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SURFACE-TO-AIR
Date Posted: 18-Nov-2004
JANE’S MISSILES AND ROCKETS – DECEMBER 01, 2004
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Russia moves to vertical-launch Shtil
Miroslav Gyürösi
Russia is offering a vertical-launch (VL) version of the Shtil-1 naval surface-to-air missile (SAM) system, writes Miroslav Gyürösi. The move from a system based on trainable launchers to one based on below-deck VL modules is similar to that taken by the US Navy in the mid-1980s when it switched from a Mk 26 trainable launcher to a VL system for the sixth and subsequent Ticonderoga-class Aegis cruisers.
Russian Public Joint Stock Company DNPP (Dolgoprudnenskoye naucsno – proizvodstvennoye predpriyatie), which is part of the Almaz-Antey Air Defence Concern, developed the new 9M317ME SAM as an upgrade for the Shtil-1 naval air-defence system. Developed by the Altair Naval Radio Electronics Scientific Institute Public Joint Stock Company, which is also a member of the Almaz-Antey Air Defence Concern, Shtil-1 is an improved version of the earlier Shtil system that is the export variant of the M-22 Uragan system fitted to the Project 956 (Sovremenny-class) destroyers.
The 9M38 missile was developed in the 1970s to be a common round for the land-based 9K37 Buk (SA-11 ‘Gadfly’) and naval Uragan/Shtil (SA-N-7 ‘Gadfly’) system. It used a configuration similar to that of the US Standard Missile, with cruciform wings of long chord and short span, plus cruciform tail surfaces. In the land-based system, the 9M38 was fired from 9A38 and 9A310 self-propelled launch vehicles, while the naval Shtil and Shtil-1 systems used a trainable launcher fed by a below-deck loading system based on 12-cell drum magazines.
In the early 1990s, development started on an improved 9M317 missile able to replace the 9M38. This armed the Buk-M1-2 (SA-17 ‘Grizzly’) system, which entered service with the Russian Army in 1998. The 9M317 was similar in configuration to the 9M38 but the cruciform wings were of much smaller chord and span.
The new 9M317ME missile is being marketed as a further development of the older 9M38 and 9M317 but the changes are on a scale that makes the round almost a new missile. It is designed to be fired from a cylindrical container/launcher mounted in a cell within the new Shtil-1 VL system. This arrangement provides a much higher rate of fire than the original trainable launcher and magazine system used in Shtil and Shtil-1. The latter could fire a missile every six seconds, but the 9M317ME-based system being offered for Sovremenny-class destroyers can fire rounds at one-to-two-second intervals.
The new launch technique has required drastic changes to the configuration of the missile. The long-chord wings have been replaced by vestigial fixed surfaces located not on the missile centrebody but near the rear of the airframe just ahead of the cruciform tail surfaces. These fixed surfaces may be intended to control the airflow passing the tail fins. The latter move to steer the missile – the same control scheme used on the 9M38 – but are folded to allow the round to be stored in the container/launcher.
The 9M317ME is 5.18 m long and 360 mm in diameter. The tail surfaces have a span of 820 mm when deployed.
After the round leaves the VL, a spring mechanism unfolds the tail surfaces and four gas-control vanes operating in the motor efflux turn the missile towards the required direction of flight. Once this turnover manoeuvre is completed, the gas-control vanes are no longer used. Subsequent flight control is via the moving tail surfaces.
A dual-mode solid-propellant rocket motor based on a more energetic charge than that used in the 9M38 provides the missile with a maximum speed of Mach 4.5 (1,550 m/s), a significant increase over the Mach 3.0 (1,230 m/s) of the older missile.
Guidance remains a combination of inertial and semi-active radar (SAR) homing. Inertial guidance is used in the early stages of flight and then the SAR seeker is activated to complete the interception. If the missile is being fired against long-range targets, it can receive mid-course updates while flying under inertial control. Launch weight of the 9M317ME is 581 kg. It is armed with a 62 kg warhead initiated by a dual-mode (active or semi-active) radar proximity fuze, or a contact fuze.
The range of the modernised Shtil-1 system is between 3.5-32 km, while the altitude coverage is from 5 m up to 15 km. These limits are set not by the performance of the missile but by the capabilities of the existing shipboard illuminating radars. This suggests further growth potential if the system is upgraded or if new radars are added.
