Cruise Missile - The High Impact Weapon Of War

A Few Words On Ballistic Missiles:

A ballistic missile follows ballistic trajectory destined to deliver one or more warheads to a predetermined target and are guided for a very brief period of time during its flight. Long range ballistic missiles like the intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) spends most of its flight out of the earth's atmosphere while the shorter ranged ones stay within the atmosphere all throughout their flight. Ballistic missiles like ICBM have three stages of flight - the powered flight portion, the free flight and the re-entry portion where the missile re-enters the earth's atmosphere. The powered portion of the flight carries the missile out of the atmosphere, then the thrust is curtailed and missile uses the inertia of the powered flight into the the space from the launch site. During the third stage the missile re-enter the atmosphere and is guided mainly by the the seeker and its rocket motor against the gravity to hit the target.

A Few Words On Cruise Missiles:

In contrast cruise missiles are aerodynamically guided in a flight powered by air breathing motors/jet engines and stay within the atmosphere throughout their flight. Originally cruise missiles are far short ranged than ballistic missiles , are far less expensive and can maintain very low flight path to avoid radar detection by taking near tree top flights. Cruise missiles are capable of both subsonic and supersonic flights. Cruise missiles can be supersonic and hypersonic depending on their propulsion system. Nowadays attempt is being made to make cruise missiles that can cover ranges in excess of 3000 kilometers. This article will remain concentrated on effectiveness of subsonic and supersonic cruise missiles.

Cruise missiles are used to destroy high value targets such as command and control units, ships, iron structures like bridges and natural resource accumulators like dams. Since the time of cold war US and Russia the two most heavily nuclear powered nations and the most advanced nations in terms of missile manufacturing capability had been involved in competing each other in developing varied types of missiles and cruise missiles are no exception.

In the context of modern age's highly capable radars which are able to detect ballistic missiles from far off ranges and development of missile defence shields/systems like S400 of Russia and Patriot of US the usage of cruise missiles have gained in importance among nations to maintain stealth and extreme maneuverability all along the flight path before reaching the target which increases the probability of percentage of hit per missile launch on to a target. In this context two prominent missiles that come to mind are Tomahawk cruise missile of US and Kalibr cruise missile of Russia . US has pioneered the development and induction of cruise missile into armed forces. Brahmos cruise missile of India is a very effective cruise missile but its range is currently limited to 290 kilometers which is a major handicap when it comes to striking targets at distances more than 1000 kilometers thus keeping the launch platform and its crews out of the harms way. This discussion will concentrate on the effectiveness on the contemporary cruise missile Tomahawk of US and Kalibr of Russia originally having range of more than 1000 kilometers.

Tomahawk Cruise missile of US is a land attack cruise missile launched from surface ships and submarines. It is subsonic cruise missile all along its flight path. Tomahawk cruise missile is capable of navigation by inertial navigation
system,gps enabled precision strike, flies at very low altitudes, is reprogrammable during flight to change target and is capable of carrying nuclear warhead. Such capabilities of the missile have been developed over progressive improvement designated by Blocks with incremental numbers. The most effective and improved is Block IV which can be launched by submarines , additionally Block IV Tomahawk has a camera with the help of which live images of the flight path is transmitted back to the command posts and has almost every capability mentioned above except nuclear carrying capability , a capability which was exempted from Tomahawk series of missiles latest by 2013. Tomahawk Block IV the most developed version of the missile has a range of 1600 kilometers and has the capability to carry a warhead of 450 kilos. At the moment Tomahawk is mainly a land attack cruise missile with the anti-ship variant being withdrawn from service in 1990s. Tomahawk cruise missile is operated by US and UK.

Kalibr is the Russian cruise missile which is capable of performing varied tasks like anti-ship, land attack and anti-submarine operations. The ship launched Kalibr cruise missile has thrust vectoring capability which is
unheard of in any of the variants of Tomahawk cruise missile. This capability gives this missile the ability to dodge enemy defence systems with great aerodynamic agility. The submarine launched version has conventional booster and the air launched version uses the gravity along with the aerodynamic maneuvering to gain dominance over the anti-missile system of the enemy. The land attack version 3M14T having inertial guidance system carries conventional warhead , has a range of 2500 kilometers . The version capable of delivering a nuclear warhead can travel 2600 kilometers. Although the range of the export versions, which are supposedly derived out of 3M54K (the domestic version of short ranged Russian Kalibr cruise missile) are further dwarfed by MTCR regime , all export versions of this missile are two staged. The majority of the path covered by the missile is subsonic while the terminal phase of the missile has a supersonic boost giving the enemy defence systems least time to detect and engage Kalibr effectively. The anti-ship version of this missile is capable of traveling at a height of 4.6 meters from water level and it maintains supersonic speed with thrust vectoring upto mach 3 at the terminal phase. In contrast to other anti-ship cruise missiles, in addition to the supersonic boost during the terminal phase Kalibr is capable of performing defensive maneuvers at very high angles at that speed with the help of thrust vectoring. The anti-submarine version 91RE1 is a submarine launched anti-submarine cruise missile ranged at 50 kilometers . It is capable of attaining supersonic speeds with a warhead of 76 kilos. Kalibr is operated by six countries namely Russia, India, Algeria, China, Vietnam and Iran.

Kalibr And Tomahawk A Comparison: 

                     

Comparing the capabilities of two missiles, Tomahawk and Kalibr it seems that Kalibr variety of anti-ship cruise missiles have the added advantage of aerodynamic agility with the capability to travel at supersonic speed at the terminal phase maintaining thrust vectoring to defeat enemy defences with sharp aerodynamic maneuvering and has anti-submarine capability as well. The originally developed domestic versions of land attack Kalibr missiles used by Russia can carry a warhead of 500 kilos and have the advantage of having a range of 2500 kilometers ,a nearly 1000 kilometer advantage of range over Tomahawk cruise missiles of US and are controllable during the flight.

Right from the inception of the cruise missiles the guidance system against land targets was a challenging task that needed to be perfected.
The radar based guidance systems were effective in distinguishing the sea based target than the targets on land. Operationally, it had been reported that Tomahawk had performed poorly during the operation Desert Storm in 1990s. It achieved a target hit of about 50 percent. It was reported that nine US Navy Tomahawk missiles failed to launch from launch tubes and six suffered from problems just after their launch. The report of US DoD after the war refrained from commenting on effectiveness of the missile attacks with the Tomahawk. On 17 December 2009 seeking to destroy an Al-Qaeda training camp in Yemen 41 civilians mostly women and children were killed in a Tomahawk cruise missile attack. On 20 March 2003 a misguided attack with Tomahawk cruise missiles killed 41 innocent civilians in Bagdad. Although this miss hit was blamed on flawed intelligence report about whereabouts of Saddam Hussain and his ministers the accuracy of Tomahawk in this attack is debated. Despite such glaring failures Tomahawk had been used in the past by US to good effect in all the wars starting from the operation Desert Storm and is still used in modern day war scenarios by US to destroy high value targets and soften up enemy positions and its capability. Comparatively, although Russia had been developing Kalibr cruise missile during 1990s, compared to Tomahawk of US whose development started in 1970s, Russia had a much successful launch of the Kalibr cruise missiles which were targeted against ISIL and had found its first use in the Syrian war theatre.

