12.03.2020
American thaad missile defense system. THAAD missile defense system. Missile defense system - difficulties and solutions
The American foreign policy department approved the sale deal Saudi Arabia THAAD missile defense systems. The contract amount is $15 billion. Earlier, an RBC source reported the sale of Russian S-400s to Riyadh
THAAD missile defense systems (Photo: U.S. Force Korea/AP)
The US State Department has approved the sale of THAAD ground-based missile defense systems to Saudi Arabia. This is stated in a press release (.pdf) published on the website of the Pentagon Defense Cooperation and Security Agency.
As noted in the military department, the cost of the contract will be $15 billion. This amount also takes into account the costs of maintenance, supply of spare parts and equipment. The supply of weapons is planned as part of a general shipment of defensive weapons worth $110 billion.
As part of the contract, Saudi Arabia will receive from Washington 44 THAAD launchers and 360 interceptor missiles anti-missile system, 16 groups of mobile tactical fire and communications control station THAAD, seven AN/TPY-2 THAAD radars, 43 tractors, generators, electrical units, trailers, communications equipment, etc. The American side also committed to training military personnel who will subsequently service anti-missile installations, as well as to providing contractor services for technical and logistics personnel, construction of facilities, and research.
This is exactly the kind of military support that the Saudi authorities, the Pentagon unit emphasizes, previously requested from Washington.
“This deal furthers foreign policy goals and national security USA, and also supports the long-term security of Saudi Arabia and the region Persian Gulf in the face of Iranian and other regional threats,” the US military said in a statement.
The Pentagon also assured that if the THAAD sale deal is approved by Congress, the deployment of THAAD systems in Saudi Arabia “will not change the basic military balance in the region.” The military also noted that the sale of the installations “will not adversely affect US defense.”
The announcement that the State Department has approved the transaction does not mean that the sale has already been legally completed. The next step will be approval of the deal in the US Congress. Lawmakers will have 30 days to reject or approve the agreement.
After US President Donald Trump's visit to Saudi Arabia at the end of May (this was the Republican's first foreign trip as head of state), reports began to appear that the American side, during meetings with the Saudi government, discussed the possibility of selling American THAAD and Patriot complexes to Riyadh . The White House press secretary after the trip said that in total Saudi Arabia is ready to buy weapons from Washington for almost $110 billion. In addition, the contract package includes the supply of 150 American Black Hawk helicopters.
Earlier, on September 5, the Al-Arabiya TV channel reported that during a visit to Moscow, the Saudi king agreed with the Russian authorities on the purchase of S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems. RBC's source at the Almaz-Antey concern, which produces these air defense systems, confirmed this information. Kommersant's interlocutors familiar with the progress of the negotiations say that the Saudi military can buy “at least four divisions” of S-400 from Moscow, the total amount of the transaction will be about $2 billion. There are reports in the Kremlin about the deal
Story
THAAD missile launch
R&D to create the THAAD anti-missile system (AMS) was started in 1992 by Lockheed (now a division of the Lockheed-Martin Corporation).
At the beginning of 1995, prototypes of a mobile launcher, a multifunctional GBR-T radar and a command post were deployed at the White Sands training ground in New Mexico. In the same year, flight tests of experimental samples of the anti-missile system of this complex began.
Initially, it was planned to use 20 experimental anti-missile missiles during flight tests. Due to the introduction of changes to the design of the main elements of the complex of changes (to ensure resistance to PF nuclear weapons), which required additional costs of $80 million, the number of launches was reduced to 14, and 6 interceptor missiles were transferred to the reserve category.
As of April 1, 1998 (see table), seven launches were carried out, and the remaining 7 launches were planned to be carried out in the period 1998-1999, in order to begin full-scale development of the PRK in 1999, and put it into service in 2006.
In May 2004, production of 16 pre-production interceptor missiles began for flight testing.
In January 2006, a contract was signed with Lockheed Martin for the supply of the first 2 THAAD systems with 48 missiles for them.
On this moment 39 test launches are known, 31 of which were considered successful. It is important to note that tests are carried out only on simulators of the mass-produced but obsolete R-17 missiles (according to NATO classification SS-1 Scud), developed in the mid-1950s, which do not have the means to overcome missile defense. THAAD intercepted a target ballistic missile simulating a Scud missile at an altitude of over 50 kilometers.
