Afghan guerrillas use individual anti-aircraft missiles
In the War in Afghanistan, in addition to small arms, mortars, recoilless guns, multiple rocket systems and anti-aircraft guns, the Afghan guerrillas acquired the highly technical and effective man-portable anti-aircraft missiles and anti-tank systems of the time.
According to many publications on the war in Afghanistan, the main threat to Soviet aviation in the air defense systems available to Afghan opposition forces comes from the U.S.-made FIM-92 Stinger individual air defense missile. However, euphemistically, this is not entirely true.
Of course, the Stinger was a very effective anti-aircraft weapon, but most Soviet and Afghan aircraft were shot down by 12.7-14.5 mm machine guns and 20-23 mm anti-aircraft guns, as well as small arms of rifle caliber. Moreover, in an absolute sense, the Stinger missile is far from the largest type of individual air defense missile available to the guerrillas. Although some Soviet veterans recall that the biggest damage caused by the Stinger occurred in 1984-1985, the Stinger was not in Afghanistan at the time.
Between 1982 and 1989, the Afghan Jihadist Group received about 2,000 man-portable air defence missile systems of various types and modifications, from the Soviet Union, Egypt, the United Kingdom, the United States, and possibly Pakistan.
As early as the second half of 1980, the first individual anti-aircraft missiles appeared in the hands of the Afghan Jihadist Organization. The seriousness of the situation is that these are Soviet Стрела-2М, which had previously served in the Egyptian army.
Стрела-2М missile system and 9М32М missile
Стрела Arrow-2М Man-Portable Air Defense Missile was equipped with Soviet troops in 1970 and was an improved version of Стрела-2 (1966 equipment). The main difference from the early ones is that the seeker sensitivity is improved, resulting in a 40% increase in the distance to the intercepted target; Filters are added to the infrared seeker to filter out other thermal energy that is different from the aircraft, thereby improving the infrared anti-interference ability. In addition, it is a vehicle-mounted method, which can be fired in four or eight salvos, making it difficult to jam, and the vehicle is also equipped with a target indication radar.
The man-portable anti-aircraft missile Стрела-2М can hit a target flying at subsonic speed, with a range of 4.2 km and an altitude of 50-2300 meters. The total weight of the battle is 15 kg, the length is 1.49 meters, the bullet diameter is 72 mm, the launch weight is 9.8 kg, and the warhead weighs 1.17 kg and the charge is 0.37 kg.
In addition to the Soviet Union's Стрела-2М, Egyptian-made man-portable anti-aircraft missiles (known as Ayn-al-Saqr) were supplied to Afghan jihadist groups. Before terminating its military-technical cooperation with the Soviet Union in 1973, Egypt received enough documents, materials and components to assemble hundreds of portable systems on its own. It is widely believed that Ayn-al-Saqr is indistinguishable from Стрела-2М apart from inscriptions of Arabic and other colors, nor can they be distinguished by other signs.
The Afghan Jihadist Group poses for Western journalists with Стрела-2М man-portable anti-aircraft missiles
Since the second half of the 1980s, clones of the first generation of Soviet man-portable air defense missiles have been produced in Pakistan, code-named Anza Mk-I, and it is likely that Pakistan-made man-portable air defense missile systems have also been supplied to Afghan jihadist groups.
Anza Mk-I anti-aircraft missile
Unlike the Soviet Union and the United States, which used infrared guides, the individual air defense missiles developed by the United Kingdom during the Cold War were guided by radio commands.
The advantage of anti-aircraft missiles guided by radio command is that they are able to attack air targets during collisions and are insensitive to thermal traps used to jam individual anti-aircraft missiles with infrared seekers. It is also believed that the use of radio-directed missiles will allow firing at targets flying at very low altitudes and even use anti-aircraft missiles to strike ground targets if necessary.
In 1972, the Blowpipe Blowpipe MANPADS were equipped with the British Army, which proved to be much heavier than rivals in the United States and the Soviet Union. The system has a total combat weight of 21.46 kg and missiles weigh 11 kg.
Due to the heavy weight, the British complex is generally considered "portable", with a launcher weighing 3 kg. It also includes a set of aiming controls: a five-fold optical sight, an infrared tracker (for introducing missiles into the line of sight), a microcomputer and a radio command transmitter.
