Since the First World War, tanks quickly became a real headache for the infantry. Initially, even when equipped with primitive armor, they left no chance for the fighters. But even during the Second World War, when, it would seem, regimental artillery and PTR (anti-tank rifles) appeared, tanks still dictated their own rules of warfare.
But then came 1943, marked by one of the few cases when engineers of fascist Germany were able to create not only effective, but also the most effective weapons, a Faust cartridge. It was on its basis after the war that the famous RPG-2 was created, which, in turn, became the ancestor of the completely legendary RPG-7.
But the constant "battle of armor and shell" did not think to stop. Composite armor appeared, which was not so easy to penetrate with a conventional grenade launcher. In addition, experiments were already in full swing to create a dynamic and active defense system, which are now equipped with all the normal MBT of the world. A new countermeasure was needed.
These were portable infantry anti-tank systems. In their appearance, their working part strongly resembles the same grenade launcher, but the “pipe” is only attached to a special support on which numerous guidance and control tools are mounted. The projectile used is not a rocket-propelled grenade, but a full-fledged anti-tank missile, even a small one.
Today we want to tell you about the Cornet. The anti-tank missile system of this model has long been in the arsenal of our army and theoretically allows you to effectively counteract all modern MBT of a potential enemy.
Development start
No matter how difficult the situation was in the 90s, but, to the honor of domestic gunsmiths (Tula Design Bureau), work began on a completely new model of weapons. Already in 1994, the first systems began to enter service with our army. In fairness, it is worth noting that the work began far from empty place: the Reflex anti-tank system, which at that time could be installed on all domestic tanks, as well as the Sprut-S and Sprut-SD self-propelled guns, was used as the basis ".
But all domestic anti-tank systems that existed at that time had one, but a very significant drawback. We are talking about a control method: either wired, when the military had to rush about with coils, or through radio commands that could well be suppressed by enemy means to pose active interference.
"Management Features" of the new ATGM
What was the difference between the "Cornet"? This type of anti-tank missile system was equipped with control systems similar to those used in the aviation industry. Firstly, a fairly powerful laser emitter is mounted on the installation itself, which effectively illuminates the target. The design of the latter has a photodetector that catches the reflected beam. The missile homing system interprets the received data and is able to subtly adjust the flight course.
Note that the last generation ATGMs also had one more problem: the accuracy of the hit was almost 90% dependent on the professionalism of the operator and his firm hand. The soldier had to literally manually correct the flight of the rocket, constantly pointing it at the target. For this, a joystick was used. Imagine a situation where an enemy machine does not stand still at that time, but actively maneuvers, trying to cover the operator with all available
types of weapons: if he pulls his finger a little harder - that's all, the missile missed the target.
The wires were often torn, being torn by fragments or bullets, and it was impossible to make secure against their banal grinding. Radio control was often jammed.
The Cornet was completely devoid of such shortcomings. The anti-tank missile system is completely autonomous, equipped with “smart” missiles that do not need to be conducted manually. Of course, theoretically, a laser beam can be reflected and scattered by using a smoke screen. But, as practice shows, this takes a relatively long time. The rocket’s flight speed is such that even if its exact coordinates are lost within 100-300 meters from the target, the munition will cover this distance in such a short period of time that the enemy tank will not go anywhere.
Thus, the Kornet complex is a highly reliable weapon that can confidently hit enemy armored vehicles in various conditions.
What tasks were set for designers?
Starting from the mid-80s, almost all the tanks of the Western powers were equipped with dynamic defense systems, and therefore the Tula faced a “simple” task: to ensure reliable defeat of the equipment protected by this method. It is not surprising that the 9M133 Kornet missile under development was immediately equipped with a tandem warhead. Its first element disabled DZ, provoking its operation, and only the second part hit directly tank armor.
By the way, because of this, the design of the rocket was very remarkable. So, the cumulative charge is in the tail, the engine is in the middle, and the primary charge is in the nose. Control systems are located aft.
Unconventional use
However, far from tanks alone can destroy the “Cornet”. An anti-tank missile system may well be used in a somewhat unconventional way.
The fact is that various ATGMs of various configurations from the time of their adoption into service were often used by soldiers as an effective means by which the enemy could be quickly smoked from a fortified bunker. So, during the Battle of the Falklands in 1982, the British paratroopers very often took fortified areas, suppressing their resistance precisely with the help of their anti-tank systems.
Our special forces, using the "Bassoons", knocked out Dushmans from their caves, and the Russian armed forces used these weapons during the second Chechen campaign. It turned out that the "bassoons" are extremely effective in cleaning buildings. In a word, over the past years such examples have accumulated very, very much.
