The task of ensuring the safety of maritime borders is relevant for each state with a long coastline. Any country pursuing an independent foreign policy can be afraid of an attack in today's difficult political situation. For the Russian Federation, surrounded on all sides by seas and oceans, with its vast territory rich in resources, the problem of coastal water control is very important. The latest Ball and Bastion missile systems guarantee reliable protection against possible aggression.
This weapons system belongs to the latest generation of DBK. The information received about it is dosed, but even on the basis of scarce data, some conclusions can still be made.
Why anti-ship systems mobility
The Russian Federation has the longest sea borders (almost 39 thousand km), they are approximately equal to the length of the Earth's equator . If land borders can be covered by fortifications, rationally positioning military districts, ensuring a sufficient level of mobilization potential in case of a threat, and creating reliable air defense and missile defense systems, repelling an attack from the ocean seems more difficult due to the unpredictability of the direction of the attack.
Anti-ship missile systems are expensive for the budget, and the army’s leadership considers the measure to be saturated with the entire coastal line. In addition, modern PRK is able to hold a sufficiently large area of a possible breakthrough of a potential enemy. The conclusion is simple: anti-ship missile systems must be mobile. Only in this case they will be able to appear on time in those places where they are most needed, and then quickly change the operational area, while remaining relatively invulnerable to retaliation.
A few words about geopolitics
An important element of the geopolitics of countries - potential opponents is traditionally the so-called "gunboat diplomacy". You can also recall the notorious "big club" and the Monroe Doctrine. The essence of these declarations comes down to a very simple scheme. If a state by its actions impedes the global or regional dominance of the United States and its allies, a fleet is sent to its shores, the size of which is designed to frighten the leadership of the rebellious country. In those cases when the psychological effect was not achieved, fire weapons and carrier-based aircraft were used. Then landing, occupation and a change of the ruling regime to a more loyal one is possible.
There are historical examples of this approach to resolving regional crises, and there are enough of them, especially in recent decades. The first victims of force are, as a rule, countries rich in natural resources and, for some reason, abandoning the timely modernization of their own armed forces, especially various types of defense systems (anti-aircraft, anti-missile and anti-ship).
How “Ball" looks externally
To counter such force pressure, Russia, among other means, has a mobile anti-ship system "Ball". The missile system has been in service since 2008. The number of production models received by the troops over the past period is unknown, but the divisions of these BODs are already on combat duty.
Due to the novelty of the technical means and its defense purpose, far from all the details about it were disclosed. However, there is no sense in completely ignoring its characteristics. Indeed, in addition to solving direct combat missions, the psychological impact produced by weapons is important. The very fact that an object has a potential aggression of some means that can effectively reflect it can serve as a powerful deterrent. Therefore, some of the tactical and technical characteristics of the latest Russian anti-ship system are made public.
The general structure of the combat unit armed with the BPC “Ball” is known. The coastal missile system constitutes the military unit of the divisional level and consists of several (up to a dozen) vehicles on the MAZ-7930 four-axle high-cross-country platform. The functions of the control "brain" of the system are performed by SKPUS (stands for "self-propelled command and control center for communications and communications"). Two vehicles, with approximately similar sets of equipment, consistently provide fire control, communication with the army command, and communication between other mobile elements. The Bal-E missile system includes up to four launchers mounted on the same chassis. They serve for direct fire impact on the enemy. The reloading of missiles, if necessary, the following volleys is carried out by TPM (transport and reloading machines), there can also be up to four of them. The column is impressive - up to ten units of heavy equipment.
Main caliber
Some sources indicate the decoding of the letter “E” as a designation of the export orientation of the sample. Perhaps this is so, but the option is not excluded that the additional letter is simply an index of modification. Systems in the arsenal of the Russian Army are also often called “Bal-E” in the press. The coastal anti-ship complex, as the main ammunition, is equipped with the X-35 cruise missile (again, sometimes with the addition of an “E”). It was developed as a universal-based projectile (aircraft, ship, ground) and is a very effective means of delivering accurate strikes in conditions of strong and versatile counteraction, including electronic.
Starting solid-fuel accelerator saves fuel on take-off, then it is empty, detaches and falls to the ground. The wing is folding, the air intake (it is located below) is trapezoidal. The flight takes place at very low altitudes (from 5 to 10 meters), and its ultra-precise radio altimeter is responsible for its reliability. Combined guidance system (works via inertial and radar channels). The flight speed is close to sound. One minute is needed to prepare for the launch of the “cold” X-35E rocket. The weight of the projectile is relatively small - 620 kg, the mass of explosives - 145 kg. Such a blasting penetrating high-explosive fragmentation charge cannot guarantee the destruction of a sea target with a displacement of more than 5 thousand tons, but this is not required. Most landing craft quite fit into this framework. And for larger facilities, the Bal-E coastal missile system can use multiple launch rocket systems. The radius of destruction of the X-35 reaches 120 km (minimum - 7 km). This is quite enough to repulse the attack of the amphibious assault in advance or to exclude its possibility.
