A year ago, on 7 October 2015 the start-up of rockets of a new type of “Gauge” with several small Russian ships in the Caspian sea has dramatically changed the global military-political balance. Whether it was justified and whether the rocket strikes on terrorists worth it?, writes life.ru
Cruise missiles seldom influence politics by themselves and never do this without the spectacular demonstration. The Tomahawks were the first such weapons — they have become symbols of the war in the Persian Gulf and for a long time determined the balance of fear and hope enemies and allies around the world. The appearance on the world military-political scene, where the more advanced domestic “Caliber” Americans a monopoly on the “politics of missile gunboats”.
Nuclear father “Caliber”
Photo: © anaga.ru
Contrary to popular belief, “Caliber” was not the first domestic cruise missile that changed the global balance of power by the very fact of its existence. In fact, the first such facility appeared almost immediately after the US had adopted a “Tomahawk”.
There is a legend that the width of the railway track at the time was determined by the size of the horse-drawn carriages. And if it is not so for the railway, with “Caliber” and “Tomahawks” was published just such a story. In 1931, the us Navy adopted a torpedo for submarines, which had a caliber of 533 mm. Tradition was strong: “Tomahawk”, which came out a third of a century later, were set to the dimensions of the capsules for torpedoes in the early 30s.
Length torpedo, constructed in the 1920’s, was modest — a total of 6.25 meters. The rocket of this size could not be sufficiently fast, powerful and fly in a high ballistic trajectory. So it had to make subsonic (so increased range) and low-altitude, designed to break at low altitude and large groups. When the Soviet Union in the years 1975-1983 I had to make a response to the Tomahawks — cruise missiles “Garnet” — its constructors to have the trump card. Soviet torpedo at the same caliber had a length of 8 meters, and thus the rocket could make long.
Alas, the “Grenade” with no luck. In 1989-1991 due to new agreements the USSR and the USA all cruise missiles with nuclear warheads had to be removed and to take ashore. Instant disarm the Soviet side in this plan was essentially unilateral. The Tomahawks were immediately developed for the Third world, and attacks in a conventional war with a nonnuclear warhead.
And non-nuclear warheads for “Pomegranate” is just not planned to put. The fact that in the 1960s in our country conducted research that demonstrated the feasibility of “counter-strikes” on missile means of the enemy. To prevent shoot down cruise missiles with nuclear part, some of them can get ahead and make a counter nuclear explosions in the hallway of the promotion. Missile/air defense of the enemy will be “purged” from this corridor. So the main wave of Soviet cruise missiles with nuclear warheads hit targets without resistance. In this paradigm, non-performance potentially reduces the efficiency of the rocket. Against nuclear power with a developed defense of the use of such rockets have lost meaning. And to fight cruise missiles against all sorts of Livy and Iraq in the USSR, unlike the USA, is not particularly planned.
Export the godfather
Photo: © wikipedia.org/Allocer
In 1991, the world has changed. The defense needed to survive, which on the basis of “Grenade” and new developments, the designers created the rocket, later dubbed the Club 3M-14E. It was the export version, and trimmed the length so as to fit into a short torpedo tubes NATO standard. To meet the standards of international agreements on exports of missile weapons, range is limited to 300 kilometers. In these difficult times, when the defense Ministry was not interested in the new high-tech weapons, hopes for export-fuelled new developments. They seriously become useful in the beginning of the XXI century, when it became clear that cooperation between Russia and NATO is developing does not go as planned came to power mladodemokratov in 1991.
Since 2004 the Russian side, in response to the US action, said that does not feel more obligated to store nuclear warheads for cruise missiles on the shore. Soon after the testing of new missiles in the dimensions of the old, “Grenade”, but with the use of new technologies, tried to export the shortened version.
Future “Caliber” received a fundamentally new components of guidance systems. He uses to accurately hit the target inertial navigation system and radar homing for the correction of its trajectory in the final section. There he and GLONASS receiver. Improvements have sharply reduced circular error probable of new products. Although its precise size is unknown (the secret) doctrines, as stated by the representatives of the Navy, managed to put a rocket in five meters from the goal. Because of this, even in the non-nuclear version with a warhead of 450 kilograms “Caliber” was a dangerous opponent.
Like a rocket with a range of 300 kilometers, changed the strategic balance of power in the world?
Many remember how unexpected was for the General public the first launch of the “Caliber” of 7 October 2015. Conventional media figure the range of the rockets was 300 miles, but they flew from the Caspian sea to Syria five times more — 1500 miles — and through difficult terrain of Iran and part of Iraq. By the way, both these States have given their consent to the passage of Russian missiles. It is worth Recalling that when the United States attacked in order, no permission, no one asked, although in the same Afghanistan by their “Tomahawks” flew “transit” through the territory of sovereign States.
According to international practice, by sending their military planes through the airspace of other countries, you must obtain permission for their flight. In 2015, Russia has set a new precedent. For the first time in the world to countries not participating in the war, by agreement with them flew no planes, and cruise missiles. High in the sky it’s been a few “Caliber”, which, quite possibly, without warning, didn’t even see the air defense of Iran and Iraq. Russian rocket have opened a new page in the regulation of international air space.
