MLRS BM-30 "Tornado": characteristics, photo

Since the Second World War, the importance of jet mortar systems has only increased. True, today they were replaced by multiple rocket launcher systems (MLRS), but the importance of this type of weapons remained unchanged: "plowed" the enemy occupied areas, leaving no chance for survival not infantry, not even heavy equipment. And BM-30 "Smerch" with these tasks can handle perfectly.

Basic information

It is intended for long-range defeat of enemy's group targets. Suitable targets for this system are the sheltered and unguarded live force of the enemy, armored and non-armored vehicles (including the heaviest types of tanks), military and civil airfields, missile launcher launchers. It can be used for directed destruction of industrial infrastructure, destruction of command centers and other important communication centers.

Development

In the period from 1969 to 1976, intensive work was carried out in Tula in the area of finding new ways to develop multiple rocket launcher systems, which could be used as a backup weapon of special power in the event of a large-scale war. The decree, in which the creation of the BM-30 "Smerch" was prescribed, was issued in December 1976.

The main role in the development lay first on AN Ganichev, and then moved on to GA Denezhkin. Already in early 1982, the new MLRS successfully passed all the stages of state trials. However, it was put into service only in 1987, after the design team had eliminated certain fundamental shortcomings. But they were not connected with some inaccuracies and flaws in the design of a new type of weapons, but in the need to create new types of ammunition, as existing samples simply could not match the increased fighting power of the Smerch.

New generation reactive system

The work was done so great that BM-30 "Smerch" can be safely attributed to a new generation of this type of weapons. This is largely due to the creation of completely new varieties of ammunition. Here it is necessary to make a small digression. When the Americans created MLRS MLRS, they came to an unambiguous conclusion: a range of 30-40 km for such systems is the maximum beyond which the monstrous amount of dispersion makes their use meaningless.

But the developers of the "Smerch" with this approach fundamentally disagreed. They were able to create really unique shells: they not only fly to the ultimate distances, but at the same time they have such small dispersion values, which are two to three times better than those of foreign systems. Finally, the main achievement of the Tula people was that for the first time the shells of our barrel artillery began to be adjusted after the launch.

Features of shells

The fact is that a special inertial guidance system was included in their design. It provides qualitative stabilization at the initial section of the trajectory, and also corrects the movement of the rocket. And the figures are calculated based on dozens of factors, including the "off-shore" temperature, wind speed and direction, humidity, etc.

Missiles or MLRS

It's no secret that while Khrushchev was in power, who suffered from "rocketomania," many promising examples of howitzers and other types of barrel artillery went under the knife, which for many years slowed down the development of this branch in our country. In order to "push through" the creation of its BM-30 "Smerch" in such conditions, the developers from Tula had to put into it such characteristics that would allow to convince the top management of the uniqueness of the system. Only in this case it would have the chance to be adopted.

But why do we concern Nikita Sergeyevich's personality in this matter if he left power in 1964? The matter is that work on the creation of principally new systems of volley fire was carried out since the late 50's, but it was necessary to do this, practically without making the leadership aware. However, in 1964 Khrushchev left, and Leonid Brezhnev did not prevent the creation of new technology. But the results gave their effect, which turned out to be extremely positive.

MLRS BM-30 "Smerch" has such a range and "killing", which is somewhere in between the classic rocket launcher systems and missile systems. Actually, for the first time on the alert duty of Smerch, it was in the missile unit that confirmed that respect, which was fed to them by the highest military officials of the USSR.

Current state of affairs

In 1989, the last upgraded version of the BM-30 "Smerch" MLRS was released. Now this technique has been adopted not only in our country. These samples are available in Ukraine, Belarus, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates. Traditionally, representatives of India and China have repeatedly expressed interest in the car, but there is no official data on the sale of machinery or technology for its creation. Which, however, does not exclude the fact that modern samples of MLRS China, very similar to the "Tornado", almost certainly built in the image and likeness of the machines that the Chinese in the 90s intensively bought from the same Ukrainians.

Structure of the system

Many for some reason believe that the BM-30 "Smerch" rocket launcher system includes only cars with containers for launching shells, which are most often featured in the official chronicle and in photographs. But this is not so:

• Actually the fighting machine itself is 9K58.
• Machine for transportation and supply of 9T234-2 projectiles.
• A set of ammunition, which, depending on the task, can vary greatly.
• Visual aids and tools for staff training.
• Kit 9F819, which includes both specialized tools for repair, as well as tools for setting high-precision equipment.
• The automated fire control system "Slepok-1".
• A machine for topographical survey of the terrain, the results of which are used to link to the terrain and especially outstanding parts of the terrain.
• Direction finding radar 1B44. It allows you to timely detect the progress of the enemy, fixing the conducted radio exchange, including encrypted.

