Omar - the most powerful crustacean of Polish artillery
An effective shot of a HIMARS launcher during a combat launch of a GMLRS guided missile.
The plan for the technical re-equipment of the Armed Forces for 2013-2022 provides for the purchase of divisional fire modules (DMOs) of long-range missile launchers "Khomar" as part of the operational program "Modernization of missile forces and artillery." The Ministry of National Defense has decided that Homar will be created as part of a consortium of Polish companies led by Huta Stalowa Wola SA, which will establish cooperation with a foreign partner selected by the Ministry of National Defense - a supplier of missile technology. Decisions on who will be the licensor and the signing of a contract for the execution of all works can be expected this year, and the first Lobster modules will be delivered to the units in 2018.
Homar's program is officially - in the media and propaganda - presented as the so-called. Polish response to Iskander, and more broadly as part of the so-called. Polskie Kłów, that is, a complex of missile systems that should form the Polish system of conventional deterrence. In addition to the nuances of the doctrine of conventional missile deterrence and the propaganda narrative mentioned at the beginning, which evokes the well-known slogan about the gooseberry as the vine of the North, it must be said that the rearmament and expansion of our Rocket and Artillery Forces (VRiA) is necessary due to the huge role that this kind troops performs on the modern battlefield. In addition, the successful implementation of the Homar program will expand rocket artillery units. Currently, they only have 122 mm field missile systems: WR-40 Langusta, RM-70/85 and 9K51 Grad, which allow firing at a range of up to 20 km (with original missiles) and up to 40 km (with Feniks-Z and Feniks-HE), using only unguided rockets. The introduction of a completely new type of multi-barrel field rocket launcher "Khomar" into the armament should increase the range of fire impact, as well as accuracy and firepower. Homar is also intended to reconstruct the Polish arsenal of guided tactical ballistic missiles.
Past and Future
The introduction of a new type of tactical ballistic missile from the Khomar will actually restore the combat capabilities lost with the withdrawal of the 9K79 Tochka missile systems. At the time of the Warsaw Pact, the Polish VRiA had operational-tactical missile brigades and tactical missile squadrons, which throughout their existence were armed with Soviet missile systems, inscribed in the current doctrine of operational activities of the Warsaw Pact. At the time of the dissolution of this union, four brigades - including a training one - of operational-tactical missiles in the new political reality were renamed into missile regiments, and then disbanded with the end of the operation of the 8K14 / 9K72 Elbrus complexes, whose tactical and technical parameters were predetermined for strikes only unconventional (nuclear or chemical). On the other hand, about a dozen tactical missile squadrons were first reorganized, merged into tactical missile regiments, and then gradually liquidated in subsequent years. Thus, the 9K52 Luna-M and 9K79 Tochka systems remained in service a little longer, completely withdrawn from service in 2001 and 2005. was insignificant. However, Lun and Tochka were scrapped without being replaced by new equipment, and thus the Ground Forces lost the ability to deliver missile strikes at a distance of 60-70 km. Now you have to start almost everything from scratch with the Lobster program.
It is worth adding here that the Polish army has never been armed with field missile systems of a larger caliber than Grad, that is, 9K57 Uragan (220 mm) or 9K58 Smerch (300 mm). Therefore, the implementation of the Khomar program will allow, on the one hand, to obtain completely new capabilities in the field of multi-drop systems (even greater, if we take into account the development of the missile designs themselves, carried out over the past two decades) and at the same time restore the combat potential in the field of high-precision ballistic operational tactical missiles. So let's see what offers you can choose from.
HIMARS and ATACMS
In the race for a contract for the future Lobster, Lockheed Martin (LMC) and its HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System), i.e. highly mobile artillery missile system, of course, have a very strong position. Structurally, it is a derivative of the long-known system M270 MLRS (multiple rocket launcher system), presented to the US Army in 1983. The original MLRS launchers, the M993, used the M987 tracked armored chassis. Each MLRS launcher was armed with two 6 mm caliber modular missile systems with 227 rounds each. The standard rocket type was the unguided M26 with a range of 32 km, carrying a cluster warhead containing 644 M77 high-explosive fragmentation rounds. Soon, the M26A1 missile was developed with a range increased to 45 km, carrying 518 new M85 HEAT sub-rockets, more reliable than the M77 (lower percentage of unexploded ordnance). There was also an intermediate missile, the M26A2, which was basically identical to the A1 version in design, but still carried the M77 auxiliary missiles before production of the newer M85s reached the appropriate scale.
