"Mosquito" - anti-ship missile

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:54

Perhaps, it is the state of the navy that can always give an adequate assessment of the country's defense capability and economy. And here the matter is not only in the extreme high cost of maintaining ships and submarines. The modern fleet is a science-intensive industry, where the latest defensive and offensive weapons are first tested.

If during the Second World War heavy battleships with powerful protection and relatively simple aircraft carriers for propeller-driven aircraft ruled the ball, now the situation has changed dramatically. The navies of almost all "maritime" countries are actively adopting relatively small and nimble destroyers, the role of submarines is increasing, and aircraft carriers are considered solely from the point of view of an offensive element to intimidate countries that do not have normal air defense.

In addition, the current naval battles are not the same anymore: opponents most often do not see each other even on the horizon, and victory is ensured by powerful missile weapons, one volley of which may well sendhuge enemy ship to the bottom. Our country has an excellent tool - the Mosquito system. This missile, which was created back in the USSR, is a reliable way to guarantee a peaceful settlement.

Begin development

Work on the development of this weapon began in 1973. Dozens of research institutes and design bureaus from all over the USSR participated in the creation. "Mosquito" is a missile originally developed to replace obsolete types of similar weapons and intended for installation on destroyers and missile boats. In addition, combat ekranoplans were equipped with it.

Before it was accepted into service, the missile had to go through an impressive series of verification tests that were not started until 1978. This happened in the conditions of the "Sandy Balka" training ground, where the first tests of the models of the future product were carried out and the characteristics of its main engines were checked. State tests continued until the end of 1982.

They were recognized as successfully completed only after the firing of the Desperate destroyer, located in the Barents Sea. Targets were shot from a distance of 27 kilometers, and it was necessary to hit two targets at once. The rocket and the crew of the ship coped with this task perfectly.

In general, only during these tests, the rocket was launched immediately 15 times, and success was achieved in eight cases, partial success - in five. Only two launches ended in complete failure. But the Mosquito did not immediately enter the arsenal of the domestic fleet! Rocket for another five years, withFrom 1983 to 1985, it underwent various design improvements and upgrades until its potential was finally recognized as sufficient.

Thus, the initial flight range was increased almost six (!) times, reaching a figure of 125 kilometers, and it was also fully compatible with the Lun ekranoplan, which made it possible to provide reliable protection of almost the entire coast of the USSR, provided use of this missile.

Release, modifications

Produced and produces its complex "Progress", located in the Primorsky Territory. The missile was repeatedly demonstrated both at the domestic Zhukovsky (MAKS) and at all world arms exhibitions (in Abu Dhabi, for example).

Only in the early 80s, the complex was officially adopted by destroyers belonging to the class "Modern", project 956, and in 1984 they began to install improved missiles with a launcher KT-190. The aviation "Mosquito" was soon created. The missile was put into service between 1992 and 1994.

What is it for?

The complex and missile were designed to destroy various categories of enemy surface vessels, amphibious transports, as well as convoy ships and single targets. This also includes hovercraft and water wings, which until then were practically invulnerable to missile weapons due to their high marching speed.

Efficiently destroy ships with a displacement of up to 20,000tons. Possible target speed - up to 100 knots. The missile can hit the enemy even under conditions of intense fire and radar opposition from the latter. Complicated weather and climatic factors are not a hindrance. The Mosquito anti-ship missile itself can be effectively used at ambient temperatures from -25 to +50 degrees Celsius.

Working conditions

Sea waves when using the "Mosquito" can immediately reach six points (if the target is small - up to five), and wind speed (its direction does not matter) - up to 20 meters per second. Soviet designers managed to create a missile that can hit a target even in a nuclear explosion.

What is the air-based anti-ship missile "Moskit" characterized by? The main characteristics are no different from the naval version. This complex can be equipped with Su-33 (Su-27K) and other aircraft that can be ship-based.

Composition of the complex

Many assume that the Mosquito complex itself has only one rocket launcher, but this is not so. It includes several of their varieties at once: a standard anti-ship, supersonic, low- altitude variety, for hitting a target in conditions of intensively working air defense systems, as well as a projectile with “smart” guidance ZM-80. The launch control system is responsible for the 3Ts-80 system, the KT-152M guidance installation. If we are talking about the defense of the coast with a stationary base of the complex, thenmanagement is taken over by a single complex KNO 3Ф80.

