Posted on 08/08/2013 4:24:05 PM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
Russian supersonic missiles behave like wolves
August 8, 2013 Viktor Litovkin, special to RBTH
Yakhont anti-ship cruise missile at the 3rd International Airspace Show in Moscow. Source: RIA Novosti
Large-scale construction of the next-generation Project 885 Yasen-class submarine armed with Onyx supersonic missiles is starting in Russia. These ships will compete with the latest American Seawolf-class nuclear submarines and will be world leaders in terms of fire power.
Large-scale construction of the next-generation Project 885 Yasen-class multi-purpose nuclear attack submarine, armed with Onyx supersonic cruise missiles, is starting in Russia. The ships will compete with the latest American Seawolf-class nuclear submarines in terms of their noise profile and will be world leaders in terms of fire power.
Moscow plans to acquire at least 10 of these boats by 2020. The fourth submarine in this class was laid down in Severodvinsk on the eve of Navy Day, which was celebrated on July 28.
The Project 885 nuclear submarine is the quintessence of everything the Russian military industrial complex has achieved in over half a century of building submarines.
The vessel has a hull made from high-resilience, low-magnetic steel, and can dive to a depth of more than 1,968.5 feet (conventional boats cannot go deeper than 984.2 feet), which effectively puts it out of reach of all types of modern anti-submarine weapons. Its maximum speed is more than 30 knots (about 34.5 miles per hour). The nuclear submarine is equipped with an escape pod for the whole crew.
The Russian designers say that the Yasen is not only quieter than the quietest Russian nuclear submarine (the Project 971 Akula - 'Shark'), but also quieter than the latest American Seawolf nuclear submarine.
Moreover, unlike those vessels, the new missile submarine will be more functional, thanks to the weapons at its disposal (several types of cruise missiles and torpedoes). It will be able to fulfil a wide range of roles at sea.
Formidable
The Akula nuclear submarine currently forms the basis of the Russian group of multi-purpose attack submarines designed for raiding operations against sea lanes. Virtually inaudible in the depths of the ocean, they are equally effective against transport vessels and warships, and can also hit the enemy’s coastal infrastructure with cruise missiles.
Akula submarines were recently reported within the 200-mile zone of the coasts of the United States and Canada, which caused a serious commotion among the countries’ respective militaries. Having discovered the presence of these “guests,” neither of them was able to track their movement, which naturally caused serious concern.
After all, the Akula carries 28 Kh-55 Granat cruise missiles on board — the equivalent of the American Tomahawk, which can fly 1,864.1 miles and deliver 200-kiloton nuclear warheads to their targets.
Invulnerable
The main attack system on the Yasen is the P-800 Onyx — the latest Russian supersonic cruise missile. The missile is the basis for two absolutely identical export versions: The Russian Yakhont and the Indian BrahMos have a similar appearance to the Onyx, but with significantly reduced combat characteristics.
The Onyx devices are capable of being fired from underwater, and they fly at a speed of 2,460 feet per second, carrying a devastating, high-explosive warhead weighing half a ton. The missiles have a range of more than 372.8 miles.
The Onyx is guided to its target by a navigational system that operates on target designation data provisionally input to the missile before it is launched. At a predetermined point in the trajectory (15–50 miles), the missile’s homing device is briefly activated and determines the precise location of the target.
The next time the homing device is activated is after a sharp reduction in altitude to 15–50 feet, just seconds before it hits the enemy. This is to ensure that, when the enemy detects the missile’s launch, it cannot “jam” the missile with electronic countermeasures.
Wolf pack
It is not the missile’s high speed or the protection of its homing device against electronic countermeasures that makes the Onyx a super-modern weapon.
Once it is launched from the submarine, the missile finds the target by itself. After determining their coordinates, the missiles “wait” until the last one is out of the launch tubes and then line up, just like a wolf pack, and begin to “home in on their prey.”
The designers are not really advertising this point, but it is the missiles themselves that decide which missile attacks, which target and how. The missile “pack” decides these targets, classifies them in terms of importance, and selects the tactics for the attack and the plan for its execution.
In order to prevent mistakes, the missile’s onboard computer system is programmed with electronic data on all modern classes of ship. This is purely tactical information—for example, on the class of vessel.
This enables the missiles to determine what they are up against — whether it be an aircraft-carrier or landing group—and then to attack the main targets within the group. The Onyx missile’s onboard computer also holds data on how to counter the enemy’s electronic warfare systems, which can divert a missile from its target, and systems for evading anti-aircraft defense systems.
At the same time, like wolves in a real pack, the missiles themselves decide which one of them is the main attacker and which must take the role of the decoy to lure the enemy’s aircraft and air defense systems away.
Once the main selected target has been destroyed, the other missiles immediately redistribute the combat assignments between themselves and begin to destroy other vessels. There is no ship in the world that can dodge an attack by Onyx missiles.
Yes, ship-borne radar systems can detect that they have been launched, but then further resistance is useless. The speed of these missiles and the way they constantly maneuver above the surface of the sea makes it practically impossible to intercept them with air defense systems or aircraft.
Universal
Another advantage of the Onyx missile is that it can be used with various types of carriers. In Russia, it is installed not only in submarines but also on surface vessels and mobile land-based platforms — the Bastion shore-based missile systems. It is the presence of these systems in Syria that so worries Washington today.
Onyx will also be included in the weaponry of the Su-30MK family of fighters and the latest Su-34 frontline bombers. Still, the most important thing is that the next generation following the Onyx is already on its way. This is the Zircon — the first hypersonic combat missile system, which is due to start testing next year.
Good while ago I read about the SS-N-22 Sunburn being able to attack in a group with most down low to avoid interception, with one flying up high for targeting info. The high bird would update the low ones. If it got shot down, one of the low ones would move up and take it's place.
