Russian and US cruise missiles

The development of military space technology in the fifties was mainly in the direction of creating intercontinental means that could damage the strategic nature. At the same time, mankind has already accumulated experience gained in developing a special type of ammunition that combined the properties of aircraft and missiles. They were driven by a jet or solid propulsion engine, but they used the lifting force of the plane, the former element of the general design. They were cruise missiles. Russia (then the USSR), they were not as important as intercontinental, but work on them was already underway. After decades, it was crowned with success. Several samples of this type of weapons are already in the arsenal or will soon take their place in the ranks of means holding back the potential aggressor. They cause fear and completely discourage the desire to attack our country.

"Tomahawks" with a neutron bomb - a nightmare of the eighties

At the very end of the eighties, Soviet propaganda paid great attention to two new types of American weapons. The neutron bomb, which the Pentagon was threatening "to all progressive humanity," could only compete with its "Tomahawks" in its murderous properties. These shark-shaped projectiles with thin short planes were able to sneak up on targets on the Soviet territory imperceptibly, hiding from detection systems in ravines, river beds and other natural depressions of the earth's crust. It is very unpleasant to feel our insecurity, and the citizens of the USSR were indignant at the fact that the insidious imperialists are again drawing the country of developed socialism into a new round of the arms race, and these cruel missiles were the blame. Russia needed something to respond to the threat. And only some specially informed people knew that in fact something similar is already being developed in the Soviet Union, and things are not going so badly.

American Ax

The prototype of all modern cruise missiles can be called a German V-1 projectile (V-1). Outwardly it resembles the American "Tomahawk", created four decades later: the same straight planes and narrow fuselage, simple to primitive silhouette. But there is a difference, and very big. The munition, which received the English name Cruise Missile, is not just a missile equipped with a wing, it's something more. Behind the external simplicity lies a very complex technical scheme, the main element of which is a super-fast computer, instantly making decisions about changing course and height, in order to avoid a collision with obstacles. This is necessary for flight at an extremely low altitude with a speed sufficient to meet another condition of surprise - the speed of delivery of a charge to the target. And it was also important that the eyes of this "shark" work well. The radar installed in the bow of the projectile saw all obstacles and transmitted information about them to the electronic brain, which analyzed the relief and issued control signals to the rudders (slats, flaps, ailerons, etc.). A full-fledged supersonic cruise missile from the Americans did not turn out at that time: Tomahawk only reaches the final part of the trajectory for ultimate regimes, but this does not prevent it from posing a real threat even today, especially in relation to countries that do not possess perfect air defense and missile defense systems.

The Soviet X-90

It is not known for certain what motivated the Soviet leadership to give instructions on the beginning of the development of the CD. Perhaps intelligence reported the beginning of American research in this area, but it is possible that the very idea that originated in the depths of classified research institutes interested in someone from the Ministry of Defense. Anyway, in 1976 the work began, and the term of their completion was set a small - six years. From the very beginning, our designers went on a different path than their counterparts in the United States. Subsonic speeds did not tempt them. The rocket had to overcome all the boundaries of the defense of the probable enemy at extremely low altitudes. And on supersonic. By the end of the decade, the first prototypes were presented, which showed excellent results in the range testing (up to 3 M). The secret object was continuously improved, and in the next decade could fly faster than four speeds of sound. Only in 1997 the world public could see this miracle of technology at the MAKS exhibition in the pavilion of the scientific and production association "Rainbow". Modern Russian cruise missiles are the direct heirs of the Soviet Kh-90. Even the name is preserved, although many weapons have undergone many changes. Element base has become different.

The launch of this missile was supposed to be carried out from Tu-160, a huge strategic bomber capable of carrying in its bomb compartment 12-meter ammunition with folding planes. The carrier remains the same.

"Koala"

The modern Russian cruise missile Kh-90 "Koala" has become lighter and shorter than its progenitor: its length is less than 9 meters. Little is known about it, mainly that its very existence (without the disclosure of details) causes concern and irritation of our American partners. The reason for concern was the increased radius of the projectile (3,500 km), which formally violates the terms of the INF Treaty (medium and short-range missiles). But this does not scare the US, but the fact that these strategic cruise missiles (as they are called, although they can not overcome the ocean) are able to "crack" all the boundaries of the missile defense system, which the United States unobtrusively but persistently bring to the Russian borders.

This sample has already received its "NATO" designation: Koala AS-X-21. At us it name differently, namely the hypersonic experimental flying machine (GELA).

The general principle of its operation is that, having left the Tu-160 bombs at an altitude of 7 to 20 kilometers, it straightens the deltoid wing and tail, then the accelerator is launched, accelerating the projectile to supersonic, and after that the launch engine starts. The speed at the descent reaches 5 M, and on it GELA rushes to the goal, which can already be considered doomed. It is almost impossible to intercept this CD.

