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Anti-missile system mobile ground-based thaad. THAAD missile defense complex. Command post of the complex

Which are designed to destroy operational-tactical and medium-range ballistic missiles.

Anti-missile system (PRK) long-range interception THAAD. Photo: Reuters

As reported on the official website of the US Pacific Command, the missile defense system is designed "exclusively to protect the Republic of Korea from the nuclear missile threat from the North (DPRK)". This happened against the backdrop of North Korea testing ballistic missiles.

The South Korean Ministry of Defense has confirmed that the THAAD system is planned to be located in Seongju County at the site of a former Lotte Corporation golf course, the agency said. In 1-2 months, the deployment of this latest missile defense system will be completed.

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The development of the American THAAD mobile anti-missile system was launched in 1992 by a group of industrial enterprises led by Lockheed Martin Missiles and Space. In early 1995, prototypes of the launcher were deployed at the White Sands missile defense range (New Mexico). In January 2006, a deal was concluded with Lockheed Martin for the supply of the first 2 THAAD systems with 48 anti-missiles for them. At this time, 39 test launches are known (including the interception of a training target in conditions close to combat), 31 of which were considered successful.

The performance characteristics of THAAD

The THAAD anti-missile is a single-stage solid propellant (launch weight 900 kg, length 617 and maximum body diameter 37 cm), consists of a head section, a transition compartment and a solid propellant rocket engine (RDTT) with a tail stabilizer skirt, developed by Pratt & Whitney.

The anti-missile warhead is made in the form of a detachable self-guided interception stage of kinetic action, designed to hit ballistic targets by direct hit. In its bow part, a double-leaf aerodynamic fairing, which is dropped at the end of the flight of the anti-missile (PR), is installed.

The interception stage includes: a multispectral infrared homing head (GOS), operating in the middle (3.3 - 3.8 microns) and far (7 - 10 microns) sections of the IR range, a command-inertial control system, as well as a propulsion system ( remote control) maneuvering and spatial orientation.

THAAD is designed to destroy operational-tactical missiles (OTR, firing range up to 1000 km) and medium-range ballistic missiles (IRBM, up to 3500 km) at altitudes of 40-150 km and ranges up to 200 km.

Launcher

The launcher accommodates ten launchers in transport and launch containers. They are mounted in a single module on the chassis of a 10-ton M1075 tractor, developed on the basis of a heavy off-road truck manufactured by Oshkosh Truck Corporation. The total weight of the launcher is 40 tons, the length is 12 m and the height is 3.25 m. It takes 30 minutes to recharge it. The launchers of the THAAD complex are air transportable and can be redeployed on C-141 heavy cargo aircraft.

Command post

The command post (CP) can be removed from the radar station (RLS) at a distance of up to 14 km. It provides signal processing, data exchange between the CP.

The THAAD complex uses the so-called "kinetic interception" concept - only the kinetic energy of the hardware unit is used to hit the target. According to the developers, due to the high kinetic energy of the hardware unit, the THAAD complex should be significantly more effective against obsolete ballistic missiles (such as R-17).

In modern realities, the countries of the world are paying more and more attention to the issues of air and missile defense. The army, which is armed with systems that allow it to provide reliable protection of troops and ground facilities from air strikes, receives a huge advantage in modern conflicts. Interest in air defense and missile defense systems is growing, and this topic is accompanied by a large flow of news. The most discussed of them are Turkey's purchase of a Russian anti-aircraft missile system and Saudi Arabia's statements about the desire to purchase this system, after which the United States almost immediately approved a deal to sell its THAAD anti-missile system to the kingdom.

Saudi Arabia's interest in such a system is understandable. On December 19, 2017, Saudi air defense intercepted a Burkan-2 ballistic missile launched by the Houthis from Yemen in the south of Riyadh, which was similar to the one that was shot down near the capital of the kingdom on November 4, 2017. Whether the rocket was really shot down or whether it simply deviated from the course and fell in an uninhabited area is not known for certain. No one was reportedly injured in the incident. The Houthis themselves acknowledged the fact of the missile attack. According to the group, the target of the launch was the royal palace of al-Yamama in the capital of Saudi Arabia.