Specifications

The rocket belongs to the light class, its layout is created according to the classical aerodynamic scheme. The shape of the nose is animated, the location of the plumage and wings is X-shaped. The wings and plumage are foldable for ease of transportation and fixing in the launch container. Air intakes are clearly visible on the body, and a radio-transparent spinner is installed on the front fairing.

Other characteristics are even more impressive:

• Length of the rocket - from 9.4 to 9.7 meters (depending on modification and basing).
• Maximum acceleration - up to Mach 2.8.
• Minimum firing range is 10 kilometers.
• Starting weight - from 4 to 4.5 tons.
• The weight of the warhead is from 300 to 320 kg.
• Shelf life in the launch container - up to 1.5 years.
• Currently, upgraded missiles can hit a target when launched from coastal complexes at a distance of up to 240 kilometers.

Chemically pure titanium, high-grade steel alloys and fiberglass are widely used in the manufacture.

The power plant is combined. There is a starting powder engine that knocks a rocket out of the launch container, as well as a 3D83 marching air-jet power plant. The powder accelerator is located directly in the main engine nozzle. It burns out completely in the first three to four seconds, after which its remnants are pushed out by a stream of air.

Guidance system

The guidance system is also made according to the combined scheme. Navigation - inertial type, as well as an active-passive radar guidance head. The "highlight" is the marching control system, due to which a high probability of hitting the target is ensured even with its active fire resistance. It should be noted that this indicator ranges from 0.94 to 0.98.

The flight occurs at an acceleration of more than two strokes, and the rocket goes along a very complex trajectory. Immediately after the launch, the projectile performs a classic "slide", then there is the most abrupt descent - to a height of 20 meters. When nine kilometers remain to the target, there is an even sharper decline, to a height of seven meters, after which the rocket goes literally over the crests of the waves, maneuvering the snake. During the flight, more complex maneuvers can be performed, and overloads often exceed 10G.

Hit the target

Due to such characteristics, the Mosquito missile (and Malachite, its predecessor) poses a mortal danger to almost any potential enemy ship. In combination with other anti-ship coastal defense systems, they reduce to zero the likelihood of a “bloodless” enemy landing.

The defeat of the enemy ship is ensured by the ultimate kinetic energy and a powerful explosion inside the ship's hull. One missile will easily launch a cruiser to the bottom, and 15-17 pieces may well disable an entire enemy ship grouping. Particularly goodcruise missile "Mosquito" in that it is almost impossible to evade it. Its detection occurs only 3-4 seconds before fire contact with the target, and therefore the old Soviet development is still respected and feared by sailors in all the world's navies.

Accommodation and state of the art

SCRC "Moskit" was massively installed on the destroyers of project 956 (two quad complexes each), anti-submarine ships of project 11556 "Admiral Lobov", as well as on almost all missile boats of project 1241.9. It was installed on a pilot project of a small rocket ship of project 1239 (hovercraft), on ships of project 1240, as well as on the Lun ekranoplane mentioned above, for which the rocket had to be seriously upgraded.

It is especially valuable that the Moskit missile, the characteristics of which have already been given above, can be used in coastal defense units, as well as in coastal aviation, being mounted on Su-27K (Su-33) aircraft. In this case, one projectile is taken on board, which is suspended from the outside of the fuselage between the engine nacelles.

Range improvements

Already in 1981, a decree was issued, according to which it was necessary to significantly improve the sustainer engine to increase the range of the rocket. This is how the Moskit-M rocket appeared, ten preliminary launches of which were carried out in the period from 1987 to 1989. Soviet engineers managed to increase the range immediately to 153 kilometers, and the modified version received the designation 3M-80E.

Currently, the Mosquito rocket,the photo of which is in the article can be installed on almost all types of Russian destroyers and other warships, including missile boats, and is also exported. It is allowed to mount it (at the request of the customer) on suitable foreign warships.

Importance

It was the Mosquito missile, the performance characteristics of which are discussed in this article, that made it possible to create a single ship project. Her characteristics were such that they gave the small missile boat almost the effectiveness of a destroyer. All this made it possible to reduce the cost of creating a full-fledged ship grouping dozens of times without sacrificing its combat qualities. Given the vast length of the coast of the USSR, this was extremely important.

Among other things, such strike weapons are simply invaluable in today's conditions, when a normal oceanic grouping of ships is just beginning to be recreated in the Russian Federation. At present, there are no special opportunities for introducing large ships into the Navy, so the prospect of creating full-fledged destroyers with Mosquitoes on board is difficult to overestimate. Therefore, the Soviet development is still very, very long time to retire.