Approved by Alexander RYBAS - General Director of GNPP Bazalt, a leading enterprise in the ammunition industry.
From "Mastiazhart" to "Basalt"
FSUE "GNPP" Bazalt "is one of the oldest defense enterprises in Russia, traces its history to the establishment on March 9 (22), 1916 of Heavy and siege artillery repair workshops (" Mastiazhart "). A year later, 3,500 people worked here, the field howitzers were assembled, the guns knocked out on the front line were repaired, and military ammunition was manufactured.
At the end of 1926, the plant was entrusted with the production of aerial bombs according to drawings developed during the First World War. But soon the development of aviation in the country required the creation of new ammunition. In early March 1930, with the aim of "organizing an arsenal of bomb armament", the Revolutionary Military Council sent a group of military engineers to the plant to develop new designs of aerial bombs. By the end of 1930, "Mastiazhart" was producing over 4500 bombs a year. The plant was renamed to Plant No. 67 and specialized in the production of aerial bomb bodies. Despite the absence at this time of the theory of the design of such ammunition, the designers of the research department of the plant by 1932 completed the development and commissioned bombs of calibers 50, 100, 250, 500, 1000 kg, and later, in 1934, - FAB-2000. In 1933, a special technical bureau for aerial bombs was created at the plant, which was transformed a year later into design and technological bureau No. 27 (KTB-27), which was entrusted with the coordination of all work on the development of aerial bombs and the organization of their serial production.
In April 1938, on the basis of the Research Department of Plant No. 67 and KTB-27, the State Union Design Bureau No. 47 was created (GSKB-47 later renamed into FSUE “GNPP“Basalt”).
Experimental shop of plant number 67
By the beginning of World War II, GSKB-47 had mastered in serial production more than 80 samples of aviation bombs of various calibers and purposes, a wide range of mortar rounds for smooth-bore mortars of caliber 50, 82, 107 and 120 mm with fragmentation and high-explosive fragmentation, incendiary, smoke and lighting mines, as well as educational and practical mines of all four calibers. During the war, the enterprise also created mines for engineering troops and partisan formations, two samples of flamethrowers, and means for sabotage in the rear of the enemy. The ammunition designed in GSKB-47 in the pre-war and war years had high combat characteristics, was distinguished by simplicity of design and manufacturability. During the war, 616 enterprises of the country were engaged in their manufacture.
In the postwar years, the enterprise created and put into serial production at 228 factories over 400 samples of aerial bombs, missile warheads, mines, shells and melee weapons.
In order to implement a unified technical policy in the country and create highly effective anti-tank weapons, by order of the State Committee of the Council of Ministers of the USSR on defense technology dated April 22, 1958, the enterprise was designated as the lead developer of this type of ammunition. In 1960, field trials of the new RPG-7 anti-tank grenade launcher system with a PG-7V round were successfully carried out. A year later, this complex was adopted by the Soviet army.
During its existence, the "Basalt" team has developed more than 800 samples of various ammunition, which were adopted by the Russian army. More than 700 employees were awarded orders and medals for the successful fulfillment of the tasks of the Government, 73 became laureates of the Lenin and State Prizes; some received prizes of the USSR Council of Ministers in the field of science and technology, prizes of the Government of the Russian Federation, prizes of the Lenin Komsomol.
Monoblock, cassette … fire extinguishing
FSUE "GNPP" Bazalt "is the parent enterprise in the Russian Federation, which provides the creation, implementation and disposal of unguided, planning and self-aiming airborne bombs (ABS).
The analysis of military conflicts of the last decade has shown that ABS is and in the foreseeable future will remain the most significant component in the aircraft armament system, and their share in aviation combat missions, according to military experts, reaches 70%.
The advantages of ABS, first of all, include: ensuring the destruction of a wide range of targets (from manpower to military-industrial facilities), the practical absence of restrictions on the conditions of use, simplicity of design and operation, relatively low cost and, which is especially important in wartime, the possibility of using non-specialized enterprises for the production of many components for such ammunition and its bodies.
Suspension of an incendiary bomb ZAB-10TSK for an aircraft. 1930s
One of the variants of the gliding bomb. 1933 g.
Everything for the front, everything for Victory!
Over its long history, the company's specialists have created and put into service several generations of aviation ammunition for various purposes (more than 400 samples). Among them are high-explosive and high-explosive air bombs, concrete-piercing, volume-detonating, incendiary bombs, tanks, means of detecting, marking and destroying submarines, auxiliary, special and practical.
An important step in increasing the effectiveness of ABS was the idea of creating a cluster weapon. The effectiveness of its destruction of manpower, aviation, missile and armored vehicles is several times higher in comparison with monobloc bombs for the same purpose. In order to equip the Air Force with this highly effective weapon in the 70-80s. were created one-time cluster bombs and blocks equipped with fragmentation, concrete-piercing, cumulative, self-aiming, incendiary cluster warheads, as well as mines for various purposes.
