The Patriot air defense system is used to protect large administrative and industrial centers, air and naval bases from all modern air attack weapons in the face of strong electronic countermeasures from the enemy. The complex is able to simultaneously detect and recognize more than 100 targets, continuously track 8 of them, prepare the initial data for firing, launch and guide up to 3 anti-aircraft missiles to each target. The development of the complex began back in 1963, and the Patriot air defense system was finally adopted by the US Army in 1982.
The anti-aircraft battery consists of 4-8 launchers with 4 missiles each. The battery is a tactical-fire unit with a minimum composition, which can independently solve all combat missions. Most often, the complex is used as part of a division. The Patriot air defense system has a fairly high combat capabilities, is in service with the US Army and is considered as the most promising complex for arming NATO countries. The efficiency of the complex is based on advanced circuit solutions, the use of a complex of modern materials and a number of advanced technologies in units and systems.
Complex composition
The Patriot air defense system includes:
- command post of fire control AN / MSQ-104;
- multifunctional radar with a phased antenna array AN / MPQ-53;
- launchers (PU) M901;
- anti-aircraft guided missiles (SAM) MIM104;
- power supply sources AN / MSQ-26;
- means of radio-technical and engineering camouflage;
- communication facilities, technological equipment;
MIM104 missile assembly
The MIM104 anti-aircraft missile used in the Patriot air defense system is a single-stage missile made according to a normal aerodynamic configuration. The missile includes the following compartments (from nose to tail): fairing, homing head, warhead, engine, control system (includes a control unit, four hydraulic control rudders and crosswise located stabilizers). When maneuvering, the rocket overload can be more than 25 units. Monitoring the state of all missile systems is carried out using built-in instruments, reports of detected malfunctions are sent to the computer of the fire control system.
Flight control is implemented using a combined target guidance system. At the initial stage, the rocket uses programmed control, in the middle segment - radio command, in the final phase of the flight - the TMV (Track-via-missile) method is used, which combines command guidance with semi-active. The use of TMV can significantly reduce the sensitivity of an anti-aircraft missile to electronic countermeasures, and also allows its flight to be organized along the most optimal trajectory with a guarantee of high target destruction.
Main performance characteristics of MIM104 missiles
The mass of the rocket is 912 kg, the mass of the warhead is 24 kg. The maximum range of an intercepted target is 80 km, the maximum height of an intercepted target is 24 km. The minimum distance for destroying targets is 3 km, the minimum height of a flying target is 60 meters. According to these indicators, it is significantly inferior to the Russian S-400 air defense system, which has more advanced missiles.
Fire command post AN / MSQ-104
The fire control gearbox for the Patriot air defense missile system is located in a special container mounted on the chassis of the M814 vehicle. Inside the command post, along one wall, there is a communication equipment and 1 operator's workplace, along the other wall there are computers, a data transmission terminal, a 2nd operator's workplace and a number of auxiliary equipment.
fire control command post AN / MSQ-104
In total, the combat crew consists of 2 operators. Each workplace is equipped with an air situation indicator with a diameter of 53 cm, an indicator control device, a set of keyboards for input and output of information required for fire control in the course of combat work, as well as a control unit for the operation of all complex equipment.
One of the indicators displays the general situation in the detection, control and fire zones of the battery, and the other displays the available information on the management of all elements of the air defense missile system and the current combat situation. The use of special service equipment makes it possible to diagnose the operation of individual elements of the air defense system and the entire complex, even during combat.
Multifunctional radar AN / MPQ-53
The radar is located on a two-axle semitrailer weighing 15 tons and transported using an M818 wheeled tractor. The operation of the radar is largely automated. Its maintenance is carried out from the command post of the combat crew consisting of 2 operators. The radar is capable of detecting and guiding from 90 to 125 targets in a given sector almost simultaneously and controlling the flight of all missiles aimed at them. The maximum target identification range is 35-50 km. at a target flight altitude of 50-100 m and up to 170 km. at a flight altitude in the range of 1000-10000 m. Targeting is achieved by using a phased array and a fast computer that controls the operation of the radar at all stages.
The control system ensures the use of the Patriot air defense missile system together with the E-3 Sentry early warning and control aircraft. In such a situation, the Patriot can be in complete radar silence until the very last moment - until it receives a target designation from an airborne AWACS.
multifunctional radar with phased array antenna AN / MPQ-53
In the stowed position, the radar antenna is placed on the roof of the cabin. The choice of the sector of operation of the radar is made by turning the cabin in the desired direction. With a fixed position of the cockpit, the radar can search for targets in azimuth in the 90-degree sector, as well as track them and guide missiles at them in the 110-degree sector.