The VL version of Shtil-1 is being offered for surface ships with displacement of more than 1,500 tonnes, providing protection against aircraft, helicopters, fast patrol boats and anti-ship missiles. It can also control the ship’s guns. Publicly, no claims are being made for an anti-ballistic missile (ABM) capability, but the land-based 3M317 missile is reported to have successfully engaged Smerch artillery rockets and a ballistic missile during tests conducted in the mid-1990s. The VL system’s ability to cope with tactical ballistic-missile threats may be limited by the performance of the existing shipboard radars.
The basic VL module contains 12 9M317ME missiles but, as with the unmodified Shtil and Shtil-1 systems, the upgrade is being offered in a series of optional configurations, which add greater numbers of MR-90 Orekh (‘Front Dome’) target-illumination radars and additional VL modules. All variants use target information from the ship’s 3D surveillance radar.
Vertical-launch Shtil-1 configurations
Technical characteristic Option number
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Reaction time, [seconds] 5 – 10 5 – 10 5 – 10 5 – 10 5 – 10 5 – 10 5 – 10 5 – 10
Firing interval [seconds] 2 – 3 2 – 3 2 – 3 1 – 2 1 – 2 1 – 2 1 – 2 1 – 2
Number of target channels 2 4 4 6 8 8 10 12
Magazine capacity [rounds] 12 24 36 48 – 72 72 108 108 – 144 144
Number of VL modules 1 2 3 4 – 6 6 9 9 – 12 12
The new 9M317ME missile is a near-wingless design.
(Source: Miroslav Gyürösi)
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By: Arabella-Cox - 4th April 2006 at 05:39
Why? Let Kashtan or Klinok take care of that.
The more layers you have the more flexible you are… but that flexibility is more useful if your layers overlap.
By: Vympel - 3rd April 2006 at 17:00
(Of course adding a booster would make the missile useless within 5-10km or so… which is a bit of a liability).
Why? Let Kashtan or Klinok take care of that.
By: SOC - 3rd April 2006 at 15:05
Rif is the S-300F naval SAM system, also known as the SA-N-6 GRUMBLE.
By: sferrin - 3rd April 2006 at 14:57
You could do that, or you could simply apply the same upgrades applied to Rif and create a smaller and lighter missile and then add a booster to that smaller and light missile and get more benefit. (Of course adding a booster would make the missile useless within 5-10km or so… which is a bit of a liability). Perhaps you could mirror the Rif upgrade and have two model Shtils, both quarter calibre, but one with slightly greater range and one with slightly shorter range… ie 30km for the short range model and, say 70km for the longer range model, with the 30km range model using SARH and the 70km range model using ARH with an option for a booster to extend its range (being a smaller light weapon than Shtil-1 the booster would have rather more effect, perhaps almost doubling range to 120km… in which case ARH would be a must.)
What is “Rif”?
By: sferrin - 2nd April 2006 at 18:28
The article states it uses thrust vectoring to point the missile towards the target after vertical launch. Beyond that, tail control fins are used to alter the missile’s flight path. It should be noted that the flight control surfaces aren’t that much smaller than those of the PAC-3 Patroit interceptor, so maneuverability shouldn’t be an issue. All that really matters is the performance of the actuators driving the tail control surfaces.
Sounds similar in concept to an ESSM.
By: Arabella-Cox - 2nd April 2006 at 11:14
Dont these missile have some self destructing mechanism activated by ground/ship if they wish to
If they did that would be the first thing a spy would try to get hold of.
Of course it only really becomes an issue with very long range ARH missiles… even with a super radar that was supposed to be able to ID enemy planes just using the quality of the radar return dind’t tell them they had made a mistake… they didn’t work it out till they started to find wreckage… too much to be an F-14.
Captain and One more officer of the ship which brought down the Airbus was awared some Navy Medal for their Act .
Yeah, quite bad taste. No wonder the Iranians don’t like Americans much.
By: Austin - 2nd April 2006 at 11:05
You can’t call off an ARH at the last minute if you realise that is an airbus
Dont these missile have some self destructing mechanism activated by ground/ship if they wish to
Well as far as as ships goes they are moving towards MF Radar , They have shown design of a new frigate with the 4 Faced PAR and even their new corvette looks quite stealthy comparabe to their western counterpart.