This attack was already the second carried out from the territory of Yemen in the last few months. A military conflict continues in Yemen, which is comparable in scale to the hostilities in Syria. Saudi Arabia acts as the main ideologist of the military operation, which is being carried out on the territory of a neighboring state. The ballistic missile used by the Houthis is an Iranian-made Burkan-2. The missile has a detachable warhead (unlike the Burkan-1 missile, which is a modernized Soviet R-17). Judging by its tactical and technical characteristics, this ballistic missile can indeed reach Riyadh, as well as the country's numerous oil fields. On December 23, 2017, the UN Security Council condemned this rocket attack on the Saudi capital by Yemeni rebels.

Today, Saudi Arabia is also threatened by operational-tactical missiles of the Soviet-made R-17 Scud, as well as tactical missiles Kahir and Zelzal, created on the basis of another Soviet missile system, Luna-M. The Houthis are also quite actively using these missiles for attacks on the territory of the kingdom, in some cases they really lead to a large number of casualties among the military. They use the Houthis and converted missiles of the S-75 air defense systems, which are not intended for striking ground targets.

Against this background, Riyadh's interest in modern air defense and missile defense systems is quite understandable. Saudi Arabia is showing a substantive interest in the American THAAD mobile missile defense system, and options for buying a modern S-400 Triumph air defense system in Russia were also voiced. It is believed that the issue of the supply of Russian air defense systems was discussed during a personal meeting between the King of Saudi Arabia and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow in October 2017, where a positive decision was reached on their sale.

This news has generated interest in comparing the two systems THAAD and S-400. However, this comparison is not correct, since we are talking about systems with different specializations. The American THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) system is a mobile ground-based anti-missile system designed for high-altitude exoatmospheric destruction of medium-range ballistic missiles. At the same time, the Russian S-400 anti-aircraft missile system is designed primarily to destroy aerodynamic targets (aircraft, helicopters, drones, cruise missiles), its ability to deal with ballistic targets is limited in range and altitude. At the same time, of course, the Russian system is more universal. The capabilities of THAAD in the fight against maneuverable targets and aircraft are minimal, while such use of a missile defense system would be tantamount to hammering nails with a "microscope", especially given the cost of American anti-missiles.

The THAAD mobile ground-based anti-missile complex, designed for high-altitude transatmospheric interception of medium-range missiles during the creation of a zonal missile defense system in a theater of operations, has been developed in the United States since 1992. The system was developed by Lockheed Martin Corporation. The cost of R&D to create an anti-missile complex is estimated at about $15 billion. Currently, the THAAD anti-missile system is in service with the United States and the United Arab Emirates. In 2017, the battery of the THAAD complex was deployed in South Korea, and their deployment in Japan is also planned. The appearance of the THAAD complex in South Korea was explained by the United States by the need to protect the country from the missile threat from the DPRK, while China and Russia reacted extremely negatively to this step.

The THAAD anti-missile system was originally designed to fight medium and short-range ballistic missiles. The system is able to destroy ballistic targets at an altitude beyond the reach of conventional air defense systems - 150 kilometers and a distance of up to 200 kilometers. With the help of this mobile complex, you can create the first line of zonal missile defense. The characteristics of this anti-missile system allow it to sequentially fire at one ballistic target with two anti-missiles according to the “launch-evaluation-launch” principle, that is, the second missile is launched if the first one failed to hit the target. In the event that the second missile cannot hit a ballistic target, the usual air defense system, the Patriot air defense system, comes into play, which receives target designations from the THAAD system radar on the broken missile. According to calculations by American experts, the probability of hitting a ballistic missile with such a layered missile defense system is more than 0.96 (while the probability of hitting a target with one THAAD anti-missile is estimated at 0.9).

The THAAD anti-missile consists of a warhead and an engine, the only (separating) stage is a solid-propellant starting engine. The characteristics of this engine make it possible to accelerate the missile to a speed of 2800 m / s, which made it possible to realize the possibility of re-firing a ballistic target with a second interceptor missile. The warhead of the missile is a highly maneuverable direct-hit interceptor, it is also called the "destroying apparatus" (Kill Vehicle).

