Tunguska – Anti-aircraft Missile and Gun

2S6M Tunguska

Adopting the Shilka, and the military, and representatives of the MIC understood that the 23-mm gun Cupid is too weak. The same applied to the small slant range shooting, and the ceiling, and the weakness of the high explosive projectile. Fuel to the fire poured Americans by promoting a new A-10 attack aircraft, which allegedly had not been challenged for 23-mm shells Shilka. As a result, almost a day after adopting a 3CU-23-4 in all higher-level talks started its modernization in terms of increasing firepower in the first place – to increase the effective ceiling of fire and the destructive action of the projectile. Since the autumn of 1962 has been discussed by several preliminary designs for the installation Shilka 30-mm machines. Among them, the 30-mm automatic revolver-type HH-30 OKB-16 design used in the naval installation AK-230, 30-mm six-barrel automatic AO-18 from the naval installations AK-630 and 30-mm automatic dvuhstvolny AO-17 design KBP . In addition, tested 57-mm automatic dvuhstvolny JSC-16, specially designed to KBP for self-propelled anti-aircraft installation. March 26, 1963 in suburban Mytischi technical council was held under the leadership of NA Astrova. It was decided to increase the caliber ZSU from 23 to 30 mm. This is two-fold (from 1 000 to 2 000 m) zone increased 50 percent probability of destroying the target and increased the range from 2 500 to 4 000 m. The effectiveness of shooting on MiG-17, flying at an altitude of 1 000 m at 200 -250 m / s, increased by 1,5 times.

In the end, for the ZSU took 30-mm automatic dvuhstvolny AO-17. His revised version received GRAU index 2A38 and in the early 80’s was put into serial production at the Tula Machine-Building Plant N 535. However, after almost seven years of design and development work it was decided to abandon modernization Shilka and create a fundamentally new set. 8 June 1970 issued a decree of the Council of Ministers of the USSR N 427-151 for a new ZSU “Tunguska”. The lead developer of the Tunguska designated KBP, as chief designer – AG Shipunova. Specifically, APC was engaged in missile and artillery part of the installation, design PKK waged Ulyanovsk Mechanical Plant Minradioproma, who became the head and on his production. Developer computing devices – Research Institute of Electromechanical Minradioproma. Tracked chassis of the GM-352 produced the Minsk Tractor Plant. 2S6 Tunguska air defense system was adopted for the Council of Ministers on 8 September 1982, and modernized complex of Tunguska-M – Order of Minister of Defense on April 11, 1990. The overall layout of Tunguska is a lot like Germany’s ZSU cheetah: radar is located on top of the rear of a three-tower and in the stowed position falls, round radar antenna mounted on the turret of an in front. On either side of the tower are two dvuhstvolnyh automaton AO-17 and two twin launchers SAM 9M311, operating independently of each other.

Machine housing has vertical side walls, a large difference in height and is made by welding of the sheets of rolled steel and provides protection from small arms fire and fragments of shells and mines, small caliber. The front part of a frontal sheet set at a large angle of inclination, and in the place of fracture is almost vertical. Large circular tower of rotation is shifted to the stern of the machine. Engine-transmission compartment is located in the rear of the hull. The principal feature of the 2S6 is the combination of a military machine gun and missile, radar and optical fire control means using common systems: radar detection, radar tracking, digital computer systems, and hydraulic actuators guidance. Tunguska air defense designed to motorized and tank units on the march and at all stages of the battle. It has a continuous zone of destruction (without the “dead” zone, characteristic of the SAM), which achieved consistent goal at first firing rockets, and then guns. Fire from machine 2A38 can be both places, and with the progress, and launch missiles – only place in the extreme case – a short stop. In the vertical plane of the artillery system is induced in the sector from -10 ° to +87 °. In the horizontal plane, it can lead circular firing. The rate of both vertical and horizontal guidance is 100 ° per second. ZRPK 2S6M Tunguska is equipped with a computerized fire control system with a laser rangefinder, a part of its standard equipment includes a system of identification “friend or foe”, a ground navigation system and auxiliary power unit.