On October 16, 2009, the second THAAD interceptor battery began service at Fort Bliss.
In March 2011, the US Missile Defense Agency awarded Lockheed Martin a contract for the supply of six THAAD mobile missile defense systems. The 3rd and 4th batteries will be formed from the new complexes. One THAAD battery includes three launchers with 24 interceptor missiles, a command center and an X-band radar.
On October 6, 2011, the 12th test of the THAAD system was conducted since the program began in 2005. The first operational test of the system was carried out, intercepting missiles at high altitude at the final stage of their trajectory. One short-range missile and one ballistic missile were intercepted medium range. The tests were carried out in the area of the Hawaiian island of Kauai. The tests involved the Alpha missile defense battery from the 4th artillery regiment of the 11th US air defense artillery brigade. She was transferred to the training ground along with her equipment from Fort Bliss, Texas. The personnel deployed the equipment and provided control of the missile defense system. Control was carried out by the air defense and missile defense command of the 94th Army. To ensure greater realism of the tests, the day and time of the tests were not communicated to the brigade personnel.
| List of flight test launches | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start no. | date and time | startup tasks | result | note |
| 1 | April 21 | * Checking flight performance (flight characteristics), * Assessment of the accuracy of output to a given point in space |
successful | Eliminated 1 minute after launch, by command from the ground, after passing the calculated point at an altitude of 115 km. |
| 2 | August 1 | the same, with the TEMS maneuver performed | partially successful | Eliminated at the end of the 1st minute of flight due to exceeding the specified flight speed (non-opening of the tail skirt due to a short circuit in the on-board control system) |
| 3 | October 13 | the same, with performing a TEMS maneuver and assessing the functioning of the IR seeker | successful | It self-destructed at a given point after the IR seeker had worked out the targeting algorithm for a conditional target. To search and detect a target, elements of standard command posts and radars were used (target tracking using a special radar of the training ground) |
| 4 | December 13th | interception of a real Storm missile | unsuccessful | Launch 5 minutes after the target, the PR completed all maneuvers, the seeker captured and tracked the target. The target is not hit due to a lack of fuel for the final maneuver due to the separation of the interception stage not at the design point (the result of unplanned trajectory corrections due to an error when loading initial target designation data into the guidance system). PR flight control with a special range radar. |
| 5 | March 22 | interception of the Storm missile, preparation of the crew of the THAAD battery of the 1st battalion of the 6th artillery brigade, comprehensive tests in the interests of creating a standard PKK |
unsuccessful | Due to the failure of the seeker, after separation the interception stage continued to fly along a ballistic trajectory and was blown up by command from the ground. Start with standard launcher. |
| 6 | July 15 | Hera missile interception | unsuccessful | Due to the failure of the seeker, the interception stage flew a few meters from the target, after which it self-destructed. The launcher and radar worked normally. |
| 7 | March, 6 | Hera missile interception | unsuccessful | The target was not hit due to a malfunction in the on-board control system, and therefore the PR did not perceive trajectory correction commands. The launcher and radar worked normally. |
Operating principle
The THAAD complex uses the so-called “kinetic interception” concept - only the kinetic energy of the hardware unit is used to hit the target; there is no dedicated warhead. Thanks to the high kinetic energy of the hardware unit, the THAAD complex should be significantly more effective against older warheads ballistic missiles(type P-17) than the Patriot PAC-1.2 (the fragmentation part of which could not destroy the Scud warhead). One missile can destroy only a single target, the trajectory of which is known with a given accuracy.
Some experts note that the concept direct hit limits the ability of this complex to counter complex ballistic targets (SBC), and the ability to counter non-ballistic (maneuvering) targets is doubtful.
THAAD anti-missile
The THAAD anti-missile missile is a single-stage solid-fuel missile. The solid propellant engine was developed by Pratt & Whitney. Uncooled IR seeker, operating in the middle (3.3 - 3.8 μm) and far (7 - 10 μm) sections of the IR range, command-inertial control system.
