9K123 Chrisantema

9K123 Chrisantema
General Information
Type	Anti-tank guided missile
Local name	9K123 Chrisantema
NATO designation	AT-15 Springer
Country of origin	Soviet Union / Russia
Manufacturer	Design office KBM
development	1980s
Working time	in service
Technical specifications
length	2.04 m
diameter	152 mm
Combat weight	54 kg
span	305 mm
drive	Solid rocket engine
speed	340-400 m / s
Range	400-6,000 m
Furnishing
Target location	SACLOS via laser or radar search head in the K u band
Warhead	Tandem shaped charge
Detonator	Impact fuse
Weapon platforms	9P157-2 tracked vehicle
Lists on the subject

The 9K123 Chrisantema ( Russian 9К123 Хризантема , NATO code name AT-15 Springer ) is a Russian anti-tank guided missile . The GRAY index of the missile is 9M123 .

development

The 9K123 weapon system was designed in the mid-1980s to combat Western main battle tanks such as the Leopard 2 and M1 Abrams . It should also be possible to combat targets with reactive armor . The 9K123 Chrisantema was intended as the successor to the 9K114 Schturm and 9K120 Ataka . The system was presented to the public in October 1996 by the KBM engineering company . The first systems were probably delivered to the Russian armed forces in 2004. The airborne version of the Chrisantema-W for the Mi-28NE Havoc attack helicopter was presented in 2018.

technology

9P157-2 Chrisantema-S

The only vehicle-mounted weapon platform for the 9K123 is currently the 9P157-2 Chrisantema-S tank destroyer based on the chassis of the BMP-3 . The tracked vehicle has a launcher arm with two missile containers on the right on the vehicle roof. This can be rotated 170 degrees. A magazine for 15 guided missiles is located under the launcher arm. The reloading process takes place automatically. To the left of the launcher arm is a sensor tower with a radar in the K _u band. There are day and night optics in front of the turret. The vehicle has a crew of two, is amphibious and has NBC protection . Ready for action, it weighs 19,400 kg and has a top speed of 70 km / h.

The combined laser and radar control of the 9K123 is unique in the world. Radar control is used primarily. The shooter can capture and select targets on a radar screen. After the missile has started, the millimeter wave radar tracks the target and the missile automatically. Immediately after the start, the shooter can select another target and, as soon as the first guided weapon is in target, start another weapon. Likewise, two guided missiles can be fired at a target in quick succession. In this mode, the 9M123 works according to the fire-and-forget principle. The radar steering can be used in any weather and at night over the full operating distance of 6,000 m. In addition to radar steering, a semi-active laser target search is also available. In this mode, a line of sight to the target is required. At night and in poor visibility, target acquisition is limited to a distance of 3,500 m. The laser beam represents a coded, modulated bundle of individual beams which together form a system of coordinates that the missile can read, with the aid of which the missile's control computer calculates the course corrections. In this mode the 9M123 works according to the SACLOS principle. 9K123 can also combat slow-flying helicopters .

The air-supported version Chrisantema-W also has a version with radar control and laser target control. The Chrisantema-W has a range of 10 km.

Missiles

The 9M123 guided missiles are shipped from the factory in sealed aluminum transport and launch containers. The 9M123 guided missile has a warhead with a tandem hollow charge that can penetrate 1,250 mm of homogeneous armor steel ( RHA ). The 9M123F guided missile has a thermobaric warhead to combat soft targets and field fortifications.

The following versions are known:

• 9M123: With laser aiming control and warhead with tandem hollow charge
• 9M123-2: With radar control and warhead with tandem hollow charge

• 9M123F: With laser aiming control and thermobaric warhead
• 9M123F-2: With radar control and thermobaric warhead

commitment

The 9K123's first combat mission took place in 2011 during the civil war in Libya .

User states

Current users

•  Azerbaijan - As of January 2018, there are 10 9P157-2 tank destroyers with AT-15 missiles in service.
•  Libya - As of January 2018, an unknown number of 9P157-2 tank destroyers with AT-15 missiles are in service.
•  Russia - As of November 23, 2012, at least 10 9P157-2 tank destroyers with AT-15 missiles are in service.

Individual evidence

1. ^ ^{A b} Soviet / Russian Armor and Artillery Design Practices 1945 to Present . Hull, AW, Markov, DR, Zaloga, SJ , Darlington Productions 1999, ISBN 1-892848-01-5
2. ↑ ^{a b c} "Khrizantema (AT-15 Springer)" , Military-today.com, accessed: May 6, 2013 (English)
3. ↑ ^{a b} Nikolai Novichkov: Army 2018: Russian Helicopters unveils upgraded Mi-28NE helicopter. In: Janes.com. IHS Jane's 360, August 21, 2018, accessed August 21, 2018 . 
4. ↑ ^{a b c d} "BMP-3 Khrizantema-S anti-tank missile vehicle" , Armyrecognition.com, accessed: May 6, 2013 (English)
5. ↑ Libya Khrizantema-S. In: Esoteric Armor. esotericarmour.blogspot.de, October 6, 2011, accessed on January 10, 2016 (English). 
6. ^ ^{A b} The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS): The Military Balance 2018 . 1st edition. Routledge, London 2018, ISBN 978-1-85743-955-7 (English, January 2018).
7. ↑ В артиллерийское соединение ЮВО поступила первая партия новых ПТРК «Хризантема-С». In: function.mil.ru. Министерство обороны Российской Федерации, November 23, 2012, accessed January 10, 2016 (Russian). 

Web links

Commons : 9K123 Chrisantema  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

• Manufacturer design office for device construction (KBP)
• technical data (Russian)
• AT-15 Chrisantema on YouTube.com