It is only important to consider that ATGM missiles are not thermobaric ammunition, and therefore, its use against the enemy’s manpower far from always leads to the desired results. Having evaluated the combat experience of the Soviet and Russian forces, the Tulaks created missiles equipped with the thermobaric warhead specifically for the Cornet. Such a shell, once in the enclosed space of a fortified bunker, literally breaks all living things inside due to a sharp pressure drop that occurs during the explosion.
In a word, the Kornet rocket is a truly multi-purpose weapon that can be extremely widely used in all types of troops.
Western versions
Around the world there is an active tendency to completely abandon anti-tank systems, which require a qualified operator to control. Western ATGMs include American Javelins and Israeli Spikes. Their operator is guided by the principle of "shot and forgot." It is believed that such complexes belong to the third generation. Our complex "Cornet", by the way, refers to the second.
A missile launched from such systems focuses not only on the laser beam and engine heat emanating from the target, but also on the reference image of enemy equipment, which is embedded in its memory.
The main problem of the same "Javelina" is the extremely high cost of ammunition. One rocket may well cost 120-130 thousand dollars. And this is for one thing! Not in all countries of the world they can afford to equip their armies with such ATGMs, despite all their undoubted advantages. So, in India, not so long ago, work was announced on a self-propelled anti-tank complex (based on infantry fighting vehicles), which is armed only with the Javelins. So, the cost of the chassis and the combat complex itself are equal. However, ATGM is even a little more expensive.
On the contrary, in the same Syria, crafts on the basis of the Kornet-E ATGM mounted on the ubiquitous BMP-1/2 were repeatedly seen. Given the fact that the complex itself and the rocket cost about 30 thousand dollars, their price is much lower than the cost of the chassis, which makes the production of such complexes economically feasible.
In addition, the western complexes of the third generation have another problem. It is expressed in a smaller effective range. So, the Javelina missile can theoretically fly off immediately at 4,700 meters, but its homing part is only effective at a range of up to 2.5 thousand meters. Installing such systems on a large BMP chassis is simply pointless: while the car gets to the tank, it will have time to hit it several times (including with its own missiles).
There are serious problems in urban combat. So, in 2003, the Americans without any problems knocked out all Iraqi tanks and infantry fighting vehicles. But it was exclusively in the open. In cities, there were no cases of using "Javelins" in armored vehicles. Therefore, the Americans (and then the Israelis) equipped their third-generation complexes with manual control.
Russian decision
Soon, the Tulaks significantly upgraded the Cornet: ATGM received an “intelligent” target tracking system. Its use looks like this: the operator first visually detects the target, directs the ATGM in its direction, and then puts a mark. After the launch of the rocket, it itself is oriented in space, without requiring any human participation in this process. Due to this, "Cornet" - ATGM, which can be used even for guaranteed destruction of enemy helicopters.
If you think that the "Javelin" with its 4.5 thousand meters looks good, then the domestic development in this regard is generally unique. So, subject to the completion of new missiles with the help of the "Cornet", you can knock out a tank at a distance of eight to ten thousand meters. Moreover, the probability of hitting the target is consistently high over the entire possible range of use.
Some modifications
Currently, our troops are receiving a fully modernized version of the complex under the “D” index, while “Cornet-EM” is exported. In general, there is no particular difference between the two. It should be noted that literally in the last couple of years the Tiger car has become the main chassis for this complex. In addition, the Airborne Forces are now receiving a special Kornet anti-tank missile system, which is mounted on the BTR-D chassis. What other modifications are there?
What does the “E” index mean?
For the first time ATGM was presented to the public in 1994, and the name "Cornet-E" was used. What it is? The index in this case indicates the export version. Its differences from the version that is in service with the domestic Armed Forces are minimal, boiling down to instructions and signatures on
control units made in English (or any other, depending on the wishes of the customer).
In general, it is the Kornet-E anti-tank missile system that is most often found in a variety of "hot spots" around the world. The reasons are simple: it is cheap, extremely easy to learn and able to reliably hit almost all existing types of armored vehicles. "
"Shell" version
Oddly enough, but this complex is now considered as a very promising "addition" to the "Shell" system. We have already talked about the reasons: with new missiles, he will easily bring down not only enemy UAVs, but even a combat helicopter. In this case, a peculiar "symbiosis" of technology is used: a powerful "Shell" detection system detects the target, and only then the "Cornet" anti-tank missile system destroys it. Oddly enough, but one missile launch of an ATGM accounts for one downed UAV, while it takes at least a hundred shells to destroy it from the Pansyr’s automatic cannons.
Of course, such targets can be 100% likely to be destroyed by anti-aircraft missiles, but only their cost is such that such firing will be too costly events. In addition, current drones can easily fool the "Shell" laser guidance system, while a simple ATGM missile is guided exclusively by visual target tracking, without the need for its laser illumination.
The Kornet-D anti-tank missile system was specially created for the destruction of air targets, but for this purpose other ATGMs of this family can also be used.