The M270 / A1 / B1 MLRS system turned out to be a very successful design, it has proven itself in numerous armed conflicts, and has also found many recipients in NATO (USA, UK, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Denmark, Norway, Greece, Turkey) and has not only (including Israel, Japan, Republic of Korea, Finland). In the course of its evolution, the MLRS in 1986 also became a launcher for a new generation of tactical (according to NATO classification) ballistic missiles of the US Army, i.e. army tactical missile system MGM-140 (ATACMS), which replaced the old MGM-52 Lance.
ATACMS was originally created by the Ling-Temco-Vought Corporation (LTV, then part of the Loral group, now Lockheed Martin Missiles & Fire Control). The dimensions of the rocket made it possible to load its launch container instead of a single package of 227-mm rounds, thanks to which the MLRS could become a ballistic missile launcher.
However, the MLRS, due to its caterpillar carrier weighing about 25 tons, had limited strategic mobility. This means that only the US Army used the MLRS in the US Armed Forces, and it was too heavy for the Marine Corps. For these reasons, a lighter version of the M270 was developed, i.e. a system designated in the US as M142 HIMARS, promoted simply as HIMARS in Poland. The new system uses a 5-ton off-road truck from the Oshkosh FMTV series in a 6x6 configuration as a carrier. Its chassis is equipped with a launcher for a single pack of six 227mm rounds or one ATACMS round. Reducing the combat weight to 11 tons and small dimensions led to
that HIMARS also bought the USMC. Marines can now transport HIMARS launchers aboard the KC-130J Super Hercules transport aircraft they use. American HIMARS have armored cockpits, which increases safety, including in asymmetric warfare. A computerized fire control system allows you to direct the launcher and fire from inside the vehicle. The navigation system uses inertial platforms and GPS.
By choosing HIMARS, Poland can independently choose a three- or four-axle carrier. LMC provides integration with any chassis, so FMTV should not be exotic for the Polish Army.
The HIMARS missile launcher is mounted on a swivel base, thanks to which the system can freely choose a firing position and has a large field of fire, which reduces the time to enter battle and change positions. A curiosity in the case of HIMARS is the rejection of folding hydraulic legs, which causes the firing launcher to sway violently after each projectile is fired. However, this does not affect the accuracy of the fire. Why? Due to the adopted concept of application, HIMARS fires only high-precision cartridges, i.e. M30/M31 in 227mm and ATACMS. Of course, HIMARS is capable of firing any MLRS Family of Munitions (MFOM) ammunition, including the M26 and M28 unguided rocket families. Rocking of launchers, visible after firing MFOM ammunition, does not affect the accuracy of hitting missiles, both guided and unguided. The M26 unguided projectile leaves the launch tube guide before its response is felt enough to affect accuracy. After the shot, the vertical swing quickly stops, allowing the next salvo to achieve the required aiming accuracy.
Missiles M30 / M31 are known as GMLRS (Guided MLRS), which is a guided MLRS capable of navigating and correcting course during flight. They are a development of the M26 unguided rockets. Each missile is equipped with a noise-insulating steering system based on inertial and satellite GPS navigation, a nose with aerodynamic rudders. The ability to correct the trajectory (together with its flattening) of the incoming projectile made it possible to increase the flight range to 70 km (min. 15 km) and at the same time reduce the Probable circular error (CEP) to less than 10 m. The GMLRS has a length of 396 cm and of course 227 mm (nominal ) in diameter. Initially, the M30 rocket carried 404 M85 sub-rockets. M31, also referred to as GMLRS Unitary, had a unified warhead with a TNT equivalent of 90 kg, equipped with a double-acting fuse (contact or delayed explosion by penetrating action). The current version of the single GMLRS in production is the M31A1, which has an additional airburst option thanks to a proximity fuse. Lockheed Martin also qualified the M30A1 AW (Alternative Warhead). It is characterized by meeting the requirements of the M30 missile of about 1% against surface targets in combination with a zero level of ammunition.
