Anti-aircraft missile complex ultra-low range "Luchnik-e. Archer-e ultra-short-range air defense system Requires “long arms”
At the international exhibition of weapons, technologies and innovations "Oboronexpo-2014" the latest mobile air defense system of the army level "Luchnik-E" was demonstrated.
The BD "Luchnik-E" air defense system is designed to protect small objects and military units (including during a march) from attacks by low-flying air attack weapons by defeating them with homing 9M342 missiles from the "Igla-S" (9K338) MANPADS in organized and natural conditions optical interference, in day and night conditions, ensuring automatic detection and tracking of the target under fire.
"Luchnik-E" is intended to replace the outdated "Strela-10" air defense system.
It can fire in any weather and climate conditions and in an environment with a high level of interference.
Its feature is the ability to launch a salvo of missiles at one target, as well as the ability to simultaneously track about four targets.
The control center has been modified for the use of missiles from the Igla-S MANPADS; new electronics have been installed in it.
The new air defense system, like the Strela-10, is placed on the chassis of the MTLB multi-purpose armored tractor. 
On the lifting platform of the Luchnik-E combat module there are two blocks of launchers.
Each of them can carry up to six transport and launch containers (TPC) with missiles. Eight more missiles in containers can be transported inside the vehicle body. 
The complex is capable of hitting modern tactical aircraft, helicopters, cruise missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles day and night.
The complex is capable of hitting air targets in motion at speeds of up to 20 km/h. 
Features of the DB "Luchnik-E" air defense system:
-high mobility and autonomy of action, high maneuverability, can overcome water obstacles afloat, be transported on the external sling of a helicopter, by air, rail and water transport and on semi-trailers;
-high secrecy of combat use due to the use of passive means of round-the-clock detection and tracking of air targets;
-can be used autonomously or as part of an air defense unit (battery) with provision of automated combat control from battery command posts of the 9S737MK “Ranzhir-MK” type, PPRU-M1, PU-12, etc. ;
-automatic search based on external target designation data or autonomous search for targets by scanning in a given sector, manual or automatic capture and automatic tracking of up to 4 targets by a 24-hour optical-electronic station (SOEC) BM;
- the ability to select a missile firing mode depending on air conditions, the type of target and the required effectiveness of its destruction;
-additional ability to fire at targets with two anti-aircraft gunners “from the shoulder” using trigger mechanisms included in the BM kit;
-increased transportable missile ammunition.
-modular construction, which ensures rapid restoration of combat readiness when damaged.
- adaptability to various carriers: self-propelled, airborne, shipborne without deteriorating the technical characteristics of missiles and without restrictions on the characteristics of the carrier. 
Serial production of "Luchnik-E" can be launched in the near future. 
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The theory of non-contact wars and the concept of a rapid global strike currently being developed do not cancel the principles of traditional armed conflict. Western experts have created a standard model of regular active (aggressive) warfare, which has already been implemented several times and is continuously being improved.
That is why today, more than ever, the study of the forms and methods of conducting traditional combat operations, the development of practical measures to cover the front line units, units and formations in conditions of combat contact with the enemy from air attack weapons (AEA) are relevant.
The development of network-centric methods of troop control required the development and implementation of new technical reconnaissance means. These include, first of all, mini- and micro-class UAVs intended for forward reconnaissance (FC) and being essentially the main source of information. Paralyzing the actions of mini-UAVs actually destroys the network-centric control system; this is its Achilles heel. Thus, now not only fire support helicopters (FSH), precision-guided weapons (HPE), army and tactical aviation, but also mini-UAVs have become priority targets for PC air defense, and winning the confrontation and defeating them is mandatory.
When it is useless to modernize the old
The problem of PC air defense became acute back in the 50s and 60s, when army aviation began to develop at an accelerated pace and the saturation of potential enemy troops with combat helicopters increased significantly. To cover the units and units of the Ground Forces above the PC, the corresponding air defense missile and artillery divisions were formed as part of the motorized rifle and tank regiments of the Soviet Army, which began to receive self-propelled anti-aircraft guns and anti-aircraft missile systems (SAM) "Strela-1M", as well as portable air defense systems. (MANPADS) of the first generation "Strela-2M".
