Personal protection systems for aircraft against MANPADS.

With the advent of MANPADS and their widespread use to combat airplanes and helicopters, the problem of protection against them also arose. It is characteristic that the severity of the problem of protection against these weapons is constantly growing, and main reason This was due to the actions of illegal armed groups and terrorist groups. Today, MANPADS, the favorite weapon of terrorists, represent real threat and extremely aggravated the problem of flights civil aviation.">

22:37 / 22.11.11

MANPADS and protection against them - the confrontation is escalating

Returning to the previously raised topic about protective equipment aircraft from man-portable anti-aircraft missile systems (), the following should be noted. The creation of MANPADS in the early seventies of the last century was important stage in improvement precisely protective equipment from air strikes. And the results of their use were quite impressive.

So, only in November-December 1969 in the Arab-Israeli war, the first domestic MANPADS of this type shot down 12, and from May 1981 to June 1982 in the Golan Heights region - more than 10 more Israeli planes and helicopters. The problem of protecting aircraft from MANPADS not only persisted, but also worsened over time. Thus, during the NATO war in the Balkans in 1999, only actions from altitudes of more than 3500 m and the use of precision weapons allowed NATO aircraft to avoid significant losses from Yugoslav anti-aircraft missiles with infrared homing heads (GOS).

And in 2002, experts noted that in local wars of recent decades, approximately 90% of all cases of destruction of aircraft and helicopters were associated with hits by guided missiles with an infrared seeker. Therefore, it can be stated that the threat of using MANPADS not only significantly limits the range of altitudes for the use of manned combat aircraft, but also sharply aggravates the problem of ensuring the safety of civil aviation flights.

Thus, MANPADS created as a means of defense today can be considered as effective high-precision means of attack . Moreover, the problem of protecting against it very quickly became international status, and the creation of means of protection against MANPADS, especially for civil aviation, has become a major area of work in various countries. What else, besides the domestic system for protecting civil aircraft, deserves attention?

Russia today has rightfully become one of the world leaders in creating systems active protection from MANPADS. So, in 2010, at the international arms exhibition Eurosatory-2010 in Paris, it was presented for public viewing Russian system active protection (SAZ) of President-S helicopters from MANPADS attacks. The frenzy of interest around this development showed how high the world's interest in this technology is. At the same time, this fact also suggests that the Russian defense industry is alive and capable, if necessary and with timely funding, of creating products that are ahead of foreign ones.

And the fact that the creators of this revolutionary development showed it openly suggests that there is something else, more effective, in store. The creation of SAZ "President-S" under the leadership of the Research Institute "Ekran" (Samara) involved the scientific and technical center (STC) "Reagent" (Moscow), the special design bureau "Zenit" and the Scientific and Technical Center "Elins" (Zelenograd ). This development was confirmed to be highly effective during complex tests in 2010.

To evaluate the President-S SAZ, they installed it on mock-ups of various aircraft and fired at it with one of the most effective Igla MANPADS in the world. According to Alexander Kobzar, general director“Zenith”, where an emitter of a narrowly targeted optical-electronic suppression system was created, after turning on the President-S SAZ, all missiles deviated away from the target and self-destructed.

For testing, a helicopter was installed on a special tower, the engines of which operated at maximum load and produced maximum infrared radiation, and the Igla was launched from a distance of 1000 m. However, in these very favorable conditions the MANPADS missile moved away from the target.

As noted by Professor A. Kobzar, the effectiveness of the entire SAZ is determined by the highly targeted and specially modulated radiation of the sapphire lamp. It creates a kind of phantom target in the missile control system, the location of which differs from the current coordinates real goal. As a result, the rocket flies into empty space and into certain time self-destructs according to the program embedded in it.

Despite the simplicity of the idea, it has not yet found a practical solution in the world. Currently, our developers are actively working on creating a similar protection system against MANPADS for attack aircraft. Currently, the SAZ "President-S" has passed the entire range of state tests, has been put into service and is being mass-produced. By decision of the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Air Force, today not a single new helicopter is sent to troops in “hot” spots without installing an active protection system against MANPADS.

Earlier, the media reported about the Russian all-angle laser jamming station "Klen-M" (Design Bureau automatic systems", Samara), which was intended for protection against surface-to-air and air-to-air missiles with infrared seekers. The system could be installed on both military and civil aircraft.

The principle of operation of the Klen-M station was also based on the impact of laser radiation on the missile control system, which ultimately led to the loss of the tracked air target. According to the developers, the Klen-M station provided detection and tracking of missiles, and subsequent suppression of their seeker by laser radiation with a probability of 0.8-0.9 for no more than 1.5 s in a 360-degree zone. in azimuth and from -45 to +30 degrees. according to the elevation angle. The mass of the station did not exceed 300 kg.

It was also reported that the Aviaconversion company had developed and practically tested an unconventional method of countering missiles with thermal homing heads. During the dangerous part of the flight, the aircraft carried out a dosed spray of a small amount of fuel. When a missile launch from a thermal seeker was detected, the resulting fuel-air mixture ignited and acted as a false target, since its infrared radiation significantly exceeded the aircraft’s own radiation.

The means included in its composition ensured the detection of a missile by the infrared radiation of its engine at a distance of up to 5 km, and a pulsed laser, a “fire track” type nozzle or signal flares could be used to ignite the air-fuel mixture. The safety and effectiveness of this method of protection against missiles with a thermal seeker was practically tested on Su-24 aircraft back in 1985. Flight tests showed that the decoy starts at 6-8 m and ends at a distance of 22 m from the tail of the aircraft. It was reported that the cost of the system, along with other advantages, was significantly cheaper than laser ones.

