Description
A standard Buk battalion consists of a command vehicle, target acquisition radar (TAR), six transporter erector launcher and radar (TELAR) and three transporter erector launcher reloads. A Buk missile battery consists of two TELAR and one TEL vehicle. The battery requires 5 minutes to set up before it is ready for engagement and can be ready for transit again in 5 minutes. The reaction time of the battery from target tracking to missile launch is around 22 seconds.
The Buk-M1-2 TELAR uses the GM-569 chassis designed and produced by JSC Metrowagonmash (former MMZ) onto which is mounted a turret containing the fire control radar of the TELAR at the front and a launcher with four ready to fire missiles on top. Each TELAR is operated by a crew of 3 and is equipped with NBC protection. The radar fitted to each TELAR is referred to as the 'Fire Dome' by NATO, it is a monopulse type radar and can begin tracking at the missile's maximum range (32 km/20 mi) and can track aircraft flying at between 15,000 and 22,000 m (50,000 to 72,000 ft) altitudes. It can guide up to three missiles against a single target. The 9K37 system supposedly has much better ECCM characteristics (i.e. is more resistant to ECM/jamming) than the 3M9 Kub system that it replaces. An optical tracking system with laser rangefinder can be fitted for passive tracking of the target. The 9K37 system can also utilise the same 1S91 Straight Flush 25 kW G/H band continuous wave radar as the 3M9 "Kub" system.
The 9K37 utilises the 9S18 "Tube Arm" or 9S18M1 (which carries the NATO reporting name "Snow Drift") (Russian: СОЦ 9C18 "Купол"; English: dome) target acquisition radar in combination with the 9S35 or 9S35M1 "Fire Dome" H/I band tracking and engagement radar which is mounted on each TELAR. The Snow Drift target acquisition radar has a maximum detection range of 85 km (53 mi) and can detect an aircraft flying at 100 m (330 ft) from 35 km (22 mi) away and even lower flying targets at ranges of around 10–20 km (6-12 mi). Snow Drift is mounted on a chassis similar to that of the TELAR, as is the command vehicle. The control post which coordinates communications between the surveillance radar(s) and the launchers is able to communicate with up to six TELs at once.
The TEL reload vehicle for the Buk battery resembles the TELAR but instead of a radar they have a crane for loading missiles. They are capable of launching missiles directly but require the cooperation of a Fire Dome-equipped TELAR for missile guidance. A reload vehicle can transfer its missiles to a TELAR in around 13 minutes and can reload itself from stores in around 15 minutes.
All vehicles of Buk-M1 (Buk-M1-2) missile system uses an Argon-15A computer as Zaslon radar does (the first airborne digital computer designed in 1972 by the Soviet Research Institute of Computer Engineering (NICEVT, currently NII Argon) and produced at "Kishinev plant of 50 Years of USSR". The vehicles of Buk-M2 (Buk-M2E) missile system uses a slightly upgraded version of Argon-A15K. This processors also used in such military systems as anti-submarine defense Korshun and Sova, airborne radars for MiG-31 and MiG-33, mobile tactical missile systems Tochka, Oka and Volga. Currently, Argons are upgraded into Baget series of processors by NIIP.
Read more about this topic: Buk Missile System
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