ZSU-23-4 "Shilka"
Anti-aircraft missile system (SAM) "Strela-1M"
These short-range air defense and cover systems were generally able to withstand airborne attack forces that used free-fall bombs and unguided rockets (NURS), as well as short-range anti-tank guided missiles (ATGM), which began to be placed on combat helicopters.
But during the Vietnam War, a new class of combat helicopters with fairly long-range ATGMs appeared in the United States, designed primarily to combat armored targets on the battlefield and called “fire support helicopters.” One of the first is the Hugh-Cobra with the Tou ATGM. The GPs operated primarily from ambushes, using the terrain features (foldings of the terrain). Having received intelligence information about armored targets in the ATGM range, they carried out a “jump”, launched a missile at the target and went into cover. The firing cycle took only 40–50 seconds. The use of "Shilok" and "Strela-2M" MANPADS in such conditions turned out to be impossible, and the "Strela-1M" air defense system was problematic.
Assessing the degree of threat to military equipment for armored vehicles on the battlefield, one of the major military leaders - Hero of the Soviet Union, Army Commander-in-Chief, Army General Ivan Pavlovsky, summing up the results of major exercises, said: “ It is better to have 10 tanks reliably covered from the air than 100 without cover" The participant in the Great Patriotic War knew what he was saying. His prophetic words were subsequently confirmed more than once during not only the Vietnam War, but also the Arab-Israeli conflicts. In Sinai, for example, in one combat sortie, the Hugh-Cobra type VOP destroyed up to 6–8 armored objects uncovered from the air (tanks, armored personnel carriers, infantry fighting vehicles).
Assessing the role of the GP and trying to consolidate the success of the military-technical breakthrough, the United States rapidly created and adopted a specialized (basic) GP AN-64 “Apache”. It began to be equipped with the new generation Hellfire ATGM and was capable of hitting targets from long ranges (6–8 km), that is, without entering the affected areas of existing air defense systems. To combat military weapons of this class and improve the air defense of PCs in general, new military weapons were required, since the modernization of those previously used for a number of reasons turned out to be futile.
Long arms required
The development of such weapons was entrusted to the Tula Instrument Design Bureau. At the proposal of the KBP, the problem should have been solved using the Tunguska self-propelled anti-aircraft gun-missile system (ZPRK). According to the plan, it could hit the “Apache” high-tech weapon at ranges before they used on-board weapons, making it possible to reduce the type of air defense systems at the regimental level, as well as guarantee cover for armored targets in mobile forms of combat and on the march.
ZPRK "Tunguska"
It was assumed that the combat vehicle (BM) would have maximum autonomy, while ensuring controllability from the battery command post (BCP) in an automated mode, having a short reaction time (from the moment of detecting the enemy to launching a missile or opening fire on it) and fully automated process of combat work. For this purpose, the BM was equipped with:
— on-board radar for detecting airborne objects, operating in motion;
— radar for auto-tracking a target fired by a cannon channel;
— optical sighting devices for firing with a missile channel (RC);
— digital computing system;
- means of navigation and topographical reference, as well as radio communication (in Tunguska-M - and telecode communication with the BKP);
— high-speed, high-precision drive systems for the tower installation in azimuth and elevation, and other equipment.
All this, including power supply and other auxiliary equipment, was placed on a tracked chassis (GM-352), unified with that used in the Tor air defense system and, which reduced the type of base tracked chassis. True, unlike other unified chassis, the GM-352 has variable ground clearance. This allowed the Tunguska to rise almost half a meter when firing from a trench.
In general, the creation of the Tunguska was a breakthrough in the short-range air defense niche. In this ZPRK it was possible to create a highly effective cannon channel based on the GSh guns (Gryazev - Shipunov). Suffice it to say that in 30 mm caliber their rate of fire (two paired double-barreled machine guns) is more than 4500 rounds per minute, which provides a probability of destruction at the level of 0.35–0.42. This is several times higher than, for example, a battery (6 guns) of the Bofors anti-aircraft artillery system (40 mm caliber) and the American-Canadian Adats installation.
Such characteristics were achieved through the use of a digital counting and solving device in the air defense system, which implements complex hypotheses of target movement when calculating lead angles, measuring and taking into account the actual initial velocity of the projectile, automatically setting the burst length depending on the distance to the target, and developing high-speed precision guidance drives and other innovations.
