2017 will mark exactly 50 years since the adoption by the US Navy of the most popular anti-aircraft guided missile for shipborne air defense systems in the West - RIM-66A "Standard-1" (SM-1). The aerodynamically perfect product at that time gave rise to a whole family of SAM "Standard", which, over four decades of improvement, managed to replenish with such modifications as the RIM-67A "Standard-1ER" (two-stage SAM with a range of 65 km and high speed parameters in the final flight phase), RIM-66C "Standard SM-2MR Block I" (the first modification of "Standard-2", integrated with the "Aegis" BIUS), RIM-156A "SM-2ER Block IV" (two-stage missiles "Standard-2" with a long range flight, about 160 km), RIM-161B "SM-3 Block IA" (an anti-missile with a range of 500 km, integrated into the software BIUS "Aegis BMD 3.6.1", designed to destroy ballistic missiles in near space). For the last modification, work is underway to further improve the sensitivity of the infrared seeker for the development of the air defense / missile defense program of the United States and allies. On the basis of RIM-161A, the RIM-161C ground-based interceptor missile was also created for the Aegis Ashore missile defense system, which recently took over duty in Romania.
SAM RIM-67A "Standard-1ER" on slightly modernized guides of the Mk 10 launcher at the stern of the American destroyer URO DDG-41 USS "King" (class "Farragut"). Initially, two-stage missiles of the RIM-2 "Terrier" family were installed on the Mk 10 launcher, which had very similar mass-dimensional parameters to the "SM-1ER". The replacement for "Standards" began in the 70s. The RIM-67A anti-aircraft missile became the first two-stage long-range missile in the US Navy, which was able to intercept air targets at a distance of up to 80 km. It was this rocket that became the prototype for the development of modern long-range two-stage SAM "Standard-2ER" (Block I-IV); the latest version of which (RIM-156A), equipped with a solid-propellant stage Mk 72, is capable of hitting targets at a distance of 160 km. Further, according to the same "templates", "SM-3" and "SM-6" were developed, which became the basis of the promising air defense and missile defense of the American AUG, as well as the starting point in the recently sensational renewal of the program on high-speed anti-ship missiles for the ships of the US Navy
But the "Standard" family was not limited to versions of missiles for air defense. In 1966, even before the SM-1 anti-aircraft entered service, General Dynamics was working in parallel on the AGM-78 Standard-ARM anti-radar missile, which was adopted by the US Air Force in 1968 and was intended to replace less technologically advanced PRLR AGM-45 "Shrike"; their shortcomings were revealed during the Vietnamese campaign. In particular, the absence of an inertial guidance unit with a drive to save the coordinates of the switched off radar did not allow hitting the target if the latter was turned off, and the GOS programmed before departure determined the narrow functionality of the Shrike only for the radar with one operating frequency. "Standard-ARM" was devoid of these shortcomings, and therefore belongs to the transitional generation of PRLR, being almost on the same level with the well-known AGM-88 HARM.
Anti-radar missile AGM-78 "Standard-ARM" was unified with almost all carrier-based tactical aircraft of the US Navy. The missile had a number of characteristic technical features that determine its superiority over the existing AGM-45 "Shrike" PRLR, and in some parameters over the existing AGM-88E AAGRM. The mass of the high-explosive fragmentation warhead AGM-78 reached 150 kg, and was the most powerful of the known PRLR (except for the Russian X-58): when it is detonated, a crater with a diameter of 5 meters is formed on the surface, and when it is detonated at altitudes of more than 10 m, it is sure to be hit shrapnel hits up to 300-400 meters of the battlefield. Despite the fact that American experts complained about the low average flight speed, the initial speed after leaving the suspensions was 3000 km / h (820 m / s), which is 750 km / h higher than that of HARM, therefore the best flight performance manifested themselves during high-altitude launch, where the rarefied atmosphere did not contribute to the rapid deceleration of the rocket after the main engine burned out. In the photo - an early modification of the anti-radar carrier-based attack aircraft A-6B Mod 0 at the parking lot of the US Naval Aviation Base Point Mugu (1967). On the experimental machine, the tactics of using the "Standard-ARM" were worked out, which was then used on the modification of the A-6B Mod.1. A distinctive feature of the anti-radar version of the aircraft were small passive enemy radar radiation detectors for target designation AGM-78, which were located on the surface of the nose cone (12 antennas) and in the tail spinner to review the ZPS (6 antennas) (in the bottom photo). The range of the "Standard-ARM" was 60% higher than the "Shrike" and reached 80 km
Despite the unprecedented range for tactical aviation PRLR (75 km) and the most modern avionics element base, the Standard-ARM ceased to be produced in 1976 due to its high cost, and the Standard family retained its anti-aircraft and anti-missile designation until today the day when the new realities of military-technical progress lead to the return of the most unexpected, sometimes long forgotten projects.