In the world, cluster munitions have, unfortunately, very bad PR, so a large group of countries have joined the so-called. Convention on Cluster Munitions, renunciation of such weapons. Fortunately, Poland is not among them, nor are several countries that take defense seriously or are producers of cluster munitions, including the US and Israel (also Russia, China, Turkey, Republic of Korea, India, Belarus and Finland). ). One might wonder if Poland would need unguided 227mm cluster munitions. In this regard, LMC representatives are ready to propose the use of the M30A1 AW warhead.
By purchasing the HIMARS system, Poland could also receive training ammunition, i.e. unguided rockets M28A2 with deliberately distorted aerodynamics and a range reduced to 8÷15 km.
All 227mm missiles can be stored in their sealed modules for 10 years without the need for any maintenance.
It is difficult to overestimate the advantage of the HIMARS system from the user's point of view (especially for countries that cannot afford the introduction of many different weapons systems) - the ability to easily and quickly convert an artillery launcher into a ballistic missile launcher. In this case, the ATACMS missile mentioned above. We will bypass the history of its development, confining ourselves to the option proposed for Poland. It is the ATACMS Block 1A (Unitary) variant - with a single warhead that does not separate in flight - with a range of 300 km, i.e. operational-tactical missile (according to the former classification of the Warsaw Pact) - in accordance with the requirements of the Homar program. The fuselage-shaped ATACMS conical fuselage was equipped with four aerodynamic surfaces that unfold after firing. About 2/3 of the hull length is occupied by a solid propellant engine. A warhead and a guidance system are mounted in the front part, using jam-resistant inertial and satellite GPS navigation. The bullet has a length of about 396 cm and a diameter of about 61 cm. The warhead weighs 500 pounds (about 230 kg - the weight of the entire projectile is confidential). The CEP reaches a value within 10 m, making Block IA so accurate that it can be used without fear of causing too much accidental damage (the radius of destruction is approx. 100 m). This could be of great importance if the missile was fired at targets in urban areas or in direct contact with one's own troops. At the same time, the design of the warhead and the method of its detonation are, according to representatives of the BMO, optimal in terms of effectively hitting a wide range of targets, both reinforced and so-called soft. This has been proven both during qualification tests and during combat use.
The launcher of the Lynx system fires 160mm LAR projectiles.
By the way, the strengths of the LMC proposal are precisely the results of the combat use of GMLRS and ATACMS missiles and their production volumes. At the moment, 3100 GMLRS missiles have been fired in combat (out of more than 30 produced!). On the other hand, 000 pieces of all modifications of ATACMS missiles have already been produced (including 3700 Block IA Unitary), and as many as 900 of them were fired in combat conditions. This makes the ATACMS probably the most widely used modern guided ballistic missile in combat in the last half century.
It should be emphasized that Lockheed Martin's HIMARS offering to Homar is a highly reliable, battle-proven and operational system characterized by extremely high operational availability, resulting in maximum combat effectiveness. The effective range of the system in 300 km provides the ability to deliver a quick and accurate strike. Interoperability and unification with other NATO partners makes it possible to jointly support the operation, and it would also be a logical addition to the AGM-158 JASSM aviation system already ordered. Lockheed Martin is ready to cooperate extensively with the Polish defense industry in the supply of the HIMARS-based Homar system, which allows a wide range of polonization, as well as in their maintenance and subsequent modernization.
Another shot of the Lynx launcher, this time firing a 160mm Accular precision missile.
lynx
Israeli companies, i.e. Israel Military Industries (IMI) and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) have made a rival proposal to the US, and their proposals for the Homar program complement each other. Let's start with a system developed by IMI, the Lynx modular multi-barrel field rocket launcher.
The Rysi concept is an attractive market offering as it is a modular multi-shot field rocket launcher that can be used to fire both 122mm Grad rockets and advanced Israeli guided munitions in three different calibers. Optionally, Lynx can even become a ground-based cruise missile launcher. Thus, by purchasing one system, you will be able to freely customize the firepower of your own artillery, adapting it to the tasks and the current tactical situation.