However, the range of destruction by the cannon channel in the Tunguska was 4 km, which did not allow hitting the new generation of high explosive weapons at the maximum launch ranges of ATGMs. This required a rocket launcher such as a “long arm”, which could hit military equipment at a distance of up to 10 km.
By that time, the Apache-type VOP already had an armored cabin, explosion-proof fuel tanks, was equipped with injectors that reduced its thermal signature, as well as an effective ATGM targeting and guidance system. To reliably destroy high explosive weapons at maximum ranges, it was necessary to use special measures in the Tunguska RK.
In order to eliminate the dependence of the maximum range of destruction of a high-pressure weapon on its thermal signature, it was considered correct to abandon the use of a thermal homing head in the missile defense system and implement a radio command method. To reduce the miss rate when firing at the maximum range, the KBP implemented an optical method of sighting and target tracking, since radar (with a radar operating in the cm range and used in the cannon channel) at such ranges led to significant errors, and acceptable optical-electronic noise-resistant devices did not exist then.
Unresolved issues
The missile for the Tunguska air defense missile system was proposed as a two-stage bicaliber (launch stage - active, caliber 152 mm, sustainer stage - passive, 76 mm), equipped with a high-power fragmentation-rod type warhead with a contact and non-contact target sensor (laser, in subsequent modifications - radar ). This scheme for constructing a missile defense system had positive and negative sides.
First of all, it made it possible, with a relatively low launch weight (42 kg), to have a nine-kilogram warhead - almost twice as much as when using single-stage schemes. In addition, it was possible to place an increased ammunition load on the combat vehicle - 8 missiles, and for their preliminary guidance, use the same drives as for the cannon channel. Also, the bicaliber design ensured a relatively high average speed flight at maximum ranges (up to 600 m/s).
However, the two-stage construction of the missile defense system led to a significant increase in the “dead” crater of the air defense missile system (the closest border of the missile defense zone was 2.5 km), as well as the need to dump the spent “launcher” at a distance of 2.5–3 km. The presence of such a large “dead” crater (25% of the maximum destruction range) practically left the PC and the nearest tactical depth without missile cover for the Tunguska air defense missile system.
But the most important drawback was that the rocket launcher turned out to be not all-day and all-weather; when firing, conditions for automatic target tracking were not created, as a result of which the destruction of maneuvering airborne missiles in a given zone was practically not ensured. The defeat of even a hovering helicopter required extremely high professional skills of the operator. This was due to the low capabilities of the on-board radar to timely detect high explosives in the entire range, as well as the low probability of hitting the high explosive by the fragmentation-rod warhead of the missile defense system and the low power supply of the passive sustainer part of the missile when firing at a maneuvering target.
The disadvantages of the installation appeared immediately. Thus, during the special exercises “Defense-92”, the combat effectiveness of units armed with “Tunguskaya” and “Tunguskaya-M” was only 0.42, while air defense units and units armed with other types of complexes were at least 0.9– 0.93.
When the air defense system was put into service, many of the identified shortcomings were reflected in the relevant documents, and a plan was adopted to eliminate them before and as serial production began. However, the KBP withdrew from this work, concentrating efforts on other areas, including the development of the ship, which was practically created on the basis of the technical solutions of the Tunguska and inherited many of its shortcomings. The excitement generated by interested individuals and organizations around the Pantsir-S1 air defense missile system has pushed into the background the elimination of the shortcomings inherent in both complexes.
ZRPK "Pantsir-S1"
And in the USA and NATO by this time the all-day and all-weather Apache-Rangbow with a new version of the Hellfire ATGM had already entered service. Unfortunately, the Tunguska of all modifications without a radical alteration of the Republic of Kazakhstan can no longer adequately withstand it, and no one is modernizing the missile armament of this air defense missile system.
Energetic attempts are being made to impose the Pantsir-S1 air defense system instead of the Tunguska, including even on a tracked chassis. However, for the Air Defense Forces of the Air Force, what is more important is not the “Pantsir” and the conversations around it, but the development of the Tunguska missile system, not only in mass-produced systems, but, most importantly, in complexes that are in operation (according to the “platform” principle approach to modernization). Now this is a priority task for the practical implementation of effective air defense of PCs.