Blowpipe anti-aircraft missiles
The transport and launch containers are assembled from two cylindrical tubes of different diameters, the front of which is much larger. After the anti-aircraft missile was launched, a new aiming control device with an unused missile was connected to the guidance unit. To direct the missile directly to the target, a thumb-controlled joystick is used, and with its help, the missile remains in line of sight after launch.
In addition to triggering fuzes, the missiles are equipped with proximity fuzes. When the missile flies near the target, in the event of a miss, the proximity fuze will detonate the warhead. When shooting at targets flying at very low altitudes or on the ground and on the ground, the proximity fuze is closed early to prevent the warhead from detonating prematurely.
As we all know, disadvantage is a continuation of the advantage. This applies perfectly to blowpipe man-portable anti-aircraft missiles. For the illiterate jihadists, Britain's missile systems were too complex to operate, too heavy and too fragile to be transported over long distances when assembled.
Prepare to launch blowpipe anti-aircraft missiles
Most importantly, its effectiveness depends directly on the operator's training and mental state. The British Army has special simulators to create and maintain sustainable operator skills. In addition to developing the process of missile capture and aiming at the target, the launch effect is reproduced on the simulator through changes in mass and center of gravity. However, unlike regular soldiers, jihadists who have lived on the battlefield for several months are unable to train regularly.
Theoretically, the maximum range of the missile for moving targets is 3.5 kilometers, but as the target speed is proportional to the accuracy range, it turns out that the above number is only a number. In most cases, the actual launch distance against air targets does not exceed 1.5 kilometers.
There have also been cases of blowpipe missiles attacking ground targets, but it is not possible to achieve a special effect in destroying armored vehicles. A warhead weighing up to 2.2 kg does not cause serious damage to the tank, which proves to have limited effectiveness against light armored vehicles and limited damage to the vehicle itself and to personnel. Given the very high cost of the missile system and the many problems of its delivery to Afghanistan, it is clear that the missile cannot be applied after analyzing the overall combat effectiveness.
In the 1980s, the British army trained to use Javelin anti-aircraft missiles
At the end of the 1970s, blowpipe anti-aircraft missile systems did not meet modern requirements. In 1984, the production of improved Javelin individual anti-aircraft missiles began.
Javelin individual anti-aircraft missiles have a more powerful warhead. Thanks to the introduction of new fuel formulations, specific impulses can be increased, which in turn leads to an increase in the range of damage to air targets. If necessary, it can also be used to attack ground targets.
The British Javelin anti-aircraft missile has a range of 5500 meters and an altitude of 10-3000 meters. The total weight of the system combat is 25 kg. The 12.7 kg missile carries a 2.74 kg warhead with a charge of 0.6 kg.
In terms of its layout and appearance, the Javelin individual anti-aircraft missile is very similar to the blowpipe, but on the Javelin missile, the guidance system independently shows the line of sight of the missile throughout the flight. In other words, the operator of the Javelin missile system does not need to control the missile with a joystick throughout the flight, but only needs to keep the target within the crosshairs of the optical sight.
Automatic line-of-sight control of the missile throughout its flight time is carried out with the help of a tracking television camera that captures thermal radiation from the tail of the missile. The markings of the missile and the target are displayed on the screen of the television camera, their relative positions are processed by the computing device, which then transmits the guidance command to the missile.
In the second half of the 1980s, the Afghan jihadist group received the latest 27 British anti-aircraft missile systems at the time. Javelin man-portable anti-aircraft missiles with semi-automatic radio guidance systems have shown many times higher combat effectiveness compared to blowpipes.
If in the early days of the war the Americans tried to disguise their direct support for the Afghan opposition, mainly by trying to ship Soviet-style weapons to jihadist groups, then in the mid-1980s, the supply of American weapons began to become apparent.
In 1982, the first secret supply of U.S. individual air defense missiles was the FIM-43 Redeye "Red Eye". The Afghan jihadist group received the 1968 FIM-43C equipped with the U.S. Army.
FIM-43 Red-Eye missile
The total combat weight of the FIM-43C man-portable air defense missile is 13.3 kg. The missile has a diameter of 70 mm, a length of 1.4 meters, a launch weight of 8.3 kg, a warhead weight of 1.06 kg, a range of 4500 meters, and an altitude of 50-2700 meters.
In terms of combat performance, Red Eye lost to the Soviet Union's Стрела-2М man-portable anti-aircraft missiles. The U.S. FIM-43C Red Eye missile can only be used during the day and operates as a tail-pursuit attack. The field of view of the optical sight is narrow, making it difficult to find fast-moving targets. The missile's anti-jamming capability is low, which makes it almost guaranteed to be easy to get rid of the missile's attack with the help of the hot traps launched. The battery has a short working time, so inexperienced operators don't always have time to enter the time interval between detecting air targets and firing missiles. Low trigger fuze reliability.
