On Sunday, June 5, in the suburbs of Astana, the exhibition of arms and military equipment KADEX-2016 ended. The list of participants is more than representative. Representatives of 316 companies from different countries of the world, including Russia, China, France, Belgium, Turkey, Denmark, Germany, Czech Republic, Ukraine, etc., arrived in Kazakhstan to demonstrate their developments.
Most of the exhibition stands and sites on the rights of the host of the international exhibition have been reserved by companies from Kazakhstan. Of the entire range of developments of Kazakhstani specialists, at least one attracted very close attention of the exhibition visitors.
We are talking about a multiple launch rocket system, called the "Broad Spectrum". And this name, in fact, speaks for itself. Kazakhstani specialists, in conditions of far from unlimited funding, decided to create an MLRS, which has a universal modular type. The launcher chassis was originally created with such a "sight" so that the MLRS could use different modules for firing different ammunition.
In fact, the "Broad Spectrum" MLRS is a modernization (or, more precisely, bringing to mind) the version of the Naiza multiple launch rocket system, which in Russian sounds like "lance" or "spear". Developments on the Naiza MLRS began more than 10 years ago in cooperation between the Petropavlovsk Heavy Engineering Plant (PZTM) and the Israeli company Soltam Systems Ltd. Despite the fact that already more than 2 years after the start of cooperation, there was talk that Soltam Systems Ltd. is preparing to be taken over by another Israeli company Elbit Systems, the development has not been curtailed. And in 2008, a new multiple launch rocket system began to enter service with the Kazakh armed forces. True, with a big "creak" …
The main idea of the new multiple launch rocket system was not just modularity, but also to optimize the cost of maintaining rocket artillery in the armed forces of Kazakhstan. After all, MLRS "Naiza" was conceived as a complex that can fire ammunition of various calibers - both "Gradovsk" 122 mm and "hurricane" 220 mm, and calibers of 300 mm ("Smerch", as well as some Israeli versions). In other words, the Naiza MLRS is an actual attempt to integrate Soviet and foreign (including Israeli) developments in the rocket artillery segment.
Is this development justified? Quite. Considering that the Kazakh army is equipped with various versions of the Soviet technology MLRS, then in order to breathe modern potential into them, one can afford to experiment with a universal platform. The task of this kind of integration of properties and qualities was solved by the specialists of JSC NC "Kazakhstan Engineering", whose subsidiary is the aforementioned Petropavlovsk Heavy Engineering Plant.
What did the "bringing to mind" of "Niza" result in? First, the Broad Spectrum complex is equipped with an automated fire control system. Secondly, the means of navigation and topographic location, including the satellite capabilities of the Russian GLONASS, make it possible to fire more efficiently at squares and beyond. In particular, both the destruction and suppression of point and area targets, including manpower, infrastructure facilities and the enemy's firepower, are provided. The target destruction range is from 10 to 150 km. It should be noted that the initial declared range of the Niza is up to 180 km.
The convenience of the system, according to the developers themselves, is that the transport-loading vehicle is capable of replacing a block with some guides (for ammunition of the same caliber) with a block with other guides, moreover, in a batch (already loaded), in a minimum period of time. Considering the fact that the "Broad Spectrum" MLRS can be used for firing certain types of cruise missiles, the declared maximum target destruction range of 150 km may be even higher.
As far as the modernized fire control system is concerned, it has the ability to integrate with military intelligence, navigation and communications systems. In fact, the network-centric system is created both by the above-mentioned satellite system and by a group of unmanned aerial vehicles. This makes it possible to effectively adjust the fire, exchange data on the results of the use of MLRS with other fire groups. If the data from this entire system is accumulated in a single command post for the operation, then it becomes possible to exchange data for the timely change of the positions of the MLRS "Wide Spectrum" and firing. It also becomes possible to determine the most effective combat modules in terms of the caliber used (in a given situation in the theater of operations).
About the preparation time for firing and changing the combat module. After being placed on the position of the MLRS "Wide Spectrum" by a crew of three, it is deployed to full combat readiness within 4-5 minutes. A considerable part of this time is spent on preparing all on-board electronics, in particular on synchronizing it with the command post and unmanned reconnaissance systems. The time required to replace a "shot" block with guides with a new one is about 8 minutes. In this case, an important issue is the question of the place of recharge. After the order arriving from the command post, the chassis with the launcher changes position, where the reloading takes place, in order, of course, to withdraw the launcher from the possible retaliatory strike of the enemy. Another option is to change the combat module on the spot at the time of operation of other MLRS of the same battery or installations of other batteries, which actually solve the tasks of both destroying the enemy and covering the process of changing the module.
The base chassis for the Broad Spectrum is KamAZ-63502 8x8 with an engine power of 347 hp. If such a chassis can be considered optimal for the use of ammunition of calibers 122 mm and 220 mm, then in the case of more significant calibers it is unlikely to respond with its 100% stability. In this regard, an option with a heavier platform is being considered, which will not vibrate with its own vibration when firing the combat module to minimize the effectiveness of such fire, and also will not raise questions about the high probability of violating the integrity of the platform bottom when firing, for example, a 300 caliber …
It was the safety of using the Kazakh-Israeli MLRS for its crew that raised questions after the first operational firing. At one time, this did not allow the implementation of Astana's widely announced plans for the export of Niza to the CIS country and Southeast Asia. Moreover, corruption schemes were revealed in which representatives of the top leadership of the Ministry of Defense of Kazakhstan were involved, including Deputy Defense Minister Kazhimurat Maermanov.
From the message of the National Security Committee of Kazakhstan from 2009:
As part of the criminal case, the actions of Defense Ministry officials are being investigated during the conclusion and implementation of a number of contracts with the Israeli firms IMI and Soltam Systems for the acquisition of Naiza multiple launch rocket systems and the modernization of the Semser and Aybat artillery systems. The official representative of which is Boris Sheinkman.
This criminal case was initiated in August 2008 following the results of a pre-investigation check of the materials of the Accounts Committee of the Republic of Kazakhstan on the facts of ineffective use of budget funds by the Ministry of Defense of the republic in the amount of more than 82 million US dollars.
The investigation established that the contracts had been concluded since 2006 under the direct supervision of Deputy Defense Minister Lieutenant General Kazhimurat Maermanov.
On April 10, 2009, the investigation department of the KNB of the Republic of Kazakhstan brought charges against the Deputy Minister of Defense of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Lieutenant General Maermanov K. N. according to article 380, part 2 of the Criminal Code, - abuse of office and abuse of power, which entailed grave consequences.
In 2010, Maermanov was sentenced to 11 years in prison, and in 2013, about 4 more years were added to this term.
After the first firing, up to 80% of the installations were out of order, and the developers began to eliminate the flaws and mistakes made. Despite the fact that it was mainly about the "Semser" artillery systems, and also despite the fact that critical problems with stability and security were largely resolved on the "Nise" (at least, the developers themselves stated so), a technical scandal still haunts the Niza MLRS.
If the developers still managed to find the optimal solution from the point of view of the operational safety of the "Broad Spectrum", then in the near future we should expect the possible conclusion of export contracts. However, there has been no news of the conclusion of such contracts after the KADEX-2016 exhibition.