Rocket characteristics
- Starting weight: 900 kg
- Length: 6.17 m
- Maximum case diameter: 0.37 m
- Range: up to 200 km
- Interception altitude: up to 150 km,
- Speed: up to 3 km/s
Radar
Price
The cost of the AN/TPY-2 radar is $574 million. In 2011, 22 missiles were purchased for the amount of $1 billion, in 2012 - 42 anti-missile missiles for the amount of $999 million, in 2013 it is planned to purchase 36 missiles, spending $777 million on them (for the USA).
In service
Potential operators
see also
Notes
Sources
Literature
- Rudov V. American anti-missile system THAAD (Russian) // Foreign military review . - M.: “Red Star”, 1998. - V. 618. - No. 9. - P. 21-25. - ISSN 0134-921X.
Links
- The United States successfully tested the THAAD missile defense system - Informational portal Air defense and missile defense
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MOSCOW, December 27 – RIA Novosti, Vadim Saranov. Missiles began to fly into Saudi Arabia frequently. Recently, the UN Security Council condemned the attack by the Yemeni Houthis on Riyadh. The purpose of the attack was Royal Palace Al-Yamamah, but nothing happened. The missile was either shot down or deviated from its course. Against this background, Saudi Arabia intends to significantly strengthen its missile defense. The main candidates for the role of an “umbrella” are the American THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) system and the Russian S-400 Triumph air defense system. Read about the advantages and disadvantages of competitors in the RIA Novosti material.
S-400 hits further, THAAD hits higher
Objectively, THAAD and the S-400 Triumph air defense system are conditional competitors. "Triumph" is primarily designed to destroy aerodynamic targets: aircraft, cruise missiles, unmanned vehicles. THAAD, on the other hand, is a system originally designed to combat short- and medium-range ballistic missiles. "American" is capable of destroying targets at altitudes that are prohibitive for conventional air defense systems - 150 kilometers, and according to some reports, even 200 kilometers. The latest anti-aircraft missile 40N6E of the Russian Triumph does not work above 30 kilometers. However, according to experts, the indicator of the height of the lesion, especially if we're talking about on the fight against operational-tactical missiles is not critical.
“In theater missile defense, targets are destroyed on downward trajectories, and not in space,” Lieutenant General Aitech Bizhev, former deputy commander-in-chief of the Air Force for the unified air defense system of the CIS countries, told RIA Novosti. “In the late 1980s, in missile defense "In the capital, it was planned to use two S-300V2 regiments. At the Kapustin Yar training ground, they created a model of the defense of Moscow with the same geometric dimensions and launched targets from the stratosphere. All of them were destroyed at a distance of 120 kilometers."
By the way, main danger For Saudi Arabia today they are precisely the R-17 Scud operational-tactical missiles and the Qahir and Zelzal tactical missiles, created on the basis of the Soviet Luna-M complex.
© AP Photo/U.S. Force Korea
© AP Photo/U.S. Force Korea
Another key difference between the American and Russian complexes is the principle of operation. If the Triumph hits targets with fragments after detonating the missile warhead near the target, then the THAAD, deprived of the warhead, hits the missile directly with a kinetic block. Meanwhile, despite the apparent complexity of this solution, the Americans managed to achieve good results during the tests - the probability of destroying a target with one anti-missile missile is 0.9, if THAAD backs up a simpler complex, this figure will be 0.96.
The main advantage of Triumph when used as an anti-missile system is its higher range. For the 40N6E missile it is up to 400 kilometers, while for THAAD it is 200 kilometers. Unlike the S-400, which can fire 360 degrees, the THAAD, when deployed, has a field of fire of 90 degrees horizontally and 60 degrees vertically. But at the same time, the “American” has better vision— the detection range of its AN/TPY-2 radar is 1000 kilometers versus 600 kilometers for the Triumph.
Combine incompatible
As you can see, Saudi Arabia intends to build its missile defense on two completely different systems. This approach may seem somewhat strange, because when using them, problems may arise. serious problems with compatibility. However, according to experts, this is a completely solvable issue.
“These two systems cannot be controlled in an automated mode from a single command post,” military expert Mikhail Khodarenok told RIA Novosti. “They have completely different mathematics, completely different logic. But this does not exclude the possibility of them combat use separately. They can be deployed in different places or even within the framework of the defense of one object, if the tasks for them are divided into heights and sectors. They can simply complement each other perfectly if they are in the same group."