On April 7, 1973, the US Navy successfully tested the first prototype of the RGM-66F supersonic anti-ship missile, which in terms of tactical and technical parameters (except for a range of 550 km) was absolutely not inferior to our 4K80 Basalt anti-ship missile. The anti-ship RGM-66F developed on the basis of the SM-1MR missile defense system had a small radar signature (about 0.1 m2). This greatly complicated the detection and "capture" of the then existing shipborne radar systems KZRK M-1 "Volna", M-11 "Shtorm" and "Osa-M". Experienced RGM-66Fs were not yet equipped with the first accelerator stage, and therefore even the ballistic flight trajectory, with an exit to the lower layers of the stratosphere (up to 18 km), did not allow the rocket to hit surface targets at a distance of more than 50 km with a satisfactory 2-speed speed at the final stage of the flight path. As with most anti-ship missiles, the RGM-66F was equipped with an active radar homing head, due to which the product was also known as the "Standard Active". And the unification with the SAM family "Standard-1" made it possible to use it not from specialized inclined TPK (PU) Mk 141, as it was done in "Harpoons", but from standard cellars with revolving storages and a feed mechanism for inclined PU Mk 13 and Mk 26, which did not limit the anti-ship arsenal of American warships.
Despite the 43-year suspension of the RGM-66F supersonic anti-ship missile development program, another related project to expand the functionality of the "Standards" was crowned with success. It's about the RGM-66D (pictured). Many eminent publications mistakenly classify this missile as an anti-ship class. But its characteristics and capabilities force it to be classified as a multifunctional ship-based anti-radar missiles (sea version of "Standard-ARM"). The RGM-66D SSM-ARM entered service with the Navy in 1970. The capabilities of the product included the defeat of the broadest list of radio-emitting targets using a passive radar seeker (from shipborne radar surveillance and guidance to ground-based air defense radar and RTV); at the same time, the surface combat ship with the RGM-66D radar devices turned off was not affected, and therefore it cannot be attributed to anti-ship weapons. Structurally, the rocket completely repeated the same RIM-66B: the Aerojet Mk56 mod 1 solid-propellant engine operates in cruise mode for 0.5 minutes with a thrust of 1.6 tons, maintaining a high supersonic flight speed, and the starting charge in the combustion chamber accelerates the RGM-66D to 2500 km / h in just 4 seconds. The missile can hit the radar on a ballistic trajectory at a distance of up to 60 km. Was developed and a specialized version of the shipboard PRLR - RGM-66E. The missile was unified with launchers of the ASROC RUR-5 anti-submarine complex (bottom photo), which retained the ability to combat enemy air defense even if vulnerable installations of the Mk 10/13/26 type failed
Not paying attention to the promising two-stage missile defense system RIM-67A (range up to 80 km), as a base for increasing the range of "Standard Active", the US Navy preferred the development of the company "McDonnell Douglas" - the RGM-84A "Harpoon" anti-ship missile system, which has much a lower-altitude flight profile, which at that time was an advantage in breaking through the ship's air defense, which was not yet endowed with the ability to effectively intercept low-altitude targets, including against the background of the water surface. But "Harpoons", like other subsonic anti-ship missiles, cannot stay at the top of technology forever: the noise immunity and resolution of modern radars are increasing every day, and even targets such as the inconspicuous anti-ship missile system LRASM will be confidently detected and intercepted by modern Russian and Chinese shipborne air defense systems., and therefore the whole concept of improving air attack weapons cannot do without expanding their speed capabilities. It is not for nothing that Yakhonts and BrahMosy are being developed for the Russian and Indian fleets. The US Navy also understood this.
Last week, US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter announced work to create a promising supersonic anti-ship missile based on the Raytheon long-range RIM-174 SM-6 ERAM missile defense system. In fact, the advanced project forgotten 44 years ago receives a new impetus, but instead of the RIM-66A / RIM-67A, a more advanced and long-range anti-aircraft missile is taken as a basis, which helped the imperfect 4-channel Aegis to remain stable in the face of modern threats. The RIM-174 ERAM (Extended Range Active Missile) received a highly effective ARGSN from the AIM-120C air-to-air missile, but the area of its antenna array was increased by 3.75 times, which increased the target acquisition range for over-the-horizon firing. ARGSN "SM-6" also unloads "Aegis" when repelling a massive attack of the enemy's high-tech missile defense, since it does not need illumination with SPG-62 radars.