Impact Of Cruise Missile In Modern Day Warfare:

To gauge into the need of modern day precision long range strike weapon like the cruise missile the latest Syrian war theatre needs to be taken into consideration. By 2014 ISIL had captured large parts of Syria and was speculated to have plans to expand into Europe and rest of the world. Non tolerance of US towards terrorists targeting US homeland and US citizen across the world was well known. Russia ,also, had a policy of non-tolerance towards terrorism and that had been demonstrated by death sentencing of a 28-year-old Russian captured during fight with ISIL who ws fighting for ISIL and also death sentencing of 16-year-old Wenzel for the same reason , the execution was delayed till she attended the age of 22. Understandably the fear of spreading of ISIL radicalism back in Russia by these persons that had joined ISIL ranks was enormous and going by the the policy of non-tolerance against terrorism Russia did not want terrorism to spread in Russia as well via these agents and so wanted to stop these people from returning to mainstream of life back in Russia who they fear would possibly spread the idea of terrorism by mixing with the rest. Both Russia and US and other NATO forces were aware of the fact that the spread of ISIL meant a definite threat to their population back home, and so , after World War II this was the first time when the theatre was set for the NATO forces along with Russia to fight a common enemy in ISIL. Although NATO and Russia possesses different views about the outcome of Syrian conflict concerning the present regime of Syria under Mr. Bashar al-Assad there was no doubt in the minds of Mr. Putin and NATO countries along with US that ISIL needed to be extinguished. In order to do that there was a need to destroy the support units of ISIL and thus stifle the advances of ISIL. But ISIL was giving the Russian supported Syrian forces and NATO forces a tough time on the ground in the Syrian war theatre and thus it became inevitable for Russia to use a greater force in the form of greater fire power and destruction from a safe distance. This necessitated the cruise missiles to be put into action to destroy the ground units by means of which ISIL flourished in Syria , rest of Arabian Peninsula and North Africa.

US had been carrying out attacks with Tomahawk missiles since September 2014 on ISIL targets but failed to have desired effect of devastation that could deal a lethal blow to the operations of ISIL in Syria. Russia after intervening in support of Mr. Bashar al-Assad in Syria had taken into account the ground realities suffered until then by the NATO and Syrian forces fighting ISIL. Even then a Russian Mi8 helicopter was destroyed killing all its crews when it was returning after delivering humanitarian aide in Allepo. On 7 October 2015, one year since US had initiated the launch of Tomahawk missiles on ISIL targets , warships from Russian Caspian fleet fired 26 missiles targeting 11 sites on ISIL captured Syria . The missiles were launched by Russian Gepard class frigate Dagestan and three small Buyan class corvettes. Targets were located in Al-Raqqah, Aleppo, and Idlib at a distance of 1500 kilometers from the Caspian fleet and Kalibr missiles
were destined for command centers, ammunition warehouses, weapons factories, weapons storages, fuel depots and terrorist camps in these areas.

On 20 November 2015 the Caspian fleet of Russia relaunched another wave of Kalibr cruise missile attack consisting of 18 Kalibr missiles targeting seven ISIL targets in the same region. On 8 December 2015 Russian submarine Rostov-on-Don made underwater launch of four Kalibr missiles targeting a mine factory and one ammunition warehouse from Mediterranean sea.

Though US claimed that 4 of the 26 missiles launched on 7 October 2015 failed to reach target and fell on Iranian territory , the claim was refuted by Iran. Russia claimed that all the missiles hit the target. Since then accuracy of Kalibr cruise missiles launched by Russia on ISIL targets have gone unchallenged. It was estimated that the attack on ISIL targets with Kalibr cruise missiles had a major impact on material support and effective war fighting manpower of ISIL and was very effective in denting the morale of ISIL . On 15 November 2015 just over one month after the first wave of attack by Kalibr cruise missiles it was reported that Kweyris military airport was relieved off ISIL control. The airbase had been under ISIL control since April 2013 and several attempts to recapture it from ISIL had failed before the attack with Kalibr cruise missile on ISIL support bases. This eventually was the first major breakthrough which paved the path for several other success against ISIL . Some more attacks with kalibr cruise missiles on ISIL bases had followed shortly after relieving of Kweyris military airport from ISIL. It seems that even with a head start of several years on technologies related to cruise missile Tomahawk cruise missiles of US somehow failed to make a major impact against ISIL in the Syrian war theatre . But Russian Kalibr cruise missiles gave a devastating blow to make ISIL weak and paved the way for liberation of areas in Syria under the control of ISIL .

Another stark event involving Tomahawk cruise missiles was the launch of 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles on Syrian targets as a protest and punishment against Syrian regime's use of chemical weapon on its own civilians. In the Syrian war theatre Russia had placed S300 and S400 systems protecting the Russian assets around Khmeimem air port and the coastal region of Syria. It was reported by Russian MoD that only 23 missiles out of the 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles launched by US reached their target over Syria thus severely diminishing the impact of the launch of the wave of 59 cruise missiles. Although US contested this claim of Russian MoD , damage estimation done by Russian defence on the ground and aerial pictures made available in general described far lesser amount of impact of the cruise missiles on Syrian targets compared to the 59 cruise missiles launched by US. The circumstantial evidence indicated the Tomahawk cruise missiles to have been intercepted by the S400 and S300 systems in place which might have been in auto mode and the intercepting missiles might have launched and intercepted the Tomahawk cruise missiles as they were in Syrian airspace. These Tomahawk cruise missiles were definitely the latest Tomahawk Block IV cruise missiles. Despite being the latest evolution of Tomahawk series of cruise missiles these missiles were either intercepted by the S400 and S300 missile defence systems of Russia in place or the Tomahawk missiles lacked significant capability to cause any serious damage that could have a telling impact on the Assad regime. Launch of a wave of 59 missiles within a very short span of time should have caused significant damage to the morale to Assad regime , but US failed to achieve that aim with this attack of Tomahawk cruise missiles.

Conclusion:

From the above analysis it is clear that effective cruise missile attack from a very long range can play a very significant role in destroying enemy high value assets and area of stronghold, but, the technology needs to be perfected in order to have the desired outcome. The outcome will be invariably aimed to soften up or annihilate the enemy to the point where it will give a telling psychological blow and turn the course of the war in ones favour. So in future while making long ranged subsonic cruise missiles like Nirbhay or importing cruise missiles of foreign origin , India should give top priority to the missile's capability of destruction, agility,terminal velocity, range and accuracy and its ability to operate in EW intense environments.

Written By Debojyoti Kumar

S400 , A Stone Walled Deterrent Against Foreign Aggressor: A War Fiction

Today 1st January 2025 is the day of reckoning for the India Govt. as POK( Pak Occupied Kashmir ) has been reinstated under Indian administration by mutual agreement of India and Pakistan and thus marks an end to the long ongoing proxy war waged by Pakistan against by India for nearly 35 years. The foundation to this achievement was laid by an incident exactly five years back after which the military developments owing to the aftermath of the incident forced the major powers of the world including China to unanimously act against Pakistan's ambition of forceful annexation of Jammu and Kashmir to her territory in the wake of an impending nuclear war which was at the verge of being commenced at the backdrop of military build-up and covert operations by Indian forces against Pakistani military installations across LOC over land and air to get back the territory of PoK. As a retaliatory measure Pakistan had readied her nuclear capable missiles armed with nuclear warheads to be launched on Indian cities in case PoK had to be lost to India by the militarily way. India's continuous provisioning of proof against Pakistani atrocities on her soil had cornered Pakistan in the world stage and Chinese support for Pakistan had been rendered ineffective as a two front war against India after the shelving of the 'No First use Policy' of nuclear weapons almost ensured a nuclear holocaust as India with her capabilities could never recede her boundaries further to foreign aggression but could only get back her lost territories.