At present, the idea of installing the complex on patrol ships and boats of the Russian Navy looks very promising (this is no longer an idea, such an upgrade is underway). So in just 20 years, this development of Tula masters has gone from an "advanced" means of destroying armored vehicles to a multifunctional weapons complex that can destroy targets on land, in the air and at sea.
Emka
But the most promising for the "mass consumer" still looks exactly "Cornet-EM", mounted on the chassis of the "Tiger". The development was first demonstrated during the MAKS-2011. This system has no analogues in the world.
In this case, the complex is equipped immediately with 16 missiles, half of which are in protective containers and are fully ready for military use. Volley shooting is possible on a target when two missiles simultaneously “work” on a tank. It is possible to shoot with all types of ammunition that have ever been developed for this weapon. The huge advantage possessed by the Kornet-EM anti-tank missile system is its widespread use in the production of affordable chassis and materials, which sharply reduces its cost in comparison with Western models.
Key Specifications
The minimum firing range is 150 meters. The maximum is 10 kilometers. The control of the installation is fully automated, the electronic "filling" is reliably protected from possible active interference from the enemy. It can simultaneously lead and fire at once two targets. The cumulative part can penetrate up to 1300 mm of homogeneous steel armor. The high-explosive version of the rocket carries an explosive charge equivalent to 7 kilograms of TNT. The transition of the complex from traveling to combat takes only seven seconds.
For the first time in the history of Russian arms business, the “shot and forget” scheme was implemented. Due to the almost complete elimination of man from the missile control process, it was possible to almost 100% increase the probability of hitting the target from the first attempt. It should be noted that the old Kornet-E complex has almost two times worse characteristics. The ability to automatically assign and track targets favorably affects the psycho-emotional state of personnel, which can focus on controlling the machine and plotting escape routes.
In principle, this complex can be mounted far from the Tiger alone. So, it uses the BMP-3 chassis anti-tank missile system, and in this case (due to better booking) the installation is recommended for use in conditions of intense city battles. How strong is the load on the chassis of the carrier vehicle?
Depending on the number of launchers, the weight of the Kornet-EM ATGM can vary from 0.8 to 1.2 tons, which practically does not matter for the chassis of the same Tiger (which is borrowed from an armored personnel carrier). The containers themselves are made of high strength plastic. The guaranteed shelf life of missiles without routine inspections is at least ten years.
The composition of the complex
Firstly, the complex includes the chassis itself, equipped with an operator’s cabin with a sight and other devices. As we already said, our defense industry most often puts forward the Tiger car for this role. The feature of the complex in this case also lies in the fact that it does not look like an accurate ATGM, but like an ordinary jeep, since the missiles are hidden in its hull. In the case of a real threat, the container takes its position on the chassis in just seven seconds.
The missiles themselves, and their nomenclature can be different - from directly anti-tank weapons to high-explosive fragmentation varieties, can be used against enemy manpower in urban combat. They have an effective range of up to ten kilometers. It is reported that the tandem part of the rocket can hit the infantry hiding behind concrete walls, the total thickness of which reaches about three meters.
Anti-tank missiles. It is reported that it is most reasonable to use them at ranges of up to eight kilometers. Penetration of their cumulative part is about 1100-1300 mm of homogeneous armor. In principle, such characteristics make it possible to effectively use the “Cornet” to combat all varieties of NATO MBT, even taking into account the fact that there is a tendency to increase the thickness of the frontal armor. Finally, thermal ammunition can be included in the ammunition, which is designed specifically to destroy enemy manpower, which is protected by bunker walls.
Launcher with four protected launch containers. Equipped with a tele-thermal imaging sighting device. A third-generation thermal imager is used. For the convenience of the calculation, high-resolution television cameras are used, which greatly facilitate the identification of enemy equipment and defenses. There is also a built-in laser rangefinder that allows you to accurately determine the distance to the target.
disadvantages
Does domestic “Cornet” have any negative features? The anti-tank missile system (the photo is in the article) differs from its foreign competitors in excessively heavy weight (about 50 kilograms). In addition, a number of modifications still use laser beam guidance, which greatly unmasks the position occupied by the fighters. However, precisely because of the latter circumstance, the Kornet-EM complex is mounted on the chassis of the relatively high-speed Tiger, which allows you to quickly change the location of the firing point.
In addition, some experts indicate that only 47% of hits result in penetration of armor. Such data, in particular, were obtained during the war of Lebanon and Israel in 2006.
But there are other data. So, the US military, reluctantly, was forced to admit the fact of the presence of lost Abrams MBT in Iraq (as of 2012). British journalists cite an example of an episode when on a narrow street "Abrams" literally stuffed with shells from RPG-7, which did not harm him. But only one salvo from the "Cornet" completely disabled the tank, destroying the crew. The car, according to eyewitnesses, immediately caught fire.