Talking about Airbus , Recently I watch a documentary on it and was quite shocked to know that the Captain and One more officer of the ship which brought down the Airbus was awared some Navy Medal for their Act .
By: Arabella-Cox - 2nd April 2006 at 11:02
If you add an extra thick booster as they have done to those SM-2 ,plus improvise on the basic potential of Shtil-1 you can get a range of 60 ~ 80 Km .
You could do that, or you could simply apply the same upgrades applied to Rif and create a smaller and lighter missile and then add a booster to that smaller and light missile and get more benefit. (Of course adding a booster would make the missile useless within 5-10km or so… which is a bit of a liability). Perhaps you could mirror the Rif upgrade and have two model Shtils, both quarter calibre, but one with slightly greater range and one with slightly shorter range… ie 30km for the short range model and, say 70km for the longer range model, with the 30km range model using SARH and the 70km range model using ARH with an option for a booster to extend its range (being a smaller light weapon than Shtil-1 the booster would have rather more effect, perhaps almost doubling range to 120km… in which case ARH would be a must.)
By: Arabella-Cox - 2nd April 2006 at 10:49
With new electronics hitting the Russian Navy and Russian weapon designers it is possible that a shift to more multifunction radars might be possible, certainly with the cost and performance of AESAs meaning that all those unstealthy extra radar dishes and systems could be reduced in number simply to reduce weight and redundancy.
Personally I still think a range of seeker options is better than just one. With the US just fighting small armed forces we really haven’t seen ARH missiles come up against decent jamming and decoying yet, and even then AMRAAMs performance hasn’t been perfect… even if it is much better than Sparrows.
Besides for testing and even operational use having cheaper older models makes sense… even for use against large surface targets like patrol boats or as a very large and expensive warning shot… You can’t call off an ARH at the last minute if you realise that is an airbus…
By: Austin - 2nd April 2006 at 10:28
Thanks Garry , Nice to see this post rising from the ashes.
Its better that they offer the VL’ed Shtil-1 with a ARS . The ARH will be more useful in taking out the Low Flying Cruise/Anti-Ship missile at longer Ranges , As the SARH head and Orekh illumination radar would be blind at those low long ranges , in addition it frees the artificial limit imposed by the ship based FC Radar as to how many missile can be in air at a time ( restricted by Orekh ).
I am not too sure how dramatically the cost will increase but it should not be more than 30 percent more for each missile if they replace its Seeker to an Active one , well worth the cost.
Atleast 6 IN ships are slated to receive the Shtil-1 ( 3 P-17 and 3 Follow on Talwar Class ) it would be nice if the Navy opts for the ARS for its Shtil-1.
The Shtil-1 also has a longer range than the 32 Km imposed by the Orekh and also has more potential to improve , An ARH seeker will help in over coming these deficiencies.
If you add an extra thick booster as they have done to those SM-2 ,plus improvise on the basic potential of Shtil-1 you can get a range of 60 ~ 80 Km .
By: Arabella-Cox - 2nd April 2006 at 10:20
I am saying the company that developed the original seeker for the SA-11 and SA-17 and the Naval SA-N-7 developed an Active Radar Seeker (ARS) for them in the 90s and is currently working on an improved model now. If I was paying for a VLS Shtil, then I would probably want at least some to have an ARS with a few with SARH model to keep costs down… perhaps a magazine load of 60-40 with the cheaper model making up the 60 percent.
By: Arabella-Cox - 2nd April 2006 at 10:04
Are you trying to say that VLS ****il with active radar homing is in offing?
By: Arabella-Cox - 2nd April 2006 at 08:14
I have seen figures of 50 Km for the Shtil-1 system , also the semiactive mode of guidance is a draw back as the ship FC radar has to continously illuminate the target
read this from the Itar Tass Aerospace Complex 2003 v2 No.2:
MNII Agat JSC (Moscowbased Agat Research Institute established as open joint-stock company) is a leading company of Russia’s defense complex specializing in development of radar seekers (RS) for air-to-air and surface-to air
missiles.