The nuclear holocaust could have affected the entire atmospheric blanket of the earth leading to predictable and unknown harmful results for the world population for unknown period of time span. The description of that incident is stated in brief as follows:

There was a belief that radicals inside Pakistan and Pakistani defence had been

carrying out terror related activities against India was largely emboldened by the projected prophecy of 'Ghazwa-e-Hind' i.e. Islam's prophetic war against India before conquering the rest of the world. As a retaliation towards this continuous support and effort to bleed Indian citizens by carrying out terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir and rest of India, in October 2017 Indian Government had re-initiated Tulbul project to control the release of water of the river Jhelum which is key to agriculture of Pakistan and this particular effort had given rise to the fear of bringing drought and flood for Pakistan at the will of the India Govt. in the minds of Pakistani administration which apart from the elected Govt. also consists its military and military planners.

Severe protest by Pakistan at World Bank and UNSC did not materialize into any effective measure stopping India from continuing the construction of the dam . In the context of the importance of controlling the water share flowing into Pakistan as a tool to dissuade Pakistan from aiding and harbouring terrorism against Indian citizens ,the construction had been ordered to be completed on war footing. The dam was completed in November 2019 and was releasing water into the Jhelum river in a steady flow after its storage from the large water body at the dam at the behest of  Indian Govt .

Although a tool to persuade Pakistan away from terrorism by controlling the release of water into the river Jhelum that flowed into Pakistan , Indian Govt. did not have any intent of punishing the population of Pakistan by depriving water for agriculture and her other life sustaining usage, but , to control the flow sufficiently to shake up the Pakistani administration in the event of any atrocious activity on Indian soil that could be traced back to Pakistan.

After India being armed with the tool to control the flow of water of Jhelum and Pakistan's citizens being aware of the consequences of the sudden stoppage of water or sudden flooding release from the dam ,courtesy largely to the regular crying of Pakistani Govt. against the construction of the dam of Tulbul and through news media and international lobbying by India against so called state sponsored terrorism aimed at India by Pakistan , brewed a possible uprising among the general population of Pakistan and POK against the Pakistani Govt.. Pakistan Govt. being well aware of the devastating result of the control of water of Jhelum by India , Tulbul dam sat like a tight noose around the neck of the top brass of Pakistani administration.

By the end of 2019 Pakistan with Chinese help was able to fortify her airbases , army and nuclear bases with missile defence systems. With ever growing induction of JF 17 fighter jets and additional fighter jets in the form of F16 obtained from Turkey , Pakistan looked confident to shield itself against an Indian aerial aggression and even felt an air of confidence to intrude Indian airspace to carry out sharp aerial operations. The confidence had gained ground due to the prolonged delay in acquisition of modern fighter jets by Indian Govt. resulting a below par squadron strength of IAF by the end of 2019 mainly due to retiring of a large number of MiG 21 , air craft , about 162 of them, which were not fully replaced instantly resulting in an alarming squadron deficit. The delivery of all of 36 Rafale fighter aircraft ordered from France by India was slated to complete by 2022 . These were the only fighter jets contracted to be acquired during this period.



To deny India a controlling tool over the lifeline of Pakistan in the form of control over the flow of water of the Jhelum river , Pakistani Govt. gave affirmative nod to PAF for an operation to be carried out by staying within Pakistani airspace. The operation was to destroy Tulbul dam from a stand off distance using suitable ordnance.



Meanwhile Indian military planners foreseeing internal friction resulting from bribery allegation and indecision to obtain high-end fighter jets in the wake of ever improving technology to replace the retiring MiGs , had opted to induct S400 system to shield the Indian airspace from any foreign aggression along the borders with China and Pakistan. India had ordered six systems of S400 totaling 1536 missiles to guard the intended borders. Pakistan defence was fully aware of the acquisition of S400 by India and PAF was confident of carrying out the operation due to the complacence of having the superior capability to detect , track, and destroy their targets owing to US made avionics incorporated in F16 and significant increase of the fighter jets in PAF. After having got green signal from the Pakistani Govt. the zero hour of attack on Tulbul was only separated by the time frame to plan and execute operation.



Indian Govt. had no idea of the sinister design of Pakistan and was gloating over the defacing that Pakistan had received through international diplomatic channels with only China who voiced in favour of Pakistan but was unable to etch out a positive solution in support of Pakistan's intent to prevent construction of Tulbul dam.


India air force faced with a shortage of fighter jets had to cut their sorties for surveillance to preserve the fighter jets for war scenario but was confident of S400 to do its task of securing the Indian borders with Pakistan and China. Indian spy satellite however gave  ready intimation of Pak movements of men and war hardware across the border and any alarming movements of war assets near India border could activate Indian defence in a short notice.

Pakistan decided that Tulbul dam would be destroyed by a PAF mission carried out at the early hours during new year celebrations at 2:04 am IST on 1st January 2020. Pakistan cabinet was briefed about the operation and it gave the nod to go ahead. Flying from Sargodha air base the fighter jets had to cover a distance of 306 kilometers to destroy Tulbul and come back into Pakistani airspace. A group of twelve F16 with two drop tanks each was designated for the operation with six out of the twelve also carrying H4 stand off precision-guided glide bombs on their pylons and the rest acting as escorts with AIM 120 C5 missiles to counter any IAF interceptions the beyond visual range . The Indian political leadership was deeply involved in celebrating the new year without having a hint about the operation planned by Pakistan Govt. and its air force. IAF's vigil of the India airspace was handicapped by a lower than required squadron strength. Knowing the weakness of IAF and confident about the success the PAF F16s took off from Sargodha air base to strike Tulbul dam in the dark of the night on 01 January 2020. Operation 'Pride Salvation' got initiated at 1:30 am IST from Sargodha airbase. Destined towards Tulbul dam PAF F16s had taken to the skies by 1:37 am IST from Sargodha air force base.

Out of the six S400 systems obtained from Russia Indian Air Force had stationed four of them near the western border of India with Pakistan. One each near Transit Halt Of Indian Soldiers Enroute (to Siachen) or THOISE , Adampur , Jodhpur and Jamnagar Indian air force bases.

Each S400 system with its powerful AESA radars was capable of a detection and tracking upto 300 targets over a distance of 600 kilometers with a maximum kill range of 400 kilometers along with the capability to engage 36 targets simultaneously. Even the most stealthy of the aircraft could not evade the very well reputed detection capability of S400. This itself ensured all Pakistani air bases came under its range. Thus high value targets could be protected from aerial threat over a distance of 400 kilometers. This offensive-defence capability of S400 also ensured that IAF fighter jets did not have to undertake risky operations and intrude enemy airspace until that was sanitized.



The aerial distance to be covered from Sargodha to Adampore was 298 kilometers. All Pakistani F16 took a low altitude subsonic flight at around 5000 meters to approach Tulbul dam in Srinagar via Islamabad maintaining a speed around 800 kilometers per hour, but, as soon as Pakistani F16 took to air 96L6E radar of S400 stationed near Adampore detected the air borne PAF fighter jets and transmitted the targets to 30K6E control post of S400. Sensing the radar lock on their radar warning receivers (RWR) F16 pilots started varying their flight altitude to evade lock-on by a missile but was always locked-on by the S400 radar . F16 had their RWR signaling constantly on but the tranche of the F16s destined for Tulbul opted to stay on their predetermined aerial path , maintaining a distance of 260 kilometers inside Pakistani airspace.