When comparing the Lynx and HIMARS systems, some conceptual similarities can be seen. Both systems were installed on off-road trucks. In the case of the American system, it was a vehicle already in use by the US Army and the US Marine Corps. However, in the case of Lynx, you can use any off-road truck in the layout of 6 × 6 or 8 × 8 with the appropriate payload. Given that the Lynx can also fire 370mm rockets, it makes sense to opt for a larger carrier. IMI says it will integrate the launcher with a 6x6 or 8x8 vehicle chosen by the Polish side. Until now, Lynx has been installed on trucks of European and Russian manufacturers. The launcher of the Lynx system, like HIMARS, is mounted on a base with the ability to rotate, due to which it has the freedom of aiming in the range of 90 ° in azimuth (up to 60 ° elevation angle), which greatly facilitates target selection. firing position and reduces opening time. An immediately noticeable difference between the Israeli system and the American one is the presence of folding hydraulic supports in the first. Limiting the vibrations of launchers during firing certainly has a positive effect on the practical rate of fire and accuracy when firing unguided rockets. Although, according to the assumptions of its developers, Lynx should be a quasi-precise or accurate system, depending on the missiles used.
And as already mentioned, there can be several types. In the case of a proposal for Poland, IMI is offering the 122 mm Grad rockets that have been used in Poland so far, as well as modern Israeli rockets: unguided 160 mm LAR-160s and their corrected version of Accular, as well as high-precision Extra. 306mm bullets and the latest 370mm Predator Hawk. With the exception of 122mm missiles, all others are launched from pressurized modular containers.
In the case of launching 122-mm rockets compatible with the Grad system, two 20-rail launchers of the same design as those known from the vehicles of the 2B5 Grad system are installed next to each other on the Lynx launcher. The Lynx, armed in this way, can fire all Grad missiles available on the market, including the Polish Feniks-Z and HE.
Israeli missiles LAR-160 (or simply LAR) have a caliber of 160 mm, a mass of 110 kg and carry a 45-kilogram cluster warhead (104 M85 sub-rockets) at a range of 45 km. According to the manufacturer, they have been used by the Israel Defense Forces for years, and have also been purchased. according to: Romania (LAROM system), Georgia (commemorative artillery shelling of sleeping Tskhinvali on the night of August 8, 2008), Azerbaijan or Kazakhstan (Naiza system). The Lynx can be armed with two modular packs of 13 of these missiles each. The next step in the development of LAR missiles was the development of the Accular (Accurate LAR) version, i.e. accurate version, in which increased accuracy was achieved by equipping missiles with control systems based on inertial navigation and GPS, and an executive system consisting of 80 miniature impulse correction rocket engines installed in the fuselage in front of the sustainer engine. The projectile also has four finned tail fins that decompose immediately after firing. The round-robin error of Accular missiles is about 10 m. The mass of the warhead has decreased to 35 kg (including 10 kg of crushing charge surrounded by 22 prefabricated tungsten fragments weighing 000 and 0,5 g), and the firing range is 1 ÷ 14 km. The Lynx system launcher can be loaded with 40 Accular rounds in two packs of 22 rounds each.
Lynx system launcher with two containers
with Delilah-GL cruise missiles.
Another type of projectile that the Lynx can fire is the 306mm Extra projectile with a range of 30–150 km. They also use inertial and satellite navigation guidance, but the missile is controlled in flight by four airfoils installed in the nose of the missile, which is a solution similar to that used in GMLRS missiles. The extra carries a unitary fragmentation head (a cassette head is also possible) with a forced fragmentation and a nominal mass of 120 kg (including 60 kg of crushing charge and about 31 tungsten balls weighing 000 g each). In the case of a penetrating head, it can penetrate 1 cm of reinforced concrete. The total mass of the projectile is 80 kg, of which the mass of solid fuel is about 430 kg. The rocket has a length of 216 mm and consists of a tail section with an exit nozzle and four finned trapezoidal stabilizers that unfold after takeoff; drive section with motor; warhead and nose with a steering system. For comparison, the Russian 4429M9 missile of 528 mm caliber of the Smirkh system has a mass of 300 kg, carries a unitary inseparable fragmentation warhead weighing 815 kg (of which 258 kg is a crushing charge), has a length of 95 mm and a maximum range of 7600 km. It can be seen that the Russian missile is much larger, but it is unguided and moves along a strictly ballistic trajectory, hence the shorter range (theoretically, it could have been longer due to a decrease in guidance accuracy and range). On the other hand, the trajectory of Extra missiles (such as the GMLRS and Predator Hawk) flattens out as they reach their apogee. The front rudders raise the nose of the projectile, reducing the angle of attack, thereby increasing the flight range and controllability of the projectile (in fact, the flight path is effectively corrected). The circular error of hitting the Extra shells is about 90 m. The Lynx launcher can be equipped with two packs of four Extra shells each. According to information provided by IMI, a package of 10 Extra missiles can be loaded onto launchers of the M4/270A270 MLRS system instead of a package of 1 missiles of 6 mm caliber.
