Drosd (protection system)
The distance-active protection system Drosd ( Russian Дрозд - throttle ) of the Russian design office in Tula is a self-protection system for battle tanks , which was developed for the Soviet military from 1970 . The hardkill system is designed to destroy approaching anti-tank missiles or bazookas before hitting the tank. It is seen as the forerunner of the arena system and the first working hardkill system in the world.
development
In 1970, the Soviet Army demanded an active self-protection system for battle tanks, which should protect the tank from frontal anti-tank missiles and anti-tank missiles . Due to the computer and sensor technology available at the time, there were numerous difficulties in the development process. Among other things, the reliable detection of missiles and the correct calculation of the flight path proved to be difficult. After more than 10 years of development, the army lost interest in the project in the early 1980s. However, shortly afterwards the marine infantry took its place, as they had to keep the main battle tank T-55 in service and wanted to increase its survivability. The first converted tank was handed over to the marine infantry in 1983. A total of around 250 vehicles were converted. The unit price is the equivalent of about $ 30,000. In the late 1990s, the improved Drosd-2 system was introduced.
Assemblies
The system consists of three main assemblies:
- two launch containers with four tubes each, which are attached to both sides of the tower.
- two radar transmitters and receivers, which are mounted on the two launch containers.
- a central power supply and electronics unit, which is attached to the rear of the tower.
Working principle
The system detects approaching objects in a speed range of 70 to 700 m / s from a distance of around 250 m at an angle of ± 20 ° to the tower's longitudinal axis. The radar for recording the trajectories works at a frequency of 24.5 GHz . The data recorded by the radar (speed and approach angle) are passed on to the system's analog computer, which uses this information to calculate the further flight path and determine the grenade to be fired and the time of launch. This process takes about 0.35 seconds. The grenade has a caliber of 107 mm and weighs 9 kg, of which 2-3 kg are explosives. It is fired at a speed of around 190 m / s and detonates 6–8 m in front of the tank. In doing so, it creates a fragment cone of 30 °, the fragments of which fly towards the projectile at around 1,600 m / s. The fragment cone consists of around 1100 fragments of 3 grams each , which are intended to destroy or damage the incoming projectile. The system cannot be used due to the forward-facing splinter cone if your own infantry or lightly armored vehicles are operating together with the tank.
literature
- Rolf Hilmes: Main battle tanks today and tomorrow. Concepts - Systems - Technologies. Motorbuchverlag, Stuttgart 2007, ISBN 978-3-613-02793-0 .
- Tom J. Meyer: Active Protective Systems. Impregnable Armor or Simply Enhanced Survivability? In: Armor. Vol. 107, No. 3, May - June 1998, ISSN 0004-2420 , pp. 7-11, ( digital version (PDF; 546 kB) ).