S400 was capable of simultaneously engaging maximum of 80 targets. The thrust vectoring missile 9M96E capable of engaging the targets at an altitude of 35 kilometers at the speed of mach 15 and another from the inventory of missiles of S400 system, the 48N6E3 missile that could engage targets at 250 kilometers speeding at the target at mach 14 was in the back of the PAF pilots' minds, but they were confident of evading any launch by 400 kilometer ranged 40N6E missile by staying 260 kilometers inside Pakistan territory as they had thought that the buffer created by maintaining that distance would allow them to evade the missile in time if it was launched from Indian airspace. It had often happened in the past that Pakistani F16s were detected by Indian S400 systems but were not engaged as both the countries' air forces carried out training exercises within their own territories. As always Indian operators of S400 opted to wait and watch the approach of F16s thereby trying to confirm a determined approach to intrude the Indian airspace or to cause damage from a stand off distance on India soil without penetrating India airspace. Even sudden change of directions by Pakistani F16s after radar lock on by S400 system was a normal maneuver that was attempted by F16s in the past. So the sustained flight of PAF F16s staying 260 kilometers within Pakistani airspace did not send any alarm to the operators of S400 systems. But as a standard operational procedure (SOP) all systems of S400 along with the airforce bases were alerted about the detection and sustained flight of Pakistani F16s within Pakistani airspace.



PAF F16s were constantly changing their altitude and flight pattern to evade missile lock-on from S400 and maintained a distance of 260 kilometers inside Pakistani territory till they flew around Islamabad at around 2:00 am IST and started their final dash towards Srinagar where Tulbul dam had been built.



Indian S400 operators had maintained due alertness following the flight path of PAF F16s on the screen of the radar. After S400 system at Adampore, the S400 system at THOISE detected and tracked the F16s. They noticed a certain curve in the flight path of F16s towards Pakistan's boundary with India as PAF F16s approached towards Srinagar. F16s after passing Islamabad's airspace were on a supersonic flight speeding at mach 1.3 and were approaching the boundary fast. Still no alarm was set in the minds of the S400 operators as the same was practiced in the past by Pakistani F16s.



But this time the only variation was that after passing through Islamabad's airspace the speed of F16s had escalated to supersonic speeds for a sustained period of three minutes at an altitude of 15000 meters while they approached Indo-Pakistan border. By 2:03 a.m. IST The aerial distance of 170.5 kilometers between Islamabad and Srinagar by then was covered almost by half by all twelve PAF F16s. The 96L6E radar screen of S400 system which until now showed twelve aerial targets suddenly showed 24 air bourne objects approaching towards Srinagar. Out of the 24 air bourne objects 12 objects started descending at great speed towards the earth approaching Indo-Pak border which was a clear indication of launch or ordnance but the H4 bombs were still inside Pakistani territory.

S400 operators had orders to maintain maximum restraint until an intrusion was detected into Indian airspace. That left the S400 system and the operators much less than a minute to react against an incoming threat over India airspace. The operators of S400 noticed a breach of boundary by 12 flying objects on the radar screen and commanded the launch of missiles against the PAF ordnance that had breached the international boundary and had intruded Indian airspace. S400 system had its missiles locked onto the targets and almost immediately launched 9M96E missiles towards them.

All the bombs approaching Tulbul dam were intercepted physically and destroyed at a low altitude of 2000 to 3000 meters approximately. All this time the radar data along with the launch of the missiles against the intruded targets got relayed to the air force station at THOISE and order was prompted to target the fighter jets inside Pakistani territory. The F16s were already tracked and locked on by the S400 radar; the Pakistani F16s after launching the H4 bombs had made a turn around inside Pakistan's airspace and were speeding at mach 2 with the intention of maintaining that speed until they reached safe distance from the reaches of missiles of S400 maintaining the flight path towards a landing strip at the extremity of Balochistan province bordering with Afganistan known only to PAF authorities and the pilots on the mission; By 2:04:40 a.m. IST S400 system launched eighteen 40N6E missiles capable of speeding at mach 14 towards the targets.

According to Russian doctrine related to the interception of a fighter jet two missiles targeted towards one target ensured better probability of hitting the target as against one pursuer missile. S400 being directly procured from Russia by India had that doctrinal logic built into the S400 system. F16s tried to jam the missiles as well as launched evasive measures like chaff and flare dispensers to in vain as those were rendered ineffective against 40N6E missiles.

All twelve PAF F16 pilots were under the fish bowl effect all through out the mission by being tracked by S400 radar where they could run but could not hide and now sensing the inevitable result of their respective F16 getting destroyed against 40N6E missiles they opted to eject out of their respective aircraft. All the twelve F16s were downed within 60 seconds from the launch time of 40N6E missiles. PAF lost all of their F16 fighter air crafts on mission to Indian S400 system around 2:05:40 a.m. IST. PAF's mission to destroy Tubul dam had ended in a massive failure and accounted for the loss of twelve of their top notch fighter jets. Though China had not intended any military operation against India , the deployment of two S400 systems along the China border owing to the insecurity felt by India as a result of repeated ingress by Chinese soldiers along the Indo-Chinese border and China's claim over Arunachal Pradesh, ensured that a sudden two front aerial attack could not emanate into an unmanageable warring scenario for IAF. India had by then placed an order for another S400 system to be placed along a suitable territory along the Indo-China border.



The incident of breaching of the Indian airspace by the glider bombs dropped by PAF and the subsequent destruction of PAF fighter jets was promptly reported to Indian Ministry Of Defence and PMO. The next morning Pakistan Govt. and PAF accused India of playing foul against a mutually agreed understanding of not intruding or attacking air assets while inside each others territory and stated that their fighter jets were destroyed by missiles launched from India while on a training mission inside Pakistan's territory and never crossed over to the India airspace. Indian Ministry Of Defence ordered an operation to detect the bits and pieces of the bombs dropped by PAF F16s and presented them as proof of Pakistani intention on Indian soil by the PAF F16 to Russia. Though India preserved the rights to keep the data about the incident solely to her own, since Russia was a permanent member of UNSC the radar data were provided to Russia justifying the downing of the fighter jets which were later presented at UNSC. The verified data at UNSC confirmed the intentions of PAF F16s on that particular night and Pakistan was again shamed thoroughly before the world community.



This particular incident had a telling effect on the psyche of the Pakistani Govt. and almost instantaneous loss of all twelve F16s had grievously dented the war waging morale and confidence of PAF to carry out any mission in Indian air space. Pakistan defence and Govt. went rabid to counter the capabilities of S400 but found that it would not be able to meet the financial expense to acquire enough offensive to overcome the prowess of S400.



The effect was felt upon the ill health of Pakistan's economy and the resulting strain cascaded on to the social developments which infused an unbearable agony on already frustrated Pakistani citizens whose disenchantment of Pakistani administration had great potential to lead into another debacle like the uprising for freedom by a large section of the Pakistani population alike the struggle of 1971 . So Pakistan Govt. had to sneak away from her nefarious designs into Indian landscape and concentrate on lesser spending on her defence to accommodate proper funds for social reforms for better quality of life.