However, back to range “Calibers”. As 300 miles turned into fifteen hundred? The fact is that during the development of the “Calibre” it decided not to do a highly specialized system for global nuclear strike (what was the “Pomegranate”), a flexible and modular tool. The “Caliber” has a range of up to 500 kilometers (with a conventional warhead — presumably 375 kilometers). In this final section, with additional booster stages, the ability to go at supersonic speed to 2.7—2.9 max. According to the commander of the black sea fleet, in such supersonic anti-ship configuration “Caliber” can control the area of 800 thousand square kilometers (S=πR2, where R =500 km ). It’s not so little — from the Russian black sea coast it is capable of threatening NATO ships entering through the Bosphorus into the Black sea.
However, in October last year, the ships of the Caspian flotilla used the version for attacks by land. It lacks the supersonic “dash” at the last segments of the trajectory (and in support of the additional stage) – after air defense of ground targets weaker air defense carrier battle group, under which imprisoned anti – “Caliber”. But in exchange for a “breakthrough” propulsion stage land is more fuel. So it can fly with high explosive warhead 450 kg 1500 kilometres, and with a lighter nuclear 2,600 kilometers. The latest version of its carrier — no matter the ship or submarine is in sight more than five million square kilometers of the earth’s surface.
Last year’s launch was first shown to the General public, what “Caliber” the balance of power is irrevocably changed not only the Russian banks, but also throughout the middle East, and, in fact, and around the world. Anyone can take a ruler and make sure that Russian “gunboats” with a displacement of less than 1,000 tons from the Caspian sea to take out missiles from China to Italy and from Saudi Arabia to the capital of Germany. But the media “Calibres” are not only in the Caspian sea.
To beat monopoly
Photo: © REUTERS/Jonathan Sunderman/U.S. Navy//Handout
Of course, the American side was aware of the availability of our country has such missiles, and to a memorable start since 2012, when the “Gauge” was adopted. The Russian military back then honestly have their range. But in the same way as “Tomahawks”, to know about long arm is one thing, but to see it in action is another. Americans since 1991 has established a monopoly on diplomacy nuclear missile gunboat — small ships, capable of holding at gunpoint from millions of square kilometers. This allowed them to apply the anonymous attacks on peaceful countries. For example, in 2009, without a Declaration of war two “Tomahawk” hit on Yemen. When it became clear that USA with the inherent accuracy and grace they killed more than 20 children, 14 women and 6 men, the American military-diplomatic sources did not confirm that the strike was just American. Only in 2011, thanks to Wikileaks, it became known that it was precisely state “Tomahawk”.
Russia, demonstrating a “Caliber” in public, this monopoly was destroyed. It is especially important that the new missile well ahead of the “Tomahawk”. Video launches “Caliber” was posted by the Russian military for a reason. On record small missile ships fired all their missiles in seconds. This is a compelling demonstration of superiority over the “Tomahawk”. Even big American ships carrying dozens of cruise missiles, the real speed of their start — one in 20-30 minutes. With such speed they were allowed the U.S. Navy during strikes against Syria in 2014.
Four ships of the Caspian flotilla in this video at a time, dumped as much as four huge destroyer URO, the U.S. Navy is not able to shoot at the same time. Each of these destroyers is worth more than our entire Caspian flotilla. No need to explain how the rate is important in real military conflict.
Not less important and superior range, and otsutstvujushiy the American missiles leap before impact at supersonic speed. The existing version of “Tomahawk” ( Block IV ) are unable to hit targets at a range of 1,600 kilometers. And even to reach it, the state, the designers had to ease the warhead of up to 340 pounds, compared to 450 in “Caliber”, which thus became still more powerful opponent. So if a Russian ship with a displacement of 900 tons can reach American bases in the Persian Gulf missiles, American ships — even 15-20 times larger — from the same Persian Gulf to respond adequately to Russia will not be able.
Photo: © wikimedia.org/Marko M
As shown by this photo from Serbian Museum, subsonic Tomahawks can be shot down by any decent defense (even Yugoslav, Soviet-equipped systems).
Ґbr />In the case of the conflict surrounding the Russian seas all the advantages are on the side of her missiles. After all, the United States marine anti-ship missile is the Harpoon that was created in the 1970s. warhead half the size of the heavy warhead version, “Caliber”, and the range does not exceed 220 kilometers. In a missile duel U.S. warships is simply nothing to oppose our fleet.
How did it happen? Yes, the creators of “Tomahawk” made them anti-ship version is much more powerful and distant than the “Harpoon”. However, after 1991 the American elite have written off from the accounts of Russia, believing it as an independent power was gone from the world stage. The fallacy is still not completely weathered the ocean — remember Obama’s words about “regional power”. So US Navy have simply withdrawn their anti-ship Tomahawks. They have only the ground version for attacks on the weakest countries, deprived of the fleet and unable to retaliate. So even a missile duel between American destroyer and a tiny Russian “Brawler” in the next few years is almost impossible. The Western contempt for other countries, as has happened in the 1940s, once again played in favor of Russia. Of course, now the States are actively working to fix his mistake, but it will take years. For the first time in the history of American diplomacy, missile gunboat” her arguments sound less convincing than the opponents. Maybe this will temporarily relieve us of further demonstrations “Tomahawk” at the next country targets.
