Novator awacs-killer

[LETHALFORCE]

http://warfare.ru/?lang=&catid=262&linkid=2175&linkname=KS-172-RVV-L

KS-172 RVV-L


purpose: super long range
design bureau: Novator
development: early 1997
1st Air tests: in 1993
length: 7.4 m
diameter: 0.51
wingspan: 0.75
missile wt: 750 kg
warhead wt: 50 kg
envelope: 3 to 30000 m
Range: about 400 km
Guidance: Inertial + active radarhoming
Carried by: Mig-31M; SU-35/37/S-37


he KS-172 may have been based on the airframe of the 9K37M1 Buk-M surface-to-air missile. It used a two-stage rocket engine with a flight speed of about Mach 4 and a claimed maximum range of 400 km (250 mi). The AAM-L flies to the vicinity of the target by inertial navigation, then activates its own active radar for terminal homing.

The AAM-L missile is intended for use against Airborne Early Warning, tanker, and maritime patrol aircraft, giving an air force the ability to attack these vital assets without having to engage their fighter escorts. Enhanced-range versions have also been suggested as possible anti-satellite weapons.

India Starts Defence Exports : Joint Ventures Now yielding rich Dividends


KS -172

- Joint Venture between India's DRDO and Russias NPO Novator.

SpeciFications :

- It is an ultra Long Range AAM with a Development Range of 400KMs To Target AEW/AWAC Type High Value Aircrafts.

- Sole Carrier in the Indian AF will be the Su-30MKI

Features ( Dimensions) :

- 1.4 Meter long Rocket Booster

- Weight 748Kgs

- Core Diameter 0.40 Meter , Total Lenght 6.01 Meters , Span .61 Meters

- Launched by a Solid-propellant Tandem Rocket Booster

- The KS 172 will attack its Targets with an adaptive high explosive ( HE) fragmentation warhead.

Guidance

- Secure Data-Linked Based inertial Navigation System for MidCourse Guidance ( This would probably be done by AWACS or the 2-3 MKIs Working in Tandem with their Mini AWACS Capability)

- Active Radar Homing for its Terminal Phase.

-The missile will be used against air targets flying at altitudes from 3m to 30km with speeds up to 4,000km/h and manoeuvring at up to 12g.

INDO-RUSSO CO-OPERATION

DRDO and NPO will jointly Develop:

- An Active Homing Radar Seeker with a Wide Lock-On Range Which is able to recieve targeting data from the launch AC.

- Design a combined Gas/AeroDynamic Control system with 3d TVC . Provides High Manoeuvrability irrespective of launch Conditions and allows for missle launch with AC in super Manoeuvrability flight mode.

- Create and Adaptive Rapid Reaction Autopilot Which Optimises with Missile Stabilization and control Parameters within the firing range.

- Development of Special Interaction Logic btween the KS-172 Explosive Fuse and Guidance system Which ( In addition to structural and config features) gurantees absolute immunity of the Warhead detonation system to Jamming

 

[youngindian]

great news bro i think this is the ans to sab awacs acquired by paf

 

[p2prada]

Na mate, we will need 500 US missiles to give an answer to the SAAB Erieye.

 

[LETHALFORCE]

i posted a SAAB eeryie thread their distance is 400km same as the range of this missile.

 

[itsnotmyid]

great news

 

[SATISH]

But I heard that this was just a ghost project of the 90s. The Russians are still interested in Vynoel's R 37 programme. If this is going to take place then it must be fully funded by India.

 

[Pintu]

Mock up Picture of KS-172 ( Image: Wikipedia)

Regards

 

[LETHALFORCE]

JANE'S MISSILES AND ROCKETS - MARCH 01, 2004

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Novator offers a redesigned KS-172S-1 long-range AAM
Piotr Butowski

Sukhoi has displayed a model of the Su-35 multirole fighter carrying under its wings two KS-172S-1 ultra-long range air-to-air missiles, writes Piotr Butowski. The weapon is an export variant of a missile originally offered to the Russian Air Force by the Novator Company of Yekaterinburg.

Work on the KS-172 air-to-air missile began in 1991. Alternative designations 'Izdeliye 172 (K-172)' and the anglicised 'AAM-L' have also been reported. The basis of the new weapon was the second stage of the 3M83 surface-to-air missile used by the S-300V (SA-12 Gladiator) anti-aircraft system.

