Research and Production Concern "Technologies of Mechanical Engineering" (NPK "Techmash") produces various military products, including a variety of weapons and ammunition. Serial products of this kind are supplied to the ground forces, aerospace forces and the navy. In the foreseeable future, the range of manufactured products may be replenished with completely new systems. According to the latest reports, Tekhmash plans to create several samples belonging to classes new to our army.
In the last days of March, the capital of Armenia hosted the participants and guests of the international military-technical exhibition ArmHiTec-2018. A significant part of the area of this event was occupied by Russian defense enterprises. NPK Tekhmash participated in the exhibition together with other representatives of Russia. The organization has shown mockups and promotional materials for several existing projects, and its management has revealed plans for the near future.
On March 30, during a conversation with journalists, the deputy general director of the concern, Alexander Kochkin, spoke about the existing plans for the development of weapons. In parallel with work in already mastered areas, it is proposed to implement new ideas. With their help, it is planned to create a promising multiple launch rocket system with unusual capabilities, weapons for future attack unmanned aerial vehicles and weapons based on an electromagnetic pulse and original reconnaissance equipment.
A. Kochkin outlined one of the tasks of Tekhmash for the near future. The concern plans to create a completely new MLRS with an unusual look. The project is supposed to use certain elements of robotization. In addition, the finished system will have special tasks: with its help it will be possible to fight not only ground, but also air targets. Such a versatile complex will be able to complement existing short-range air defense systems.
The new model of weapons is still at the stage of elaboration of the appearance, and the work is being carried out on an initiative basis. According to A. Kochkin, NPK Tekhmash hopes to interest the Russian Defense Ministry with such a proposal, as a result of which a full-fledged technical assignment for the project may appear. MLRS of a new type, according to the concern, may be of interest to the airborne troops, marines and special forces. Their units, forced to work in isolation from the main forces, need light means of fire support, and the new multiple launch rocket system may be suitable for solving such problems.
In the proposed form, a promising multipurpose MLRS receives a 50-80 mm rocket and a number of other completely new means. Within the framework of the new project, it is proposed to create a special fire control and guidance system that meets the existing requirements. Automatic recharge will be applied. Due to perfect control facilities, the complex will be able to fire at targets at any time of the day, in any weather conditions and regardless of the existing jamming environment. Interestingly, the proposed project provides for the compatibility of the launcher with existing unguided missiles of the indicated calibers.
It is assumed that the versatility of the new multiple launch rocket system will allow solving a variety of combat missions. First of all, small-caliber missiles will be used to deliver massive strikes against ground targets. The second option for their use is shooting at air targets. A. Kochkin pointed out that such missiles will be able to hit air targets at distances from 1.5 to 2 km. Height reach - no more than 1 km. The targets for the new missiles will be enemy helicopters and drones.
At the moment, the research and production concern "Techmash" is proactively working on the idea of a multipurpose MLRS with the functions of an anti-aircraft missile system. The project still does not have a name and is not yet supported by the military department. However, the developer hopes that his ideas in the near future will interest a potential customer in the person of the Russian Ministry of Defense.
Another new direction, mastered by NPK "Techmash", is close to the field of unmanned aerial vehicles. The Russian defense industry is currently working on new mid- and heavy-class attack UAVs, and the ammunition manufacturer is taking this into account. Work has already begun on the creation of specialized weapons intended for use with drones.
Unfortunately, A. Kochkin did not disclose the details of work in this direction. He only mentioned that Mechanical Engineering Technologies is working to create a combat load for unmanned aerial vehicles. In addition, according to him, certain patterns already exist. What kind of products were created, how far the work had progressed and when real results should be expected in the form of the supply and use of such weapons were not specified.
The deputy general director of Tekhmash recalled that in the past, domestic enterprises have already tried to create new ammunition that can hit enemy equipment and equipment with a powerful electromagnetic pulse. In particular, the NPO Splav was involved in this topic. Then the Russian Ministry of Defense did not want to continue developing this direction, and there are still no orders for the creation of such weapons.
The reason is simple: the military is satisfied with the work of existing and promising ground and air-based electronic warfare systems, as a result of which special ammunition is not considered necessary. According to A. Kochkin, this is reflected in the new State Armaments Program. This document does not provide for the creation of electromagnetic weapons in the foreseeable future.
However, Tekhmash does not plan to abandon this promising direction and continues to work on its own initiative. The reserve for new ammunition has already been created and is being implemented in one form or another. It is planned to create a special warhead that, when triggered, generates a powerful electromagnetic pulse. Due to its high power, the latter will have to, at least, disrupt the operation of the enemy's radio-electronic and other systems. In some cases, it will be possible to disable the equipment.