MSPO 2014 also featured a model of the 370mm Predator Hawk missile with extended range to 250 km and similar accuracy to Extra and Accular. Comparing the models of the Predator Hawk and Extra rockets exhibited next to each other, it can be estimated that the first one is about 0,5 m longer. "Predator" repeats the aerodynamic design of the "Extra" rocket, in fact, being its enlarged copy. Its warhead weighs 200 kg. Taking into account the dimensions of the Predator Hawk missile, one can see how the range gain was achieved. One Lynx launcher can be equipped with two Predator Hawk dual-missile modules. Thus, the Lynx system, based only on guided artillery missiles, almost meets the requirements of the Homar program for a firing range of 2 km.
Curiously, the Lynx is also TCS (Trajectory Correction System) compatible, improving the accuracy of fire from native unguided artillery rockets. The TCS was originally developed (by IMI in collaboration with Elisra/Elbit) for 26mm MLRS and M227 rockets (in collaboration with Lockheed Martin, the so-called MLRS-TCS). The TCS includes: a command post, a missile tracking radar system and a missile trajectory remote correction system. In order to make this possible, a miniature corrective engine (GRD) Guidance Rocket Motor (GRM) is mounted in the nose of the modified missiles, which provides gas-dynamic control. TCS can simultaneously control 12 missiles, adjusting their flight to 12 different targets. The TCS provides a circular impact error (CEP) of 40m when fired at maximum range. The Lynx can be armed with two packs of six MLRS-TCS missiles each. Following the MLRS-TCS, a TCS-compatible version of the LAR-160 missiles was developed. The Lynx system is also being promoted in the former Central Asian Soviet republics, so 220mm Uragan rockets have also been adapted for the Lynx.
While the Lobster was not required to launch cruise missiles (so it should be considered an option), the most technically advanced weapon a Lynx user can have at their disposal is the Delilah-GL (Ground Launched) turbojet cruise missile. Ground Launched), also offered by IMI from Earth). It has a takeoff mass of 250 kg (with a rocket booster ejected after takeoff) and a mass of 230 kg in flight configuration (including a 30 kg warhead), a flight range of 180 km and a flight speed of 0,3 ÷ 0,7 million years (attack speed 0,85 .8500 m from a height of about 2 m). An optoelectronic guidance system (CCD or matrix I1R) with real-time image transmission to the operator’s console and with the ability to remotely control the missile provides high efficiency in target detection and identification (unlike ballistic missiles) and accuracy (CVO) at a level of about 300 m. Two Delilah-GL missile launch containers can be installed on one Lynx launcher. The launch of Delilah-GL missiles from the Lynx complex should provide the ability to deal with moving targets that are difficult to destroy with ballistic missiles, despite their short flight time (especially at ranges up to XNUMX km).
Each Lynx launcher is equipped with communications and a digital fire control system, as well as inertial and satellite navigation. Thanks to this, it can be part of a network-centric control system, quickly and reliably determine its position in the field and change firing positions all the time. The electronic equipment of the launcher allows it to operate autonomously. The launcher is aimed and missiles are fired from inside the vehicle. The launcher independently identifies the loaded packages of different missiles (it is possible to load two different types of missiles simultaneously on one launcher). Thanks to the modular design of the projectiles, the reload time of the launcher takes less than 10 minutes.
The battery of the "Lynx" system, in addition to launchers and transport-charging vehicles, also has a battery command post (C4I) in a sealed container, in which the analysis of reconnaissance and meteorological data necessary for opening fire is carried out. The Stand also analyzes the aftermath of the attack.
Field missile system "Nayza", "Lynx" for Kazakhstan based on the chassis of the KamAZ-63502.
On the launcher you can see guides for 220-mm bullets, and on the ground - a sealed package of Extra missiles.