A characteristic feature of the radar is the conversion of signals into digital form, which makes it possible to use a computer to control its operating modes. The radar uses the principle of multiplexing for sounding, processing and receiving signals in time. The entire area that is viewed by the radar can be divided into 32 separate sections, each of which is scanned one after the other by the phased array beam during line-by-line scanning. In this case, the duration of this cycle in each section is approximately 100 μs, with the possibility of changing the radar mode for each cycle.
The main time of the working cycle is spent on finding targets in a given sector, less time on tracking them and guiding anti-aircraft missiles. The duration of the full cycle of the station's search, subsequent tracking of targets and guiding missiles at them is 3.2 s. AN / MPQ-53 also has a mode of operation in which the air situation is not monitored in the entire zone of 32 sections, but only in selected ones, in which the appearance of air targets is most likely.
Launcher М901
PU is used to launch missiles, their transportation and temporary storage. PU is mounted on a two-axle semitrailer M860 and is moved using a wheeled tractor. The launcher includes a lifting boom, a mechanism for lifting missiles and guiding them in azimuth, a drive for installing a radio mast, which is used to transmit data and receive commands to a fire control point, communication equipment, a power unit and an electronic unit.
From the moment of receiving the command to launch the missiles, the necessary data is entered into their memory devices. When the operator presses the "start" button on the remote control, power is supplied to the control system equipment, after which the ground computer of the fire control point automatically activates the missile control system and performs all the necessary calculations, preparing its flight algorithm.
Launcher М901
The reaction time of the air defense missile system is reduced by preliminary rotation of the launcher boom in the direction of the intended air attack, as well as by reducing the loss of time for the missile to reach a given flight trajectory. When the complex is located on the ground, a sector of space is assigned to each of the launchers, and these sectors overlap many times. Thus, it is possible to achieve a vserakusrnosti shooting, in contrast to the air defense system, which use vertically starting anti-aircraft missiles, which carry out a turn towards the target after the start. However, the total deployment time of the complex from the march is 30 minutes, which significantly exceeds the deployment time of Russian air defense systems.
Modifications
SAM Patriot PAC-1 (Patriot Advanced Capability, Russian "Patriot" with promising capabilities). Work on its creation began in March 1985 and was aimed at increasing the effectiveness of destruction by means of a complex of tactical ballistic missiles. The central task was not the destruction of the ballistic missile, but its deviation from the aiming point at a distance of several kilometers. First of all, the software of the complex was improved, the scanning angles of the radar were also increased.
SAM Patriot PAC-2
Further modernization also pursued the goal of providing cover for small areas from tactical ballistic missile attacks. Now the task of the air defense system included not only deflecting the missile from the target, but also its complete elimination. In the course of the modernization, they touched not only the software, but also improved the warhead of the rocket, which received a new fuse, and the striking elements of an increased mass (the mass of the fragments was increased from 2 to 45 grams). These changes did not affect the defeat of conventional aerodynamic targets, and later the upgraded missile became the standard for all missiles of the complex.
As part of the further stages of modernization, the missiles received a new radio fuse, at the same time, the software filling of the AN / MPQ-53 radar was once again redesigned to improve the ability to intercept the TBR. In the course of modernization, according to experts, it was possible to increase the area defended by the Patriot air defense system from tactical ballistic missiles by 4 times.
MIM104 rocket launch
SAM Patriot PAC-3
As part of the third stage of modernization, aimed at further increasing the efficiency of destruction of aerodynamic targets made using stealth technology and ballistic targets, the commission considered 2 options with MIM109 and ERINT missiles. In February 1994, the competition committee chose the second option. The ERINT missile is a highly maneuverable direct hit anti-missile, a single-stage solid-propellant projectile made according to a normal aerodynamic configuration with aerodynamic aileron rudders and low aspect ratio wings.
In the process of its tests, the rocket repeatedly achieved direct hits on ballistic missiles. So on March 15, 1999, a direct hit by an anti-missile missile destroyed a target missile, which was the second and third stages of the Minuteman-2 ICBM. According to the creators, ERINT is capable of striking ballistic missiles with a range of no more than 1000 km. Due to the significantly smaller size of these missiles, 16 missiles can be placed on the M901 launcher. 4 pieces in each container for the MIM-104 missile defense system. In order to maximize the effectiveness of the Patriot PAC-3 air defense system, it is planned to combine launchers with ERINT and MIM-104 missiles, which increases the firepower of one battery by about 75%.