The successful deterrence against Pakistani air attack has led Indian Govt. in November 2024 to opt for S500 system from Russia after completion of the orders in place for S400 systems. In addition to the capabilities of S400, the S500 system is designed to destroy hypersonic cruise missiles and other aerial targets at speeds higher than Mach 5 at an altitude of 180-200 kilometers. The S500 systems are developed to detect and track extremely stealthy aircraft at a range of 200 kilometers as well and can intercept multiple incoming ballistic missiles. India is currently in the process of procuring S500 systems from Russia to be placed along Indo-Pak and Indo-China border alongside the existing S400 systems.



It should be a matter of time when China should also hand over the landscape of Indian territory occupied by her to the Indian Govt. paving the way for a peaceful future of the Asian nations devoid of conflict against each other.




Written By Debojyoti Kumar

MiG 35 The New Formidable Challenger In The Skies

In India owing to a much higher price than expected, only 36 MMRCA category fighter jets have been contracted to be obtained in the form of Rafale out of the required number of 126 MMRCA category of fighter jets that are required by IAF. Thus another opportunity presents itself for IAF to evaluate fighter jets from companies of other countries. Although the final decision rests with IAF to determine the fighter jet that it evaluates to be suited to its requirement ; MiG 35 of RAC MiG from Russia , a 4++ generation fighter aircraft, holds many positives over the fighter jets in the same category and should be positively taken into consideration while obtaining the remaining number of 90 MMRCA category of fighter jets by IAF. A brief explanation citing quite a few technologies incorporated in MiG 35 giving an insight into its capabilities is attempted in the write up that follows.



MiG 35 is a twin engined fighter aircraft which is a completely new variant having scant similarities with MiG 29K/KUB was very recently offered to India for naval operations as well as for acquisition of multi-role fighter aircraft for Indian Airforce. The dual seat version of this 4++ generation aircraft is MiG 35D. This fighter has greatly improved avionics and weapons systems and is capable of shooting down attack aircraft & cruise missiles and destroy ground targets as well. Its radar is AESA radar which is technologically better and efficient than the powerful PESA radars , its optical locator station (OLS) enables the fighter jet to target independent of ground-controlled interception (GCI) systems and along with BINS-SP2 strapdown inertial navigation system which allows MiG 35 to navigate in the absence of satellite, land-based radar stations and offshore navigation systems gives it the capability to conduct search , track and attack operations without the directives of ground radar stations.

Other new features are advanced information-sighting systems, adaptability of onboard firmwares with both Russian and foreign weapons systems along with integrated defence systems for increased combat survivability. The SOLO (Stantsiya Obnaruzheniya Lazernogo Oblucheniya) is a laser warning device designed by NII PP has two sensors suites located on the wing tips. It is capable of detecting the tracking of the aircraft with a laser range finder from a distance of 30 kilometers. MiG 35 uses very effective avionic systems like MSP 41KE active jammer POD and ELT/568(V)2 Self Protection Jammer (SPJ) for self protection.

MiG 35 betters its previous variants by many aspects. It has 10 hard points instead of 9 , airframe life increased from 5000 to 6000 hours of flying, has AESA radar instead of PESA radar,thrust vectoring engines, better avionics, internal fuel capacity is increased by 1.5 times, FADEC capable RD-33MK engines life resource is 6000 hours compared to 2500 of RD33 Ser.3 engines , the RD-33MKV engine the thrust vectoring version of RD-33MK engine has all-aspect thrust vectoring capacity.

MiG 35 fighter is vastly different from other MiG 29 variants and enables MiG 35 to conduct full scale multi-role operations. New avionics , opto-electronic and new AESA radar help MiG 35 to conduct air-superiority operations by means of air interception & air interdiction, precision all-weather air-to-ground operations,aerial reconnaissance and joint operations with other Russian fighter jets, close air support, suppression of enemy air defences and to attack maritime targets.

                                                 MiG 35 With Its 10 Hard Points Loaded


Among new technological enhancements in MiG 35 the most significant are the Phazotron Zukh-AE AESA radar, RD-33MK all-aspect thrust vectoring engines , new NII PP OLS-UEM optical locator station , BINS-SP2 strapdown inertial navigation system, SOAR System , MSP-418K active jamming system and ELT/568(V)2 Self Protection Jammer.

                                Various Detection And Defensive Systems Of MiG 35



Phazotron Zukh-AE AESA Radar

This radar is all-weather effective , has a wide range of operating frequencies, it provides significant resistance against electronic warfare giving it the capability to operate in ECM-heavy environment. It has a detection range of 160 Kms for aerial targets and 300 Kms for ships. This radar is capable of tracking 30 targets and target 6 aerial ones and four ground targets simultaneously.




BINS-SP2 Strapdown Inertial Navigation System

This system autonomously processes navigation and flight information , also determines position and motion parameters with the help of built-in laser gyros and quartz accelerometers in absence of assistance from satellite navigation with default integration with GLONASS. One unit of this system is expected to have an operation life of 10,000 hours which is twice compared to the same type of navigation systems other than BINS SP2. This also aids the fighter jet in network centric warfare involving air,land and maritime operations.


RD-33 MKAll -Aspect Thtrust Vectoring Engines

This engine is 7 percent more efficient than previous version of RD33 engines for usage of new technology , it is smokeless and has reduced infrared and optical visibility. Introduction of KliVt swiveling thrust vectoring nozzles improve the engine's efficiency by 12 to 15 percent giving it equivalent or better maneuverability than Su 30 MKI and F22 Raptor. In fact the thrust vectoring nozzles of RD 33 MKV variant of the engine has all-aspect thrust vectoring and enables MiG35 to fly at very low speeds without any limitation of angle-of-attack maintaining the controllability of the aircraft in zero-speed and negative-speed (tail forward) for much more sustained periods than 2D thrust vectored engines.



NII PP OLS-UEM Optical Locator Station:

This passive search-and-track sensor system has capability to detect emission from stealth fighter jets. OLS works like the human eye by capturing pictures and analyzing them to detect possible targets. This OLS system which is complex if powerful optics with IR vision is reported to aide pilots to detect US stealth fighter jets. This OLS system is made of Leuco Sapphire giving it ruggedness against damage by dust particles striking at mach speeds and far better reliability of signal propagation from the system.


A Few Words On Leuco Sapphire OLS Of New WaveLength:

The latest optical locator system (OLS) on MiG 35 that uses leuco sapphire , the next hardest material after diamond, enables propagation of uncorrupted IR signal in place of glass that is normally used in prevalent OLS systems. OLS helps in detection of aircraft independent of radar and does not have electromagnetic emission of its own and hence the position of the IR emitting aircraft remains undetected. The OLS works like a vividly enhanced eye which continually captures the picture to be processed by the built in computing systems of the aircraft. The new OLS developed in Russia along with leuco sapphire uses short wave band of IR emissions which have enabled increased sensitivity by several times along with significant improvement in detection range. It has detection range of 15 to 55 kilometers for airborne targets. Such OLS are considered to help detect even the most stealthiest of aircraft that are prevalent in most revered air forces of the world. Detection of target by OLS can trigger the release of the desired weapon upon pilot's command independent of the radar in the aircraft.