The Institute was founded in 1986. Its research and development group, however, has
been working on RS for over 45 years and has a vast experience in designing various types of RSs.
Since its foundation, it has developed RSs for Kub and Buk anti-aircraft missile systems, for the Shtil ship-based weapon system, for MiG
and Su fighter planes and their modifications.
The specialists of the Institute keep improving their developments based on experience of using air attack weapons (AAW) in modern local wars in which stealth aircraft are used along with cruise and ballistic missiles protected by various
types of powerful jamming systems.
In the ‘90s of the previous century, the Institute has developed an active RS (ARS),
known as improved 9B-1103M, which, despite the minimum weight and size, outperforms all preceding generations of ARS. It is fitted with a new miniaturized signal digital processor featuring high-capacity memory and high speed.
Instead of mechanical gyroscopes, this ARS employs fiber-optic gyroscopes, which reduces to the minimum the pre-launch time and the time of putting the missile on to-the-target line. The high degree of standardization makes this ARS applicable to all issile types (in caliber range between 200 and 400 mm), both in anti-aircraft and air-to-air missiles.
At present, the specialists of the Institute develop on their own initiative an air-to-air and surface-to-air ARS of a new generation that will have an added range exceeding by 2-2.5 times that of existing ARS. This ARS will detect, acquire and automatically track aerial targets and supply the missile control system with signals required for formulating control commands, be it even in adverse environment created by various jammers.
The missile fitted with such ARS will be able to engage a variety of targets, including fixed- and rotary wing aircraft (hovering ones among others), cruise missiles, tactical ballistic missiles, anti-radiation missiles, and anti-ship missiles.
The ARS has an enhanced power transmitter and uses new types of radiating signals and signals processing techniques. This has dramatically increased the target detection and acquisition range and improved the ARS’s jamming resistance. It weighs 35 kg and has an antenna of 280 mm in diameter. It ensures an acquisition of a fighter plane target with 5 m2 RCS at the range of up to 70 km.
In addition to the ARS as such, the Institute develops for it a set of non-standard instruments and bench-based measuring and modeling equipment.
This, in turn, will allow it to be serially produced and will significantly ease its operation by the troops.
The ARS mock-up is due for demonstration as early as 2003 at the Le Bourget air show and in Zhukovsky at MAKS-2003.
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So if you want an ARS they have one and are workng on a newer replacement ARS as well.
By: SOC - 18th December 2004 at 23:34
If the VLS Shtil-1 is available, the PLAN would be wise to ask for it in their new Sovremennyys. VLS are much better for quick engagement, there’s no launch arm that has to worry about reloading.
By: crobato - 18th December 2004 at 04:05
Yes it does look rather CG. But it raises a few serious thoughts here and there. KANWA has raised the possibility that China might yet order another pair of Sovies after the two they expected to receive next year. If so, it is interesting to see if the third generation of Sovies would use the VLS Shtil-1 arrangement.
Likewise, it is interesting to see with a revised 052B arrangement as well.
By: google - 18th December 2004 at 01:07
hello
the Sov image was published originally by janes.
The source was given as Miroslav Gyürösi, and I presume he obtained the image from Russian contacts. It’s my opinion, that the vertical launchers look rather CG.
By: heeroyui - 18th December 2004 at 00:49
hello
the Sov image was published originally by janes.
By: google - 17th December 2004 at 21:24
Looks like the Russian arms industry did some of their own photoshopping on the Sov image.
By: Severodvinsk - 13th December 2004 at 17:39
Blackcat it’s just a joke/assumption. It never happened with a Sovremenny. If I’m not mistaken it’s Admiral Ushakov (Ex-Beshstrashniy), which IIRC still had her single-arm Shtil-launcher on the exercise this summer. And this picture looks a lot older than last summer….
By: SOC - 12th December 2004 at 08:02
The article states it uses thrust vectoring to point the missile towards the target after vertical launch. Beyond that, tail control fins are used to alter the missile’s flight path. It should be noted that the flight control surfaces aren’t that much smaller than those of the PAC-3 Patroit interceptor, so maneuverability shouldn’t be an issue. All that really matters is the performance of the actuators driving the tail control surfaces.
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November 19, 2004 at 12:16 am