"Uranus", naval and aviation

Anti-ship missiles are also often winged. Their trajectory, as a rule, is similar to the combat courses of ground-based brethren. The design bureau "Zvezda" was engaged in the development of this type of armament in the USSR. In 1984, Chief Designer GI Khokhlov was charged with creating a set of means to combat surface sea targets with a displacement of up to five thousand tons (that is, relatively small) in conditions of active electronic countermeasures and a complex meteorological situation. The result of the efforts of the team was the Kh-35 Uran, according to its characteristics it roughly corresponds to the parameters of the American IC Harpoon and can be used in the salvo mode. The range of damage is 120 km. The complex, equipped with the system of detection, identification and guidance, is installed not only on combat units of the Navy, but also on aircraft carriers (Ka-27, Ka-28 helicopters, MiG-29, Su-24, Su-30, Su-35, Tu-142, Yak-141 and others), which greatly expands the capabilities of this weapon. The launch is carried out at extremely low altitudes (from 200 m), anti-ship missiles of this type are carried at a speed of more than 1000 km / h almost above the waves (from 5 to 10 m, and in the final segment of the trajectory and completely drops to three meters). Given the small size of the projectile (4 m 40 cm in length), it can be assumed that intercepting it is very problematic.

"Hundreds of X"

After the means of air defense, both Soviet and American, reached high potential in their development, practically all countries refused to use free-falling ammunition. The presence of reliable, reliable and powerful strategic bombers prompted the military leadership to seek their use, and it was found. In the USA B-52, and in the USSR Tu-95 began to be used as flying launchers. In the nineties, X-101 became the main ammunition of Russian carriers of tactical and strategic charges delivered to the target by aircraft without crossing the air defense lines. In parallel with them, almost completely identical samples were developed, capable of carrying nuclear charges. Both of the CDs are currently classified, their tactical and technical characteristics should be known only to a limited number of persons. It is known only that a new weapon has been adopted, it has an increased combat radius (more than five thousand kilometers) and an amazing accuracy of defeat (up to 10 meters). The X-101 warhead has high-explosive stuffing, and for it the most important is precisely this parameter. The carrier of special charges may not be so accurate: with an explosion of tens of kilotons, a few meters to the right or left do not play a big role. For the X-102 (nuclear carrier), distance is more important.

The "winged" strategy

All items, including types of weapons, can be considered only in the aspect of comparison. There are different defense doctrines, and at a time when some countries are striving for absolute global domination, others just want to protect themselves from possible aggressive encroachments. If we compare the cruise missiles of Russia and the United States, we can conclude that the technical parameters of American weapons do not exceed the capabilities of their rivals. Both sides are betting on an increase in the combat radius, which gradually removes the CD from the category of tactical means, giving them an increasingly "strategic" approach. The idea of gaining the opportunity to resolve geopolitical contradictions by applying an unexpected and all-destroying blow is not the first time visiting the heads of Pentagon generals. It is enough to recall the plans for bombing of Soviet large industrial and defense centers, developed back in the late forties and early fifties, immediately after the appearance of The United States has a sufficient number of nuclear warheads.

AGM-158B of increased range, USA

The emergence of a new model of weapons in the United States is an event of national scale. Taxpayers are pleased to realize that with the money they paid to the budget, the state has acquired yet another proof of American global domination. The ruling party's rating rises, voters rejoice. So it was in 2014, when the US strategic forces received a new air-based AGM-158B KR created in the framework of the Joint Air To Surface Standoff Missile Extended Range defense program, abbreviated JASSM-ER, which means that this facility is intended to strike at And has an extended range of application. Widely advertised new weapons, judging by the published data, in no way surpasses the X-102. The range of the flight AGM-158B is indicated vaguely, in a wide range - from 350 to 980 km, which means its dependence on the mass of the warhead. Most likely, the real radius with a nuclear charge is the same as that of the X-102, that is, 3500 km. The cruise missiles of Russia and the United States have roughly the same speed, mass and geometric dimensions. It is not necessary to talk about American technological superiority because of better accuracy, however, as already noted, it does not have such great importance in a nuclear strike.

Other KRs in Russia and the US

X-101 and X-102 are not the only cruise missiles in service with Russia. Besides these, other models equipped with pulsating air-jet engines, like 16 X and 10 XH (they are still experienced), anti-ship KS-1, KSR-2, KSR-5, with blasting warheads of high-explosive or fragmentation- Explosive or nuclear action. One can also recall the more modern CR X-20, X-22 and X-55, which became the prototype of X-101. And there are Termites, Mosquitoes, Amethysts, Malachites, Basalt, Granites, Onyxes, Yakhontas and other representatives of the stone series. These cruise missiles of Russia have been in the armament of the aviation and navy for many years, and the public knows a lot about them, though not all of them.

Americans also have several types of CD of an earlier generation than the AGM-158B. This tactical "Matador" MGM-1, "Shark" SSM-A-3, Borzaya AGM-28, mentioned "Harpoon", "Quick hawk" of universal basing. Do not refuse to the US and from the proven Tomahawk, but are working on a promising X-51, capable of flying at hypersonic speeds.

In other countries

Even in distant lands, where military analysts can only talk about the Russian or American military threat in a fantastically hypothetical aspect, engineers and scientists are developing their own cruise missiles. Not very successful experience of military operations in the Falkland Islands prompted the leadership of Argentina to allocate funds for the design of the "Tabano AM-1". The Pakistani "Hatf-VII Babur" can be launched from surface installations, ships and submarines, has a subsonic speed (about 900 km / h) and a range of up to 700 km. For it, even a nuclear warhead is provided, in addition to the usual ones. Three types of KR are produced in China (YJ-62, YJ-82, YJ-83). Taiwan is responsible for "Xionfen 2E". Work is under way, sometimes very successful, in European countries (Germany, Sweden, France), as well as in Britain, whose goal is not to surpass the cruise missiles of Russia or the United States, but to obtain an effective military means for their own armies. The creation of such complex and high-tech equipment is too expensive, and advanced achievements in this area are available only to superpowers.