relies mainly on the capabilities of the American Patriot complex, while the country is carrying out fairly large-scale work to create its own missile defense system. The Hetz-2 complex is a medium-range missile defense system designed to destroy tactical ballistic missiles and operational-tactical ballistic missiles in the implementation of zonal anti-missile defense of military or industrial facilities. The complex is able to hit targets at any time of the day and in a complex electronic environment.
This missile defense system is a joint development of the Israeli company IAI and the American corporation Lockheed Martin. The complex was adopted by the Israeli army under the designation "Hetz" (Strela from Hebrew). The first battery was deployed on March 14, 2000. The complex is capable of destroying TBR and OTBR at ranges up to 100-150 km. and flight altitudes up to 50-60 km. According to available information, it is able to intercept ballistic missiles launched from a distance of up to 3,000 km and having an approach speed of up to 4.5 km / s.
This missile defense system can be used independently, as well as in conjunction with the Patriot air defense system and the Aegis shipborne missile defense system. According to the developers, the Hets-2 complex is able to provide the construction of a two-echeloned anti-missile defense (at altitudes of 40-50 and 8-10 km.). It is realized due to the ability to intercept ballistic targets at altitudes of about 50 and 8 km. respectively.
PU anti-missile Hets-2
The main elements of the complex are a multifunctional radar station (MF radar) with a phased active phased array, a command post (CP), mobile launchers (PU) with anti-missiles in transport and launch containers, data transmission radio equipment.
The mobile command post mounted on a self-propelled off-road vehicle chassis is designed to control the combat operation of the missile defense system in close cooperation with higher control and communications centers, including airborne ones. It is possible to interface it with other command and control facilities of anti-missile defense systems.
The towed MF radar with an active phased array is responsible for the timely notification of a missile attack, the detection and simultaneous tracking of up to 12 ballistic missiles, the determination of the impact points of the most significant of them and the simultaneous guidance of up to 2 anti-missiles to one selected target. The first of them is responsible for destroying a target at an altitude of 50 km., The second, in case of failure of the first anti-missile, must hit the target at an altitude of 8 km.
The Hets-2 (Strela-2) anti-missile missile is a solid-propellant two-stage vertical launch anti-missile missile with a detachable homing interceptor stage and an on-board computer designed to destroy ballistic targets. The length of the rocket is 7 m, the diameter is 0.8 m, the launch vehicle is 1300 kg. the rocket is capable of reaching a speed of 3 km / s. A combined command-inertial system with homing in the final section of the flight trajectory is responsible for controlling the missile in flight. To implement this possibility, a combined seeker seeker is used, operating at high altitude in the IR range (3, 3-3, 8 microns.), And at low altitudes and in cloudy conditions - in the radar range. A detected target within a radius of 50 m is destroyed by a high-explosive fragmentation warhead equipped with a non-contact radio fuse with directional action. The interceptor missile is deployed, operated and launched from a transport and launch container.
Anti-missile launch
In 1999, 8 interceptor missiles were purchased, in 2000 - 16, in 2001-2004 - 30 each, a total of 144 antimissiles at a price of 1.5 million dollars per missile. Until 2010, it is planned to purchase 30 interceptor missiles annually.
The mobile launcher of the complex provides placement, transportation and vertical launch of six interceptor missiles directly from the TPK. The battery includes 4 launchers with 24 anti-missile missiles, mobile command and control systems and radars. The target detection range is up to 800-900 km. Interception of targets - 50-100 km. The calculation of each battery is about 100 troops. The total cost of work on the creation of the Khets-2 missile defense system is estimated at more than $ 2 billion.
The development of this missile defense system does not stand still. In mid-2011, Israel plans to conduct flight tests of its new Hetz-3 (Straela-3) anti-missile missile. Currently, the rocket has already passed bench tests. According to Israeli developers, this anti-missile missile should be the most advanced in the world.
multifunctional radar station of the missile defense complex
Its technical characteristics are kept secret, but it is known that the new missile will receive a kinetic warhead to destroy the target. Previous versions of Israeli interceptor missiles used proximity warheads to ensure that a target could be hit without a direct hit. Hetz-3 is designed to destroy ballistic missiles like the Syrian Scud, Iranian Shihab or Lebanese Fatah-110, which have a range of 400 to 2000 km.
According to the creators of the rocket, the Hetz-3 will be "super-maneuverable" and "very energetic." Thanks to this, the anti-missile missile will be able to switch from one target to another when the need arises in flight. It is expected that the Strela-2 and Strela-3 missiles will complement each other. The Strela-2 missile will be modernized and will remain in service with the Israel Defense Forces.
According to the plans of the Israeli military, the Hetz-2 and Hetz-3 missiles will create a new layer of the national missile defense system, of which the Iron Dome complex has already become a part of it, successfully striking homemade Qassam missiles and Grad MLRS rockets. In addition, the anti-missile system "David's Sling", developed jointly with the American company Raytheon, should be part of Israel's multilayer missile defense system.