Israel, due to its geopolitical position, attaches paramount importance to the creation of the SAZ. Intensification of efforts in this area was noted after the attack on November 28, 2002 by al-Qaeda militants with Strela-2 MANPADS on an Israeli airliner Arkia with 250 passengers taking off from the airport in Mombasa (Kenya). According to the American Rand Corporation, in the period 1975-1992. MANPADS missiles shot down about 40 civilian aircraft and killed more than 760 people.

The Israeli company Rafael is moving towards adapting a defense system against military-grade MANPADS for use on civil aircraft. After detecting an anti-aircraft missile by on-board sensors, the countermeasures equipment generates a light beam as a decoy in the direction of the attacking missile to disorient its seeker. The cost of equipping an aircraft with such a system, according to the developers, could be about $2 million. Due to the loss of thousands of MANPADS from Libyan arms depots, Israel intends to equip all its airliners with the new C-Music (Commercial-Multi Spectral Infrared Countermeasure) defensive system from El-Op. According to the creators of the system, this is the first commercially available system designed for installation on civil helicopters and aircraft to protect them from MANPADS.

The C-Music system independently detects a missile and, using directed laser radiation, creates interference in a wide infrared range, leading to disruption of the missile's aiming at the target. El-Op was awarded a contract by the Israeli government as part of the government's Sky Shield program and is worth $79 million. According to Israeli media reports, one copy of the C-Music system costs about $1.2 million. A similar Flight Guard system previously proposed by IAI was not certified in the USA and Europe as not fully meeting safety requirements. The C-Music system has it all required licenses and certificates.

IN USA, on the initiative of the Ministry national security(U.S. Department of Homeland Security - DHS), a program was developed and launched to equip 1,000 civilian aircraft with a system similar to that installed on the US Presidential aircraft and military aircraft of the US Air Force. The developments of Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems were considered as the most promising means of protection against MANPADS. To carry out the work, the companies received $45 million from DHS.

In 2007, it was reported that Northrop Grumman had equipped the MD-10 cargo plane with the Guardian missile defense system. It was modernized and adapted for use in civilian purposes Nemesis military system installed on US Air Force aircraft and helicopters. According to media reports, the system is housed in a spindle-shaped body with a length, width and height of 2.36 m, 0.8 m and 0.48 m, respectively, at total mass about 220 kg and power consumption - 1.8 kW.

The emitting laser device is placed in a yellow sphere. (photo by Northrop Grumman). The Guardian's operating algorithm is similar to the well-known ones. The system's sensors detect the missile and track its flight with continuous determination of the current coordinates; based on this data, the laser is turned on and aimed at the missile's seeker, as a result the target is lost and the missile goes away. Previously, the system was tested on aircraft such as MD-11, MD-10 and Boeing 747. It was reported that while the cost of the system itself was about $1 million per unit, its maintenance was estimated at $365 per flight, and the company produced 35-45 sets monthly .

BAE Systems has developed a system for protecting civil airliners from MANPADS called JetEye, which is also based on the use of laser radiation to “blind” the IR seeker of missiles. Rotating laser installations are located under the fuselage and planes of the aircraft. The system is based on the Advanced Threat Infrared Countermeasures System for combat aircraft protection. JetEye was tested on a Boeing B-767 airliner. Work was reported to reduce the cost of the system, improve its aerodynamic characteristics, increase the service life and maintainability of the equipment.

Along with laser defense systems to counter MANPADS missiles in the United States, as in other countries, the use and improvement of dipole reflectors and IR decoys continues. They have shown sufficient effectiveness for protecting military transport and other aircraft of the US Air Force in Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan. Thus, the Raytheon company created an anti-missile system, which, after detecting a missile defense system by a radar station, ejected a cloud of pyrophoric particles from foil, the infrared radiation of which disorients the missile's seeker.

United Kingdom is also working to create systems for protecting against missile attacks against civil aviation aircraft and helicopters. Thus, the Canning Running Software Limited (CRLS) company developed a special program designed to assess the degree of threat of a terrorist missile attack against a passenger aircraft and install ADCS (Air Defense Sitting Computer) on the computer to cover airports.

Based on aircraft flight data from a specific airport and tactical and technical characteristics MANPADS, this program provides law enforcement agencies with information about the most likely missile launch sites, which is used law enforcement agencies for preventive purposes. ADSC does not require special hardware and allows you to capture and store photographs, diagrams and text files along with air defense data. This program is used when selecting positions for deployment anti-aircraft system"Rapier" is integral part the Jernas system (export version of the Rapier air defense system), supplied to Malaysia.

Ukraine. Several years ago, the media reported that two Ukrainian enterprises (NPK Progress, Nizhyn and NPF Hadron, Kiev) created an optical-electronic suppression station (SOEP) “Adros” KT-01AV. It was noted that the Adros station, unlike other protection systems, provides all-round protection for the helicopter in conditions where its radiation power is lower than the thermal radiation power of the engines of the protected helicopter.

In addition, it does not require information about the type and frequency of operation of the missile's IR seeker, or means of detecting missile launches and tracking them in flight, is relatively simple in design and has a high degree of reliability. According to the developers, with a mass of 20 kg, the station provided all-round protection for helicopters against all types of guided missiles with an infrared seeker with a probability of disrupting a missile attack of at least 0.8.

