The new missile was “declassed” only when it was demonstrated at the Army 2021 International Military-Technical Forum in August last year. Observers have yet to see the missile in combat, although it has been tested in Syria.
An interesting detail is that this rocket was developed by the Kolomna Mechanical Engineering Design Bureau (KBM), which is part of the NPO High Precision Complexes of Rostec State Corporation, in the interests and by order of the Federal Security Service of Russia. Initially, this division was supposed to be used to equip helicopters during various special operations. However, the “305 product” was so successful that they became interested in the Ministry of Defense and ordered a series of missiles for their needs.
We can talk about the well-known characteristics of the “Product 305” aircraft missile, the target destruction range – 14.5 km. According to official data, the rocket has a mass of 105 kg, a length of 1945 mm, and a trunk diameter of 200 mm. The mass of the high-explosive fragmentation warhead is 25 kg. Solid fuel engine provides flight speed of up to 250 meters per second. The flight altitude is between 100 and 600 meters.
This is purely a helicopter missile – Mi-28NM “Night Hunter”, designed to fight the Ka-52M “Crocodile” and some modifications of the Mi-8, in particular the Mi-8AMTSh-VN “Sapsan”.
Izdeliye 305 missile, KBM General Designer Valery Kashin told reporters at the Ordu-2021 forum
designed to destroy various targets – not only tanks, but also camouflaged targets located in the depths of the enemy’s defenses.
“High hit accuracy is achieved thanks to the thermal imaging homing head, the inertial navigation system combined with GLONASS,” said Kashin.
Experts believe that the “305 product” is similar to the anti-tank complex “Whirlwind-1”.
“In 2015, the military department received Vikhr-1 high-precision anti-tank missiles, which are also installed on attack helicopters. With a high probability, based on them, the “305 product” was created – a more compact complex, but with a better aiming system, ”Reserve Air Force Commander Vladimir Popov told Gazeta. ru.
The general noted that the similarity of the two aviation munitions lies in the implementation of the principle of “fire and forget”, but the “305 product” also works on two other principles.
The first is the understandable “fire and forget” mode, in which the missile immediately captures the target and then performs the task without the intervention of the helicopter crew. The second and third options are only for the 305th rocket. The second is that the helicopter detects the target using the aiming system, transmits the coordinates to the missile, and then the missile initially flies in inertial mode and only then captures the target. The third option is that the helicopter is far away and its own means cannot detect the target. It is given approximate coordinates, launches a rocket into the field in inertial mode. As it approaches the target, the missile transmits the image seen by the homing head to the ship.
The navigator, who launches the rocket, points the target to the rocket, then the rocket captures it and takes aim until it directly hits it. It is impossible to miss completely physically, ”says Popov.
Russian helicopters can carry up to four “product 305” missiles, but according to military expert, pilot, reserve colonel Alexander Drobyshevsky, this is “not necessary”.
“Two is enough to destroy the enemy’s air defense systems and other fire weapons from a long distance, and then safely approach the main targets of destruction. This tactic is when one or more helicopters disable the air defense, while the rest calmly move along a safe corridor and solve the main task, ”said Drobyshevsky.
Source: Gazeta