How to technically implement this and what needs to be done today is known and can be done within an acceptable time frame using the available macro-requisites and with minimal financial costs, including the introduction, if necessary, of the same “shell” technologies. All we need is appropriate decisions and mutual understanding.
But here, too, a problem arises: the developer of Tunguska, KBP, became part of the “High-Precision Complexes” belonging to the Rostec state corporation, and the manufacturer of this air defense system, UMZ (Ulyanovsk), is located in OJSC Air Defense Concern Almaz-Antey. So who and how will deal with the issue of modernizing the air defense missile channel? In our opinion, the leaders of Rostec, the Almaz-Antey air defense concern and, first of all, the Ministry of Defense as the most interested party should answer this question.
In addition to the Tunguska air defense missile system, the anti-aircraft divisions of motorized rifle (tank) regiments, and the current structure of combined arms (tank) brigades, are armed with short-range air defense systems of the Strela-10 type, which are further development"Strela-1M". "Strela-10" is equipped with missiles with a two-channel cooled homing head (GOS) with infrared (IR) and photocontrast (FC) channels.
Short-range air defense system "Strela-10"
The use of an optical seeker in a missile defense system had its pros and cons. First of all, this made it possible to implement the “fire and forget” combat mode, which is extremely important for front-line air defense systems. At the same time, the target acquisition range of the seeker in the infrared channel depended on the thermal radiation of the target, which reduced the capabilities when firing at modern low-emitting (“cold”) objects, including mini-UAVs. FC could only be used during the day in clear weather.
The warhead was initially high-explosive fragmentation, and then - fragmentation-rod, ensuring reliable destruction of even armored air targets. The missile was equipped with an optical, and later with a laser non-contact target sensor (NDS), which in the latest modifications also triggers on small objects (8-beam NDS).
The conscript won't cope
However, the most significant drawback of the Strela-10 remained the requirement for visual detection and guidance of the launcher with missiles in visual contact mode in order to capture the target by the seeker on the launcher before launch. The introduction of telecode equipment for receiving and implementing target designation (APC and ARC) into the combat vehicle of the air defense missile system automated the process of detecting an object to be destroyed, but did not make it automatic, nor did it eliminate the need for visual contact with it and manual tracking before launching the missile defense system.
In addition, the target acquisition range of the seeker in the main IR channel depends on the thermal radiation of the object, that is, it is dictated by the enemy. All attempts to increase the strike range of the Strela-10 to more than 5 km were unsuccessful, and therefore it could not fully withstand the Apache, and even more so the Apache-Rangbow, before using on-board weapons.
However, this air defense system was considered a reasonable addition to the Tunguska and underwent more than four upgrades during serial production. A significant number of the Strela-10 air defense system remains in service in the Russian Armed Forces and abroad, although its production, like its missiles, has now been discontinued.
Portable air defense system "Igla-S"
Together with short-range complexes, tactical front-line air defense formations also include portable air defense systems of the Igla type, which are a logical continuation of the first-generation Strela-2M MANPADS. Today, “Igla”, “Igla-S” with means of receiving target designation and providing shooting at night, and the new generation MANPADS “Verba”, first demonstrated at the “Army-2015” forum, generally meet modern requirements.
MANPADS "Verba"
But having the latest air defense weapons and the ability to use them effectively are two different things. It is almost impossible to teach a soldier to skillfully use MANPADS during a one-year military service, even with excellent simulators. After all, in fact, the anti-aircraft gunner performs the functions of both executive reconnaissance and a computing device that determines the moment of launch, and indeed the functions of the launcher itself. Acquiring these skills requires time, which a conscript soldier does not have today.
In addition, a shooter using MANPADS can practically only guarantee cover for units and units in the near zone, since he also needs visual contact with the target before launching a missile.
Highly automated and 24/7
To some extent, the Kolomenskoe KBM tried to correct the current situation with equipping the air defense troops of the ground forces with short-range fire weapons and increase their effectiveness by proactively developing a modern synthesized Air defense missile system "Luchnik". When creating it, we tried to solve at least two problems:
- Firstly, it was necessary to find an alternative to the outdated and discontinued Strela-10, the maintenance of which in combat-ready condition among the troops became problematic, and its further direct modernization turned out to be costly;
- Secondly, it was necessary to increase the effectiveness of the combat use of MANPADS above the front line and in the nearest tactical depth, compensating for the insufficient training and combat skills of anti-aircraft gunners.