In addition, these companies have created a passive means to reduce thermal radiation from Mi-8 and Mi-24 helicopters with TV3-117 engines. It is a screen-exhaust device (AP-1V), installed at the exhaust gas outlet of a helicopter engine. The required effect is achieved by directing the engine exhaust gases with this device towards the rotating helicopter rotor, where they are mixed with the surrounding air. As a result, the temperature of the exhaust gases drops sharply and the overall infrared radiation the helicopter itself.

Thus, today we can state two obvious facts. The essence of the first is that MANPADS, originally created as a means of protecting ground targets from air strikes, can today be actively used by terrorists as very dangerous drug attack against civilian aircraft and helicopters.

And the second fact suggests that without creation special means At present, it is not possible to provide protection for civil aviation aircraft and helicopters to counter missiles with thermal (IR) seekers. In the context of the massive proliferation of MANPADS, the confrontation between these two weapons has become one of the most current problems in the world. In this regard, to solve it, it is necessary to join efforts at the international level.

"ZARUBEZHNOE MILITARY REVIEW No. 12 .2005(pp. 37-42)

Colonel R. SHCHERBININ

In the United States, leading European countries and Israel, increased attention is being paid to the creation of technical means of protecting military transport aircraft (MTC) and civil aircraft from terrorist attacks. One of the priority areas in this area is the development of personal protection systems (PPE) for such aircraft against man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS) equipped with guided missiles with infrared homing heads.

It is noted that on modern stage Cases of the use of MANPADS by various gangs and terrorist organizations to destroy tactical fighters, helicopters and military transport aircraft have also become more frequent. Despite the presence on the machines of modern on-board defense systems (OBS) as part of warning systems for laser irradiation and radio-technical means of warning about radar irradiation, missile launches, as well as automatic releases of false thermal targets (LTC), in most cases the successful defeat of the attacked aircraft is ensured. The high efficiency of using MANPADS is determined primarily by the inability of such air defense systems to detect the fact of preparation and launch of a missile, as well as by organizing ambushes in low-altitude flight sections (or in places where helicopters hover), mainly in the areas of take-off or landing of vehicles, before the start of shooting the LTC in manual mode or according to the program. Missiles are launched, as a rule, into the rear hemisphere of the aircraft, which excludes the possibility of its visual detection by the crew. Much attention The MANPADS operator also pays attention to the choice optimal conditions for the use of the complex, including assessing the threat from combat aircraft or escort helicopters, as well as ground units, and reducing natural interference to the missile homing head, taking into account the time of day and weather conditions.

Thus, in December 2003, during takeoff from an airfield in Baghdad, the strategic military transport aircraft C-17A Globemaster was damaged by MANPADS fire (in particular, its right internal engine), in January 2004 - the strategic military transport aircraft S-5 A "Galaxy" (left external engine).

In these cases, firing from MANPADS (presumably the Strela-3 complex) was carried out from buildings along the take-off course of aircraft “in pursuit” when the engines of the aircraft were running at maximum take-off mode and they climbed to an altitude of 300-500 m. During take-off, the LTC was not released , the very fact of the missile launch and destruction was noticed by the crews only at the moment of the explosion. Both aircraft made a successful emergency landing at the airfield.

MANPADS pose the greatest danger to civil aircraft that are not equipped with on-board self-defense systems. According to American data, since the beginning of the 1970s, more than 40 civilian aircraft and helicopters have been hit by MANPADS fire, of which 30 were shot down, killing more than 1,000 people, including on the ground: for example, the Falcon 50 plane of the President of Burundi ( 1994), Boeing 727 of Congo Airlines (shot down with 40 passengers on board while taking off from Kindu airport in 1998), at least 20 attacks on civilian aircraft in Sri Lanka by the terrorist group Tamil Tigers (killing more than 20 people ), Boeing 757 airliner of the Israeli airline Arkia Airlines (fired at by two Strela MANPADS while climbing after takeoff from Mombasa airport in Kenya, November 2002), transport aircraft A.300. B4F of the American company DHL Airways (hit by an Igla MANPADS guided missile on November 22, 2003 during takeoff at Baghdad airport).

As a rule, missiles were launched from these vehicles into the rear hemisphere during the climb phase (to altitudes less than 1000 m) with the engines operating at maximum take-off mode.

The most active work on creating personal protection systems for civil aircraft against MANPADS is carried out in the USA and Israel. In particular, in the United States in December 2003, the implementation of the special Counter-MANPADS program began under the general leadership of the Department of Homeland Security. This department ensures coordination of the actions of the Ministry of Defense, developers and manufacturers of civil aircraft, as well as Northrop-Grumman and BAe Systems, leading R&D in the development of electronic equipment, including defense systems for combat aviation technology.

These companies propose to develop PPE for airliners based on systems created for military aircraft. Such systems make it possible to detect a missile launch using on-board infrared (based on the engine plume) or radar sensors, calculate its flight trajectory, as well as the moment of meeting the target, and disable the homing head with powerful narrowly directed IR radiation or divert the missile away from the protected target. false machines thermal target.

The generalized tactical and technical specifications define the main technical requirements to the created PPE. It must provide protection for an aircraft with the geometric dimensions and weight of a Boeing 737, and even for machines with large parameters during the take-off and landing stages, including during climb or descent lasting at least 10 minutes each. At the same time, the probability of attack failure during multiple sequential launches of MANPADS missiles should be at least 0.9 and with two simultaneous launches of such missiles with different directions- not less than 0.8.

