Missiles with warheads based on new physical principles are being developed for the Russian Army, Chief of Missile Forces and Artillery Lieutenant-General Mikhail Matveyevsky said on Friday.
“As part of the efforts to improve missile armament, we’re carrying out work to create promising warheads, including multiple warhead systems, with independently targeted re-entry vehicles, and also with the destructive effect based on new physical principles,” he said.
The general did not specify, however, the principle of the new destructive effect.
The definition “on new physical principles” is a notional term designed to underline that the weapon’s destructive factors are based on processes and phenomena earlier unused for military purposes. Such weapons include laser, electromagnetic, geophysical, radiological or genetic weapons.
Russia has already created a super-high frequency (SHF) cannon based on the chassis of the Buk antiaircraft missile system and capable of destroying enemy aircraft at a distance of up to 10 km with a focused electromagnetic impulse.
Russia also plans to mount electromagnetic cannons on domestic sixth-generation fighter jets that are expected to be developed after 2020.
Missile Forces and Artillery are a branch of the Russian Army composed of missile, multiple launch rocket and artillery brigades. They are the basic force for firepower and nuclear destruction of the enemy in combat operations.
Russia is celebrating Missile Forces and Artillery Day on November 19.
New artillery systems to be fully robotized
According to Matveyevsky, Russia’s new generation artillery systems of the future will be fully robotized.
“In the long term we will see the emergence of fully robotized artillery systems capable of coping with their task without human involvement,” he said.
Robotization is one of the priority guidelines in developing the missile forces and artillery.
As an example he mentioned the Koalitsiya-SV, which he described as the first step towards fully robotized artillery systems.
“It has an unmanned combat compartment. All targeting and loading operations are performed automatically,” Matveyevsy said.
Iskander-M system
The tactical missile system Iskander-M has a vast modernization potential and will stay on par with foreign counterparts at least till 2030, Matveyevsky went on.
“The cutting edge missile system Iskander-M, authorized for service in 2006, has a vast upgrade potential. It can be maintained at the proper level no less inferior to the parameters of foreign counterparts till 2030,” he said.
Iskander is meant for destroying such targets as missile systems, multiple rocket launchers, long-range artillery, planes and helicopters on the ground and command and communication centers within a range of 500 kilometers.
“Before 2020, we’ll complete rearming all existing military formations with the Iskander-M system,” he said.
The general specified that Iskander-M tactical missile systems would replace Tochka-U ballistic missile complexes.
A brigade set of the Iskander-M missile system has already been fully delivered to Russia’s Central Military District. The brigade set comprises over 50 pieces of combat hardware, including launchers, loader-transporters, command and staff vehicles, maintenance and repair and life support vehicles, the general said.
Missile units in the Southern and Eastern Military Districts have been fully rearmed with the advanced Iskander-M systems, the general said.
“As for the prospects of developing the missile system, the following can be said: the Iskander-M is today the best missile complex of its class, which is capable of breaching any missile defense shield. But, as the saying goes, there is no room for complacency. Russian defense enterprises are currently carrying out work to modernize the missile system to enhance its combat and operational capabilities,” Matveyevsky said.
Self-propelled artillery guns
Koalitsiya-SV self-propelled artillery guns will start arriving for Russian troops in the imminent future, Chief of Russia’s Missile Force and Artillery Lieutenant-General Mikhail Matveyevsky said on Friday.
“The planned purchase and delivery of these systems to artillery brigades will begin already in the near future,” the general said.
The Koalitsiya-SV is unique with its multi-round simultaneous impact firing system when several shells fired from one gun at different angles simultaneously hit the target.
“The system’s combat capabilities surpass all existing domestic and foreign types by two times,” he said.