The developments of the High-Precision Complexes holding, presented at the Army-2015 exhibition, attract the military from all over the world
The Army-2015 exhibition taking place this year on the basis of the Patriot Park recently created by the Ministry of Defense in the Moscow Region should become one of the landmark events for the Russian defense industry. Suffice it to say that several dozen foreign delegations are planning to attend the event, and they will be led by the heads of the military departments.
In addition to the exhibition program, in which not only almost all enterprises of the Russian defense industry are represented, but also some foreign ones, visitors will see demonstration performances, flights of aerobatic teams and much more.
Traditionally, one of the most interesting and informative expositions at the Army-2015 exhibition belongs to the High-Precision Complexes holding, a part of the state corporation Rostec. It represents a wide range of products, ranging from small arms to anti-tank and anti-aircraft missile systems.
Landmark for "Beretta"
The Tula Instrument Design Bureau, which is part of the holding, is rightfully called a LEADER among the world's companies that develop and produce small arms, including unique ones.
At the Army-2015 exhibition, the KBP product line was opened by a two-medium special assault rifle (ADS), which, thanks to the use of a PSP cartridge of 5, 45 mm caliber, is capable of effectively hitting the enemy both on land and under water. ADS was interested in both domestic special forces and foreign buyers.
In addition to the two-medium assault rifle, KBP presents two large-caliber (12, 7 mm) sniper rifles - OSV-96 and VKS. It is noteworthy that the "bullpup" VKS, also known as the VSSK "Exhaust", thanks to the use of an integrated device for silent and flameless firing, in other words, a silencer, and subsonic cartridges is capable of almost silently hitting even well-armored targets at a distance of up to 600 meters.
Currently, VSK and OSV-96, also called the "Cracker", are being purchased to arm Russian special forces, including the FSB Special Forces Center, as well as, according to some reports, the newly created Special Operations Command of the Russian Ministry of Defense.
Another large-caliber product in the exposition of the Instrument-Making Design Bureau is the AGS-30 30-mm automatic easel grenade launcher, which is easily installed on various armored vehicles or even ordinary cars, not to mention the traditional use from a special machine, and in exceptional cases, from the hands. It is worth noting that this sample, which replaced the legendary AGS-17, is not only supplied to the Ministry of Defense and the Internal Troops, but is also exported. So far, of the serial products of its class, only AGS-30 combines both firepower and mobility, allowing it to be used high in the mountains.
Against the background of the "big brothers", undoubted interest should also be aroused by the GSh-18 pistol, developed by the outstanding gunsmiths Vasily Gryazev and Arkady Shipunov, in the scheme of which, instead of the traditional locking by tilting the barrel, invented by John Browning, locking by turning the barrel is used.
Thanks to this technical solution, the pistol, weighing a little more than half a kilogram without ammunition, turned out to be very ergonomic and easy to use at the shortest possible distances. In many ways, this is why the GSH-18 is, according to some experts, one of the best combat pistols in the world.
It should be noted that after the start of the production of GSH-18, the locking scheme by turning the barrel interested Austrian and Italian gunsmiths. Currently, the flagship of the Beretta line of pistols, the RX-4 Stormo, which is in constant demand on the international market for products for law enforcement agencies and special purpose units, also works according to the barrel rotation locking scheme.
At the same time, GSH-18 has a number of significant advantages over its Italian counterpart, as the visitors of the exhibition will be able to see.
Tanks won't pass, drones won't fly
In the global arms market, the High-Precision Complexes holding is especially well known as a manufacturer and supplier of Kornet anti-tank missile systems. These ATGMs are in service in almost two dozen countries and continue to be actively purchased.
In fact, Kornet is a universal system capable of fighting not only with armored vehicles, but also with various fortifications, helicopters, even such complex targets as drones. During the parade on Red Square, dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the Great Victory, these anti-tank missile systems, mounted on the chassis of Tiger armored vehicles, marched in columns of the latest Russian military equipment.
As the experience of armed conflicts has shown, the Tula "Kornets" coped with difficult targets in the form of tanks and armored vehicles, which are well protected. Due to the small dimensions of the ATGM, it is easy to transfer the calculation of two people, even over very rough terrain. But an effective sighting system with thermal and night channels allows you to hit targets on the battlefield at any time of the day, regardless of weather conditions.
An important feature of the Kornet is that, unlike their foreign classmates, ATGM missiles are not equipped with a homing warhead, but the launcher has an aiming system, as well as an automatic tracking machine, leading the target without human intervention and transmitting commands to the missiles. The operator of the complex just needs to take a tank or other armored vehicle for escort and press start, then the ATGM will do everything on its own.
Moreover, at present, the "Cornets" are supplied with a single integrated battery management system - a fire platoon, thanks to which the commander not only issues target designation to the calculations in real time, but also distributes targets, chooses the order of their destruction, etc.
The warhead of the missile allows it to overcome dynamic protection, and also due to the implementation of the regime when two missiles are launched at one target at intervals of a split second, to hit armored objects with an active protection complex. KAZ shoots down the first, but the second passes freely and destroys the enemy's tank.
Along with the "Kornet", the modernized anti-tank missile systems "Metis" are of great interest to foreign customers. Of course, with the new sighting system and missiles, this is no longer the product that was put into service in the late 70s. But its main attraction lies in the same small dimensions: the launch container is no more than one meter long, the installation itself weighs a little more than ten kilograms.
The Chrysanthemum-S anti-tank missile system, recently adopted by the Ground Forces, is currently being actively supplied to units and subunits. By the way, the first batch of these machines arrived in Crimea last year.