Be interesting to know just how well that worked and how often they did live fire testing to prove it out. Sounded like one helluva programming accomplishment at the time, so I wondered.
Can the Ruskies build a sub that will survive long enough to launch?
Pretty impressive missile role play there. Meanwhile, back in the U.S. our president closes embassies after abandoning Americans to die at one. That sums up 0bama’s terms well: abandonment and surrender.
Will they be allowed to fire if the hatch is closed?
bkmk
So they destroy elk, deer and other ungulate herds in the Northern Rockies? They wipe out entire flocks of sheep in a single night? They have Northeastern eco-nut groups like the Defenders of Wildlife sticking up for them?
Just being a smarta**...sorry, couldn't help it.
Scouts Out! Cavalry Ho!
The next full scale naval conflict is going to be a bloody mess.
There is a joke in there somewhere but I cannot think right now because I am laughing!
Build 5000 drone subs, each carrying 2 missiles. One is long range and nuclear and one is anti ship. Drop them on the floor of the ocean and leave them there until it is time to unleash them.
Start praying for another Battle of Midway.
LOLOL.
Thank you so much!
No real defense for that, right?
I take Russians more seriously. Their subs dive much deeper than ours, have a current version of our Subroc, which is nuclear tipped, and we retired ours. Shkval rocket torpedo is the fastest on the planet. As well as the Russian version of every type of torpedo and cruise missile we have, they also have made much progress in silencing. And all their weapons seem to have a nuclear version, unlike the US Navy which has essentially de-nuked itself except for the Trident strategic weapons.
Ironically, they now have fewer subs than we do, but they are not to be underestimated.
I never make light of Russian capabilities. I just found it amusing that the name of this missile is ‘onyx’.
Onyx, is FR-famous.
“Ironically, they now have fewer subs than we do, but they are not to be underestimated.”
If the Russian and Chinese subs are working together in a conflict with the US, how do the number stack up to us?
After reading about their SIZZLER and SUNBURN missiles, any new weapon we must take seriously.
If their subs are quieter, its very serious.
The Onyx devices are capable of being fired from underwater, and they fly at a speed of 2,460 feet per second, carrying a devastating, high-explosive warhead weighing half a ton. The missiles have a range of more than 372.8 miles.So, when the missile is launched and broaches the surface, it is very likely, if the task force they are attacking is alerted and combat ready, that this (as well as the others from the "pack") will be noticed.
The Onyx is guided to its target by a navigational system that operates on target designation data provisionally input to the missile before it is launched. At a predetermined point in the trajectory (15–50 miles), the missile’s homing device is briefly activated and determines the precise location of the target.
The next time the homing device is activated is after a sharp reduction in altitude to 15–50 feet, just seconds before it hits the enemy. This is to ensure that, when the enemy detects the missile’s launch, it cannot “jam” the missile with electronic countermeasures.
Then the things, as it says, at a certain point, have to themselves acquire the target. The US can be jamming these things from the moment of launch, right through that time period. Therefore, if the acquisition is successfully jammed, they cannot acquire their target.
Then, the thing flies ate a certain altitude and then changes that altitude well out from the target to sea skimming. US antio-missile missiles have the range to hit them before they ever lower their altitude. So there is another segment of the engagement that can be employed to defeat them.
Then, once the thing is coming in at very low level, the Close IN systems will have time to also attempt to shoot them down. These are the RAM, SeaRAM< and Phalnx systems. Another point of potential defeat.
Finally, the US will employ close in countermeasures of both the decoy "chaff" variety, and electronics to defeate them. Passive electronics to spoof them or jam them, and now active electronics to fry their circuitry.
So, there are numerous defenses that will be employed.
The faster and more difficult the trajectory, the harder the intercept. And, the more missiles coming at once, the harder the intercept.
But the AEGIS system is designed, and constantly upgraded against new threats precisely to do this. In the end, if, God forbid, it ever comes to a shooting war, we will find out who is really ahead of the technology curve.
One last thing. In any combat situation, the US forces will be scouring the sea with aircraft and attack submarines to find these vessels to...to try and interdict them before they ever launch.
Can we jam then from launch? Can CIWS deal with multiple fast-moving targets?
I did some looking around, these numbers might not be completely accurate, but they are good ballparks, I think (I don’t have access to Jane’s)
Russian Total: 49 Nuclear, 19 Diesel
Nuclear-powered Ballistic Missile Submarines (SSBN) 13
Nuclear-powered Guided Missile Submarines (SSGN) 8
Nuclear-powered Attack Submarines (SSN) 19
Nuclear-powered Special Mission Submarines (SSAN) 8
Special Purpose Submarines (SSA) 1
Attack Submarines (Diesel) (SS) 19
China Total: 19 Nuclear, 52 non-nuclear (as of 2011, they probably have a couple more now)
Nuclear-powered Ballistic Missile Submarines (SSBN) 4
Nuclear-powered Guided Missile Submarines (SSGN) 8
Nuclear-powered Attack Submarines (SSN) 7
Attack Submarines (Diesel) (SS) 52 (mix of older diesels with a few modern ones mixed in)
US Total: 75 (all nuclear, all modern)
Nuclear-powered Ballistic Missile Submarines (SSBN) 18
Nuclear-powered Guided Missile Submarines (SSGN) 4
Nuclear-powered Attack Submarines (SSN) 53
Nuclear-powered Special Mission Submarines (SSAN) Unknown; possibly 2-4
Japan
Attack Submarines (Diesel) (SS) 16 (all modern)
Australia Totals
Attack Submarines (Diesel) (SS) 6 (all modern)
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