Throughout its history, mankind has constantly modernized methods of conducting military operations. Airspace has become an environment that can be effectively used to solve ground combat missions. In an effort to protect themselves from air strikes, military engineers invented air defense systems. As it turned out, the air defense is not able to provide one hundred percent protection against attacks from the sky in the presence of "heat traps" on airplanes. What are these devices? What are they for? Information about the "heat traps" of fighters is presented in the article.
Acquaintance
“Heat traps”, or false thermal targets (LTCs), are special pyrotechnic devices. They got this name because they can emit large amounts of heat during fuel combustion.
About device
A “heat trap” is a small box containing a combustible substance inside. It can also be in the form of checkers. For "heat traps" pyrophoric and pyrotechnic combustible compositions are provided. Structurally, the LTC is very similar to signal and lighting missiles.
About location
The place of installation of the LTC on board the aircraft was special holders or launchers. Professional military men call them "automatic reset" or "automatic jamming". When aiming anti-aircraft defense means on a fighter, the pilot fires “heat traps”. The airborne defense complex is interfaced with launch systems. In some aircraft, this function is automated, and launch is carried out without the participation of the pilot.
About destination
The task of the "heat traps" is to create a false target for enemy air defense equipment. Military engineers developed several versions of special shells used by aircraft guns. Since a high-temperature combustible mixture is provided for such shells, a large amount of heat is generated during its combustion. Air defense missiles operate according to the program laid down for them to respond to thermal signals in the sky. Since a large amount of thermal energy is released as a result of the combustion of both pyrophoric and pyrotechnic compositions, the air defense missile automatically reconstructs from the aircraft to a more powerful heat source, which is LTC.
On the relevance of using BKO
Airborne defense systems (BKO) are widely used in both military and civil aviation. Prior to the introduction of systems in airplanes and helicopters, both were subjected to intensive attacks by terrorist groups. According to experts, the situation escalated especially after the looting of military depots in Libya. Despite the assumption that the stolen weapons would eventually be used by the rebels against the existing government, it could not be ruled out that part of it would still fall into the hands of terrorists. It soon turned out that five thousand units of man-portable air defense systems did not really reach the rebel army.
Assessing the current situation, American intelligence and analysts concluded that the total number of air defense systems not taken into account anywhere in the world was at least 150 thousand. In 2015, the air defense system “President- C "from the Russian concern" Radioelectronic Technologies ".
Description
The objective of the President-S BCO is to protect the aircraft or helicopter from attacks by aircraft missile, anti-aircraft missile and anti-aircraft artillery guns. BKO are special devices and stations that detect a threat in the form of a missile attack and warn the crew about it.
In addition to launching a one-time false target, President-S generates active radio and optical-electronic interference. For the equipment of this LTC, an internal and external arrangement is provided. Protection from guided missiles launched from the ground and air-to-air missiles is provided by a laser station, which, using a multispectral or gas laser, carries out optoelectronic suppression. The mass of the station is 150 kg. “President-S” performs detection, selection and tracking of the target with its subsequent suppression. According to experts, the "heat trap" is capable of simultaneously responding to two attacking missiles.
With the help of a radioactive interference station, an aircraft becomes invulnerable to missiles using radar guidance systems. In this case, the LTC exposes electronic interference at the first stage of aircraft detection by a rocket. The mass of the station is just over 50 kg. Its tactical and technical characteristics are sufficient to simultaneously suppress four enemy electronic weapons at once.
After repeated shelling of aircraft equipped with "heat traps" from Igla anti-aircraft missile systems, superior to the US "Stingers" in their characteristics, it became obvious that "President-S" is a very effective example of the Russian aircraft.
Despite the presence of maximum infrared radiation from the side of the target aircraft, all missiles fired at it on the very approach “left” to the side. The explanation for this was the use of laser irradiation in the President-S BKO, which the enemy missiles took for a real plane.