In actual combat, the FIM-43С Red-Eye individual air defense missile is less effective than the Soviet Стрела-2М and its imitation version. As a result, the missile was used in Afghanistan for a short time.
The second-generation FIM-92 Stinger anti-aircraft missile, supplied to the Afghan Jihadist in early 1986, has higher performance.
Stinger anti-aircraft missiles
Initially, jihadist groups were equipped with FIM-92A ("Stinger-A") missiles, using a chilling aluminum selenide infrared seeker, which has a high sensitivity, and can not only tail distant aircraft but also meet aircraft that are close to flying. Later, the anti-jamming FIM-92B (mounted WITH POST seekers) appeared, and the missile operated in the infrared/ultraviolet bands, using shape image scanning technology. Infrared sensitive devices are used to detect and track the thermal energy emitted by aircraft, and ultraviolet sensors are used to distinguish between aircraft targets and sky backgrounds, which can effectively distinguish between infrared interference and unfavorable background sources.
The FIM-92A variant was commissioned in 1981 and production of the FIM-92B began in 1983.
FIM-92А Stinger missile
The FIM-92A and the improved FIM-92B have the same weight and size characteristics, range range and altitude range. The total combat weight of the missile is 15.7 kg, and the launch weight is 10.1 kg. The missile is 1.5 meters long, has a diameter of 70 mm, a range of 500-4750 meters, and a firing height of 50-3500 meters.
At the end of 1986, after the Afghan jihadist organization was equipped with a FIM-92B missile with a POST seeker, the losses of the Soviet and Afghan aviation corps increased significantly.
Afghan guerrilla anti-aircraft missiles are aimed at the target
However, with the exception of Stinger, jihadist groups actively use other available man-portable anti-aircraft missiles
It is widely believed that man-portable anti-aircraft missiles are very easy weapons to use, and even illiterate farmers can quickly master them. However, for man-portable air defence missiles to be successfully used, many important conditions must be met.
The first is the shooter's high moral and psychological stability and his ability to calmly choose the firing moment according to the target type, range, speed and direction of flight. Consideration should also be given to the altitude of the flight, the presence of natural heat sources, and obstacles that the aircraft can dive into.
Pakistani instructors receive an 8-month training course in the United States, while members of the Afghan jihadist group typically have only a maximum of 3 weeks to train. At the same time, the jihadist organization's skills in the skillful use of individual anti-aircraft missiles still have many shortcomings. Given the high cost of MANPADS and the high hopes they placed on defending against air threats, some jihadist commanders executed three missed shooters. It is difficult to say how much this stimulus has helped, but as armed conflict intensifies, MANPADS systems begin to have a significant impact on hostilities and inflict heavy losses on aviation.
Afghan guerrillas prepare to ambush
Although the first man-portable anti-aircraft missiles arrived in Afghanistan in 1980, soviet command did not take them seriously for at least the next two years. This is because the number of Стрела-2М man-man air defense missiles received from Egypt is relatively small, and the level of operator training is low.
There may have been losses before the man-man air defense missile, but many sources claim that the first helicopter was shot down by an anti-aircraft missile at the end of 1982. Sometimes, Soviet and Afghan government pilots mistake the launch of individual anti-aircraft missiles for bazooka fire, and jihadist groups often fire at helicopters in this way.
According to information published by public sources, about 200 Стрела-2М man-portable air defence missiles made by the Soviet Union and Egypt, as well as as 500 clones, were handed over to afghan rebels.
The Soviets inspected the captured Stinger missiles
After the emergence of a large number of man-portable missile systems by the Afghan jihadist organization, the Soviet Union took organizational and technical measures to reduce the loss of its own aviation.
When a missile is detected in the air, the pilot is advised to maneuver evasively and fire at the launch site. All aircraft and helicopters that could be attacked by infrared anti-aircraft missiles are equipped with heat source launchers.
According to official information, the СОЭП-В1А (Л166 Липа) impulse noise station appeared in 1982 and achieved good results. With the help of heating elements and rotating lens systems, the Л166 Липа generates a continuously moving infrared stream around the aircraft. The complex is used in conjunction with thermal traps and disorients the missile's seeker, resulting in "missile yaw" and target disruption. To protect the helicopter, a shielded exhaust device was used, which reduced the contrast of infrared radiation by about half.