A full-scale mock-up of the KS-172 was shown in front of Su-27 fighter at Zhukovsky in August 1993. but over the next 10 years there was no further news of the project. The model shown late last year has a different shape to that of the mock-up shown in 1993. Both versions have a two-stage propulsion system, but in the current KS-172S-1 design the length of the tandem-mounted booster has been increased while its diameter has been reduced. The length of the missile without booster has been reduced so that the overall length of the complete round is unchanged.

According to Novator, the KS-172S-1 is 6.0m long and weighs 700kg, dimensions which are unchanged from those announced in 1993. Its diameter has been reported as 40cm.

In the 1993 design, the nose section of the missile was of smaller diameter than the rest of the fuselage, a configuration which proves additional internal volume for the rocket motor. In the current design, the fuselage is of constant diameter, and the tail-mounted cruciform control fins are of shorter span and longer chord.

The missile is guided to the target by a multi-mode guidance system typical for beyond-visual range missiles. In the first phase of flight, guidance is by inertial navigation with command updates in the mid-course phase. An active-radar seeker is used for terminal guidance. According to earlier reports, the missile carries a directional high-explosive (HE) fragmentation warhead, probably weighing about 50kg, and initiated by a radar proximity fuze.

Maximum range of the KS-172S-1 export variant is 300km; the version proposed for Russian air forces is believed to have a range of 400km. The missile will be used against air targets flying at altitudes from 3m to 30km with speeds up to 4,000km/h and manoeuvring at up to 12g. Typical targets could include all types of aircraft (including AWACS or J-STARS platforms, tankers, reconnaissance and electronic-warfare aircraft), cruise missiles, as well as long and medium-range anti-aircraft missiles which pose a threat to the KS-172-armed fighter.

Several test launches of the KS-172 have been made, but these rounds were not fitted with a guidance system. The firing of rounds fitted only with an autopilot and programmed to fly pre-planned manoeuvres is common in the early stages of air-to-air missile programmes.

The Russian air force did not adopt the KS-172, but opted to back a competing K-37M missile offered by Vympel. It is surprising to see that the Novator weapon is now being offered for export.

 

[LETHALFORCE]

Novator KS-172 AAM-L, page 1

In NPO "Innovator" is conducted development of a perspective guided missile of superbig range KS-172. In 1993 the breadboard model of the rocket which have received in the West designation AAM-L was shown. On some data, KS-172 it is developed on base ZUR of a complex With - 400.

Rocket two-level. The first step acceleration
,after development of fuel is dumped. After dump of the first step the mid-flight engine is included.

On a mid-flight site prompting is carried out inertial SN. On a site of homing it is used active radar-tracking GSN. Prospective range of a rocket about 400 kms. Height the purposes from 3 meters up to 30 kilometers. The rocket can be effectively used against high-altitude prospecting LA, planes DRLO and REP, flying command items(points) and strategic bombers. For application on the maximal range it can be demanded external target acquisition.

 

[LETHALFORCE]

IMINT & Analysis: Beyond BVR: Russia's R-37 and KS-172 LRAAMs

Beyond BVR: Russia's R-37 and KS-172 LRAAMs

With the current developments in super agility, and the ruthless performance of today’s WVR air-to-air missiles such as the Israeli Python 4, it is no surprise that most fighters have adopted BVR weapons as their primary air-to-air armament. The last true Western Big Stick in the air-to-air arena was the US Navy’s AIM-54 Phoenix, with its 100+ NM range and active radar seeker. The LRAAM project of the Mid-1980’s, charged with producing a successor to the AIM-54, would have given the US Navy an even greater capability well into the 21st Century. However, the project was terminated, leaving the medium-range missile as the primary air-to-air weapon in the BVR arena in the West, until the European Meteor and the American AIM-120D are introduced.

The primary purpose of the AIM-54 was to defend carrier battle groups at long range from attack by Soviet bombers and their cruise missiles. This reason, coupled with the fact that the AIM-7 (and later the AIM-120) was regarded as more than capable of countering the Soviet fighter threat, explains why the USAF never took it upon itself to develop its own long-range weapon or adopt the AIM-54 for its own use (although the F-14/AIM-54 combination was briefly considered, as well as an AIM-54 armed F-15). Russia’s premier long-range AAM, the R-33, was designed with a similar purpose in mind. The MiG-31/R-33 combination was designed to counter the threat of Western air-launched cruise missiles, specifically the AGM-86B, and their launchers. Now, however, Russian weapon designers are exploring new tasks and capabilities for the next generation of LRAAMs.