The planned installation of a PPE kit weighing up to 450 kg on an aircraft should not reduce the aerodynamic quality of the aircraft at cruising altitude and flight speed by more than 1 percent. In addition, according to the requirements, the number of false alarms of PPE will be no more than one for every 100 takeoffs/landings or for 17 hours of continuous operation.

The development of such a system is carried out in two stages. IN As part of the first of them, which is estimated at $6 million, at the end of 2004, development companies presented options for personal protective equipment, proposals for its installation on aircraft and the procedure for its use, as well as estimated indicators of its effectiveness. The second phase, due for completion in early 2006 and costing more than $100 million, is to select the final version of the system and conduct flight tests on civil aircraft. various types.

First of all, it is planned to equip more than 300 US Air Force civil reserve vehicles with such PPE, which carry out a significant portion of the air transfers of personnel and military cargo to areas of military conflicts.

The Northrop-Grumman company is developing such a system based on the LAIRCM (Large Aircraft InfRared Counter Measures) AN/AAQ-24(V) PPE created and used on US Air Force planes and helicopters and its improved version together with BAe Systems. DIRCM (Direct InfRared Counter Measures) "Nemesis" (UK designation ARI 18246).

Both PPE include the AN/AAR-54(V) missile launch warning subsystem from Northrop-Grumman, whose equipment (four sensors with a field of view of 120° each) detects in the ultraviolet wavelength range the fact of a missile launch based on the radiation from its engine plume. The obtained data, after processing in the system's on-board computer, allows one to calculate the missile's flight path, track it with an optical sensor, and determine the time and direction of the bellows radiation to disrupt target acquisition by the homing head.

The main difference between these PPE is the use of a cesium lamp in the LAIRCM AN/AAQ-24(V) system, and the Viper laser source in the Nemesis system. The latter has smaller weight and size characteristics and power consumption, an expanded range of jamming wavelengths, covering almost the entire operating range of missile homing heads of modern MANPADS.

Serial production and installation of the first batch of the AN/AAQ-24(V) system on military transport aircraft of the US Air Force began in 2002. In total, 12 C-17 aircraft (AN/AAQ-24(V) 12) and eight C-130 Hercules military aircraft (AN/AAQ-24(V)13) are equipped with such PPE. In 2005, it is planned to complete the installation of the system on another 43 military-technical aircraft S-17 and 24 S-130, as well as on 12 strategic transport and refueling aircraft KC-135 Stratotanker.

The US Air Force purchased more than 60 sets of the Nemesis system, which are equipped with aircraft of the force special operations AC-130H/U "Spectrum"/"Spooky" and MS-130E/N "Combat Talon", and the UK - more than 180 sets that will be installed on 21 types of aircraft, including 13 BAe 146 aircraft designed for transportation of the country's top military-political leadership.

In order to reduce the cost installation work When equipping civil aircraft, this company developed a container version of an autonomous system that receives only power from the carrier. The container is supposed to be installed in the lower part of the fuselage of the vehicle.

Flight tests of the system are planned to be carried out on Boeing 747 and MD-11 aircraft. According to the company's management, this kit can be certified by the US Federal Aviation Administration this year, and its installation on 300 US Air Force civil reserve vehicles is possible within 28 months after the decision is made.

The purchase of the kit and the labor to install it on the aircraft is estimated at $1.9 million, and the cost of operation and maintenance will be $27/flight hour. By increasing the number of equipped vehicles to 1,000 units, the cost of the kit and its installation will drop to almost $1 million.

A similar system is presented by BAe Systems. It is also designed as an autonomous hanging container and is a simplified version of the AN/ALQ-212(V) airborne defense system ATIRCM (Advanced Threat InfRared Counter Measures), installed on helicopters army aviation and special operations forces ground forces USA and also British attack helicopters"Apache" Mk. 1. It is based on the AN/AAR-57(V) missile launch warning subsystem and the Agile AI laser jammer TADIRCM (Tactical Aircraft Directable InfRared Counter Measures), developed for the US Navy and planned to equip F/A-18 carrier-based tactical fighter-attack aircraft. Cost of installation

per aircraft kit is about $1 million.

According to preliminary estimates American experts, the financial cost of equipping about 6,900 civil aircraft registered in the United States with PPE will amount to more than $10 billion.

A group of American firms led by United Airlines has developed another PPE project for civil aircraft, which did not pass competitive evaluation in the United States, but is used on aircraft in other countries. The basis of the presented system WIPPS (Widebody Integrated Platform Protection System) consists of two missile launch warning subsystems: AN/AAR-47(V)1, operating in the ultraviolet wavelength range and providing detection of the fact of a missile launch, and active Doppler radar MWS-20 (processor weight 10 kg, antenna set about 9 kg) , according to which the missile is tracked, its trajectory is calculated, and commands are issued to the AN/ALE-47 automatic weapon for shooting false thermal targets. The total weight of the system kit is about 120 kg.

All elements of PPE are built into the most available seats aircraft designs. In particular, in accordance with the contract, which is estimated at $12 million (the cost of personal protective equipment is 700 thousand), the A.340 aircraft of the King of Jordan is equipped with the WIPPS system. The sensors and antennas of the front hemisphere vision subsystems are located in the center section area under the toe of the wing root, and the rear hemisphere vision subsystems and the LTC firing machine are located in the sponsons of the landing gear niches.