SAM "Luchnik"
The authors of “Luchnik” placed it on the chassis of an air defense system of the “Strela-10” type (after restoration of the chassis, replacement of the turret and launcher), and as standard ones they used “Igla-S” MANPADS missiles located in the standardized “Strelets” launch modules ( 8 – on the launcher and 8 – in the combat vehicle’s ammunition rack). The combined use of elements of “Strela-10” and “Igla-S” makes it possible to classify the short-range air defense system “Luchnik” as synthesized.
It is also provided, if necessary, to arm two anti-aircraft gunners with MANPADS from the combat vehicle's ammunition rack and equip them with anti-aircraft gunners, which expands the options for combat use of the complex.
But the main distinctive feature of the “Archer” is the presence in it of an optical-electronic system for detecting and automatically tracking air objects with video information processing equipment. It makes it possible to autonomously or based on target designation data detect and automatically track modern air targets at any time of the day and in difficult weather conditions.
The 24-hour optical-electronic station (SOEC) includes television and thermal imaging information channels and a solid-state laser rangefinder. They provide detection and recognition of objects displayed on a video monitor by the BM operator, their manual or automatic capture and automatic tracking of up to four targets simultaneously, as well as calculation of their coordinates and determination of the launch range.
The field of view of the SOEK information channels is 20x15 degrees in azimuth and elevation, respectively, the detection range is at least 10 km, and the limits for measuring the distance to tracked targets with a laser rangefinder are from 400 meters to 10 km. The complex is actually capable of hitting modern tactical aircraft, fire support helicopters and cruise missiles, as well as some types of UAVs, day and night in difficult jamming and weather conditions.
"Luchnik" was demonstrated at MAKS-2015 and at the international military-technical forum "Army-2015", its performance characteristics and combat capabilities are known, there is no point in repeating them. I would like to dwell on just a few points. In this air defense system, with more than four times less missile mass compared to the Strela-10M, it was possible to almost double the probability of hitting a target (from 0.3–0.6 to 0.6–0.73) and increase the contents by the same amount ammunition and ammunition stowage (from 4 to 8 in both cases).
At the same time, noise immunity has increased significantly due to the implementation of spectral selection instead of kinematic selection in the seeker. The closest border of the affected area was also reduced from 2500–1200 meters (Tunguska RK, Strely-10M, respectively) to 500 m, which is extremely important when organizing front-line air defense.
Truncated "Archer" and outdated "Arrows"
But "Archer" is not without certain shortcomings. Thus, due to the use (as in Strela-10M) of infrared seekers, it was not possible to increase the far boundary of the affected area; it remained at the level of 5000–6000 meters. Therefore, in order to effectively combat modern military defenses before they use airborne weapons, as well as to increase the capabilities of air defense systems over the front edge and in the near tactical zone, the Luchnik air defense system should be considered and used only in conjunction with the Tunguska air defense system.
In addition, in its current configuration, the “Luchnik” does not guarantee the destruction of weakly emitting heat (“cold”) mini-UAVs and because of this cannot fully replace the “Strela-10M”, which implements a photo-contrast missile guidance channel. However, a way out of this situation is visible.
As already indicated, the new generation Verba MANPADS is equipped with a missile with a three-channel seeker. One of the channels, ultraviolet (UVK), is insensitive to the thermal radiation of the target and fundamentally provides guidance on mini-UAVs and their destruction, which is currently extremely important. Thus, when placing a certain number of Verba MANPADS on the launcher of the "Luchnik" air defense system (say, 4 "Verba" MANPADS instead of the "Igla-S" MANPADS, it is not economically profitable to replace the entire ammunition load), it is realistic to solve the problem of destroying a mini-UAV and fully replace the " Strela-10M".
In essence, this is a modern, highly automated, all-day short-range air defense system, which has fairly high combat characteristics and also makes it possible to reduce the range of missile defense systems at the most widespread tactical (brigade-regimental) level. The necessary technical documentation has been created, the export certificate has been approved, and delivery abroad has been authorized. Foreign military experts at MAKS-2015 and the Army-2015 forum showed some interest in this air defense system.