LRAAMs are limited in their usefulness. A large weapon such as the AIM-54 or R-33 would have a difficult time against a modern, agile fighter such as the Su-27 or F-16. To understand this, one needs only to examine the flight profile of the AIM-54. The Phoenix achieves its extremely long range by using a substantial boost motor, propelling it to heights in excess of 100,000 feet and speeds greater than Mach 6. The missile then nosedives towards its target, activates its seeker when within range, and makes the intercept. But what happens when one of these weapons is employed against a maneuvering target? A long-range missile expends most of its kinetic energy during the boost phase of its flight, leaving it very little with which to maneuver against an agile target. This is part of the reason behind the failure of the AIM-54 to score an air-to-air kill in DESERT STORM: the AIM-54 was never designed to be employed in such a manner. One solution would be to fire the weapon at a shorter range, but then you are better off using a dedicated MRAAM such as the AIM-120; large, heavy weapons in the AIM-54 class are typically not as maneuverable as smaller, lighter MRAAMs. LRAAMs are more adept at engaging non-maneuverable targets, such as lumbering bombers, and cruise missiles, which for the most part fly straight courses, making course corrections as dictated by their guidance systems. Granted, ramjet propulsion and gel-fueled rocket engines can now give MRAAMs ranges touching 60 or even 100 nautical miles, pushing them into the LRAAM class. This is where the capabilities of Russia’s new LRAAMs become even more impressive.

The first new LRAAM to emerge from behind the former Iron Curtain is the Vympel design bureau R-37. This successor to the R-33 features a dual mode 9B-1388 active/semi-active seeker head and can reach ranges touching 160 NM, demonstrated in an October 1993 test launch from a MiG-31M, the weapons intended launcher aircraft. This was such an accomplishment, especially in the former Soviet Union, that in April of 1994 Boris Yeltsin sent telegrams to the OKBs (design bureaus) involved congratulating them on this achievement. The weapon is matched to the improved Zaslon-M radar of the MiG-31M, which can accommodate six of these advanced weapons under its fuselage, replacing the baseline MiG-31’s four R-33s. The R-37 retains the basic aerodynamic arrangement of the older R-33, with a few notable differences. The control surfaces have been reshaped, to provide the weapon with better agility, and the rear control fins have been moved further aft, leaving a noticeable gap between these fins and the missile’s wings. The R-37’s nose has also been reshaped, no doubt due to the new seeker head. Semi-conformal carriage is still achieved by folding the rear fins, as in the R-33. Still touted as primarily an anti-cruise missile weapon, the R-37 is slated to be incorporated into the upgraded MiG-31BM at a future date, possibly in the form of the further improved K-37M variant (Note: In-service Russian AAM designations begin with R, test weapons or weapons still in the prototype stage have designations beginning with K.). Baseline R-37s may also arm improved MiG-29SMTs in the Russian Air Force, although this is unlikely as even an upgraded FULCRUM lacks the radar needed to fully take advantage of the R-37’s impressive intercept range.

On the surface the R-37 appears to offer only technical improvements over the R-33. The advantages it will bestow upon the MiG-31, however, are more than just longer reach. A longer ranged AAM will give the MiG-31 the capability to engage targets at greater ranges, giving it more time to reacquire and reengage targets which have gotten past the first wave of weapons. In theory this will increase the effectiveness of the MiG-31, meaning fewer aircraft will be needed to fulfill the same role. Given the current financial state of the Russian military, this will obviously be very beneficial.

The second LRAAM to emerge from Russian armament designers is the little known Novator KS-172, also referred to as the AAM-L. This weapon has been seen in armament displays accompanying Su-35 aircraft and has recently been displayed as the improved KS-172S-1 under the wing of an improved Su-35BM FLANKER variant. The AAM-L has an entirely different purpose than the R-37. Novator has designed a very long-range weapon intended to specifically attack AWACS aircraft equipping hostile nations. Where the R-37 retains a complex arrangement of control surfaces, the AAM-L is almost barren. The weapon resembles a typical surface-to-air missile, such as the 48N6 (S-300PMU-1/2), possessing only small control fins at the rear of a long, pointed body. The active radar homing missile is reported to have a range touching 216 nautical miles, which can be extended with the addition of a booster stage. Long range is a must for a weapon intended to target aircraft such as the E-3; this keeps the launching aircraft out of range of the weapons employed by escorting fighter aircraft.