All this makes obvious the differences between THAAD and the S-400 and the obvious tension in comparing these two systems. The newest anti-aircraft missile 40N6E of the Russian complex "Triumph" is the most long-range missile of the complex, the range of targets hit with its use increases to 400 kilometers, but at the same time we are talking about aerodynamic targets. The range of destruction of ballistic targets using the S-400 complex is limited to 60 km, and the flight altitude of the targets to be hit is 30 km. At the same time, experts note that the indicator of the height of the defeat, if we are talking about the interception of operational-tactical missiles, is not a critical indicator. “In theater missile defense, targets are destroyed on descending trajectories, and not in space,” Lieutenant General Aitech Bizhev, former deputy commander-in-chief of the Air Force for the joint air defense system of the CIS member states, said in an interview with RIA Novosti.

It is easy to see that the American THAAD has a noticeable advantage in the range and height of the destruction of ballistic targets, which is due to the tasks for which it was created - the destruction of medium-range ballistic missiles. At the same time, the Russian S-400 air defense system with a shorter range in altitude is armed with missiles with a longer range to destroy all types of aerodynamic targets - at a distance of up to 400 kilometers and tactical ballistic targets at a distance of up to 60 kilometers, flying at a speed of up to 4800 m/s.

The second important difference between THAAD and the S-400 is the method of hitting the target.. An American missile hits the target with a kinetic effect, that is, it hits the missile itself. Its warhead is a highly maneuverable interceptor. It is a technically complex device that searches, captures and defeats a target, using only the kinetic energy of a high-speed impact. One of the main features of this interceptor is a gyro-stabilized multispectral infrared homing head (IR-GOS). In addition to the IR-GOS, the THAAD single-stage missile interceptor is equipped with an inertial command and control system, a power supply, a computer, as well as its own maneuvering and orientation propulsion system. At the same time, anti-aircraft missiles of the Russian S-400 Triumph air defense system hit air targets due to a cloud of fragments formed after the missile warhead explodes in the immediate vicinity of the target.

A common feature of all modern air defense and missile defense systems is the requirement placed on them to destroy the payload of attack weapons of a potential enemy. The result of target interception should be, for example, a guarantee that the combat load of the attacking missile will not fall directly in the area of ​​the object being defended. This possibility can be fully excluded only if the target's combat load is destroyed in the process of intercepting it with an anti-aircraft missile. This result can be achieved in two ways: a direct hit of a missile in the target warhead compartment, or with a combination of a small miss and an effective impact on the target by a cloud of anti-aircraft guided missile warhead fragments. In the USA, the first approach is chosen for THAAD, in Russia for the S-400 the second.

It is also worth noting the fact that the S-400 can fire 360 ​​degrees, while the THAAD has a limited firing sector. For example, Russian anti-aircraft missiles 9M96E and 9M96E2, optimized to deal with modern high-precision weapons, cruise missiles and ballistic targets, including stealth ones, use a "cold" vertical launch. Immediately before launching their propulsion engine, rockets are ejected from the container to a height of more than 30 meters. After rising to this height, the anti-aircraft missile is inclined towards the target with the help of a gas-dynamic system.

An important difference between the two complexes is also their radar.. The American system has the best vision. The detection range of the AN / TPY-2 radar is 1000 kilometers against 600 kilometers for the S-400 complex. The multifunctional radar AN / TPY-2 operates in the X-band and consists of 25,344 active PPMs. This is an active phased array radar (AFAR). APAA consists of active radiating elements, each of which consists of a radiating element and an active device (transceiver module - RPM). The very high resolution and vigilance of the American radar is achieved by a huge number of PPMs and the most complex signal processing algorithm. At the same time, the American radar costs a pretty penny, the cost of an innovative radar can exceed $ 500 million.

Radar AN / TPY-2

Experts believe that despite the decision to purchase the THAAD missile defense system, Saudi Arabia may also purchase Russian S-400 systems. It will be impossible to control these systems from a single command post in an automated mode, but this does not exclude their combat use separately. The systems can be deployed in different parts of the country or even as part of the protection of one important facility, while solving different tasks and thus complementing each other, military expert Mikhail Khodarenok noted in an interview with RIA Novosti.

According to him, the desire of Saudi Arabia to buy both American and Russian systems may be dictated by different considerations. For example, after Operation Desert Storm, during which the French anti-aircraft missile systems in service with Iraqi air defenses suddenly became inoperable, potential buyers treat weapons purchased in the West with a certain degree of caution. Mikhail Khodorenok notes that there may be “bookmarks” in American weapons, for example, the F-16 of the Jordanian Air Force cannot shoot down the F-16 of the Israeli Air Force. In this case, the purchase of the S-400 can help diversify the risks. If American tactical ballistic missiles or medium-range missiles are used to attack the territory of Saudi Arabia, then the S-400 will be able to shoot them down.