The launcher itself consists of a chassis with tube-shaped guides and a MAZ-543 cross-country vehicle. The artillery complex is mounted in the stern, and in front there is a driver's cabin and crew places, equipped, among other things, with means for aiming and conducting fire. MLRS can be successfully applied in a variety of climatic and meteorological conditions, with an ambient temperature of +50 to -50 degrees Celsius.

Combat characteristics of the system

What is the effectiveness of the BM-30 "Smerch", the range of fire when using it? Everything is known in comparison, and the amazing characteristics of this system - especially. So, if the legendary Grad can cover an area of 4 hectares from a distance of 20 km, Hurricane strikes at a distance of up to 35 km the area of 29 hectares, the American MLRS burns up to 33 hectares of area for 33 km of distance ... That BM-30 " Smerch ", whose TTX is fantastic, can cover 67 hectares at a time, and the launch range reaches 70 kilometers!

It is reported that the latest modernization can increase this distance immediately to a hundred kilometers. In addition, unlike the classic "Grad", the projectiles of this system are able not only to disable enemy armored vehicles, stunning and causing contusions to its crew. They simply rip even heavy tanks at close contact due to their enormous lethal force. So the BM-30 salvo fire system "Smerch" is an awesome weapon of enormous destructive power.

Characteristics of used shells

At the first glance strikes to the depths of their soul their caliber - just 300 mm! The layout is a standard aerodynamic, solid-propellant propulsion engine, working on a mixture of several components at once. As we have already said, their distinctive feature is the presence of a flight control system that corrects the pitch and "goat" on the course. This innovation increases the accuracy of shooting at least twice at the longest distances, and the amount of dispersion even in the most unfavorable conditions does not exceed 0.21% of the range of fire.

Simply put, even when firing at a distance of 70 km, the projectiles lie with a deviation of no more than 150 meters from the intended target. These indicators are related to BM 30 9K58 "Smerch" with modern artillery systems!

Flight correction

Correction is carried out by gas dynamical rudders, powered by a high-pressure gas from an on-board gas generator. In addition, stabilization of the projectile in flight occurs due to its rotation around the longitudinal axis, which is provided by preliminary untwisting during the movement along the tubular guide and supported in flight due to the installation of the blades of the unfolding stabilizer at some angle to the longitudinal axis of the projectile.

Composition of standard ammunition

The following types of projectiles can be included in the composition of the ammunition:

• 9M55F, the most common type. The combat unit is a detachable monoblock with a fragmentation-high explosive type of action.
• 9M55K. It differs from the cassette CU, which contains 72 fragments of fragmentation.
• 9M55K1. It also has a cassette warhead, but in this case it contains five smaller projectiles with independent guidance on the target.
• 9M55K4. The cassette CU contains four anti-tank mines, intended for remote mining of the terrain.
• 9M55K5. With cassette GC with cumulative-fragmentation warheads;
• 9M55S with thermobaric GC;
• 9M528 with high-explosive fragmentation.

Doing shooting

You can shoot with single shots or volleys. All projectiles can be released in 38 seconds. The start-up can be controlled either from the cab, or via a remote control. The power of the installation is indicated, at least, by the fact that three such combat effectiveness units are not inferior to the two Tochka-U missiles. One full volley with shells with a cluster warhead can cover up to 400,000 square meters at once. In a word, BM-30 "Smerch", the photo of which is in the article - is really a powerful weapon, the possibilities of which inspire sincere respect.

The total weight of each projectile, regardless of its type, is 800 kilograms, with the warhead itself accounting for 280 kilograms. The standard angle of approach to the target is from 30 to 60 degrees, but some types of projectiles can be configured to dive at an angle of 90 degrees. Such "meteorites" hole through heavy armored vehicles.

Even if there is no breakout, an explosion of 280 kg of explosive in the immediate vicinity of the tank is a sure death from the strongest concussion for its crew, and the car will get such damage that without repair it will not move even from the spot. Due to this, the BM-30 "Smerch" or the "Tornado" MLRS (modern replica) can be used as a means of stopping the tank columns on the march. Something similar happened in Georgia in 2008, when the Grads covered a group of Georgian tanks that were breaking through to the positions of our troops.

Information about modernization

As we have already said, in 1989 the system was modernized. In the course of it, virtually all electronic and radio navigation "stuffing" of the whole complex was replaced:

• The possibility of high-speed exchange of tactical data with headquarters and other divisions of "Smerch" is added, and the information is encrypted and rigidly protected from extraneous interference.
• Autonomous system of binding to topographical characteristics of the terrain and displaying this information on electronic displays in real time.
• Automatic calculation of the flight task and its input.
• The possibility of complete preparation of the installation for shooting, including deployment and aiming, without the need for personnel to leave the cabin.

Due to the latest innovation of the BM-30 "Smerch", the characteristics of which we dismantled, has become an even more autonomous and formidable system. From now on the artillerymen could give a volley and immediately withdraw to the starting positions, which significantly reduced the probability of detection and elimination of the enemy's installation.