It is no hidden fact that much of the success of Western militaries comes from the battlefield information superiority bestowed upon them by modern airborne sensor platforms. AWACS aircraft such as the IAI Phalcon and E-3 Sentry give commanders an unrivalled picture of the airborne arena and provide pilots with unparalleled situational awareness. The J-STARS platform provides commanders with a comprehensive view of the battlefield, allowing them to redirect and reposition forces to counter and defeat an opposing army. Winning a war against a Western military force armed with this knowledge proves a daunting task, as demonstrated by the rout of the Iraqi military in 1991. To put it another way, the 21st Century war is a digital encounter, and successfully engaging an enemy armed with these information resources would prove difficult to even the most well-equipped military. The AAM-L is intended to deny an enemy access to this wealth of knowledge, hopefully giving the Russian military the edge needed to prevail in a conflict.

Military weapon development progresses as follows: a threat is identified, a counter is developed, and the counter is deployed. In the case of Russia’s LRAAMs, the threat was identified as cruise missiles and AWACS aircraft. The counters developed were the R-37 and AAM-L LRAAMs. Although they have yet to be fielded by the Russian Air Force, the existence of weapons in this class is enough to cause Western designers to consider new approaches to aircraft and missile design, most notably in the form of stealth technology. Quite a few of the designs for US Navy and Royal Navy future carrier based AWACS platforms have already been seen to incorporate stealth technology. Of course, one can assume that this will only cause the Russians to develop further advanced weapons and countertactics; and the circle continues. One thing is for certain: the technology exists to deny an enemy the ability to use advanced sensor platforms and rely on cruise missile attacks. Perhaps in a future conflict the ability to overcome these losses will be how military capabilities are analyzed.

 

[Dark Sorrow]

Will it also posses anti-radiation(anti-radar) guidence as a passive guidence?

 

[p2prada]

Yeah mate. It will carry a Anti-radiation seeker.

 

[Yusuf]

To use this missile, the fighter carrying it too has to have a powerful radar and long range. Only the MKI can carry this for India.

 

[Singh]

To use this missile, the fighter carrying it too has to have a powerful radar and long range. Only the MKI can carry this for India.

Powerful radar and long range why ?

 

[Yusuf]

Powerful radar and long range why ?

How else will the fighter carrying it detect an Awac 400 mms away?

 

[Vinod2070]

Can't the AWACS be used for the guidance while the missile is carried by other AC?

 

[Singh]

How else will the fighter carrying it detect an Awac 400 mms away?

ground radars, other jets, awacs, uavs can all detect the awacs..

Can't the AWACS be used for the guidance while the missile is carried by other AC?

Imo ,The missile's onboard radars and seekers take over when it enters the target-kill zone... for the initial part of the journey it is possibly guided by other inputs to the target...

 

[Yusuf]

Yes they can, but still the target has to be painted. A fighter should be on a position to detect an shoot independently as well. There might not be an awac or uav to support.
Also this will not just remain as a awac specific missile. It's a long range AAM and will be used to target anything hostile in the air.

 

[Vinod2070]

ground radars, other jets, awacs, uavs can all detect the awacs..

Imo ,The missile's onboard radars and seekers take over when it enters the target-kill zone... for the initial part of the journey it is possibly guided by other inputs to the target...

You mean the missile has an on-board system for terminal guidance. That makes sense. However the initial guidance can be provided by any source, not necessarily the AC that launched it. So I think the point of the AC's range and the potent radar may not be really a factor.

 

[Singh]

Yes they can, but still the target has to be painted. A fighter should be on a position to detect an shoot independently as well. There might not be an awac or uav to support.

The missile needs to be guided to the awacs, and awacs are protected by fighter escorts.

A single MKI can detect an awacs but keeping it painted till the missile reaches is a tough job.

Ground radars and awacs have much more powerful radars.

Also this will not just remain as a awac specific missile. It's a long range AAM and will be used to target anything hostile in the air.

I doubt if such a long missile has the capability to hit a highly maneuverable at supersonic speeds..
awacs are slow moving jets and therefore the anti-awacs missiles generally sacrifice maneuverability for range...

You mean the missile has an on-board system for terminal guidance. That makes sense. However the initial guidance can be provided by any source, not necessarily the AC that launched it. So I think the point of the AC's range and the potent radar may not be really a factor.

You said it.