Experts believe that the contract between Saudi Arabia and the United States is not an alternative to the contract with Russia on the S-400, since both systems are not mutually exclusive, but complement each other, they can be used autonomously. As a means of air defense to combat aerodynamic targets, the S-400 is significantly superior to the American Patriot air defense systems.

Price can also play a role. The cost of the S-400 division with 8 launchers is about $500 million. So in December 2017, the details of the contract for the supply of S-400 Triumph air defense systems to Turkey became known. Ankara should receive 4 S-400 divisions for a total amount of about $2.5 billion. At the same time, the Pentagon's Department of Defense Cooperation and Security stated that the cost of the deal with Saudi Arabia for the supply of THAAD missile defense systems was about $15 billion. Under the contract, the kingdom will receive from the United States 44 launchers, 16 command posts, 7 radars, and 360 interceptor missiles for this complex.

Perhaps it would not be an exaggeration to say that the THAAD mobile missile defense system under development is by far the most effective defense system against medium-range ballistic missiles, as evidenced by about 30 successful tests. It is this system that can be a role model in the development of a domestic missile defense system for the foreseeable future.


As you know, recently the First Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian government, Sergei Ivanov, set the team of the Almaz-Antey Air Defense Concern the task of developing a unified air defense-missile defense system capable of creating a truly multi-tiered defense against aerodynamic and ballistic attack weapons. True, it is not clear what the Deputy Prime Minister had in mind - to create a single missile to destroy helicopters, cruise missiles, ICBMs and satellites, or whether it was about creating a system with different missiles, but integrated into a single detection and destruction system. If the first, then this is technical absurdity and economic insanity. If the latter, then it is quite clear that the backbone of such a system should be similar to the American THAAD, around which long, medium and short-range air defense systems should be grouped.

The ground component of the American national missile defense system is based on three "pillars". The first is the GBI system, capable of hitting targets at long ranges and altitudes, the second is the THAAD system, which undertakes to hit targets in the middle echelon, and the third is the Patriot systems in the PAC-2 and PAC-3 configuration.

Where did THAAD come from

In 1987, the US Department of Defense formulated requirements for a missile defense system, which must be mobile and create a reliable missile defense system in a theater of operations that can be located thousands of kilometers from the mother country. Probably, the Americans were inspired to take this step, among other things, by the fact of successful work in the USSR on the military S-300V air defense system, which had revolutionary anti-missile capabilities at that time. American experts believed that, under certain conditions, the anti-missile of this complex, which received the designation SA-12B Giant in the West, was capable of intercepting ICBMs, which was a somewhat exaggerated perception of the capabilities of this system. Western experts, presumably, were greatly impressed by the first photos of the S-300V equipped with an oversized missile, the transport and launch container of which was at least 10 m long.

Work on the THAAD program has intensified since 1992. Lockheed Martin Missiles and Space was selected as the lead contractor for the project, Raytheon became responsible for the development of the GBR-T multifunctional radar (T means "transportable") and the command post (CP) of this complex (see photo). The radar was developed on the basis of the AN / TPY-2 missile defense radar, has a phased array with an area of ​​9.2 square meters. meters and is capable of detecting targets at a distance of up to 1000 km. The developers were tasked with creating a system that would effectively hit ballistic targets with a flight range of up to 3,500 km. The affected area was to be up to 200 km and at altitudes from 40 to 150 km. The maximum flight speed of the anti-missile is about 3 km / s. At the beginning of 1995, at the White Sands missile defense range (New Mexico), prototypes of the launcher, the GBR-T multifunctional radar and the command post were deployed, and flight tests of experimental samples of its anti-missile were begun.

The THAAD anti-missile is a single-stage solid propellant (launch weight 900 kg, length 6.17 m and maximum body diameter 0.37 m), consists of a warhead, a transition compartment and a solid propellant rocket engine with a tail stabilizer skirt. Solid fuel engine developed by Pratt & Whitney. The anti-missile warhead is made in the form of a detachable self-guided (IR sensors) KVV ​​kinetic action interception stage, designed to hit ballistic targets by direct hit. The stage is equipped with a liquid shunting engine, which in the future should be replaced by a solid propellant with the necessary characteristics.