But the command of the Air Defense Forces and the leadership of the Russian Ministry of Defense are in no hurry to discuss the issue of its adoption. They also do not have an acceptable concept regarding the abandonment of the morally and physically outdated air defense systems of the Strela-10 type of all modifications. Moreover, it became known that instead of the “Archer” and “Strela-10”, the command of the air defense forces of the North plans to order the Kolomna KBM to develop a “truncated” version of the “Archer” with four MANPADS on a launcher, placed on a wheeled chassis (Tiger vehicle).
Of course, no data on development is provided. And who will carry it out if modern military science, which accidentally survived, still dealing with air defense issues of the ground forces, began to basically live according to the principle “what do you want?”, and not “what is needed?”. Is memory really that short? After all, quite recently in this link, as already mentioned, they started with a light air defense system BD "Strela-1M" on a wheeled chassis (admittedly floating), but due to its shortcomings, especially manifested at the front line, the air defense system of the "Strela-10" type placed on a tracked chassis.
The exit is ahead
Frontline air defense (FAD) has its own specific features. The main one is that it is the prerogative of the air defense forces of the North. The anti-aircraft missile systems of the Aerospace Forces, and the fighter aircraft allocated by them in the interests of covering units and formations of the Ground Forces, cannot provide a noticeable increase in the effectiveness of air defense of the PC.
At the same time, shortcomings in the construction and organization of PC air defense significantly affect the survivability of front line units and subunits from air strikes. For miscalculations and mistakes in the organization of air defense of the PC, one ultimately has to pay not only with disabled weapons, military equipment, destroyed elements of infrastructure, but to a large extent - with blood and human lives. That is why the PC air defense system must be maximally developed and balanced in peacetime, during the process of its construction and creation.
It should also be taken into account that it is the most widespread and every percentage increase in its effectiveness brings significant quantitative results and significantly affects the reduction of prevented damage to its advanced troops.
Unfortunately, it must be stated that, in general, the current state of air defense weapons designed to provide air defense to PCs is of deep concern. Today there is nothing to fight against all-day VON, especially the new generation of the Apache-Rangbow type, at the ranges of their use of airborne weapons. As you know, a new generation of armored vehicles based on the unified Armata platform (heavy, etc.) is currently being developed at an accelerated pace. To protect it on the battlefield, the BMPT-72 Terminator-2 tank support combat vehicle is being created, in which both the Russian Ministry of Defense and foreign experts are showing increasing interest.
How will this new generation of armored vehicles be protected from modern air defense systems? Absence integrated approach in solving these problems is unacceptable; in fact, it is a waste of effort and resources.
There is no proper assessment in the construction of modern PC air defense systems. Previously, only the state and existing problems with the active (fire) capacities of the PC air defense were considered. But they include means of automated control, airborne reconnaissance, communications, and data exchange, which should create a single, highly effective and interconnected system. The newest PC air defense should essentially be a mobile automated reconnaissance and fire group. However, the components included in its composition are developed, as a rule, independently, without proper comprehensive coordination, and they are delivered to the troops “scattered”, without preliminary docking. Often the funds created by industry end up unclaimed.
Most likely, this state of affairs is due to the lack of responsibility of officials for the final result. Wishes and suggestions about what and how to do were expressed more than once, but whoever listened, and most importantly, heard. It seems that we live by the proverb “The dog barks, but the caravan moves on.” It is unpleasant to feel like a barking dog, but it is even worse to remain a deaf caravan and its “leaders”.
The air defense troops of the ground forces are not cheap for the country, as is the entire air defense system of the PC. But the tasks that it solves are worth it, because we are talking about the most precious things - the lives of soldiers, the preservation of the combat effectiveness of units, units, and formations of the Ground Forces. In this regard, it is necessary to concentrate efforts as much as possible to find a way out of this situation. There is no time to catch up with the advanced armies of the world; we need to find ways to adequately outstrip them.
