Air defense complex “Vitebsk” is designed to warn the crew of a helicopter or aircraft about exposure to radar or laser. The system detects when the enemy guided missiles launch and reach the target, and then automatically or manually neutralizes these missiles.
The system was developed and manufactured by Radioelectronic Technologies Concern (KRET). For the first time, a prototype of the complex was presented at the Eurosatory exhibition in Paris in June 2010. They were tested in 2014 at a training ground near Akhtubinsky in the Astrakhan region. Then, 20 Igla missiles were fired at the Mi-8 helicopter, which was standing on the ground with Vitebsk installed on it. None of them hit the target.
“This complex received the unofficial name “Eggs of Life” for its shape – hemispheres on the body, resembling bird eggs. And also for the unique features of aircraft protection that saved the lives of pilots. Earlier, little was heard about the Vitebsk air defense complex – its industrial production began at the end of 2016, and since 2019 all combat transport and combat helicopters Mi-35M are equipped with such a complex. During the special operation in Ukraine, all army aviation – helicopters and attack aircraft – have such complexes on board, ”the military expert, sniper pilot Nikolai Vostretsov told socialbites.ca.
The expert noted that Vitebsk repulsed missiles, including those fired from man-made air defense systems (MANPADS), and prevented the defeat of a combat vehicle.
BKO “Vitebsk” uses both passive interference, that is, false thermal targets (the so-called “fires”), and dipole reflectors (a cloud of metallized strips) and active shielding when detecting enemy missile launches. The latter, due to its effect on the infrared and radio ranges, leads to an interruption in the operation of missile-guided systems: it simply “blinds” them and leads to self-detonation. At the same time, the system makes it possible to organize a retaliatory strike when the launch is detected, informing the pilots about the angle of attack and the nature of the threats.
“Army aviation, especially helicopters, has always been quite vulnerable to MANPADS. This is due to their combat use at low altitudes and lower speed than fighters, which allows the artillery operator to see the target and launch a missile with a homing head, military expert, reserve colonel Alexander Drobyshevsky told Gazeta.ru. – Our helicopter and attack aircraft pilots in Afghanistan faced the problem of countering human-portable anti-aircraft missile systems, the same Stingers and others. They escaped from the missile fire by clinging to the ground, but it was necessary to maneuver, climb higher and, accordingly, fall under the MANPADS launches.
Drobyshevsky added that the BKO “Vitebsk” is available in several modifications. The L-370 version is used for helicopters, and the Vitebsk-25 version is used for aircraft. “As soon as the APU missile hits the target, the Vitebsk complex detects it, gives a signal, and the missile kills itself,” the expert said.
In addition, this system can be installed on various types of civil aircraft. According to official data, the complex is installed on the “board number 1” of the Il-96-300, on which the President of Russia flies. In the export version, the product was called “President-C” (President-S). This complex is located on the Mi-17 helicopter used by the President of Egypt.
“Civilian aircraft, as a rule, do not have their own protection, and earlier they could rely on fighter air escorts. Therefore, it is not surprising that the aircraft of the first person of the state was equipped with an air defense complex. They could theoretically be placed in the main liners”
pilot Vladimir Talanov told socialbites.ca.
Source: Gazeta