Saudi Arabia's desire to acquire both Russian and American systems may be dictated by other considerations. After Operation Desert Storm, during which the French air defense forces in Iraq anti-aircraft missile systems suddenly found themselves inoperative, potential buyers began to be more cautious about purchasing weapons manufactured in the West.
“American weapons may contain hidden weapons,” says Mikhail Khodarenok. “For example, an F-16 of the Jordanian Air Force cannot shoot down an F-16 of the Israeli Air Force. That is, if they use American weapons, only the S-400, which is capable of working against conventional aerodynamic targets, can hit it. It is possible that this is the only reason they are buying the Russian system.”
The most important difference between THAAD and Triumph is the price. The cost of one THAAD battery, which consists of six launchers for eight interceptor missiles each - about 2.3 billion dollars. The innovative AN/TPY-2 radar costs another 574 million. The cost of an S-400 battalion with eight launchers of four missiles each is about $500 million. Russian complex costs almost six times less, while the advantages of THAAD, at least for now, are not obvious.
Perhaps it would not be an exaggeration to say that the American mobile system The THAAD missile defense system is by far the most effective defense system against medium-range ballistic missiles, as evidenced by about 30 successful tests. This system can be a role model for development domestic complex ABM for the foreseeable future.
As you know, recently the First Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian government, Sergei Ivanov, set the team of the Almaz-Antey air defense concern the task of developing a unified air defense-missile defense system capable of creating a truly multi-tiered defense against aerodynamic and ballistic attack weapons. True, it is not clear what the Deputy Prime Minister had in mind - to create a single missile to destroy helicopters, cruise missiles, ICBMs and satellites, or whether it was about creating a system with different missiles, but integrated into a single detection and destruction system. If the first, then this is technical absurdity and economic insanity. If the latter, then it is absolutely clear that the backbone of such a system should be something like the American THAAD, around which long-, medium- and short-range air defense systems should be grouped.
Ground component of the American national system The missile defense system is based on three pillars. The first is the GBI system, capable of hitting targets at long ranges and altitudes, the second is the THAAD system, which undertakes to hit targets in the middle echelon, and the third is the Patriot complexes in the PAC-2 and PAC-3 configurations.
Where did THAAD come from?
In 1987, the US Department of Defense formulated requirements for a missile defense system, which must be mobile and create a reliable missile defense system in a theater of military operations, which can be located thousands of kilometers from the mother country. Probably, the Americans were prompted to take this step, among other things, by the fact of successful work in the USSR on military air defense system S-300B, which had revolutionary anti-missile capabilities at that time. American experts believed that, under certain conditions, the anti-missile missile of this complex, designated SA-12B Giant in the West, was capable of intercepting ICBMs, which was a somewhat exaggerated perception of the capabilities of this system. Western experts, one must assume, great impression provided the first photos of the S-300V equipped with an enlarged missile, the transport and launch container of which had a length of at least 10 m.
Work on the THAAD program has intensified since 1992. Lockheed Martin Missiles and Space was appointed as the lead contractor for the project; Raytheon became responsible for the development of the GBR-T multifunctional radar (T means “transportable”) and the command post (CP) of this complex (see photo). The radar was developed on the basis of the AN/TPY-2 missile defense radar and has a phased array with an area of 9.2 square meters. meters and is capable of detecting targets at a distance of up to 1000 km. The developers were tasked with creating a system that would effectively hit ballistic targets with a flight range of up to 3,500 km. The affected area was supposed to be up to 200 km and at altitudes from 40 to 150 km. Maximum speed anti-missile flight speed is about 3 km/s. At the beginning of 1995, prototypes of the launcher, multifunctional GBR-T radar and command post were deployed at the White Sands missile defense test site (New Mexico), and flight tests of experimental samples of its anti-missile missile began.
The THAAD anti-missile missile is a single-stage solid propellant (launch weight 900 kg, length 6.17 m and maximum body diameter 0.37 m), consists of a warhead, a transition compartment and a solid propellant rocket motor with a tail stabilizer skirt. The solid propellant engine was developed by Pratt & Whitney. The head part of the anti-missile missile is made in the form of a detachable homing (IR sensors) KVV kinetic interception stage, designed to destroy ballistic targets through a direct hit. The stage is equipped with a liquid shunting engine, which in the future should be replaced with a solid propellant engine with the necessary characteristics.