Summing up the IMI proposal, we should also mention the proposals for industrial cooperation. The Israeli company takes on the role of integrator and user support throughout the operation of the system, including the organization of the logistics system and training. IMI will be responsible for integrating the Lynx launcher with any chassis chosen by the Department of National Defense. In the case of missile production, IMI offers technology transfer for licensed production of some parts and components, as well as the final assembly of missiles entirely in Poland. IMI is also committed to integrating the Lynx system with existing Polish command, communications and intelligence (C4I) systems.
LORA and Harop
The IMI proposal for the 370mm Predator Hawk could be considered complete - at least it is only 50 km from the required Lobster range. However, the Predator Hawk is not your typical ballistic missile. Moreover, it can be assumed that its price is very similar to the system offered by IAI, which is an operational-tactical ballistic missile LORA.
LORA is an abbreviation for LOng Range Artillery, that is, long-range artillery. Given the categories of missiles, LORA is in direct competition with the ATACMS missile, while offering everything that the Extra missile has, but on a correspondingly larger scale, i.e. longer range, heavier warhead, similar all-around hit error, but all at the cost of a higher price. However, if "Extra" is a heavy, but nevertheless an artillery missile, then LORA belongs to the category of high-precision ballistic missiles.
It can be seen that Israeli designers took a different path than American designers in the past when designing the ATACMS missile. This one had to match the size of a single package of six MLRS missiles, so it was the main determining factor in the design of the ATACMS, followed by other parameters and characteristics. LORA, on the other hand, was created without such restrictions as a fully autonomous weapon system, and at the same time is a fairly young system. Testing of the missile began over a decade ago, and for several years it has been the subject of intense marketing efforts by IAI, including in Poland. And what does LORA offer its potential users? First of all, high firepower and a full-fledged weapon system, i.e. which also includes a compatible reconnaissance system - IAI Harop, which allows you to fully use the missile's combat capabilities. First things first.
LORA is a single-stage ballistic missile with a solid propellant engine, launched from pressurized transport and launch containers. According to IAI, LORA can be stored in a container for five years without the need for testing. In the design of the rocket, only electric drives were used, without any hydraulics, which also increases the reliability of operation.
The body of a single-stage LORA rocket has a length of 5,5 m, a diameter of 0,62 m and a mass of about 1,6 tons (of which a ton is the mass of solid fuel). Its shape is cylindrical, conical in the front (at the height of the head) and equipped with four aerodynamic surfaces with a trapezoidal contour at the base. This shape of the hull, together with the adopted method of controlling the rocket in flight, makes it possible to perform maneuvers in the final section of the trajectory due to the sufficiently high lifting force created by the hull itself. The IAI defines the trajectory of a projectile as "shaped", i.e. optimized in terms of attack efficiency. LORA maneuvers in two phases of flight - first, immediately after takeoff, in order to acquire the most favorable trajectory (IAI suggests that this also makes it difficult for the enemy to accurately determine the position of the launcher) and in the final phase of the trajectory. In fact, as soon as the rocket reaches the apogee of its trajectory, LORA aligns its flight path. This can make it harder to track the missile (change the current trajectory) and make it easier to maneuver the missile to improve attack accuracy. Such capabilities, combined with supersonic flight speed, make it more difficult to fire a missile and reduce the time from firing to hitting a target. The flight time is approximately five minutes when firing at a maximum distance of 300 km. The minimum range of the rocket is 90 km, which indicates a small possible apogee and an actually flat flight path. In the final phase, LORA can also maneuver to provide the correct angle of impact on the target, approaching in the range of 60 ÷ 90°. The ability to hit a target vertically is important for attacking fortified targets (for example, shelters) when the fuse is operating in the delayed detonation mode, as well as for the most efficient wave propagation of fragments and overpressure during contact or non-contact detonation. The LORA missile can carry two types of warheads: a high-explosive fragmentation warhead with a non-contact or contact explosion and a penetrating detonating warhead with a delay capable of penetrating more than two meters of reinforced concrete.
The LORA offered to Poland carries a unified fragmentation head weighing 240 kg. From a technical point of view, arming this missile with a cluster warhead is not a problem, but due to the accession of many countries to the Convention on Cluster Munitions, LORA is formally moving forward with a unitary warhead (fortunately, neither Poland, nor Israel, nor the United States joined the convention, which makes it possible to implement practical technical solutions in the field of cluster warheads through appropriate negotiations at the intergovernmental level).