In combat operations, it is clear that individual anti-aircraft missiles against helicopters can be found at a distance of no more than 1-1.5 km. Thermal traps almost always derail these missiles from course, and the installation of the pulsed infrared jamming station Л166 Липа greatly reduces the likelihood of hits.
All this led to the fact that until early 1986, with the help of individual anti-aircraft missiles, less than 10% of all aircraft of the Soviet and Afghan government forces were shot down. In 1984, a total of 62 missiles of various types were fired and 5 aircraft were shot down. According to Western data, the various models of Стрелы-2М shot down 5 aircraft and 42 helicopters throughout the war.
The Стрелы-2М missile and its imitation version have a hit rate of about 12% for air targets. To reduce the likelihood of defeat, guerrillas often practice firing several missiles at a single target. High-explosive cumulative fragment warheads, despite their relatively small amount of explosives, are very effective against MiG-21s or Su-17s. But Mi-24 gunships and Su-25 attack aircraft showed good survivability, often returning to the airfield after being hit by anti-aircraft missiles.
Soviet Mi-24 fleet
Under the same conditions, the U.S. Red-Eye individual air defense missiles showed worse results than Стрела-2М. Western researchers wrote that the mujahideen received no more than 100 FIM-43 Red-Eye anti-aircraft missiles. Soviet sources say that in 1982-1986, the mujahideen used the missile to shoot down 1 Su-25, 2 Mi-24, 2 or 3 Mi-8s. At the same time, the probability of hit is 30% lower than that of Soviet individual anti-aircraft missiles. Soviet pilots repeatedly recorded cases of FIM-43C missiles triggering fuze failures when they crashed or got stuck in the fuselage of a helicopter or plane without causing much damage.
The results of the British blowpipe were disappointing, with the Afghan jihadist group getting 50 missile launchers and 300 missiles. Two helicopters became their victims. At one point, the crew of the Mi-24 managed to kill the missile operator who was ready to guide the anti-aircraft missile in a salvo. As a missile flew past the helicopter, the pilot jerked away to avoid being hit, and then attacked.
In contrast, the most efficient in combat in the Afghan war was the Javelin anti-aircraft missile. A total of 27 missiles were delivered to the Afghan jihadist group in the late 1980s. During the war, 21 missiles were fired to shoot down and injure 10 aircraft and helicopters. It turns out that the thermal trap is absolutely ineffective against anti-aircraft missiles guided by radio commands. In addition, the Javelin missile has a fairly powerful high-explosive fragment warhead, equipped with a perfect close-in fuse.
Javelin missiles pose the greatest danger to helicopters. Soviet crews identified British man-portable anti-aircraft missiles by their "actions" in the air. In the first phase, the main response was intensive maneuvering and shelling at the launch site. Later, aircraft and helicopters in Afghanistan began to install jammers, blocking the guidance channels of anti-aircraft missiles.
Afghan guerrillas carrying Stinger missiles
After jihadist groups began to possess FIM-92 Stinger individual anti-aircraft missiles, the losses of Soviet and Afghan aviation increased dramatically. At that time, the heavy use of available technical countermeasures, coupled with powerful anti-missile maneuvers, could dodge 25% of missile attacks. The anti-aircraft missile with a diameter of 70 mm has good maneuverability, its maximum flight speed is 640 m / s.
During the first two weeks of hostilities, three Su-25s were destroyed by Stingers. By the end of 1987, the losses amounted to 8 aircraft. The Su-25 attack aircraft could no longer effectively protect itself with thermal traps, while the missile warhead was very successful in destroying engines and control units.
Between 1986 and 1989, the Afghan Jihadist Received About 800 Stinger Anti-Aircraft Missile Systems, several of which were captured by the Soviets and then taken to the Soviet Union for study.
Stinger missiles captured by the Soviets
The effectiveness of the use of the stinger, a stand-alone anti-aircraft missile, in Afghanistan is uncertain. In 1986, 23 aircraft and helicopters were shot down by missiles of various types, and in 1987 27 were shot down. A U.S. government report noted that the 340 Stinger missiles launched hit 269 targets, with a hit rate of nearly 80 percent. However, it is unrealistic to obtain such results in combat situations. Based on the experience of military operations, the combat efficiency of the most advanced individual anti-aircraft missiles with infrared seekers does not exceed 30%.