OLS-K Ground And Sea Targeting OLS System:

This OLS system is designed to search, track and target on land and seas. It can detect and track a battle tank on the ground at a distance of 20 Kms and an object of the size of an aircraft carrier on sea at a distance of 40 Kilometers.



SOAR System:

It is a threat detection system for MiG 35 and is fitted on the gondola and a second one on the top of fuselage of the aircraft. It detects rocket launches and shows the direction of the incoming threat. It is capable of detecting Stinger/Igla missile from 10 Kms , air-to-air missiles from 30 kms, and big surface to air missiles from 50 Kms. It is developed by NII PP institute of Russia.


MSP-418K Kedr Active Jamming POD:

Compact jamming pod MSP-418-K is developed for individual and collective aircraft protection by means of active noise and interference generation to deceive and counteract against radio electronic equipment used in air defence, artillery or any other ground complexes. It implements noise generation and complex interference with DRFM technologies which implements digital signal processing and interference generator by noise generation and generating complex interferences with a programmable structure thereby providing an independent two-channel reception, processing, and emission of the original radar signal based on DRFM technology. It has the capacity to instantaneously measure the received radar signals for panoramic radar signal detection in G-J range. DRFM technology is a broadband signal processing with real-time signal processing and programmable features and it implements recording and reproduction of the received radar signals.


ELT/568(V)2 Self Protection Jammer:

This jammer has evolved from collaboration between Russian MiG and Elettronica of Italy and it provides self defence from radar controlled anti-aircraft guns.

MiG 35 Positives Over Shenyang J15 Type Fighter Jet Used By Chinese Navy The Rival Of Indian Navy For Maritime Operations

In comparison to the likely adversary in the form of Chinese Naval Forces Fighter Jets Shenyang J15, which is a derivative of Su 33 type fighter jet ,MiG 35 exceeds Shenyang J15 in quite a few parameters . MiG 35 exceeds service ceiling of J15 by 500 meters, rate of climb by 84 m/s, maximum speed by 100 Kmph, thrust-to-weight ratio by 0.20 and maximum maneuverability by 2g. All these aerodynamic factors combined with the advantage of ZUKH-AE AESA radar ,advanced OLS and all-aspect thrust vectoring engines give MiG 35 a significant edge over the Shenyang J15 with regards to maritime operations.



MiG 35 Positives Over F16



MIG 35 exceeds F16 in highest speed at altitude by mach 0.25, combat radius by 450 Kms on internal fuel , service ceiling by 2260 meters, rate of climb is by 76 m/s, maximum maneuverability by 1g along with all-aspect thrust vectoring RD33MKV engine which gives MiG 35 unlimited angle of attack. All these aspects should be considered carefully before deciding to obtain an all-weather fighter jet.



Weapons:

MiG 35 is capable of launching all missiles launched by Mig 29 variants which include ,but is not limited to, R23, R27, R77 and R73 air-to-air missiles; KH-29T, KH-29L, KH-31P KH-31PK, KH-35E,Kh-35UE and KH-38MLE air-to-surface missiles; KAB-500L(laser guided bomb),KAB-500T (TV guided)& FAB-250, FAB-500, ZAB-500 guided and unguided bombs.

Acquiring a completely new aircraft in large numbers will call for absolutely new logistics support, maintenance nightmares for multiple fighter jets of varied make and up keeping of these newly acquired fighter jets to maintain proper percentage of availability to have effective deterrence with the newly commissioned fighter jet along with its compatible missiles and munitions. Indian Air Force have inducted substantial numbers of MiG 29 and is in the process of upgrading them and India Navy have already inducted a substantial number of MiG 29K variant ,so, MiG 35 being a ultra advanced 4++ generation variant of the same MiG series of fighter jets the ready feasibility for Indian Airforce and Navy would be to opt for MiG 35 for MMRCA and carrier based operations respectively along with TOT to manufacture it in India after a few of these have been inducted directly from Russia through Govt. to Govt contract.



Written By Debojyoti Kumar

Modern and Futuristic Battle Tanks Of Russia

Tank is a highly mobile armoured platform consisting of cannon and protective armor concealing the crew operating the tank and thereby increasing the percentage of their survival in a war zone. The necessity of battle tanks was felt during World War I to break through the obstacles and defences created by the enemy and at the same time cause havoc destruction to the adversary assets and strategic formations.

T90AM

From World War II the Russian main battle tanks have undergone significant evolutions . The latest main battle tank in service is T-90 which was designed and built by Uralvagonzavod in Nizny Tagil of Russia. It was inducted in Russian military service in the year of 1993. T90 has a weight of 46 tonnes, is operated by a crew of 3, and has a cross country range of 550 Kilometers. It uses a 125 MM smoothbore gun, the 2A46M gun.

Firing Range Acquisition:

Fire-control system on the T-90 includes the PNK-4S/SR AGAT day and night sighting system which allows for night time detection of a tank sized target at ranges between 700 and 1100 meters depending on the version of the sight. Latest models (T-90S) are upgraded to use the ESSA thermal imaging sight, which allows for accurate firing to a range of 5,000–8,000 m using the CATHERINE-FC thermal camera . The gunner is provided with the 1G46 day sighting system which includes a laser range finder and missile guidance channel and allows tank-sized targets to be detected and engaged at 5 to 8 kilometers.

2A46M 125 MM Smoothbore Gun
The gun is capable of firing armour-piercing fin-stabilised discarding sabot (APFSDS), high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT-FS), and high explosive fragmentation (HE-FRAG) ammunition, as well as 9M119M Refleks anti-tank guided missiles which has an effective range of 100 m to 6 km, and takes 17.5 seconds to reach maximum range,capable of penetrating about 950 millimeters (37 inch) of steel armour and can also engage low-flying air targets such as helicopters.



The main gun of T-90 is fed by an automatic loader. The autoloader can carry 22 ready-to-fire rounds in its carousel and can load a round in 5–8 seconds. HEAT rounds that can be fired from the 2A46M includes the 3BK21B (with a depleted uranium liner), 3BK29 (with a credited penetration of 800 mm RHA equivalency), and the 3BK29M (with a Triple-tandem charge warhead).



Fire-control system of the T-90 can hit heavily armoured targets at ranges of up to 5 km on the move speeding upto 30 km/h with a high probability of hit with the first shot. Once in a test T90 made 24 launches of missiles at ranges of 4–5 km and all hit the target . It is to be noted that all missile launches were made by inexperienced professionals. An experienced gunner at the speed of 25 kmph hit 7 heavily armoured targets located at ranges of 1,500–2,500 meters.

Remote Controlled Heavy Machine Gun
The NSV 12.7mm (12.7×108) remotely controlled anti-aircraft heavy machine gun installed on T90 can be operated from within the tank by the commander and has a range of 2 km and a cyclic rate of fire of 700–800 rounds per minute (the NSV was replaced by the Kord heavy machine gun in the late 1990s).

                                                                                   T90 With ERA


Self Defence

The T-90 is fitted with a "three-tiered" protection system. The first tier is the composite armour in the turret. The second tier is third generation Kontakt-5 ERA (explosive reactive armour) which significantly degrades the penetrating power of kinetic-energy APFSDS ammunition. ERA bricks are located on the turret roof to provide protection from top-attack weapons.

The turret's forward armour package has a combination of the ERA and steel plating also contains a composite filler of Russian composite armour sandwiched between upper and lower steel plates. The composite armour results in a lower weight and improved protection compared to steel armour.