Since 2000, the program has been in preparation for mass production; in May 2004, the production of 16 pre-series interceptor missiles for flight tests began. Preliminary comprehensive tests of the system will begin in early 2005 and will continue until 2009. It is planned that in 2007 the system will be put into small-scale production and the first phase of its deployment will begin.

Compare?

Firstly, the high tactical and technical characteristics of the THAAD anti-missile inspire respect. With a length of 6.17 m and a launch weight of only 900 kg, it is capable of hitting targets at ranges up to 200 km and altitudes up to 150 km, while developing speeds up to 3 km / s (there is evidence that the speed is 2.6 km / s ). Impressive, isn't it?

The latest Russian anti-aircraft missile systems S-300PMU-2 "Favorit" and S-400 "Triumph" use a modernized 48N6E missile with a length of 7.25 m and a mass of 1800 kg (data from the anniversary book of the ICD "Fakel"). The S-300VM ("Antey-2500") air defense system uses a truly gigantic 9M82M missile with a length of 9.913 m and a mass of 5800 kg. The mass of the first stage in the form of a powerful rocket booster is 4635 kg, the second - the rocket itself - 1271 kg (data from the site www.pvo.guns.ru). Thus, the weight and size characteristics of these missiles significantly exceed the dimensions of the THAAD anti-missile, although they have the same target destruction range - up to 200 km (S-300PMU-2 Favorit - 150 km).

As for the flight speed of Russian missiles, conflicting data are given here. According to some sources, the speed of 48N6E is 1700 m / s, according to others - 2000 m / s. The maximum speed of 9M82M is 2400 m/s, the average speed is maintained at 1800 m/s. It is clear that Russian missiles are inferior in speed to THAAD.


The unknown latest missile developed by the Fakel Design Bureau, which is part of the Almaz-Antey air defense concern, should be identical in size to the 48N6E missile, since it will be used from standard S-300P series air defense missile systems. This means that its length also exceeds 7 m, and its weight is close to 2 tons. The firing range of this missile is, according to the Air Force command, up to 400 km, and it intercepts ballistic targets at altitudes up to 50 km ("near space"). Data are given that the Triumph air defense system is capable of intercepting ballistic missiles with a launch range of up to 3,500 km, the warheads of which enter the atmosphere at a speed of up to 4.8 km/s. That is, the characteristics of the S-400 are presented at the THAAD level. True, whether there is a missile with such characteristics and whether it intercepted targets at such ranges and altitudes is unknown to mere mortals. There are no reports on this topic, but it is said that tests are being carried out at the Ashuluk training ground. But, one feels, if such tests took place, then Sergey Ivanov would not fail to report them, who, together with the second successor, arranged a race in terms of the number of successes.

Hit the target only with a direct hit

It is known for certain that the THAAD system on April 6, 2007, during tests in the Hawaiian Islands (Pacific Missile Range), intercepted a R-17 class missile at an altitude of 100 km, and a little earlier intercepted a HERA missile warhead, which simulated medium-range ballistic missiles, being assembled from second and third stages of the Minuteman-2 ICBM.

The high level of American technology in the field of detection and guidance systems made it possible to implement the concept of a direct hit of the anti-missile combat stage on the target. For us, this is still unattainable. The Americans went for this development because they experienced in their own skin that the Iraqi SCADs "hit" by a cloud of fragments were not destroyed, but only slightly changed the flight path. A direct hit by such a "deflected" missile directly on the barracks during the first Iraqi campaign in 1990 killed about 100 American soldiers. Since then, it has been their custom to hit a ballistic missile only with a direct hit, because only this can save the lives of American citizens.

It remains to wait for one thing - will the Americans have time to transfer these complexes to Iraq by the beginning of the IRANIAN military campaign.

The company on its website www.lockheedmartin.com/ proudly announces that it "is a world leader in systems integration and development of air and missile defense systems and technologies, including the first direct hit by an anti-missile on an attacking ballistic missile, has significant experience in the field of design and manufacture missiles, infrared guidance systems, command and control, communications and precision navigation, optics, and radar and signal processing. The company makes significant contributions to all major US missile programs and is involved in several partnerships to build global missile defense."