9M311 SAM is a solid-bikalibernuyu (76/152-mm) two-stage rocket performed under the “duck”. Crossing it on purpose – radio command. Radar tracking of synchronous communication gives an accurate target information to the optical sight, and displays it on the line of sight. Gunner finds target in the field of view of the sight, takes the support and guidance in the process of keeping the brand sight on the target. The missile has a good maneuverability (the maximum permissible overload – 32 d). Missile proximity fuse, with a radius of 5 meters Warhead – HE-rod. The length of the rods about 600 mm, diameter of 4-9 mm. On top of the rods is “shirt”, containing fragments ready-cubes weighing 2-3 g. When you break warhead rods form a ring radius of 5 m in the plane perpendicular to the axis of the rocket. At a distance of more than 5 m action rods and fragments is inefficient. As the power plant on the car using a diesel engine liquid-cooled V-84MZO, develop power 515 kW, which allows the machine to move along the paved roads with a maximum speed of 65 km / h. Chassis ‘Tunguska’ is, in relation to a board of six dual rubber road wheels, three support rollers, rear drive wheel and guide wheels on the front location. The upper branch of the caterpillars are covered with steel not wide screens. Tracked chassis of the GM-352 has a high cross, maneuverability and smooth travel.

The possibility of a fire without a speed reduction is achieved by using hydromechanical transmission with hydrostatic steering, hydropneumatic suspension with variable ground clearance and hydraulic track tensioning mechanism. Thus, Tunguska is a highly mobile 3CU with an effective missile and artillery weapons. The disadvantages include its small range of target detection on-board radar and the inability to use SAM in poor visibility (haze, fog, etc.). Cars first production series, produced in small quantities, had two launchers with a single freight container starting with SAM 9M311 on each and designated 2S6. Launchers machines main production series has already had two transport-launch container, and ammunition of these mobile complexes with index 2S6M has eight anti-aircraft guided missile 9M311. Manufacturing ZRPK 2S6M Tunguska continues. Machines of this type are in the armies of Russia and India.

The modernization program produced commercially today ZRPK Tunguska-M in the complex Tunguska-M1:

In each of the ZSU ZRPK entered the reception apparatus and implementation of automated external target designation, which over the air interfaces with battery command post. This allows you to automatically distribute a battery KP “owed” goal between ZSU battery, which greatly increased the effectiveness of combat employment of the complex at a massive raid. There is also the introduction of the scheme of discharge, which significantly facilitates the work of a gunner with the accompanied by a mobile aerial target with an optical sight, reducing it to action, aiming for the same stationary target. This has greatly reduce tracking errors, which is very important when firing on target missile, as in this case the miss value should not exceed 5 m. The planned improvement of the equipment providing the coordinates in the application of a new type of missile (9M311-1M), but equipped with a continuous source more light and pulsed. This innovation allows you to significantly improve the immunity of the optical interference, and more likely to hit a target with optical interference. Application of a new type of missile destruction zone increases range missile armament to 10 000 m.

In general, the SAM 9M311-1M has the following differences from the 9M311 SAM: a radar proximity target sensor (NDC) instead of 8-beam laser, flash lamp, lamp, instead of marching step tracer, increasing the time elements of the missile, thus improving the range from 8 to 10 km. Changed and the system of measuring angles and roll rate, which can significantly reduce the disturbing effects on the gyroscopes, arising from the movement of ZSU, reduces the errors of measurement of angles of inclination and ZSU course, increases the stability of a control loop anti-aircraft guns and, consequently, the probability of destroying targets. As a result, it is anticipated that improvements resulting from anti-aircraft missile and gun complexes “Tunguska-M1 compared with ZRPK Tunguska-M should provide: automatic mode guidance

SAM (with correction of an operator of small deviations) automatic exchange of information with the battery commander’s point (to improve battery life), increased noise immunity channel missile guidance (to ensure the defeat of the purposes of carrying the optical interference); hitting small targets (such as a cruise missile) at the expense radar NDC Omni-directional antenna. In general, the level of combat effectiveness of the complex “Tunguska-M1 systems under noisy conditions is in 1,3-1,5 times higher compared with the complex” Tunguska-M. ZPRK Tunguska-M1 was first shown at the Armory Show in Abu Dhabi in 1995. ZPRK “Tunguska” is exhibited at exhibitions (one of the recent MAKS-2001) and actively offered for sale on the world arms market, the average cost of a complex of 13 million dollars. About 20 Tunguska participated in the fighting on the disarmament of illegal armed formations in Chechnya, were used for fire support to troops in the bronegrupp. The shooting was carried out on ground targets (in the fourth mode), and had developed a tactic when the installation is leaving because of the shelters, fires long bursts of previously explored object and then returned to the shelter. This tactic worked well, without loss of equipment and personnel.