Since 2000, the program has been in preparation for serial production; in May 2004, production of 16 pre-production interceptor missiles for flight testing began. Preliminary comprehensive testing of the system will begin in early 2005 and continue until 2009. It is planned that the system will be put into small-scale production in 2007 and the first phase of its deployment will begin.
Let's compare?
Firstly, tall people command respect performance characteristics THAAD anti-missiles. With a length of 6.17 m and a launch weight of only 900 kg, it is capable of hitting targets at ranges of up to 200 km and altitudes of up to 150 km, while developing a speed of up to 3 km/s (there is evidence that the speed is 2.6 km/s ). Impressive, isn't it?
The newest Russian anti-aircraft missile systems The S-300PMU-2 "Favorit" and the S-400 "Triumph" use a modernized 48N6E missile with a length of 7.25 m and a weight of 1800 kg (data from the anniversary book of the IKB "Fakel"). The S-300VM air defense system (Antey-2500) uses a truly gigantic 9M82M missile with a length of 9.913 m and a mass of 5800 kg. The mass of the first stage in the form of a powerful rocket accelerator is 4635 kg, the second - the rocket itself - 1271 kg (data from the website www.pvo.guns.ru). Thus, the weight and size characteristics of these missiles significantly exceed the dimensions of the THAAD anti-missile missile, although they have the same range of hitting targets - up to 200 km (S-300PMU-2 Favorit - 150 km).
As for the flight speed of Russian missiles, conflicting data are provided here. According to some sources, the speed of 48N6E is 1700 m/s, according to others - 2000 m/s. The maximum speed of 9M82M is 2400 m/s, average speed maintained at 1800 m/s. It is clear that Russian missiles are inferior in speed to THAAD.
Unknown newest rocket developed by the Fakel IKB, part of the Almaz-Antey air defense concern, should be identical in size to the 48N6E missile, since it will be used from standard TPK air defense systems of the S-300P series. This means that its length also exceeds 7 m, and its weight is close to 2 tons. The firing range of this missile is, according to the Air Force command, up to 400 km, and it intercepts ballistic targets at altitudes of up to 50 km (“near space”). Data is provided that the Triumph air defense system is capable of intercepting ballistic missiles with a launch range of up to 3,500 km, the warheads of which enter the atmosphere at a speed of up to 4.8 km/s. That is, the characteristics of the S-400 are presented at the THAAD level. True, whether a missile with such characteristics exists and whether it intercepts targets at such ranges and altitudes is unknown to mere mortals. There are no reports on this topic, but it is said that the tests are being carried out at the Ashuluk training ground. But, one feels that if such tests had taken place, Sergei Ivanov would not have failed to report them, and together with his second successor he organized a race for the number of successes.
Hit the target only with a direct hit
It is known for certain that on April 6, 2007, the THAAD system, during tests in the Hawaiian Islands (Pacific Missile Range), intercepted an R-17 class missile at an altitude of 100 km, and a little earlier intercepted the warhead of a HERA missile, which simulated a medium-range ballistic missile, being composed of second and third stages of the Minuteman-2 ICBM.
High level American technologies in the field of detection and guidance systems made it possible to implement the concept of a direct hit by the combat stage of an anti-missile missile on a target. For us, this is not yet achievable. The Americans went for such a development because they experienced first-hand that Iraqi SCADs “hit” by a cloud of fragments were not destroyed, but only slightly changed their flight path. A direct hit from such a “deflected” missile directly into a barracks during the first Iraqi campaign in 1990 killed about 100 American troops. Since then, it has been their custom to hit a ballistic missile only with a direct hit, because only this can save the lives of American citizens.
All that remains to be seen is whether the Americans will have time to transfer these complexes to Iraq by the start of the IRANIAN military campaign.
The company proudly states on its website, www.lockheedmartin.com/, that it "is a global leader in systems integration and development of aircraft and missile defense systems and technologies, including the first direct missile attack on an attack ballistic missile, and has significant design and manufacturing experience missiles, infrared guidance systems, command and control, communications and precision navigation, optics, as well as radar and signal processing.The company makes significant contributions to all major missile programs USA and is involved in several partnership projects to create global missile defense."