T90 With Shtora Put On

The third tier is a Shtora-1 (curtain in English) countermeasures suite. This system includes two electro-optical/IR dazzlers which is a active infrared jammer on the front of the turret,four laser warning receivers, two 3D6 'smoke' grenade discharging systems all commanded by a computer controlled system. The Shtora-1 warns the tank's crew as the tank has been targeted by a weapon-guidance laser . The infrared jammer, the TShU1-7 EOCMDAS, jams the semiautomatic command to line of sight (SACLOS) guidance system used by some anti-tank guided missiles. The smoke grenades are automatically launched after Shtora detects that the tank has been targeted by a weapon guided laser. The smoke grenades are used to mask the tank from laser range finders and designators as well as the optics of other weapons systems. Indian T90 are equipped with the Land Electronic Defence System LEDS-150 .

             LEDS 150                                                                              Shtora -1

Arena Active Protection System(APS):
It is developed by Kolomna-based Engineering Design Bureau. Its purpose is to destroy light anti-tank weapons, anti-tank guided missiles, missiles with top-attack warheads by detecting the warheads with Doppler radar and upon detection firing a rocket to detonate the incoming warhead.

    

Self Defence Of MBT In Action

Both Shtora-1 and Arena APS were first incorporated on T90S. Additionally , in order to counter accurate firing range of the HE-Frag-FS which is 10 km, APFSDS which is 4 km, the T-90 features Ainet fuse setting system which allows the tank to detonate 3OF26 HE-FRAG rounds at a distance from the tank as determined by the gunner's laser rangefinder, providing effective protection from helicopters and infantry.

 Example Of Signature Reduction

In addition to the passive and active protection systems as stated above the T-90 is also fitted with nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) protection equipment, KMT mine sweeps and an automatic fire suppression system.The EMT-7 electromagnetic-counter mine system installed on the T-90 emits an electromagnetic pulse to disable magnetic mines and disrupt electronics before the tank reaches them. The Nakidka signature reduction suite is also available in T-90 which is designed to reduce the probabilities of an object to be detected by Infrared, Thermal, Radar-Thermal, and Radar bands.

T90S With KMT Mine Sweeps

During a test conducted by the Russian military in 1999 the T-90 was exposed to a variety of RPG, ATGM and APFSDS munitions. The Kontakt-5 ERA could not be penetrated by any of the APFSDS or ATGM used during the trial and outperformed T-80U which also took part. During the operation there were witness accounts of one T-90 sustaining seven hits from RPGs and continued to be in action. Latest T-90MS armour is 'Relict' ERA. Relict defends against tandem warheads and reduces penetration of APFSDS rounds by over 50 percent than Kontakt-5 ERA.

T90 In An Exercise

T90 In Indian Army
T90 is also in service with the Indian Army in large numbers. T90 was acquired by Indian Army to counter operational edge over Ukranian T84 battle tanks acquired by Pakistan. First 42 T90 MBTs were delivered to India in 2001 with designation of T90S. These tanks were devoid of the improved turret, but, a further supply of 82 MBTs to India in 2002 had an improved welded turret which was developed by designers of Uralvagonzavod and experts from NII Stali (Scientific Research Institue of Steel) by enforcing a welded turret . The improved turret has better armoured protection and it proved to be impenetrable by M829A2/KEW-A2 APFSDS munitions fired from a distance of 250 meters. Before this test the Kontakt-5 ERA was stripped off the turret.



A batch of 186 T90S were mutually agreed to be assembled in India with emphasis on manufacturing of T90 in India as technological enhancements in T90 were thought to be absorbed easily owing to 60% commonality of its parts with T72, as T72 was then already manufactured by Heavy Vehicles Factory at Avadi, in the state of Tamil Nadu of India. But due to certain issues related to translation of Russian documents and problems faced to implement TOT the Indian production was very slow. A follow-on order of 330 T90M, an advanced version of T90S, was placed in 2006 to be manufactured locally at Heavy Vehicles Factory. In 2007 India had to order another 124 units of T90M directly from Russia owing to slow rate of production of local manufacturer. In the mean time the problem related to translation of Russian documents and absorption of TOT got solved and licensed local production of T90 took pace. In 2007 itself another contract for local assembling of 347 T90M MBT was signed with Russia. India plans to operate an estimated 1500 T90S battle tanks by means of progressive procurements from Russia and licensed local manufacturing at Heavy Vehicles Factory at Avadi. As a testimony to this procurement process, recently India had ordered 464 T90 MS MBTs from Russia. India's long reliance on T90 shows its trustworthiness in Indian Army.



T90S and T90MS are quick maneuverable and agile battle tanks and like all of its advanced variants are capable of firing accurately while on the move. Being able to move swiftly over rugged terrain and sand over the desert provides Indian Army with a perfect war machine capable of striking swiftly into the enemy territory in case of a war on India's Western front. Apart from being a capable battle tank of the plains , being a relatively light tank compared to its destructive capabilities along with the capability to launch missiles , during a war T90 can also be made a part of effective formations by being carried by aeroplanes on the Himalayan front along with towed and heavy artillery.



Some T90 Ammunitions:



APFSDS



3VBM3 , 3VBM6 ,3VBM7 (with tungsten carbide plug) , 3VBM8 (tungsten carbide ), 3BM32 DU Penetrator ,3VBM17 (Tungsten Alloy Penetrator).



HEAT



3VBK7 ,3VBK10 ,3VBK16 ,3VBK17 ,VBK25 ,3VBK27 Triple Charge.



3BK31 can defeat vehicles with three layers of armour. The external ERA, integral ERA and/or composite armor main structure. The precursor charge destroys the external ERA, the first main charge destroys the integral ERA and the last achieves destructive penetration.



Russia operates an estimated 760 T90 MBTs along with a planned progressive procurement of additional 640 of these tanks.



Apart from Russian and India several countries like Uganda , Turkmenistan, Syria, Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan also operates T90 battle tanks.



Citations Of Reliability Of T90 During Operations Across The World:



Dagestan Operations



During combat operations in Dagestan one T90 had been witnessed to have taken seven hits from RPGs and still continued to be in operation.



Recent Conflict In Syria



During Syrian conflict the town Khan Tuman and al-Qarasi were being guarded by deployment of T90 MBTs of Syrian forces and the intruders were reported of facing heavy resistance and damage from T90 MBTs of Syrian army which had built capability to resist 120-mm M829A2 and DM43A1 high velocity ammunition used by M1 Abrams and Leopard-2 battle tanks . Capitalizing on the superior protective and attacking capabilities of T90 MBTs Syrian army and its allies could effectively encircle intruder strongholds Khan Tuman and al-Quarasi. T90 deployed with Syrian Govt. Forces and its allied forces reportedly played a big role in liberation of Hardatnin, Duwayr al- Zaytoun and Tal al-Jabin villages of Syria. During Syrian conflict one T90 was hit on the turret by a TOW missile. The fuel tank survived the hit which is attributed to effectiveness of Kontakt-5 reactive armour. One of the two Shtora transmitters and only a few skirtings above the wheels were damaged , but, the crew of the tank survived apparently without any major damage to the tank. At the time of the attack the Shtora seemed to be turned off which did not allow the APS of the tank to react against the approaching TOW missile and allowed the missile to hit the tank which confronted its next layer of defence in the form of Kontakt-5 reactive armour and failed to penetrate the T90. This tank was among the earliest variants of T90 tanks supplied to Syrian army, recent variants have better protection of the turret and hence should fare much better on battle fields.

