Source: China Military Network - Ministry of National Defense Network
Patrol missile is the product of the combination of advanced missile technology and UAV technology, it can quickly reach the target area, carry out patrol flight, reconnaissance and surveillance, damage assessment, air attack strike and other diversified tasks, with high cost-effectiveness, intelligence and other characteristics, in several recent regional conflicts have been widely used, is after UAV, another new concept weapon.
It has a dual combat advantage
Patrol missiles are also known as suicide drones, loitering ammunition. In 1994, the United States first proposed the concept of patrol missiles and began to develop low-cost autonomous attack munitions for the Lokas. The bomb is equipped with a GPS/INS navigation system, laser seeker, folding wings, jet engines and a multimode warhead, like a drone filled with explosives. After the launch, the "Lokas" can fly autonomously over the target area, and then carry out a dive attack after discovering the target. Its main combat objects are mainly tanks, armored vehicles and other land mobile targets.
"Lokas" laid the technical basis for patrol missiles. Like conventional ammunition, it can be fired or dropped by a variety of weapon platforms, quickly entering the combat area, and then "transforming" into a bomb to attack the target. At the same time, it is equipped with wings and engines, which can stay in the air for a long time, which is convenient for finding hidden targets. In addition, it can adjust the flight path and target according to the changing combat situation to carry out "selective" precision strikes. Following "Lokas", countries have invested in patrol missile research.
At present, patrol missiles mainly include two types: reconnaissance patrol missiles and offensive patrol missiles. Reconnaissance patrol missiles do not have attack capabilities and mainly perform search and reconnaissance, relay communications, and damage assessment tasks. Offensive patrol missiles not only have reconnaissance functions, but also can carry out precision strikes on targets, which are divided into main battle patrol missiles and suppressive patrol missiles. The main battle patrol missile can strike once it finds the target, and the patrol time of the suppressive patrol missile is up to several hours, mainly using the enemy's radar as the target to carry out air defense suppression combat missions.
Widely used in practical applications
Although a large number of patrol missiles have been put into actual combat in recent years, the rapid development speed has a great tendency to replace light reconnaissance and combat integrated UAVs.
"Delila" patrol missile. A precision-guided patrol missile modified by Israel Military Industries using a decoy drone, with a length of 2.171 meters, a diameter of 0.33 meters, a warhead weighing 30 kilograms, a turbojet engine, a flight speed between Mach 0.3 and Mach 0.7, a maximum range of 300 kilometers, and a patrol duration of several hours. During the Syrian war, Israeli warplanes repeatedly fired Delilah patrol missiles at anti-aircraft missile positions on the outskirts of Damascus, luring Syrian radars to turn on and strike at them.
"Harlop" patrol missile. Another product of the Israel Military Industries Corporation. It adopts an on-board box launch method and is equipped with a piston propeller engine. The bomb has a maximum range of 1,000 kilometers, a patrol duration of 9 hours, and a warhead weighing 23 kilograms, mainly performing anti-radiation combat missions. During the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the Azerbaijani army used the "Harop" patrol missile to destroy the radar of the S-300P long-range surface-to-air missile system of the Armenian army.
"Switchblade" patrol missile. Developed by Aeronautical Environment. It adopts a tubular launcher, the projectile length is 0.36 meters, the warhead weighs 0.32 kg, the patrol time is only 15 minutes, the projectile body is equipped with folding wings, it is battery-powered, it can be carried in a soldier's tactical backpack, and it has the ability to operate "human in the loop". Switchblade patrol missiles have reportedly destroyed heavily armored weapons, including Russian-made T-72 main battle tanks, in several regional conflicts in recent years.
KUB-BLA patrol missile. Developed by the Russian Kalashnikov military-industrial group, only 2 people need to operate. The projectile is 1.21 meters long, can carry 3 kg of explosives, and has a patrol time of 30 minutes, which has destroyed American-made M777 towed howitzers. Russian media said that in the past, thousands of shells were needed to destroy targets, but now only 3 KUB-BLA patrol missiles can complete the mission.
"Lancet" patrol missile. A large patrol missile developed by Russia's Kalashnikov military-industrial group has destroyed American-made M109A3GN self-propelled howitzers, "Viper" M armored boats, and three-coordinate radars of the S-300P surface-to-air missile system in regional conflicts.
Judging from several recent regional conflicts, patrol missiles have played an important role on the battlefield. From siege operations to air defense suppression to anti-tank operations, different models of patrol missiles can be seen. Due to the weak radar and infrared signal characteristics, patrol missiles can pass through almost any air defense system to reach the target, bringing great psychological pressure to the opponent.
Future developments are worth watching
On the basis of summarizing the experience of battlefield use, the future patrol missile technology will develop in the following direction.
Networked collaboration. As the "swarm" technology matures, it will also be applied to patrol missiles in the future. A network of "swarms" of massive patrol missiles will soon become a reality.
Dual-speed design. After the patrol missile reaches the target area at a relatively fast speed, it is left in the air for reconnaissance at a lower speed, which requires a flexible speed adjustment mechanism and a fuel/power control system. At present, this technology is already under development. For example, the new patrol missile introduced by the European Missile Group, with a dual-speed design, can fly to the combat zone at Mach 3 and then patrol at subsonic speed.
Invisibility. In order to improve survival and penetration capabilities, radar and optical stealth design are needed to reduce the probability of detection before attack.
Where there is a spear, there must be a shield. At present, all countries have begun to actively explore means of dealing with patrol missiles. The first is to accelerate the research and development of precision radar and multispectral photoelectric detection devices to improve target search capabilities. The second is to develop low-cost small air defense missiles and adopt intensive launch methods to deal with large-scale patrol missile attacks. The third is to strengthen the multi-dimensional jamming capability, and turn it into a "headless fly" by jamming and cutting off the GPS navigation system and data link of the patrol missile. The fourth is to strengthen the terminal interception system, so that it can detect the incoming patrol missile in time and launch the interceptor missile to destroy it.
(1) Russian "Lancet" patrol missile.
(2) American "Switchblade" patrol missile.
(3) Israeli "Harlop" patrol missile.