Warheads of the new type, which have an unusual principle of operation, can be used with various delivery vehicles. A. Kochkin pointed out that such charges could be used on unguided rockets for MLRS, in cannon artillery shells and as aviation weapons. At the same time, apparently, so far we are talking only about a preliminary study of the issue without creating an ammunition suitable for use in practice.
In the plans of NPK "Tekhmash" there is one more type of special ammunition intended for solving special tasks. It is proposed to create an optical reconnaissance system in the form factor of a weapon of one kind or another. As is the case with some other promising concepts, the proposal for an optical reconnaissance ammunition is still at the preliminary stage of development. The military department did not order the creation of a full-fledged product of this kind.
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Now the enterprises of the NPK "Engineering Technologies" produce a variety of ammunition for various weapons systems used in all branches of the armed forces. In this case, while we are talking about shells, rockets and shots of well-known models, using well-studied and mastered principles. Meanwhile, scientists and designers propose to create fundamentally new types of weapons and means of destruction, based on original principles. If at least part of the existing proposals of "Techmash" receives the approval of the Ministry of Defense and is accepted for implementation, in the future the army will be able to receive the most interesting weapons.
At the moment, the most interesting, both from a technical and a practical point of view, is the proposal to create a light multipurpose multiple launch rocket system capable of destroying targets on the ground and in the air. As the head of the NPK Tekhmash rightly noted, some branches of the armed forces are forced to work in isolation from the main forces, and therefore they need special weapons. Unlike the mass of existing systems in service with the Airborne Forces, the Marine Corps, etc., the universal MLRS is capable of improving the combat capability of a unit without the need for separate combat vehicles.
As follows from the disclosed data, the so far unnamed project may provide for the use of existing aircraft small-caliber unguided missiles S-5 or S-8, which are planned to be supplemented with new guidance and control means. They can be launched from a light ground installation, directing it to ground or air targets. "Landing" of an aircraft missile will provide some advantages of a production and operational nature, while at the same time keeping the desired combat qualities.
However, there may be known issues as well. The versatility of the multiple launch rocket system will lead to a significant complication of its ground components, primarily control facilities. On one combat vehicle, you will have to use equipment for aiming weapons at ground targets, as well as devices for searching, tracking and attacking air.
Finally, a universal MLRS may not be superfluous for some combat arms. So, it is proposed to use it in the airborne troops, which need both strike weapons and air defense. However, at present, in the interests of the Airborne Forces, a specialized anti-aircraft complex with the code "Birds" is being developed, which meets the special requirements of these troops. With the availability of ready-made machines of this kind, the need for a multipurpose MLRS disappears.
The situation is interesting in the field of weapons using an electromagnetic pulse. A few years ago it became known that the Russian defense industry was working on similar projects, but their real results, as far as we know, have not yet reached the troops. A few days ago, the deputy general director of NPK Tekhmash clarified why it happened.
In this context, it is worth recalling the news of past years. So, in the fall of 2014, reports appeared in the domestic press about a project called "Alabuga", the purpose of which, it was alleged, was to create an electromagnetic weapon. Unnamed industry officials claimed the project's goal was to create a special rocket carrying a powerful high-frequency radiation generator.
It was argued that the rocket would use such a "warhead" at a given point at an altitude of no more than 300 m from the ground. At the same time, it could “hit” enemy objects within a radius of 3.5 km. The impulse was supposed to suppress communication channels and radar facilities, as well as disable various electronic systems. According to media reports, by mid-2014, the Alabuga product passed some tests.
In September last year, the Concern "Radioelectronic Technologies" disclosed some information about the "Alabuga" program. It turned out that a project with this name existed at the beginning of this decade, and its purpose was to develop promising methods and means of electronic warfare. At the same time, it was clarified that electromagnetic weapons were indeed being developed, but the details of such projects were not subject to disclosure.
Now NPK Tekhmash has announced its plans in the promising area. As it turned out, the enterprises of the concern had already tried to create such a weapon, but the customer, represented by the Ministry of Defense, was not interested in them. The command considered that the army could solve the existing tasks using other means.
A. Kochkin also spoke about the development of aviation weapons for advanced attack UAVs. Currently, Russian enterprises are creating several such drones at once, but they are still far from being used in the military. Details of the weapons for them were not provided, but some assumptions can be made. Obviously, UAV weapons will be similar to existing types of weapons used by manned aircraft. At the same time, it will differ in size and weight, corresponding to the capabilities of its carriers. You may also need certain innovations related to the specifics of the on-board systems of UAV equipment.
The development of weapons of different types of troops should not stop, and sooner or later the army will have to master fundamentally new systems. Methods for such modernization of the material part should be worked out in advance and with a great backlog for the future. This is what the research and production concern "Engineering Technologies" is doing now. Perhaps not all of the proposed ideas and concepts will be implemented, but their theoretical and practical study will make a significant contribution to the renewal of the army and the strengthening of defense capabilities.