The LORA missile guidance system is combined and consists of an inertial navigation platform and a noise-resistant GPS satellite receiver. On the one hand, this allows you to control the missile in flight in three planes, including the choice of trajectory, and also makes the LORA missile resistant to possible electronic countermeasures, and on the other hand, it guarantees high accuracy in all weather conditions. Circular hit error within 10 m.
The rocket battery of the LORA model consists of: a container command post (K3) on a separate vehicle, four launchers with four transport and launch containers, each on the chassis of off-road trucks in an 8 × 8 layout, and the same number of transport and loading vehicles with a margin missiles for all launchers. Thus, the LORA missile battery has 16 (4×4) missiles ready for immediate firing, and another 16 missiles that can be launched after reloading the launcher. It takes 16 seconds to launch the first 60 rockets. Each of the missiles fired can hit a different target. This gives a single battery tremendous firepower.
It is also possible to launch LORA (and Harop) missiles from ship launchers. However, this technical possibility is beyond the assumptions of the Homar program.
However, a very interesting element of the IAI proposal, which complements the operational advantages of the LORA missile, is the Harop weapon system, which belongs to the category of so-called loitering ammunition. The drone-like haropa is a derivative of another IAI weapon system, the Harpy anti-radar missile. Harop has a similar design scheme. Shooting is carried out from a sealed transport and launch container mounted on the chassis of a truck. An 8×8 vehicle can carry 12 of these containers. The kit (battery) consists of three machines, a total of 36 Harop. The command post of the container, using its own machine, also allows you to control the "swarm" of the released "Harop". In flight, Harop drives the pusher propeller, and the launch takes place with the help of a rocket booster.
The task of the Harop system is long-term (many hours) monitoring of a large area. To do this, it carries under the nose a light, day-night (with a thermal imaging channel) 360 ° movable optoelectronic head. The real-time image is transmitted to the operators at the command post. Harop patrols, flying at an altitude of more than 3000 m, if it detects a target worthy of an attack, then, on command given by the operator, it goes into a dive flight at a speed of more than 100 m/s and destroys it with a light OH head. At any stage of the mission, the Harop operator can remotely stop the attack (the "man in the loop" concept), after which the Harop returns to patrol flight mode. Thus, Harop combines the advantages of a reconnaissance drone and a cheap cruise missile. In the case of a LORA ballistic missile battery, the additional Harop system provides detection, verification (for example, distinguishing mock-ups from real vehicles) and identification of targets, their tracking in the case of moving objects, accurate determination of the position of targets, as well as an assessment of the consequences of an attack. If necessary, he can also "finish off" or attack those targets that survived the LORA missile attack. Harop also allows more economical use of LORA missiles, which can only be fired at targets that cannot be destroyed by the Harop light warhead. Intelligence data transmitted by the Harop system can also be used by other units, for example, equipped with other artillery systems. The LORA missile battery, supported by the Harop system, will have the ability to autonomously conduct round-the-clock reconnaissance in real time and within the full range of its missiles, as well as be able to immediately assess the consequences of a missile strike.
The Dilemma of Choice
The systems offered in the Homar program are characterized by high parameters that meet the expectations of the Ministry of National Defense. It can be assumed that in such a case, the cost of both purchase and long-term operation, as well as the involvement of Polish industry and, possibly, the proposed technology transfer, will be an important criterion. Analyzing the proposals themselves, it is clear that the future Homar will change the face of the Polish WRiA. Regardless of the choice of the Ministry of National Defense, Polish artillerymen will receive weapons that will surpass the previously used field missile systems in terms of speed of entry into battle, and most importantly, in terms of accuracy and range. Thus, the method of conducting operations will be changed, where the massive area fire will be replaced by the frequent and accurate strikes that the Points used in the dawn of the day. In connection with the challenges of the battlefield of a hypothetical conflict within Poland, the government and the Ministry of National Defense should make every effort to ensure that the future Homar, in addition to firing high-precision missiles with unified warheads, also has cluster missiles at its disposal. , is very effective in repelling attacks by armored and mechanized units, suppressing enemy artillery or preventing helicopter landings. In addition, the purchase of ballistic missiles with a range of 300 km will further strengthen the potential of the Ground Forces as the main means of air defense. medium-range ground forces of a potential enemy (systems 9K37M1-2 "Buk-M1-2" and 9K317 "Buk-M2") cannot fight ballistic missiles with a range of more than 250 km.
