9K58 Smerch multiple launch rocket system

The Smerch Multiple Rocket Launcher System (MRLS) is designed to engage distant approaches of any group targets, the vulnerable elements of which are open and concealed manpower, armoured, lightly armoured and armoured vehicles of infantry and tank companies, artillery units, tactical missiles, anti-aircraft systems and helicopters in parking lots, destruction of command posts, communication centers and facilities of the military industrial structure.

In the period from 1969 to 1976, the team of "TULGOSNITOCHMASH" together with specialists of related enterprises conducted research work to study the possibility of creating and defining the appearance of the RSZO reserve of the General Command. The Decree of the CPSU Central Committee and the USSR CM No.1043-361 on the beginning of the Design Bureau for the development of a multiple launch rocket system "Smerch" was issued on December 16, 1976. The design started under the supervision of A.N. Ganichev, General Designer of the State Enterprise "Splav", and ended under the supervision of G.A. Denezhkin. At the end of December 1982 the "Smerch" system successfully passed the state tests. The "Smerch" system was adopted by the Soviet Army on the basis of Decree of the CPSU Central Committee and the USSR CM No 1316-323 of November 19, 1987 and Order of the Minister of Defence No 0334 of December 30, 1987.

A number of fundamentally new technical solutions, embodied in the design of this system and the rocket projectile, makes it possible to refer it to a completely new generation of weapons of this kind. In creating the MLRS, the Americans concluded that the range of 30-40 km is the limit for MLRS. Its further increase leads to too much dispersion of projectiles. The rockets developed for Smerch MLRS have a unique design that ensures hit accuracy 2-3 times higher than that of foreign rockets. For the first time the shells of the Soviet rocket artillery became corrected. Inertial control system was used in their design, providing angular stabilization of the projectiles in the active section of the trajectory and range correction by correction to the time of separation of the head unit, determined by the onboard equipment in accordance with the measured parameters of the projectile movement. Thanks to its use, improvements in the heights and accuracy of firing were obtained as compared to the uncontrolled rockets of previous generations. Mixed solid propellant for the rocket engine was also used for the first time in the RS RA design, thanks to the high-energy characteristics of which the range of flight was increased (internal channels of charges are different), as well as a stabilizer unit with six opening blades. The combat vehicle structures were used for the first time: a docking mechanism in the guide rail design, designed for docking (unhooking) connectors, providing electrical connection between onboard equipment of the projectile and ground preparation and launch equipment, designed to control the docking of the projectile to the guide rail, checking the firing circuits, entering the data of the flight mission and launch production; a guide rail with two guide grooves; a device on the tray of the back pack of guides for determining the temperature of the projectile charge. Later the device-witness was used in the construction of the automated gun of the RMA "Grad", mounted on the cradle; control cabin; protection, allowing to fire in the conditions of the enemy's use of chemical, bacteriological and nuclear weapons with the subsequent degassing of equipment and sanitary treatment of the personnel; holders on the rear inner panel of the cabin for mounting a grenade launcher, machine gun and grenade launcher; supports in the construction of the combat vehicle for mounting a grenade launcher, machine gun and machine gun.

As in the regular M-21OF Grad and 9K27K Uragan missiles, the missile part is a single-chamber, consisting of two pipes. Previously, the author's data on the dual-chamber rocket engine for the Smerch RSZO are unreliable [5, P.55].

The 9K58 Smerch rocket launcher is close to tactical missile systems due to its long range and target acquisition efficiency, so it was tested and adopted by the 42202 military unit.

In 1989, the second version of the Smerch system was adopted for service with the 9A52-2 combat vehicle and 9T234-2 transport and charge vehicle.

At the exhibition DSA 90 (Defense Services Asia, Kualo Lumpur, Malaysia) foreigners were first shown a photo of Smerch combat vehicle (see translation and original).

By the end of the 80-s of the XX century - the first half of the 90-s of the XX century we can refer a series of theoretical works to substantiate the principles of creating a guided missile with self- aiming combat elements, for which in 1995 Blinov Gennady Ivanovich (NPO "Splav", now JSC "NPO "SPLAV" (Tula) became the Laureate of the prize named after V.I. Lenin. S.I. Mosin Prize

In the course of work carried out by the State Enterprise "Splav" on a competitive basis with the State Unitary Enterprise "KBP" to create a high-precision product to the system "Smerch" was developed a combined system, which successfully combined the system of angular stabilization, worked out on the basis of the projectile to the RSZO "Smerch", with a newly created radio control system in the final section of the trajectory. The field tests carried out confirmed the correctness of the principal solutions incorporated in the design and the possibility of controlling the flight of projectiles of this class. According to the results of the project competitive review, the shell developed by the specialists of FSUE "SSPP "Splav" was recommended by the customer for further development.

Another area of research from 1991 to 1996 was the design development of a promising high-energy engine with automatic regulation of intra-chamber processes, allowing to increase the full thrust pulse. Candidate of Technical Sciences Yu.I. Chasovnikov was in charge of this work. The development has interspecific character and can be used in the interests of the Army, Air Force and Navy. Later, as part of the research "Flank", was confirmed the possibility of using this engine in RSZO "Hurricane" and "Smerch".

At the end of the 90s, research and development work was begun on the development of a guided missile for the Smerch system.

At present, Smerch RDC is in service with the armies of Russia, Azerbaijan (30), Armenia (6), Ukraine (94 systems, no data on the results of the Donbas war), Belarus (40), Peru (10), Algeria (18), Kuwait (27), United Arab Emirates (6), Syria, Turkmenistan, Venezuela. In November 1995, a contract was signed for the supply of Smerch to China, which was implemented. There is no public information about its adoption by the Chinese People's Liberation Army.

MLRS "Smerch" was used during military conflicts in the Chechen Republic, Syria, Ukraine, Nagorno-Karabakh.

In 2006, the Special Faculty of the Mikhailovsky Military Artillery Academy (MMAA, St. Petersburg, Russia) held group courses with students from India on impact management of MLRSs.

In 2007, at the training center, employees of the special faculty of MBAA conducted practical classes on BM RSE "Smerch" with students of academic courses from India.

In 2010, in the training center the staff of the MBAA special faculty conducted practical classes in Smerch MFR with the students of academic courses from Turkmenistan.

In 2013, the staff of the MBAA special faculty conducted practical classes on BM Smerch with the students of academic courses from Azerbaijan in the 3rd campus.

In order to organize serial production of hull parts of Hurricane and Smerch RSFs, the industry enterprises purchased specialized mills of PPT-200, PPT-200S, PPT-350 and others, which, according to data for 2005, were successfully used at a number of enterprises for the production of hull parts.