In order to increase the power and level of combat readiness of the Air Force, the company's specialists and co-executors are still working on the modernization of previously created products and the design of new ones.
Samples of modern aerial bombs
The experience accumulated by the enterprise has made it possible to start the development of special aviation equipment for the elimination of man-made and environmental disasters. These include the ASP-500 aviation fire extinguishing agent of 500 kg caliber, equipped with a fire extinguishing agent weighing about 400 kg and an explosive dispersion system. It provides suppression of a forest fire in a layer with a height of 4-6 m and a radius of 18-20 m.
Many of the company's products have been combat tested and highly appreciated by military specialists, including foreign ones. The competitiveness of a number of samples is confirmed by international contracts for their supply and licensed production.
Armor Breakers
Melee grenade launchers (SBB) are an effective means of dealing with tanks, lightly armored and unarmored vehicles, emplacements, manpower located in open areas, in field fortifications, in buildings and structures. The advantages of this class of weapons are simplicity of design and ease of combat use, high mobility provided by its low weight and dimensions, high reliability and efficiency of action, relatively low cost of completing a combat mission, availability and the possibility of mass use on the battlefield.
The history of the grenade launcher at the enterprise began with the development of the RPG-7V grenade launcher with the PG-7V round, which was put into service in 1961. In 1963, the development of the LNG-9 easel grenade launcher with the PG-9V round was completed.
Melee grenade launchers are currently widely used in combat not only as anti-tank weapons, but also as effective assault weapons. Therefore, for the RPG-7 grenade launcher, TBG-7V shots with a thermobaric warhead and OG-7V with a fragmentation warhead were developed.
In the early 80s. of the last century, tanks equipped with the so-called "reactive armor" - in the domestic terminology of dynamic protection, entered service with foreign armies. There was a problem of hitting such targets. It was successfully solved by the specialists of the enterprise in a very short time. A 105 mm tandem cumulative warhead was developed for the PG-7VR, PG-29V, RPG-27 rounds.
The rocket-propelled anti-tank grenades with disposable grenade launchers RPG-26, RPG-27 developed by FSUE GNPP Bazalt serve as an individual weapon for a soldier to fight armored vehicles, and can also be used to suppress firing points and manpower. With dimensions and weight comparable to the mass of small arms, the RPG-26 has a firepower capable of penetrating armor up to 500 mm thick. The RPG-27 grenade with an average armor penetration of 750 mm is capable of striking modern tanks equipped with combined armor and reactive armor.
To conduct combat in modern conditions, on the basis of the RPG-27 and RPG-26, samples of assault ammunition have been developed - the RShG-1 and RShG-2 grenades, respectively. The RShG-1 and RShG-2 assault rocket grenades, while retaining all the advantages of the basic samples, are equipped with thermobaric warheads and are capable of effectively hitting lightly armored and unarmored vehicles, firing points equipped in residential and industrial buildings, openly located and sheltered manpower.
The RPG-29 grenade launcher with a 105-mm PG-29V round with a tandem warhead has proven itself excellently in the conduct of hostilities in local military conflicts. Introduced into service in 1989, it still remains a formidable weapon capable of effectively hitting the most modern tanks in close combat. The unexpected use of these weapons in the Lebanese-Israeli military conflict in 2006 decided its outcome. The most modern tank formations could not overcome the defense. The hostilities ceased.
After these events, the popularity of the Russian RPG-29 grenade launcher in the Middle East has increased dramatically. Basalt received a number of proposals for the supply of these weapons abroad. In addition to the grenade launcher, a TBG-29V shot with a thermobaric warhead was developed, which significantly expanded the combat capabilities of the sample. The only army that did not need the unique RPG-29 grenade launcher was the Russian Armed Forces. This sample has not been ordered by the Russian army for more than 15 years.
RPG practice shooting
FSUE "GNPP" Bazalt "made a rather significant contribution to the development of light infantry flamethrowers. Samples MPO-A, MPO-D allow the fighter to fire from the premises, which is very important when conducting combat operations in urban conditions.
In the first decade of the new XXI century. "Basalt" has created new promising models of grenade launcher weapons. Among them are the RPG-28 125-mm anti-tank rocket grenade, the RMG 105-mm multi-purpose rocket grenade and other products.
The RPG-28 sample is designed to destroy armored targets equipped with combined armor systems and built-in reactive armor. The RMG multi-purpose rocket grenade is equipped with a tandem warhead of multifactorial lethal action. The grenade detonator has a selective effect. The explosion of a warhead can occur either on an obstacle ("hard" obstacle - armor, concrete) or behind it ("soft" obstacle - sandbags, clay duval, embankment). When acting on brick and concrete walls, the warhead forms gaps in them with a size of 0.5x0.5 m.
