The three stand-off strategic missiles for bombers
RUSSIAN AIR-LAUNCHED MISSILES
EFERENCES to Russian missiles appear almost every day in many parts of
the world, and more than 30 types of weapon have so far been named and described in varying detail. But hardly any of this information is backed up by evidence of its veracity, and for this reason Flight refrains from parrot-like repetition of long strings of data pertaining to "Golem III," "Komet II," "RS-132A" and their equally doubtful companions. What we have done is to infer whatever may reasonably be inferred from the increasing number of "types of weapon which have been shown publicly. The air display at Tushino on July 9, featured in our past four issues, drew back the curtain on Russian air-launched missiles. Three types of strategic stand-off device were hung beneath the bombers, four types of guided weapon were carried by the fighter and attack aircraft and a small air-to-surface missile was carried by the new turbine-powered Kamov helicopter. None of these weapons had been predicted in advance of the show, although one may expect fictitious designations and specifications to be published in Western journals before long. What can be relied upon is the fact that these eight types of guided weapon have appeared, flying on various types of aircraft, and usually in quantity. Until last month no Russian air-launched missile had been publicly illustratedapart, that is, from the unguided, spin-stabilized rockets which the Soviet Union pioneered from 1940 onwards. The earliest such missiles were subsonic, and carried a slipstreamdriven fan to arm the fuze. Spin-stabilized missiles are still much used in Russia, both for surface and air launching, and current aircraft armament includes a number of types with calibres from about 2in up to at least 5in. The smaller rockets are rippled or salvoed from streamlined containers housing multiple launch tubes, as in Western aircraft; and in the display on July 9 the supersonic fighter/bomber code-named "Fitter" was seen with four or six such packages. In contrast, the missiles drawn here are undoubtedly guided. It is convenient to discuss their appearance and probable function under two main headings, corresponding to the two illustrations. Strategic: Three types of strategic bomber took part in the display carrying large stand-off missiles. Each missile design appeared to be tailored to the aircraft, and in each case a single example was carried beneath the aircraft centreline. The latter fact is worthy of note, for the Tupolev Bear and Badger appear to be capable of carrying several missiles, on structural, aerodynamic and weight-lifting grounds. Doubtless the Russians consider it better to buy two bombers to attack two targets, rather than follow the example of Strategic Air Command The four short-range weapons for supersonic aircraft (f> Iliffe Transport Publications Ltd
Iliffe Transport Publications Ltd
and make each bomber capable of launching up to four missiles as well
as free-falling bombs and decoys. All three of the strategic weapons displayed at Tushino are winged devices which cruise like an aeroplane. This reduces their speed and range, in comparison with a ballistic Skybolt-type missile of the same weight; but it confers the ability of manoeuvre, and of following any chosen flight path and altitude profile to the target. In any case, even though no ALBM was displayed, it would be surprising if the Soviet Union were not developing one. All the evidence suggests that they are going for everythingand in most cases having more than one design for each mission. Largest of the stand-off missiles is that carried by the Bear. Aerodynamically it is reminiscent of Snark, apart from the fact that it has a tailplane. Overall length is of the order of 58ft, considerably greater than that of any other airborne weapon ol" which details are known. Range and payload are interdependent, but a warhead of several megatons yield should be transported at least 1,000 miles. Snark, only fractionally larger, takes such a warhead 5,500 miles from a standing start on the ground. The greatest puzzle posed by the big Russian missile is that no engine intake is visible. Despite Blue Steel, it seems probable that the powerplant is an air-breather, and it is likely that a single large turbojet is employed, fed by a dorsal intake near the trailing edge of the sharply swept wing. Flight speed is probably supersonic, although the weapon has a shape best fitted for cruising at about M0.9. The nose of every example seen last month was white, suggesting a large radome; and new radar was fitted to the noses of the parent Bears. The second stand-off missile is a counterpart of Hound Dog, and is superficially similar in appearance apart from the fact that it is not a canard. Scaling against the 118ft Badger which carries it gives a length of some 34ft, a little less than the more slender Hound Dog. Propulsion is by an air-breathing package underslung at the rear and aspirated by a pitot intake. There seems to be a single afterburning turbojet, but the blanking covers over the intakes (see picture on page 71 of Flight for July 20) appears to be slightly elliptical, with major axis horizontal; and it has a projection which could fit over an intake centrebody. Range with a thermonuclear warhead could be of the order of 300 miles, as we suggested last week. The parent aircraft again has a nose full of new radar, although one would not expect the bomber to continue towards the target after release of its missile. The third bomber-launched missile is of exceptional interest, for it is carried by the so-called "Beauty," itself capable of at least M2. Only one of the ten examples of this shapely aircraft was fitted with the missile, which gave the impression of being an inert dummy. Painted a dark colour, it must be faster than its parent aircraft, although a cruising speed of around M3 would ideally demand a rather different configuration. The stubby wing and cruciform tail are merely based upon the evidence of five photographs of indifferent quality; likewise, the turbojet or ramjet intake is only the arrangement which best fits the available evidence. Range is certainly at least 200 miles. Short-range: Surprising variety is evident, and, in addition to those illustrated, the Russians displayed an air-to-surface missile weighing about 2001b, two of which are carried by the new Kamov turbinedriven helicopter. Looking rather like a miniature Honest John, it may be a beam-rider, since the helicopter has a large nose radar. The top sketch depicts the large, high-performance missile carried by the very fast twin-engined delta. The wings are smaller than the tail surfaces, and could well act as the controls. Next comes the ''Russian Sidewinder," the similarity of which to Sidewinder 1A is perhaps more than coincidence. It appears to be in large-scale service on a variety of types of day fighter/bomber. Next is the canard weapon carried beneath the wings of the advanced Yak-25" and one of the Sukhoi deltas. Both are all-weather aircraft, and the missile should be capable of fulfilling both air-to-air and air-to-surface functions. Finally we have drawn the big weapon carried by the new supersonic multi-purpose machine code-named "Blinder." Having a configuration rather like a cross between Super Falcon and Seacat 2, it clearly has a high performance and probably carries a warhead of at least 701b. The examples displayed appeared not to have any radar or IR seeker in the nose, suggesting beam-riding or a command system. Aspect ratio of the control surfaces is high.