MOSCOW, December 27 - RIA Novosti, Vadim Saranov. Rockets began to fly into Saudi Arabia frequently. Recently, the UN Security Council condemned the Yemeni Houthis strike on Riyadh. The target of the attack was the royal palace of Al-Yamama, but nothing happened. The missile was either shot down, or it deviated from the course. Against this background, Saudi Arabia intends to significantly strengthen missile defense. The main candidates for the role of "umbrella" are the American THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) system and the Russian S-400 Triumph air defense system. About the advantages and disadvantages of competitors - in the material of RIA Novosti.

S-400 hits further, THAAD - higher

Objectively, THAAD and the S-400 Triumph air defense system are conditional competitors. "Triumph" is primarily designed to destroy aerodynamic targets: aircraft, cruise missiles, unmanned vehicles. THAAD, on the other hand, is a system originally designed to combat short and medium-range ballistic missiles. "American" is capable of destroying targets at altitudes beyond the reach of conventional air defense systems - 150 kilometers, and according to some sources, even 200 kilometers. The newest anti-aircraft missile 40N6E of the Russian "Triumph" does not work above 30 kilometers. However, according to experts, the indicator of the height of the defeat, especially when it comes to the fight against operational-tactical missiles, is not critical.

"In theater missile defense, targets are destroyed on descending trajectories, not in space," Lieutenant General Aitech Bizhev, ex-deputy commander of the Air Force for the joint air defense system of the CIS member states, told RIA Novosti. "In the late 1980s, in missile defense capital, it was supposed to use two regiments of S-300V2. At the Kapustin Yar training ground, they created a model of the defense of Moscow with the same geometric dimensions and launched targets from the stratosphere. All of them were destroyed at a distance of 120 kilometers."

By the way, the main danger for Saudi Arabia today is precisely the R-17 Scud operational-tactical missiles and the Kahir and Zelzal tactical missiles, created on the basis of the Soviet Luna-M complex.

© AP Photo / U.S. Force Korea

© AP Photo / U.S. Force Korea

Another key difference between the American and Russian complexes lies in the principle of operation. If the Triumph hits targets with shrapnel after detonating the missile warhead near the target, then the THAAD, devoid of the warhead, hits the missile exactly with a kinetic block. Meanwhile, despite the apparent complexity of this decision, the Americans managed to achieve good results during the tests - the probability of destroying a target with one anti-missile is 0.9, if THAAD insures the complex more simply, this figure will be 0.96.

The main advantage of the Triumph in the case of its use as an anti-missile system is its higher range. For the 40N6E missile, it is up to 400 kilometers, while for THAAD it is 200 kilometers. Unlike the S-400, which can fire 360 ​​degrees, the deployed THAAD has a field of fire of 90 degrees horizontally and 60 degrees vertically. But at the same time, the “American” has better eyesight - the detection range of its AN / TPY-2 radar is 1000 kilometers against 600 kilometers for the Triumph.

Combine incompatible

Apparently, Saudi Arabia intends to build its missile defense on two completely different systems. This approach may seem somewhat strange, because serious compatibility problems can arise during their operation. However, according to experts, this is a completely solvable issue.

“These two systems cannot be controlled in an automated mode from a single command post,” military expert Mikhail Khodarenok told RIA Novosti. “They have completely different mathematics, completely different logic. But this does not exclude the possibility of their combat use separately. They can be deployed in different places or even within the framework of the defense of one object, if for them the tasks are divided by heights and sectors. They can simply perfectly complement each other, being in the same grouping."

Saudi Arabia's desire to acquire both Russian and American systems may be dictated by other considerations. After Operation Desert Storm, during which the French anti-aircraft missile systems in service with Iraqi air defense suddenly turned out to be inoperable, potential buyers began to be more cautious about purchasing Western-made weapons.

“There may be bookmarks in American weapons,” says Mikhail Khodarenok. able to work on conventional aerodynamic targets. It is possible that this is the only reason they buy the Russian system."

The most important difference between THAAD and Triumph is the price. The cost of one THAAD battery, which consists of six launchers for eight interceptor missiles each, is about $2.3 billion. Another 574 million is the innovative AN / TPY-2 radar. The cost of the S-400 division with eight launchers of four missiles is about $500 million. The Russian complex costs almost six times less, while the benefits of THAAD, at least for now, are not obvious.