Exhaust Flare OF TOW Missile  Approaching T90Is Visible

TOW Missile Explodes After Hitting T90

                             T90 Tank Crew Escapes Unhurt After The TOW Missile Hit Turret Of T90

T90 Tank Crew Escapes Unhurt After The TOW Missile Hit Turret Of T90

The T90 MBT After Hit by TOW Missile Which Failed To Penetrate The Armour Of T90

Latest Variants Of T90


T 90 AM: This tank is an improvement over T90 A. It has a better turret with Kalina fire control system which has an automatic target tracker & fire control computer and is capable of automatic tracking and continuous locking of the MBTs main gun on a target depending on the input from various sensors and awaits the gunner's decision to engage the target, an upgraded main gun 2A46M-5 with better autoloader and better accuracy, a remote controlled anti-aircraft gun UDP T05BV-1 which has a calibre of 7.62 mm depression of -10 degrees and elevation of 45 degrees with and traverse arc of 316 degrees , new Relikt ERA and an improved 1130 HP engine.

 UPD T05BV-1

T90MS: T90MS is a modernized version of the export tank T90S. It has an improved 1130 HP engine, a 7.62 mm turret UDP T05BV-1 BWS (ref: T90 AM) , GLONASS integration, inertial navigation system, new explosive reactive armour and steering wheel and a removable turret bustle to provide storage for additional eight rounds of munition. 



Engine Of T90



The power generated by engines driving variants of T90 produces varied power according to requirement of the variant are manufactured at Chelyabinsk Tractor Plant, V-84 engine for T90S generates 840 hp, V-92S2F for T90MS and T90AM generates 1130 hp.

                                           Russia's Next Generation MBT - T-14 Armata

Future battlefield will be having automated machines controlled and monitored remotely with deadly accuracy having enormous capacities. So a futuristic battle tank in the form of T 14 Armata is being developed by Russia to meet the criteria of future battlefield scenarios.



T-14 Armata battle tank is touted by Russia as a futuristic fifth generation battle tank. The main armament of T-14 is the 2A82-1M 125 mm smoothbore cannon which has a firing rate of 10–12 rounds per minute, and a maximum effective-penetration range of eight km. The tank can store 45 rounds of ammunition with 32 rounds in the auto-loader. The detection range of the tank's optical sensors is more than 5 km for tank-sized targets during the day , and at least 3.5 km at night. The gunner sight's optical channel is equipped with 4x and 12x optical zoom. The laser rangefinder has a maximum range of 7.5 km which can fire on the move. The crew uses a high-definition camera to monitor 360 degrees around the tank.

          

T90 Armata From Top With Prominent Main Gun View

The Vacuum-1 sabot round which is developed for the 2A82-1M cannon is said to have a penetrator which is 900 mm long, and capable of penetrating 1,000 mm of RHA equivalent at a distance of 2,000 meters. Telnik HE-Frag shell for controlled-detonation is also available. The cannon has ability to fire guided missiles a new feature implemented on Soviet tanks. A new UBK21 Sprinter ATGM is developed specifically for it. These missiles can be used as air defense systems.

Kord Machine Gun

Kord 12.7 mm machine gun with 300 rounds and a 7.62 mm PKTM machine gun with 1,000 rounds is incorporated on it. All guns are remotely controlled with provision for another 1,000 rounds to be stored separately.

T14 Armata APS

The protection of the tank incorporates dual-reactive armour Malachit featuring in the front, top and sides of the tank and an active protection system (APS) Afghanit . The Afghanit system includes a millimeter-wavelength radar to detect, track and intercept both kinetic energy penetrators and tandem-charges. A target can be intercepted traveling at 1,700 m/s, with projected interception of target traveling up to 3,000 m/s in near future. It protects the tank from all sides. Afghanit main sensors are the four panels mounted on a turret's sides, which are the AESA radar panes covering 360 degree view of the tank. The active part of the system actively destroys the incoming projectile (such as a dumb rocket or artillery shell), confuses the guidance systems of ATGMs causing it to lose the infrared or laser guided target lock. It is believed to be effective against most modern ATGMs, including Hellfire, TOW, Javelin, Spike , Brimstone etc. The long tubes mounted in groups of five between the turret's front sides and the chassis are Afghanit hard-kill launchers which send out an electronically activated charge that shoots an explosive penetrator towards the target in all directions. The tank is also equipped by the NII Stali's Upper Hemisphere Protection Complex consisting of two steerable cartridges with 12 smaller charges each, and a turret-top vertical loading system with two more similar cartridges. It supposedly corresponds to the soft-kill system. Additionally AESA radar and anti-aircraft machine gun makes it possible to destroy incoming missiles and slow-flying shells.

NII Stali's Upper Hemisphere Protection Complex

Protection of the tank crew is made possible by an internal armored capsule with more than 900 mm RHA equivalent, increasing their chance of survival manifolds during an attempted catastrophic attack on the tank . Both the chassis and the turret are equipped with the latest Russian ERA system from all sides. The design of the turret's shape decrease its radio and thermal signatures. The state and functions of all tank modules on T-14 are monitored by an integrated computerized control system. During a battle, the software analyzes threats and then suggests or automatically takes actions to eliminate them. It can also detect and rectify crew errors.

The deputy director of the Uralvagonzavod tank manufacturing company claimed the T-14 to be invisible to radar and infrared detection through radar-absorbing paint and components with heat signatures incorporated in the hull.

T14 Armata All Round Protection System

The tank is fitted with the 26,5–40 GHz AESA radar that has a range of 100 kilometers. This is mainly used by the Active protection system of the tank. A number of 40 airborne or 25 ground targets up to 0.3 m in size can be tracked simultaneously. The tracking system provides automatic firing solution to destroy of the target which is transferred to either the APS or the main gun control computers. The tank is able to give target designation for the artillery, serve in air defence and reconnaissance functions. T-14 Armata uses highly protected communication channels that connect a group of T-14s and the command post. T-14 Armata is going to be main stay of Russian armoured forces in future for an estimated three decades with gradual upgrades.

Engine OF T14 Armata

T14 Armata is powered by Chelyabinsk Tractor Plant's ChTZ 12H360 diesel engine which produces a power of 1500 hp with a maximum capacity to produce 2000 hp.



Keeping in view the two front threat perception India should keep on upgrading her battle tanks by embracing the advancing technologies in relation with development of battle tanks and maintain the edge on the battle field to strike quick and decisive blows to the enemies. Incorporation of technologies of T14 Armata in existing battle tanks of India and obtainment of certain numbers of T14 Armata into Indian Army with the option of local manufacturing can help India maintain the edge over her adversaries both qualitatively and quantitatively.


It is the destructive capacity of the battle tanks and its survival in a battle scenario that form the basis of capturing of enemy strongholds and thereby its occupation by the aggressor's soldiers which in turn materializes into actual occupation of the desired landmass. The country having the most effective mobile armour in the form of battle tanks capable of surviving attacks from APFSDS, HEAT and other lethal armour penetrating shells and unflinchingly move forward in the battle field amid such attacks by inflicting devastating destruction upon the adversary by mens of its own attacking capabilities is likely to come out winner in a war. Both T90 ( inclusive of all its variants) and T14 Armata are prime examples of such battle tanks.


Written By Debojyoti Kumar