In Israel, several companies are developing PPE. In particular, Elta created the Fly Guard system, which is based on the EL/2160 missile launch warning radar subsystem and LTC reset machines

More than 150 aircraft of the armed forces of 10 countries are already equipped with this system, including European military transport aircraft S. 160 Transall, and it is considered as intermediate option for equipping civil aircraft.

Thus, a contract worth about $1.5 million was signed with the development company to conduct additional flight tests of PPE and obtain certification from the Israeli Civil Aviation Authority.

The Rafael company began flight evaluation of the Brightning PPE as part of the Guitar-350 IR missile launch warning system, which includes four sensors; gyro-stabilized tube noise generator and LTC reset machines. According to the company's specialists, such a system (weighing about 100 kg) can provide effective protection for a twin-engine Boeing 777 type aircraft. To protect larger aircraft, for example, four-engine Boeing 747 or A.340, it is planned to equip them with two jammers. In this case, the weight of the installed system will increase to 160 kg. The power consumption of PPE in review mode is 300 W, and in combat mode - 10 kW.

However, it should be noted that equipping civil aircraft with PPE will not fully ensure their safety, especially during landing. The presence of a significant (more than 15-20 km) section of straight flight at low (250 m or less) altitude at a speed of up to 300 km/h with fully extended wing mechanization and landing gear practically eliminates the possibility of the aircraft performing an evasive maneuver and allows terrorists to use it on a par with MANPADS and other means of destruction. So, in lately V

In areas of various conflicts, cases of shelling of aircraft both on the ground and in the air with such weapons as hand-held or mounted anti-tank grenade launchers and anti-tank missile systems. In particular, several C-130 Hercules military transport aircraft and UH-60 Black Hawk multipurpose helicopters in Iraq received significant damage as a result of hits from anti-tank grenades from RPG-7s.

Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, speaking at conference call, noted that one of the most important priorities military construction this year will be the rearmament of the Air Force with new equipment.

In addition to the latest combat aircraft, such as the Su-35 or MiG-35, the troops will also receive new electronic equipment. Moreover, many electronic systems just recently seemed unattainably fantastic.

Indicative figures were recently presented by the management of the Radioelectronic Technologies concern, the main developer of electronic systems for the army and air force. The latest complexes of on-board radio-electronic equipment and measuring equipment alone were supplied to the troops last year in the amount of more than 36 billion rubles. And electronic warfare systems worth 17.1 billion. And, I must say, the Ministry of Defense did not spend a lot of money in vain. All samples received by the military are built on domestic components and are not inferior in their characteristics to foreign analogues, and often surpass them.

For example, the Vitebsk family of complexes provides reliable protection for Ka-52 helicopters and Su-25 attack aircraft from all types of missiles with infrared homing heads. And these are the main means of destroying man-portable anti-aircraft missile systems and air-to-air missiles. No “Stingers” are scary for our “Alligators” and “Rooks” carrying “Vitebsk” on board. Tests of modifications of this complex have been completed, which will provide protection even for heavy Mi-26 helicopters and military transport aircraft.

No less interesting is the powerful multifunctional anti-missile system"Khibiny". It provides individual protection for aircraft against missile attacks from enemy fighters and ground-based air defense systems. This complex creates a kind of protective electronic cloud around the aircraft, and even guided missiles lose their target and go to the side.

The Rychag-AV electronic warfare systems are truly unique. They are used as part of strike aviation groups to ensure a breakthrough of almost any air defense system. These electronic warfare systems actively suppress the operation of all types of radar stations. And even the most modern American anti-aircraft missile system"Patriot" becomes blind and helpless. The strike of a Russian air group with cover “levers” is irresistible.

And there is also such a wonderful electronic warfare complex as Krasukha-2. It can blind and deafen not only long-range radar surveillance aircraft such as AWACS, but also the space component of our enemies’ missile guidance systems.

This year the troops will receive two Krasukha-2 mobile complexes.

When meeting with Krasukha-2, AWACS systems cease to understand where they are, where they are, and what needs to be controlled

It is unlikely that there are any worthy analogues of this “smartest” radio-electronic gun in the world today. If necessary, the complex can simply burn out all the electronic systems of an enemy aircraft, high-precision missile or low-orbit satellite. But this is a last resort. And so “Krasukha-2” is a master at creating false images and literally “driving” enemy strike systems crazy.

Typically highly accurate rocket weapon is induced by constant radio exchange with command post. In NATO, such points are AWACS aircraft, which, in turn, are connected to various satellite constellations. So, an electronic warfare station with a sweet name, as soon as AWACS enters its coverage area, is carefully integrated into all its secure communication channels. And then it begins to carefully distort the signals transmitted and received by the flying command post.

As experts say, and this seems to be confirmed by tests, very quickly AWACS ceases to distinguish between where it is and where it is, and does not understand what, in fact, needs to be controlled. The result may well be an attack on one’s own military installations, which suddenly appear completely hostile.

Small-sized automated radars "Garmon", of course, are not as impressive as formidable systems Electronic warfare, but they also fit well into an integrated air defense and air traffic control system. "Garmon" provides detection and tracking of various air objects, determination of their nationality, automatic delivery of route information to the complexes automated systems management. These complexes were successfully tested during Olympic Games in Sochi. Now their serial production and delivery to the troops has begun.

Returning to the previously raised topic about means of protecting aircraft from man-portable anti-aircraft missile systems (MANPADS), the following should be noted. The creation of MANPADS in the early seventies of the last century was an important step in improving the means of protection against attacks by air attack weapons. And the results of their use were quite impressive.