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THAAD missile launch

R&D to create an anti-missile complex (PRK) THAAD was launched in 1992 by Lockheed (now a division of Lockheed Martin Corporation).

In early 1995, prototypes of a mobile launcher, a GBR-T multifunctional radar and a command post were deployed at the White Sands test site in New Mexico. In the same year, flight tests of experimental samples of the anti-missile system of this complex began.

Initially, it was planned to use 20 units of experimental samples of anti-missiles for flight tests. In connection with the introduction of changes in the design of the main elements of the complex (to ensure resistance to PF nuclear explosives), which required additional costs of $ 80 million, the number of launches was reduced to 14, and 6 anti-missiles were transferred to the reserve category.

As of April 1, 1998 (see table), seven launches were carried out, and the remaining 7 launches were planned to be carried out in the period 1998-1999, in order to start full-scale development of the PRK in 1999, and put it into service in 2006.

In May 2004, the production of 16 pre-production anti-missiles began for flight tests.

In January 2006, a contract was signed with Lockheed Martin for the supply of the first 2 THAAD systems with 48 missiles for them.

At the moment, 39 test launches are known, 31 of which were considered successful. It is important to note that tests are carried out only on simulators of massive, but obsolete R-17 missiles (according to NATO classification SS-1 Scud), developed in the mid-1950s, which do not have the means to overcome missile defense. THAAD intercepted a ballistic missile target simulating a Scud-type missile at an altitude of over 50 kilometers.

On October 16, 2009, a second battery of THAAD interceptors entered service at Fort Bliss.

In March 2011, the US Missile Defense Agency signed a contract with Lockheed Martin for the supply of six THAAD mobile anti-missile systems. The 3rd and 4th batteries will be formed from the new complexes. One THAAD battery includes three launchers with 24 anti-missiles, a command center and an X-band radar.

On October 6, 2011, the 12th test of the THAAD system since the start of the program in 2005 was conducted. The first operational test of the system was carried out with the interception of missiles at high altitude at the final stage of their trajectory. One short-range missile and one medium-range ballistic missile were intercepted. The tests were carried out in the area of ​​the Hawaiian island of Kauai. The Alpha missile defense battery from the 4th Artillery Regiment of the 11th US Air Defense Artillery Brigade participated in the tests. She was transferred to the range along with her equipment from Fort Bliss, Texas. The personnel deployed equipment and provided control of the missile defense system. Control was exercised by the air defense and missile defense command of the 94th army. To ensure greater realism of the tests, the day and time of the tests were not reported to the personnel of the brigade.

Operating principle

The THAAD complex uses the so-called "kinetic interception" concept - only the kinetic energy of the hardware unit is used to hit the target, there is no dedicated warhead. Due to the high kinetic energy of the hardware unit, the THAAD complex should be significantly more effective against the warheads of old ballistic missiles (such as R-17) than the Patriot PAC-1,2 (the fragmentation part of which could not destroy the Scud warhead). One missile can destroy only a single target, the trajectory of which is known with a given accuracy.

Some experts note that the concept of a direct hit limits the ability of this complex to counter complex ballistic targets (CBC), and the ability to counter non-ballistic (maneuvering) targets is doubtful.

Anti-missile THAAD

Anti-missile THAAD - single-stage solid propellant. Solid fuel engine designed by Pratt & Whitney. Uncooled IR seeker, operating in the middle (3.3 - 3.8 microns) and far (7 - 10 microns) sections of the infrared range, command-inertial control system.

Rocket characteristics

  • Starting weight: 900 kg
  • Length: 6.17 m
  • Maximum case diameter: 0.37 m
  • Range: up to 200 km
  • Interception height: up to 150 km,
  • Speed: up to 3 km/s

Radar

Price

The cost of the AN / TPY-2 radar is $574 million. In 2011, 22 missiles worth $1 billion were purchased, in 2012 - 42 anti-missiles worth $999 million, in 2013 it is planned to purchase 36 missiles at a cost of $777 million (for the United States).

In service

Potential Operators

see also

Notes

Sources

Literature

  • Rudov V. American missile defense system THAAD (Russian) // Foreign military review. - M .: "Red Star", 1998. - V. 618. - No. 9. - S. 21-25. - ISSN 0134-921X.

Links

  • The United States carried out a successful test of the THAAD missile defense system
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