The Tula Design Bureau of Instrumentation has introduced the profitable completion of assessments for the 9M134 Bulat missile, a brand new anti-tank guided missile [ATGM] developed to focus on medium-armored automobiles. On September 11, the corporate confirmed the missile is now prepared for deployment, marking a key development in Russia’s ATGM capabilities. “Assessments of the sunshine missile 9М134 for the destruction of armored automobiles have been accomplished, they had been profitable,” the corporate reported.
The 9M134 Bulat is 4 occasions lighter than the Kornet missile household, making it a extra nimble and cost-effective resolution for participating medium-armored threats, equivalent to infantry combating automobiles [IFVs] and armored personnel carriers [APCs]. The missile is provided with a tandem cumulative warhead designed to defeat armor protected by dynamic protection techniques.
Moreover, the Bulat’s noise-resistant management system, guided by a laser beam, permits it to hit targets as much as 3.5 kilometers away. Regardless of its lighter weight, the Bulat will combine with the prevailing Kornet ATGM system, enhancing its versatility on the battlefield.
The Kornet
The Kornet, formally designated because the 9M133 Kornet, has been a cornerstone of Russian anti-armor operations since its introduction within the late Nineteen Nineties. Developed by the KBP Instrument Design Bureau, this second-generation ATGM is designed to destroy a big selection of armored targets, together with trendy predominant battle tanks [MBTs], fortifications, and low-flying helicopters. Its adaptable platform permits it to be mounted on tripods, automobiles, and even helicopters, enhancing its operational flexibility.
The Kornet’s steering system makes use of a semi-automatic command-to-line-of-sight [SACLOS] approach, the place the operator maintains a laser beam on the goal, guiding the missile on to the impression level. Relying on the model, it boasts a spread of as much as 5.5 kilometers throughout the day and three.5 kilometers at night time, with trendy iterations extending this attain to 10 kilometers.
Able to speeds between 250 to 300 meters per second, the Kornet’s tandem warhead can penetrate as much as 1,200 mm of rolled homogeneous armor [RHA] behind explosive reactive armor [ERA], giving it the facility to problem the hardest tanks on the battlefield.
Increasing capabilities with Bulat
Whereas the Kornet system has excelled in neutralizing closely armored targets, equivalent to tanks, it isn’t all the time essentially the most environment friendly software for medium-armored or softer targets. The 9M134 Bulat missile fills this hole by providing a lighter, extra economical possibility particularly designed for medium-armored automobiles.
The addition of the Bulat missile offers operators extra alternative in goal engagement. As a substitute of counting on the extra highly effective Kornet missiles, that are optimized for tanks, the Bulat provides a tailor-made resolution for participating lighter automobiles and fortifications. This leads to vital price financial savings and logistical effectivity, as operators can now reserve the Kornet’s high-penetration missiles for essentially the most formidable threats whereas utilizing the Bulat for much less closely armored targets.
Kornet’s versatile arsenal
The Kornet system already provides a wide range of missile sorts for various fight eventualities. The most typical Kornet missile is provided with a tandem high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) warhead, particularly designed to defeat tanks outfitted with reactive armor. This warhead detonates in two levels, with the primary cost neutralizing the reactive armor and the second penetrating the tank’s predominant armor.
The Kornet additionally helps a thermobaric warhead [9M133F] that’s extremely efficient towards personnel in fortifications or caves. Thermobaric warheads produce a high-temperature blast that creates a devastating shockwave, making them excellent for neutralizing entrenched enemies.
By introducing the 9M134 Bulat missile, the Kornet system broadens its capabilities, permitting operators to adapt to a wider vary of battlefield circumstances. Whereas the Kornet’s main missiles are designed to penetrate thick armor and defeat superior protection techniques, the Bulat missile offers a cheap and environment friendly different for medium-armored targets.
Tactical and strategic flexibility
The decreased weight and value of the Bulat missile not solely streamline operations but additionally enhance tactical flexibility. Kornet operators now have the choice to decide on the suitable missile primarily based on the goal, conserving higher-cost munitions for when they’re most wanted. This strategic flexibility is very essential in trendy fight environments, the place all kinds of armored and mushy targets should be engaged quickly.
Compared to techniques specializing in heavy armor penetration, the addition of the Bulat missile offers Kornet-equipped forces a definite edge in adaptability. They’ll now effectively interact a broader spectrum of targets with out over-committing high-end munitions.
In conclusion, the completion of 9M134 Bulat missile assessments indicators a big enhancement to Russia’s ATGM arsenal. As a part of the Kornet system, the Bulat provides a extra versatile and cost-effective resolution for participating medium-armored targets, additional solidifying the Kornet’s fame as probably the most adaptable and potent ATGM techniques on this planet.
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