Thus, only in November-December 1969 in the Arab-Israeli war, the first domestic MANPADS of the Strela-2 type shot down 12, and from May 1981 to June 1982 in the Golan Heights region - more than 10 Israeli aircraft and helicopters. The problem of protecting aircraft from MANPADS not only persisted, but also worsened over time. Thus, during the NATO war in the Balkans in 1999, only actions from altitudes of more than 3500 m and the use of precision weapons allowed NATO aircraft to avoid significant losses from Yugoslav anti-aircraft missiles with infrared homing heads (GOS).

Thus, MANPADS created as a means of defense today can be considered as an effective high-precision means of attack. Moreover, the problem of protection against it very quickly acquired an international status, and the creation of means of protection against MANPADS, especially for civil aviation, became the most important area of work in various countries. What else, besides the domestic MANTA civil aircraft protection system, deserves attention?

Russia Today it has rightfully become one of the world leaders in the creation of active protection systems against MANPADS. Thus, in 2010, at the international arms exhibition Eurosatory-2010 in Paris, the Russian active protection system (APS) for President-S helicopters against MANPADS attacks. The frenzy of interest around this development showed how high the world's interest in this technology is. At the same time, this fact also suggests that the Russian defense industry is alive and capable, if necessary and with timely funding, of creating products that are ahead of foreign ones.

To evaluate the President-S SAZ, they installed it on mock-ups of various aircraft and fired at it with one of the most effective Igla MANPADS in the world. According to Alexander Kobzar, general director of Zenit, where the emitter of a narrowly targeted optical-electronic suppression system was created, after turning on the President-S SAZ, all missiles deviated away from the target and self-destructed.

For testing, a Mi-8 helicopter was installed on a special tower, the engines of which operated at maximum load and produced maximum infrared radiation, and the Igla was launched from a distance of 1000 m. However, in these very favorable conditions, the MANPADS missile went into side away from the target.

As noted by Professor A. Kobzar, the effectiveness of the entire SAZ is determined by the highly targeted and specially modulated radiation of the sapphire lamp. It creates a kind of phantom target in the missile control system, the location of which differs from the current coordinates of the real target. As a result, the rocket flies into empty space and at a certain time self-destructs according to the program embedded in it.

Earlier, the media reported about the Russian all-angle laser jamming station "Klen-M"(“Design Bureau of Automatic Systems”, Samara), which was intended for protection against surface-to-air and air-to-air missiles with infrared seekers. The system could be installed on both military and civil aircraft.

Due to the loss of thousands of MANPADS from Libyan arms depots, Israel intends to equip all its airliners with the new C-Music (Commercial-Multi Spectral Infrared Countermeasure) defensive system from El-Op. According to the creators of the system, this is the first commercially available system designed for installation on civil helicopters and aircraft to protect them from MANPADS.

A similar Flight Guard system previously proposed by IAI was not certified in the USA and Europe as not fully meeting safety requirements. The C-Music system has all the necessary licenses and certificates.

IN USA, at the initiative of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), a program was developed and launched to equip 1,000 civilian aircraft with a system similar to that installed on the US Presidential aircraft and military aircraft of the US Air Force. The developments of Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems were considered as the most promising means of protection against MANPADS. To carry out the work, the companies received $45 million from DHS.

In 2007, it was reported that Northrop Grumman had equipped the MD-10 cargo plane with the Guardian missile defense system. It was a modernized and adapted for civilian use Nemesis military system installed on US Air Force aircraft and helicopters. According to media reports, the system is housed in a spindle-shaped housing with a length, width and height of 2.36 m, 0.8 m and 0.48 m, respectively, with a total weight of about 220 kg and power consumption of 1.8 kW.

Along with laser defense systems to counter MANPADS missiles in the US, as in other countries, The use and improvement of dipole reflectors and IR traps continues. They have shown sufficient effectiveness for protecting military transport and other aircraft of the US Air Force in Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan. Thus, the Raytheon company created an anti-missile system, which, after detecting a missile defense system by a radar station, ejected a cloud of pyrophoric particles from foil, the infrared radiation of which disorients the missile's seeker.

Based on data on aircraft flights from a specific airport and the tactical and technical characteristics of MANPADS, this program provides law enforcement agencies with information about the most likely missile launch sites, which is used by law enforcement agencies for preventive purposes. ADSC does not require special hardware and allows you to capture and store photographs, diagrams and text files along with air defense data. This program is used when selecting positions for the deployment of the Rapier anti-aircraft system and is an integral part of the Jernas system (export version of the Rapier air defense system) supplied to Malaysia.

Ukraine. Several years ago, the media reported that two Ukrainian enterprises (NPC Progress, Nizhyn and NPF Adron, Kiev) created optical-electronic suppression station (SOEP) "Adros" KT-01AV. It was noted that the Adros station, unlike other protection systems, provides all-round protection for the helicopter in conditions where its radiation power is lower than the thermal radiation power of the engines of the protected helicopter.

In addition, these companies have created a passive means to reduce thermal radiation from Mi-8 and Mi-24 helicopters with TV3-117 engines. It represents screen-exhaust device (AP-1V), installed at the exhaust gas outlet of a helicopter engine. The required effect is achieved by directing the engine exhaust gases with this device towards the rotating helicopter rotor, where they are mixed with the surrounding air. As a result, the temperature of the exhaust gases drops sharply and the overall infrared radiation of the helicopter itself decreases.