It is surprising that the Russian Ministry of Defense has been in no hurry to adopt these new models for several years, although they work flawlessly.
On the instructions of a foreign customer (Jordan) FSUE “GNPP“Bazalt”has developed an RPG-32 grenade launcher system with an optoelectronic sight and ammunition - an anti-tank round PG-32V and a thermobaric round TBG-32V.
Currently, together with the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, the enterprise is working on creating a promising appearance of a melee grenade launcher system integrated into a soldier's equipment. Theoretical and experimental studies conducted by FSUE “GNPP“Basalt”show the possibility of creating such samples with a high level of unification, ensuring the solution of almost all tasks arising in the conduct of hostilities in modern conditions and in the foreseeable future.
Basalt is also the leading developer of stationary small-sized and hand-held anti-sabotage grenade launcher systems. Anti-sabotage grenade launcher weapons are an important element of the defense system of the naval base points, as well as individual ships from submarine sabotage forces.
To protect the near zone of protected objects at ranges of up to 500 m in 1971, the Navy adopted the MRG-1 multi-barreled rocket launcher. Shooting from it is carried out remotely from an autonomous power source from the deck of the ship or from the shore.
RPG-32 complex in firing position
In 1991, an automated small-sized remote-controlled grenade launcher DP-65 was developed and adopted by the Navy, the rocket launcher of which, unlike the MRG-1, is equipped with electric drives for vertical and horizontal guidance mechanisms, control is carried out remotely, the control panel allows you to alternately service up to four grenade launchers. The DP-65 complex is installed on large surface ships and vessels, as well as on various coastal facilities and can be effectively used against all types of modern submarine sabotage forces.
Shooting from MRG-1 and DP-65 is carried out by rocket 55-mm high-explosive grenades RG-55M - miniature depth charges that explode at a predetermined depth and effectively hit an underwater saboteur within a radius of up to 16 m. grenade launchers MRG-1 and DP-65 included a rocket-propelled signal grenade GRS-55, the burning torch of which serves as a reference point on the water surface for aimed firing with high-explosive grenades.
Hand-held grenade launchers are widely used in the anti-sabotage defense system, which, unlike stationary complexes, do not require specially equipped positions. One of them is the DP-64 hand grenade launcher. Its design uses an active grenade launching scheme, due to which the grenade launcher has a closed breech, which significantly expands the range of its application. Thanks to its original design, the DP-64 is an almost silent weapon. Its ammunition load includes two types of grenades: the signal SG-45, designed to indicate the location of the underwater saboteurs, and the high-explosive FG-45, to destroy them.
FSUE "GNPP" Bazalt ", in addition, is the main developer of hand grenades. In 1981 g.hand grenades were adopted: the offensive RGN and the defensive RGS with remote-impact fuses, which surpass their foreign counterparts in their combat characteristics.
Along with the promotion of new products on the world market, FSUE "GNPP" Bazalt "offers training ammunition, the main feature of which is a complete imitation of standard ammunition. The cost of one training shot is 4-5 times lower than the cost of a combat one. To maintain combat readiness, each army shooter must fire at least 15 shots per year, so the savings when using training shots are obvious.
Increased Power Shots
Mortar weapons are one of the most important types of fire weapons for ground forces and are designed to destroy open and sheltered manpower, unarmored and lightly armored vehicles, and destroy field-type defensive structures.
The main advantage of such weapons is the ability to carry out hinged fire at various ranges, which is extremely important when conducting battles in rough terrain.
The development of mortar rounds with mines for various purposes began at the enterprise in 1940. For mortars of calibers 50, 82, 107, 120 and 160 mm, high-explosive, high-explosive fragmentation, lighting, incendiary, smoke and practical (training) shots were created at Basalt. The pinnacle in this area should be considered the M-240 super-powerful 240-mm mortar with a steel high-explosive mine weighing about 140 kg, capable of hitting heavy-type bunkers, brick and concrete buildings and structures. In terms of the power of this system, there is no equal in the world up to the present time.
Smoothbore mortars with improved ballistics: 120-mm transportable mortar 2B11, 82-mm mortar 2B14 and 82-mm automatic mortar 2B9, which still has no analogues in the world, were adopted in the late 70s - early 80s. For these weapons, specialists of FSUE “GNPP“Bazalt”in a short time developed two qualitatively new ammunition sets for shots of increased efficiency and increased range, including those with proximity fuses.
