Ultraprecise Thunder: the clever bomb, capable to fly in a window leaf

Than the aviation bomb is represented? In traditional option – the warhead dumped from the plane flying from the sky on the head of the enemy.

Actually the history of bombing began with grenades and shells which the pilot manually threw on a position of the enemy from the plane. The modern aviation bomb is not "bullet silly woman", and the ultraprecise weapon capable, speaking in images, to get to a window of the moving car. Such qualities the domestic bombs of the new generation which have received the name "Thunder-1" and "Thunder-2" possess.

The general public about their existence knew on an air show "MAX-2015" who came to the end in the past revival in situated near Moscow Zhukovsky. General director of corporation «Tactical rocket arms» Boris Obnosov (. Queens) presented export options of this ammunition marked in the name by the letter "E".

Essential differences in analogs intended for the Russian Air Force are not present. Distinctions are in bombs. If "Thunder-1" is, in fact, the operated cruise missile equipped besides a military unit with the engine, inertial and satellite system of prompting, "Thunder-2" is a winged planning bomb. Equipped with the newest system of navigation, it is the ultraprecise weapon. Thereby – capable to get to a window leaf. Lack of the engine allowed to strengthen its military unit – 130 kgs, at gross weight in 250. After start-up this bomb plans until will choose the optimum moment before purpose defeat. Range of defeat across – to 280 kilometers. That is, the plane does not enter yet into a zone of defeat of average anti-aircraft weapons of the opponent.

At essential distinction in a design, both bombs are created on the basis of the multi-purpose H-38 rocket (arrived on arms in 2012) with a laser head of prompting – it changed a design and added wings. Well and, naturally, changed "stuffing". It is supposed that new bombo-rockets will equip the front Su-24 bombers, multipurpose strike fighters of SU – 34 and multi-purpose fighters MiG-29СМТ. But their main mission – fighters of the fifth generation T-50, which industrial production will begin in 2016. If to consider weight "Thunder-2" – 250 kgs – that the fighter can bear onboard at least 4 such "clever" bombs

Photo: Bogdan Rudenko

One of the main features of these bombo-rockets – modular construction that allows to combine types of military units and to use various systems of prompting. In particular, four types of systems of prompting are used: inertial and semi-active laser, inertial and active radar-tracking, inertial and teplovizionny, and also inertial and satellite navigation.

"Thunders" can be equipped with a fragmental and demolition, getting or cassette military unit. Thanks to such equipment ammunition can strike both the land purposes, and the surface objects being in a coastal zone. Thanks to various fighting equipment of the rocket can destroy both open to injury, and armor objects.

Photo: Vadim Savitsky

«In the regional conflicts such powerful and rather cheap bombs will destroy defense of armies, system of the state and military management, will strike staff and equipment in shelters, – the director of the Center of the analysis of strategy and technologies (nuclear heating plant) Ruslan Pukhov considers. – Importance and relative low cost in design and manufacturing of this class of arms also is considered both the Russian scientists, and the military management. For the Russian Air Force this type of ammunition is acceptable also because of relative ease in the application, any additional preparation not demanding from the pilot. The principle here operates – dumped and forgot. The bomb itself will achieve the object».

It is considered that the first began works on creation of planning bombs Germans – in 1938. Experience in creation and fighting application of operated bombs is and at army of the USA which became famous for bombings of the peace cities in Libya and Iraq. But we will pay tribute historical justice – the first operated bombs were created in Russia.

On this class of aviation arms Russian scientists possess monasteries of pioneers. On the eve of the First World War the project of an air operated torpedo was developed. The pilotless plane with a bomb in weight in 100 kgs could strike the sea purposes on removal in 40 kilometers. But the project was shelved because of underestimation of aircraft of that time and high cost of the project.

Photo: Marina Lystseva

In the Soviet Union "clever" bombs were developed still in the thirties the last century. The planning torpedo with mass of a military unit in 500 kgs, capable to strike the purpose at range to 100 kilometers was created. The torpedo from the distant DB-3 bomber was started and was capable to paralyse actions of fleet of the potential opponent in water areas of the Black and Baltic seas, and as partially on the Pacific Ocean and the North. But these promising works were stopped before the Great Patriotic War beginning.

And here the first domestic operated aviation demolition bombs were created at the beginning of the 50th last century in… The Ministry of Agriculture – at research institute No. 642. It was 2-ton "Seagull" and 5-ton "Condor". But also on it time of work were curtailed. To a subject returned only in 1971 when bombs in calibre in 500 and 1500 kgs in which laser and television heads of homing were used were created.

From the middle of the 80th years new corrected bombs of the third generation began to be developed. On the international air show "MAX" in 2001 bomb KAB-500Кр was shown demolition and armor-piercing, not having analogs in the world. In its design the principle was already put "dumped-forgot". On its base in 1989-1993 were created a 500-kilogram bomb with a volume detonating military unit and a mighty 1,5-ton air bomb. They strike the purposes with accuracy of a deviation from the specified point to three meters.

«Corrected or operated aviation bombs – it is doubtless, powerful arms which are successfully applied both in the regional conflicts, and in fight against terrorists, – the expert in the field of arms Victor Murakhovsky speaks. – But the main distinctive advantage of new samples is their minimum weight at high precision of hit in the purpose. "Thunder" in two options is ideally suited under these criteria».