Thanks to the use of the Chrysanthemum radar for target detection, it is able to find and effectively engage on the battlefield day and night not only armored vehicles, but also helicopters in difficult weather conditions, as well as when the other side uses various means of camouflage and countermeasures. According to published calculations, a firing platoon of the latest ATGM can destroy up to an enemy tank company.
"Bakhcha" with the algorithm
Another interesting product in the line of products of the High-Precision Complexes holding presented at the Army-2015 exhibition will undoubtedly be the Bakhcha-U combat module currently installed on the newest BMD-4M. Its armament, consisting of automatic cannons - 30-mm 2A72 and 100-mm 2A70, allows you to destroy light armored vehicles, armored personnel carriers and infantry fighting vehicles of the enemy, his manpower, and even well-protected tanks.
The ammunition for this module, manufactured at the Shcheglovsky Val enterprise, includes guided missiles that can deal with most modern tanks, and high-explosive fragmentation shells with remote detonation, when used, the BMD-4M effectively hits the enemy in field fortifications.
It is noteworthy that the Bakhchi-U sighting system includes, in addition to day and night optics, a thermal imaging channel, which allows detecting various targets day and night in adverse weather conditions. The complex includes a target tracking machine and a meteorological sensor, thanks to which the system receives the required information and immediately calculates the necessary corrections. It is enough for the BMD-4M gunner-operator to identify the object, point the aiming frame at it, take the target for tracking and open fire, and then the module will do everything by itself. For a trained crew, this algorithm takes a few seconds, after which the fire can be transferred to another target and also effectively hit it.
A novelty in the exposition of the High-Precision Complexes holding at this exhibition is the Malakhit automated control system for artillery and missile weapons. It is capable not only of detecting and recognizing targets at any time of the day, but also measuring range, receiving coordinates, and moreover, illuminating objects for the use of precision weapons systems, in particular Krasnopol shells. Data from the complex is easily transmitted to firing positions with installations ready for firing.
Located at the command and observation post "Malakhit" allows to fully automate the work of the entire KNP and transmit the necessary information to firing positions in a matter of seconds.
From the Black Sea to the Arctic Ocean
Another product of the High-Precision Complexes holding, together with the anti-tank Kornet, which is, so to speak, a bestseller on the world arms market, has in recent years become the Pantsir anti-aircraft missile-gun system. Today it is purchased by many countries. The newest air defense missile systems are actively supplied to the Russian Air Force to equip VKO brigades, where they are designed to protect the S-300, S-400 and promising S-500 from cruise missile attacks, UAVs, and in fact from all small-sized targets maneuvering at low altitude with minimal EPR indicators.
Even last year, spectators and participants of the Winter Olympics in Sochi could watch the Pantsiri standing on alert, protecting the peaceful sky of the resort city from possible terrorist attacks. As the experience of recent exercises has shown, air defense missile systems are capable of effectively performing assigned tasks almost on the move, even after many kilometers of march.
Work is underway to adapt the air defense missile system for the needs of the Airborne Forces. Transplanted from a wheeled to a tracked chassis, such "Pantsir" will not only effectively hit enemy air targets, but also easily be dropped from aircraft.
It is noteworthy that the latest complexes successfully cope with their tasks even in difficult Arctic conditions. In particular, on Kotelny Island, several Pantsiri are already based in the unusual gray-white-black polar camouflage. During exercises in the water area and on the coast of the Arctic Ocean, the batteries of these air defense missile systems successfully operated at low temperatures characteristic of the region and effectively completed their tasks.
And on the way is already a fundamentally new model of the Pantsir anti-aircraft missile-gun complex. It not only outperforms its predecessor in terms of its characteristics. The model was created using advanced technologies, the most modern engineering solutions, primarily in the field of radar technology. It is noteworthy that already now the promising complex, which received the code name "Pantsir-M", is planned to be used in conjunction with the S-500.
The specialists of the enterprises of the High-Precision Complexes holding have developed, implemented and are actively offering customers a system for integrating the Pantsirey and anti-tank Kornets into a single firing complex. Thanks to this combination, the unmanned aerial vehicles discovered by the air defense missile systems can be easily hit with the Kornet anti-tank missiles.
Another premiere of the Army-2015 exhibition will be the Verba portable anti-aircraft missile system, developed by the specialists of JSC NPK KBM.
"Verba" is a new generation of MANPADS. Its improved characteristics are based on the use of a fundamentally new homing head - a three-spectral one (Igla-S uses a two-spectral one) and a new instrument compartment. The sensitivity of the OGS has been increased many times, its noise immunity has been increased. As a result, the target engagement zone has significantly expanded and the effectiveness of the use of the complex at long ranges has increased.
One of the main advantages of the "Verba" is the high probability of hitting low-emitting targets: cruise missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles. These are flying objects that are difficult to detect, but even more difficult to shoot down. In terms of efficiency, there is no complex equal to Verba in the world.
The quality and reliability of the complex have significantly improved, and its maintenance has been simplified. The need to carry out periodic checks in the troops with the cooling of the homing head with nitrogen has disappeared. At the same time, a high continuity with previous complexes has been maintained in terms of combat work, operation, maintenance and training.
In the current difficult economic situation, in the context of sanctions, Precision Complexes continue to be the leader, the world's leading developer and manufacturer of weapons and military equipment. The holding's product line is diverse - from pistols, grenade launchers and sniper rifles to sophisticated air defense systems and operational-tactical missile systems.
The "Army-2015" exhibition held this year under the auspices of the Russian Ministry of Defense will undoubtedly become another proof of the high results of the holding itself and the enterprises and research centers that are part of it.