The development of ammunition for artillery guns of the ground forces at the FSUE "GNPP" Basalt "begins with the creation in the 60s. the LNG-9 mounted anti-tank grenade launcher with the PG-9V round, which had high tactical and technical characteristics and aroused the interest of the creators of the BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle. The anti-tank rounds PG-15V, PG-15VS and the OG-15VM round with a fragmentation grenade for the 2A28 BMP-1 gun, developed by our company's specialists, provided the vehicle with the ability to fight tanks, artillery installations, and enemy manpower.
The 2S9 self-propelled mortar and artillery system, in which the barrel and shells have ready-made rifling, was created in the 80s. For this system, fundamentally new 120-mm detachable unitary shots have been developed and put into service: with a high-explosive fragmentation projectile made of steel, equipped with a powerful explosive, with a high-explosive fragmentation active-rocket projectile and with a cumulative anti-tank projectile. In terms of effectiveness, 120-mm high-explosive fragmentation projectiles for this system are significantly superior to foreign counterparts and are practically not inferior to projectiles
classic artillery of 152 mm caliber. Currently, on the basis of the design scheme of the CAO 2C9, a new CAO 2C31 is being developed, equipped with all modern systems of topographic referencing, fire control guidance, countering detection, etc. In addition, the CAO 2S31 can fire not only all 120-mm rounds with feathered mines and rifled shells of domestic and foreign production, but also specially developed by FSUE "GNPP" Bazalt " cumulative fragmentation warheads.
Without endangering your life
Specialists of FSUE “GNPP“Basalt”have developed non-lethal ammunition for barrel artillery and mortars, hand grenade launchers and hand grenades.
Non-lethal weapons can be used in anti-terrorist and peacekeeping operations, hostage rescue operations, when providing humanitarian missions, when suppressing riots in prisons, protecting and protecting especially important facilities. The use of non-lethal weapons makes it possible to incapacitate violators for a certain period of time without endangering their lives, forcing them to abandon active actions, preventing them from firing aimed fire, disrupting or hindering control or interaction between them.
120-mm mortar round ZVOF69 with high-explosive fragmentation mine
More powerful, more accurate, more efficient
The main task to be solved by the staff of the enterprise in the near future is the task of significantly increasing the effectiveness of conventional ammunition. In the field of improving melee weapons, this is, first of all, ensuring higher armor penetration of cumulative warheads of ammunition. Another important area of work is the introduction of the achievements of modern computer and laser technologies to create modern sighting equipment. It is also necessary to comprehensively investigate the issue of using advanced composite materials in the design of body parts and ammunition assemblies. There is no unambiguous understanding here yet. The issue requires discussion and careful analysis from the standpoint of strength, reliability, manufacturability and performance, because, as it turned out, such solutions do not always give the desired effect. There are cases when, for example, in multiple launch rocket systems, an attempt to use composites and polymers to provide the necessary strength characteristics led to a decrease in the amount of explosives or rocket fuel in the charges. With regard to mortar and artillery weapons, we are faced with the task of increasing the efficiency and firing range through the introduction of scientific advances in the physics of explosion and the chemistry of high-energy compounds.
At various times, Basalt's specialists have created truly unique weapons, which often remain unsurpassed to this day. For example, RPG-7V or RPG-29 grenade launchers with the family
ammunition for them. The RPG-7 grenade launcher turns 50 this year. 20 years have passed since the adoption of the RPG-29. But they are still in demand on the global arms market, and we are working to make new types of grenades for them.
You can't write a lot about new developments for obvious reasons. But it is possible to report such a fact - in 2011 FSUE “GNPP“Bazalt”will begin to create a new grenade and flamethrower complex with characteristics that meet all (very exacting) requirements of our customer.
Work on aviation bomb weapons will be associated, in particular, with the use of new composite materials in the manufacture of hulls and airframe elements of products. This is intended to ensure the power of the action of aviation bombs and cassettes, the accuracy of their use, and to reduce the effective dispersion area. To increase the power of the action of ammunition at the target, new highly effective explosive compositions, ready-made striking elements of optimal mass, will be used. Work is planned to create cluster elements and warheads of a new generation, including non-lethal ones. Another promising direction is the use of the cumulative effect in the controlled group application of products. The task is to give aviation bomb weapons such properties that, when used from the carrier, will provide a significant expansion of its tactical capabilities, including re-targeting in flight. One of the ways is to equip high-performance standard and advanced models of unguided aerial bombs with a planning and correction module to make them high-precision weapons, as well as to enable them to be used without the carrier entering the enemy's air defense zone.
Work will continue on the creation of a new generation of gliding cluster bombs with increased range and accuracy. The problem is solved to ensure the possibility of their use from helicopters by optimizing the aerodynamic scheme, using accelerating engines and a finishing channel at the final section of the trajectory.
To implement all this, the enterprise has developed a comprehensive target program for the development of aviation bomb weapons for the period up to 2020.