/Alexander Luzan, Lieutenant General, Doctor of Technical Sciences, vpk-news.ru/
ULTRA-SHORT RANGE ANTI-AIRMISSILE SYSTEM "LUCHNIK-E"
ANTI-AIRCRAFT MISSILE COMPLEX ULTRA-LOW RANGE “LUCHNIK-E”
19.07.2012
The State Corporation "Russian Technologies" and OJSC "NPK "KBM" (Kolomna) presented a new short-range air defense system "Luchnik-E" at the Mechanical Engineering Technologies 2012 forum in Zhukovsky.
It is considered as a modernization of the Strela-10M2/3 air defense system by replacing the standard 9M37M and 9M333 anti-aircraft missiles with self-developed Strelets launch modules, consisting of 4 9M39 or 9M342 anti-aircraft missiles from the Igla and Igla-S MANPADS, respectively. . The air defense system includes a 24-hour optical-electronic station with a thermal imaging camera (camera developer - LOMO, code "Mowgli-6").
It is positioned as a modern short-range air defense weapon with improved tactical and technical characteristics.
23.07.2012
The Luchnik-E ultra-short-range anti-aircraft missile system (SAM) and the modernized ZU-23/30M1-3 anti-aircraft missile system will be presented for the first time from May 3 to 6 at the 2nd International Exhibition of Arms and Military-Technical Equipment KADEX-2012 in Astana.
According to Interfax-Kazakhstan, the Luchnik-E complex is armed with 16 missiles from the Igla-S MANPADS and a modern 24-hour optical-electronic detection system capable of simultaneously tracking up to 4 air targets in the field of view. The modernized ZU-23/30M1-3 is armed with a missile module, which also uses two missiles from the Igla-S MANPADS.
29.03.2013
KBM OFFERS ITS NEW DEVELOPMENT TO THE COUNTRIES OF SOUTHEAST ASIA - THE ULTRA-SHORT-RANGE ADAM "LUCHNIK-E"
The Research and Production Corporation "Design Bureau of Mechanical Engineering" (Kolomna), part of the holding NPO "High-Precision Complexes", at the international exhibition of aerospace and naval equipment LIMA-2013 in Malaysia for the first time presents the ultra-short-range anti-aircraft missile system "Luchnik-E" "
“This is our new complex. It uses the developments of the Strelets kit for launching Igla-S missiles. In addition, an aiming system has been installed in order to form an autonomous air defense complex on a mobile carrier,” Igor Kashin, head of the department of import, export of special equipment and services of the Research and Production Company “Design Bureau of Mechanical Engineering”, told Interfax-AVN.
According to him, this complex ensures the defeat of modern tactical aircraft, helicopters, cruise missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles. “The complex is designed to directly cover objects and troops in mobile forms of combat and on the march from attacks by modern air attack weapons day and night in conditions of optical and thermal interference,” said I. Kashin.
He noted that the main advantages of this complex are high mobility and increased stealth due to the use of passive means of detection and destruction, the ability to operate both from external target designation and autonomously, high noise immunity, the possibility of salvo launch of missiles, large ammunition load - 8 missiles on the launcher and at least 8 in the ammunition stowage.
“Luchnik-E is capable of hitting air targets at a range of 500 - 6000 meters and altitudes of 10 - 3500 meters. The rocket's flight speed is 600 meters per second. Reaction time from 5 to 11.5 seconds.
I. Kashin noted that the Mechanical Engineering Design Bureau considers the Asia-Pacific region as one of its main markets. First of all, this is an air defense theme. In addition to the Luchnik-E complex, KBM is presenting at the exhibition in Malaysia the Igla-S missile, the Dzhigit support-launcher, the Srelets complex, and other new developments.
“During the exhibition, several military delegations from Southeast Asian countries visited our exposition. The countries of this region have always shown and are showing interest in our products, we expect that this interest will result in some concrete results,” said I. Kashin.
Interfax
14.08.2014
“CHRYSANTHEMA-S” AND “ARCHER-E” ARE EXHIBITED IN ZHUKOVSKY 
JSC NPK KBM is taking part in the Oboronexpo exhibition that opened today in Zhukovsky.
The emphasis of the exhibition is on large-sized themes. At the KBM stand, the self-propelled ultra-short-range anti-aircraft missile system “Luchnik-E”, the anti-tank missile system “Khrizantema-S”, and the missile of the operational-tactical missile system “Iskander-E” immediately attracted attention.