Thus, today we can state two obvious facts. The essence of the first is that MANPADS, originally created as a means of protecting ground targets from air strikes, can today be actively used by terrorists as a very dangerous means of attack against civilian aircraft and helicopters.

And the second fact suggests that without the creation of special means of countering missiles with thermal (IR) seekers, the protection of civil aviation aircraft and helicopters cannot currently be ensured. In the context of the massive proliferation of MANPADS, the confrontation between these two weapons has become one of the most pressing problems in the world. In this regard, to solve it, it is necessary to join efforts at the international level.

One of the main threats to helicopters is man-portable air defense systems. Such weapons make it possible to attack various low-altitude air targets at distances of no more than a few kilometers, which makes it a convenient means of protecting troops from possible air attacks. As a result, special equipment is required that can protect a helicopter or other aircraft from attack by anti-aircraft weapons. The main method of defense is false thermal targets. In addition, to date, our country has developed new complex protection of President-S helicopters.

The project of the President-S airborne defense complex (ADS) has been developed since the middle of the last decade. Several enterprises that are part of the Radioelectronic Technologies Concern (KRET) were involved in its creation. The Moscow Scientific and Technical Center "Reagent", SKB "Zenith", Scientific and Technical Center "Elins" and the Research Institute "Ekran" were involved in the project. All these organizations were engaged in the creation of individual components of the complex intended to solve certain problems. The main task of the President-S BKO is to protect the aircraft from surface-to-air missiles, including portable air defense missiles. The existing elements of the complex are capable of monitoring the situation, finding potentially dangerous objects, detecting missile launches and taking measures necessary to disrupt the attack.

The first public information about the President-S complex appeared in June 2010. Some components of the promising BKO were shown at the Eurosatory 2010 exhibition in Paris. At the same time, KRET representatives spoke about the purpose of the new system and some of its features. In addition, five years ago it became known not only about the existence of the project, but also about some of the successes that its authors managed to achieve.

Laser station for optical-electronic suppression. Photo Kret.com

Domestic funds mass media with reference to the developers, they reported that the President-S BKO had already passed some tests. At the same time, the tests went as far as checking the operation of systems on the base platform. As it was said then, the stand for such tests was a converted Mi-8 helicopter, which was installed on a special mast on an elevated platform. The helicopter engines were brought to maximum power, which was supposed to facilitate the operation of the missile guidance systems used in the tests.

From a distance of about 1 km, Igla MANPADS were fired at the helicopter. Despite the maximum engine operating mode, large number generated heat and a relatively short distance, the President-S defense complex successfully detected missiles and thwarted attacks. All missiles missed their target.

To date, enough has been published detailed information about the President-S complex in general and its individual components. According to the Ekran Research Institute, the complex includes the following means: a control device, warning stations for radar and laser irradiation, a missile attack warning station, an aircraft jamming device, an active jamming station, an incoherent optical-electronic suppression station, as well as optical-electronic suppression laser station.

The complex's equipment is mounted on a base helicopter and, after appropriate training, is capable of performing search tasks for potentially dangerous missiles with their further suppression and disruption of the attack. To detect enemy anti-aircraft weapons, a set of stations operating in various parts spectrum Several units for detecting radar and laser irradiation are mounted around the perimeter of the helicopter. In addition, ultraviolet missile launch detection systems are provided. Thus, the automation of the President-S BKO is capable of independently identifying enemy radar and laser systems, as well as timely detection of missile launches.

The central system of the complex, the control device, receives signals about irradiation or missile launches. The detection means of the complex are capable of not only detecting the fact of irradiation or launch, but also determining the direction to the detected object. This data is taken into account by the control device, which makes decisions about the use of protection systems. To counter various threats, the President-S complex provides different systems.

Architecture of one of the complex options. Drawing Ria.ru

It is proposed to suppress enemy radar systems using an active jamming station. This station must be activated when the enemy uses radar or anti-aircraft missiles with radar homing heads of all types. The active jamming station of the President-S complex can emit interference in a sector 120° wide in azimuth and 60° in elevation. The manufacturer notes that the sector sizes depend on the type of base aircraft and are subject to change.

Consuming up to 2500 VA from a 115/200 V 400 Hz circuit or 300 W from a 27 V circuit, the active jammer has an energy potential of 150 W. A nomenclature of the main types of interference has been implemented in the ranges from G to J. The total weight of the active jamming station is 51.5 kg.

An additional means of countering enemy electronic weapons are the so-called. disposable jammers (SPOI). These products are small devices (weighing no more than 600 g) with low-power (energy potential up to 2 W) radio transmitters. It is proposed to shoot disposable jamming transmitters from existing aircraft expendable ejection devices. Thus, depending on the situation and the existing situation, the automation can shoot false thermal targets or throw out PPOI.

From the available data it follows that in the first versions of the President-S BKO, there was only one optical-electronic suppression system - incoherent. Later, a laser system for a similar purpose was added to it. Despite the use of various equipment and emitters different types, both stations are intended to solve the same problem. With their help, the complex should divert incoming missiles with infrared homing heads from the aircraft.

Back in 2010, KRET specialists described general principle operation of an incoherent suppression station. It was reported that the “working part” of this device is a special sapphire lamp. The automation of the complex, using data from existing sensors, determines the position of the missile relative to the helicopter, after which it aims the optical device of the suppression station. The lamp's radiation “deceives” the missile's homing head, causing it to lose its target in the form of an aircraft and pass by it. After a miss, the missile self-destructs after the estimated flight time has expired. It was noted that at that time no one in the world was able to solve this problem and put new equipment into series.