Unlike the RGM-66F, the new supersonic anti-ship missile system based on the SM-6 can receive the first solid-propellant booster stage with the Mk.72 turbojet engine (from the exoatmospheric interceptor RIM-161), and therefore its range can be more than 370 km. A huge range with this booster will be achieved only due to the high-altitude ballistic flight profile. Another configuration is possible with the use of a compact turbojet engine of the Teledyne CAE company J402-CA-100 with a thrust of 0.294 tons as the first stage. In this case, a low-altitude flight profile with a final acceleration up to 3-3.5M above the wave crest is possible, a similar profile is implemented in the Russian anti-ship missile system 3M54E "Caliber-NKE". The capabilities of such an anti-ship missile will correspond to those of the Caliber.
But we will focus on the version with the Mk.72 solid-propellant booster stage. The anti-ship variant RIM-174 ERAM will be able to climb to an altitude of 35-40 km after launch, accelerating to 4000 km / h. Then, according to the data of the inertial guidance system and external target designation, the main stage will enter a dive with the already separated accelerator, and after the detection and "capture" of the surface target of the missile seeker, the engine of the main stage will be turned on to maintain a high supersonic speed in tropospheric flight.
Also, a supersonic anti-ship missile based on the "Standard-6" boasts high maneuverability inherited from the anti-aircraft version, thanks to which the rocket will be able to reach extreme (close to 90 degrees) elevation directions relative to the surface target in the stratosphere, and then, using aerodynamic rudders or gas-dynamic DPUs, turn sharply and "fall" vertically on the target at speeds up to 3.5M. Even today, many multifunctional and surveillance radars have difficulties with working on air targets with extreme elevation flight coordinates, which was skillfully used by the British-American contingent of specialists from Matra BAe Dynamics and Texas Instruments to create one of the most advanced in history. PRLR - ALARM.
Without a doubt, the most tactically "sophisticated" anti-radar missile can be considered the British-American ALARM. Not being a high-speed record holder among this type of missile, the 2, 3-fly ALARM rocket relies on a specialized flight trajectory and targeting mode, as well as on a low RCS, provided by a small body diameter (230 mm) and wide use of composite materials. Possessing a good range of application (93 km), the ALARM approaching the target makes a "slide" maneuver, and at the top point of the trajectory (directly above the target), at an altitude of about 12-13 km, a parachute is deployed from a special container, and the rocket slowly descends during 120 seconds, scanning the surface for probable radiation of enemy radar, if a source is detected, the parachute is quickly dropped and the rocket engine is turned on, ALARM attacks the target from a vertical direction (almost from "blind corners"), where many air defense systems (especially with semi-active radar guidance and poor elevation parameters) are helpless. Many air defense systems can destroy ALARM even before entering the "blind corners", but for this the rocket has one more "trump card in the sleeve" - the low weight and dimensions allow only one "Tornado GR.4" to place 7 ALARM missiles, the same the link can carry 28 missiles
The command of the US Navy does not hide at all that new high-speed anti-ship missiles are being developed as an asymmetric response to the modernization of the Russian Navy's ship composition (Admiral Nakhimov, later Varyag) and to its updating with promising frigates of project 22350 with the most advanced air defense / missile defense system. Polyment-Redut ". The new missiles will be completely unified with the Mk 41 UVPU, and therefore their number on one side will be limited only by the number of TPKs. The anti-ship "Standards" will pose a huge danger when massively used together with the "LRASM" anti-ship missiles: dozens of the latter will appear abruptly due to the radio horizon, completely loading the BIUS of enemy ships (add false targets and electronic warfare aircraft), while the latter, with a slight delay, will attack 3-fly speed, i.e. blow of two types will fall on one moment in time, overloading the carrying capacity of shipborne air defense systems. These missiles will become a real formidable force against our and Chinese IBM.
The danger lies in the fact that the speed of 3-3.5M exceeds the speed limit for interception of the KZRAK "Kortik", the SAM "Dagger" and "Osa-MA", and only the S-300F / FM, "Shtil-1", "Redoubt "And" Pantsir-M "can fight against similar targets, but these complexes are now equipped with single ships of the fleet, which indicates the need for an early upgrade of air defense systems of all types of NK. In the future, the "Harpoons" will be gradually decommissioned, and, by about 2025, they will be completely replaced by "LRASM" and the new "Standards-RCC". The strike capabilities of the American fleet will increase several times: these types of missiles will also be armed with the anti-missile modifications of the landing ship dock "San Antonio" and the EM of the "Zumwalt" class. An adequate response from our fleet is almost ready: an anti-ship complex with a hypersonic anti-ship missile system 3K-22 "Zircon" is at the final stage of development. Its 4, 5-fly missiles with a mixed flight profile will be able to penetrate even an anti-missile "umbrella" based on the latest much-praised multifunctional AMDR radar.