Chassis
The tactical qualities of a defense system depend on its ability to arrive at a firing position in a timely manner and leave it quickly after a salvo. The mentioned MAZ-7930 high cross-country platform is very reliable and powerful. It mounted all the elements of a single system "Ball". The coastal missile system, which includes up to a dozen vehicles in a stowed position, can, due to the design features of the equipment, launch from remote and hidden positions located at a distance of up to 10 km from the sea. Moreover, ravines and valleys, where it is easier to disguise, are an ideal place for shooting. This is where you need high traffic. In addition to it, the MAZ-7930 chassis provides a forty-ton launcher with an autonomous range of up to 850 km. Off-road speed - 20 km / h, on the highway - 60 km / h. A transport and launch container for eight missiles is mounted on each launcher, so a single-shot salvo of the division is 32 launches. The time of transferring to a combat state from a transport vehicle is 10 minutes.
Creators and history
The Moscow Engineering Design Bureau, in cooperation with other defense enterprises, created similar systems of previous generations, and has accumulated rich experience in this area. The mobile coastal missile system Rubezh was developed here, it has been in the arsenal of the Russian Navy for more than two decades, and has also been exported. The developments obtained during the creation of the Uran-E naval missile system were also useful. These systems cannot be considered obsolete, but Ball, the next-generation missile system, in its design takes into account the trends in the future development of technology in the 21st century. Serial production of new weapons entrusted to the plant "Typhoon". State tests were successfully completed in September 2004.
SKPUS
From the point of view of a person not related to military issues, the Bal-E coastal missile system consists of some kind of firing machines. Of course, launchers on a powerful wheeled chassis make a much greater impression of spectacular fountains of smoke and fire, expelled from the containers at the time of launch. However, in modern warfare, a control system that gives all the firepower required accuracy is much more important. The opposition provided by the enemy in a real battle can include a wide variety of components - from active and passive electronic interference to attempts to redirect launched missiles. The scope of tasks of a self-propelled command and control command post includes radar reconnaissance, and work with targets (including the recognition of false), and coordinate orientation on the ground, and determining priority goals. The SKPUS machine (there are two of them, they duplicate the functions of each other) is equipped with a retractable antenna system for working from hidden positions, night vision devices, navigation equipment and setting own interference. Multiple duplicated highly robust coded communication channels are available. Thanks to all this equipment, the Bal-E anti-ship complex can quickly change its deployment and operate with maximum efficiency, quickly occupying new combat positions.
Cooldown
In the event of a real threat from a major naval force of the enemy, the launcher battery will have to fire in salvo mode. The impact of one X-35 missile can cause serious damage to a frigate class ship or completely destroy a small ship, but a large target (cruiser or aircraft carrier) requires a series of coordinated hits. Naturally, when firing in one gulp, a division of four launchers will use up ammunition very quickly. The Bal-E coastal missile system is capable of four launches (according to the number of launchers) every three seconds (the interval between the launches of each machine). After the end of the firing, the unit must leave the position in order to avoid retaliation. Next comes the TPM (transport and reloading machine). Six-center shells (there are also 32 of them, full ammunition) with the help of the manipulator will take their places in the empty containers of the ballistic missile launcher Bal. The missile system will be able to re-fire at the aggressor. The reload process will take no more than forty minutes.
Defense weapon
Conventionally, all types of weapons can be divided into two categories. Defensive systems are designed to prevent hostile forces deeper into the protected territory of the country. Offensive weapons are used when a preemptive strike or counterattack is necessary. The aggressive intentions of a likely adversary cannot be ruled out when the sovereignty of the country itself is called into question. What type of weapons does the Ball belong to? The missile system can be quickly delivered to the desired point in the theater of operations either under its own power, or by various means of transport (for example, landing ships). In this case, he will provide cover for troops from possible enemy attacks from the sea. However, the impressive mass of vehicles makes it extremely difficult to airborne landing, so there is every reason to believe that this DBK is designed to conduct defensive operations on its territory. If delivered to friendly countries, the Bal-E coastal missile system will seriously complicate armed intervention in their internal affairs.
Opportunities for further modernization
Each type of equipment adopted for service is intended for long-term military operation, which sometimes continues for decades. The high cost of the basic set dictates the need to reduce the oppression of defense spending on the budget. Therefore, each sample is developed taking into account possible structural changes due to the emergence of a more advanced elemental base and primarily related to computer equipment and communications. No exception and "Bal-E." The coastal anti-ship complex is characterized by a high degree of modernization potential. In particular, it is possible to improve the guidance and target designation using information from external sources. These include unmanned aerial vehicles, reconnaissance aircraft and helicopters, space surveillance equipment and remote radar sentinel posts. Automatic topographic reference makes it easy to find a target.
In the case of the appearance of more modern models of cruise missiles, Bal-E will be re-equipped with them. The coastal mobile missile system will be able to carry out the tasks assigned to it according to the latest technical requirements. The variety of climatic conditions in which Russian technology maintains combat readiness also determines a high export potential.