Active jamming station equipment from the President-S BKO. Photo Niiekran.ru

By now, it has become known about the existence of another optical-electronic suppression station proposed for use as part of the President-S airborne defense complex. This station can be made in the form of a block for installation in the internal volumes of an aircraft or in the form of a hanging container. Regardless of its design, the laser suppression station is capable of effectively solving the assigned tasks of countering infrared homing heads of various types of missiles.

The main element of a laser station is a laser installation based on a multispectral solid-state or gas laser. Associated with the laser is an optical-mechanical unit responsible for pointing the laser beam at the target. The station is also equipped with a power supply, control system and other components for various purposes. The design of the station makes it possible to suppress missiles in a working sector with a width of 360° in azimuth and 90° in elevation. In standby mode, the station consumes no more than 2000 VA, in operating mode – 5000 VA. The total weight of the equipment does not exceed 150 kg.

The laser power of the President-S BKO station allows you to perform assigned tasks at distances from 500 to 5000 m. Missile suppression is ensured both during single launches and in salvos. In the latter case, the laser beam sequentially “blinds” the homing heads of several missiles. Targeting is carried out based on target designation of other means of the defense complex. The fact of hitting a target is recorded by the station independently. A signal that an enemy missile has been suppressed is the “reverse glare” of the reflected beam.

In 2015, the press service of the Radio-Electronic Weapons Concern and the domestic press mentioned the President-S complex several times. Thus, in early June, publications appeared reminiscent of the existence promising project and its main features. There were no new information in these messages.

On November 2, RIA published information received from KRET Deputy General Director for R&D of electronic warfare equipment and innovations, Yuri Mayevsky. The specialist said that the promising President-S airborne defense system was tested at the training grounds of the Ministry of Defense and confirmed its characteristics. During inspections carried out jointly with the military department, latest system defense has shown high efficiency in protecting the base aircraft from fire using various guided missiles.

Disposable jammer. Photo Niiekran.ru

During the checks, testers carried out a large number of launches of portable missiles anti-aircraft systems"Igla" on helicopters equipped with equipment of the "President-S" system. Both single and salvo launches were carried out. At the same time, two missiles were launched simultaneously, including from different directions and from different distances. According to Yu. Mayevsky, all the missiles during the tests were unable to hit their targets. As a result of the actions of the President-S BKO, the missiles moved away from their targets without causing any damage to them.

The test results, according to the expert, allow us to assert that Russia has created a reliable system for protecting airplanes and helicopters from various guided missiles equipped with optical homing heads.

According to Mayevsky and RIA Novosti, some components of the President-S complex are already installed on several types of aircraft. Thus, optical-electronic suppression subsystems are mounted on Mi-28 and Ka-52 combat helicopters. In addition, Mi-26 transport helicopters and Il-76 aircraft receive such equipment.

According to KRET and the media, the President-S airborne defense complex and its individual systems can be mounted on other types of aircraft. For example, the development organization previously mentioned the possibility of using such equipment to protect civil airliners. It was argued that such equipment could be a convenient and simple response to emerging threats. The latest coups d'etat and local wars have led to the fact that in the arsenals terrorist organizations There may be man-portable anti-aircraft missile systems. To protect against possible attacks using such air carriers, air carriers can use the President-S BKO, which provides reliable protection against MANPADS.

This summer, First Deputy General Director of the Radioelectronic Technologies Concern Igor Nasenkov said that the possibility of effective protection against MANPADS missiles makes the President-S complex interesting for foreign partners. The states of the Middle East are considered as potential customers, Latin America and Southeast Asia.

The materials on the President-S project mention that this complex is capable of protecting aircraft not only from MANPADS of the Igla family. The promising BKO can also counter missiles of previous models, such as the Strela, as well as foreign weapons of this class, for example, the American-made Stinger systems.

Also, the “target” of the equipment of the President-S complex can be optical-electronic systems of various anti-aircraft artillery systems. In this case, apparently, the complex’s means operate according to the same algorithm as when suppressing missile homing heads, but taking into account the characteristics of ground-based air defense systems. The detection systems of the complex determine the location of enemy optical-electronic means, such as sights or laser rangefinders, after which a laser or incoherent suppression station is aimed at the target and sends a powerful pulse of radiation at it, making it impossible further work in normal mode.

Despite statements by the heads of the development organization, information about potential orders for the supply of the President-S BKO foreign countries not yet available. So far, there is only information about the supply of equipment of this complex to domestic aircraft manufacturing enterprises, which use it in the construction or modernization of various types of aircraft. Thus, the carriers various elements promising complex so far are only Russian planes and helicopters.

According to the latest data, the President-S airborne defense complex was recently tested at the training grounds of the Ministry of Defense. The complex successfully solved all the tasks assigned to it, as a result of which not a single one of the MANPADS missiles launched during the tests was able to hit its target in the form of a helicopter equipped with a BKO. Information also appeared about the installation of this equipment on domestic aircraft and helicopters. There is no information yet about the adoption of the President-S complex into service. Perhaps the corresponding orders from the command will appear in the very near future.

Based on materials from sites:
http://ria.ru/
http://tass.ru/
http://kret.com/
http://niiekran.ru/
http://nevskii-bastion.ru/

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