Iranian Copies of Russian Rocket Systems Put Israelin Shame

Analyzing reasons of failure of the Israeli blitzkrieg in Lebanon the influential British newspaper "Daily Telegraph" writes that Syria and Iran delivered grouping "Hizbollah" anti-tank missiles which essentially weakened power of being once invincible Israeli armoured technique.

In particular it’s stated in the article: "After one of the most furious fights of this war the Israeli armies gripped a small town Gandurje, situated to the east from southern city Tir, on Sunday  evening, some hours prior to coming into force of the cease-fire achieved at intermediary of the United Nations. At least 24 Israeli soldiers were lost during the approach of the strategic height where the city situated while militants of "Hizbollah" were beaten out into the suburbs and deserted a lot of weapon. Its revealing helped to explain slow advance of the Israeli ground forces within almost five weeks of war which "Hizbollah" proclaimed "a historical victory".

... A lorry was found near one of two mosques of a small town, the lorry was filled with green pipes of about six foots in length. Using their serial numbers they were identified as anti-tank missiles "AT-5 Spandrel". Rockets with remote system of prompting were developed in Russia, but Iran started to make a copy in 2000. Behind a neutral strip in the east of village an evidence of the Syrian weapon deliveries was revealed. In a garden near to a crossroad which "Hizbollah" used as an advanced post eight anti-tank missiles "Cornet" named by the brigade general Miki Edelshtejn -  the commander of the armies that took Gandurje "one of the best in the world" laid.

Beneath the number of the contract on each pipe was written: "Addressee: Ministry of Defense of Syria. Supplier: KBP (Construction Bureau), Tula, Russia".

Edelshtejn declared: "If you will be told that Syria knew nothing about it, simply look. It is a proof. The proof, not simple talks".

Finding-out of the origin of the weapon proved to Israelites that their enemy is not dressed in old-clothes, poorly armed irregulars but semi-professional army equipped by Iran and Syria to fire Israel. To maintain this weapon serious preparation is needed, that can be beyond opportunities of some armies in the Near East which are considered to be regular.

Russia informed about "Cornet" in 1994. This rocket with laser prompting and radius of action three miles carries double warhead, capable to punch the active - jet reservation of Israeli tank "Merkava". Russia began to deliver them to Syria in 1998.

The Israeli armies were caught napping by the refinement of the anti-tank weapon which they faced. They consider that it’s guilty in the majority of 116 cases of deaths of military men. Tens of tanks were knocked out, unknown quantity were destroyed. Rockets were applied and against infantry, once having destroyed the house where nine soldiers died. Rockets played an important role in tactics of "Hizbollah" that used concealed positions formaking the ambushes on moving forward Israelites".

Making comments for "FORUM.msk" the publication in "Daily Telegraph" our expert Ruslan Saidov said: "It is not clear for me why Israelites so diligently pretend that application by fighters of grouping "Hizbollah" of Iranian analogues PTRK "Konkurs" as well as PTRK "Cornet" delivered in due time by Syrians ostensibly was unexpected by them. In fact they were for a long time aware of it.

I think, Israel, on the contrary, should thank those who before war managed to convince Syria not to not deliver to Lebanon informally available Ukrainian PZRK such as the "Igla" received on "the grey scheme" only two years ago through Bulgaria and who also convinced Iran to minimize deliveries to Lebanon of anti-ship cruise missiles copied in due time from the Soviet samples.

If not these restrictive measures, not only armoured equipment) of Israelites but also their Air Forces and Naval Forces would suffer the heaviest losses. That is it would be a real catastrophe for Israel which, generally, wasn’t desirable not only in Washington but also in the Kremlin. Besides, it wasn’t desirable in Ankara, that by virtue of a number of reasons in this case was not less important. Easier speaking, the USA, Russia and Turkey having made private pressure upon Iran and Syria rescued Israel from a full discomfiture"

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Information from "FORUM.msk":

1. Self-pedestrian anti-tank complex 9К113 "Konkurs" (the initial name "Goboj") is intended for defeat of modern armored targets on the distance up to 4km. It makes a basis of anti-tank means of regiment level and is applied in combination with portable complexes of battalion anti-tank divisions. The complex is adapted for landing on paraborne platforms. At overcoming by carriers of water barrier shooting afloat is provided. The complex "Konkurs" was developed in Constructive Bureau in Tula. Constructive decisions which were laid as a base for the creation of the complex basically corresponded to the ones worked out in complex "Fagot" at essentially big weight-dimensional characteristics of a rocket caused by the necessity of maintenance of the greater range of start-up. The complex "Konkurs" was added to the arsenal in January, 1974. Further “Konkurs-M” was developed on its basis. In the West the complex received a designation "AT-5 Spandrel". The complex consists of the fighting machine 9П148 (on chassis BDRM-2) with the lifted launcher placed on it for five rockets 9М113 in travelling-starting containers. After start-up the container shoots. The weight of a rocket with a unit of fire consisting of 20 rockets and counting on two people is 7 tons. The complex passes from travelling position into the fighting one in 25 seconds. Reloading is made during one and a half minutes without an exit of calculation from the fighting machine, rate of fire at application on maximum range reaches 2-3 shots in one minute. The fighting machine is completed with a remote launcher such as 9П135, similar to the one accepted for a complex "Fagot". All means of the complex "Konkurs" provide application of also rockets 9М111 of the complex "Fagot". The unit of fire of the machine 9П148 makes by 15 rockets 9М113 "Konkurs" or 10 rockets 9М113 and 10 rockets 9М111. Other combinations of these rockets are also allowed. Loading of the machine with a full unit of fire of rockets 9М113 proceeds 15 minutes. Control system of the rocket - is semi-automatic, with the transfer of commands on the wire communication line. The operator directs crossing of a sight on the target and keeps it in such position during the flight of a rocket. Tracking of rocket due to the light source established on it, working-out of the control commands and their transfer to the rocket is fulfilled by the ground equipment automatically. The involvement of a reserve regime of the manual prompting used in conditions of application by the enemy of optical handicapes and failure of automatic support of a rocket on an onboard light source is provided also. Such rockets as "Konkurs" were used in structure of armament of fighting machines of infantry BMP-1P and BMP-2, at that the unit of fire was made of four rockets. Easier ones such as BMD-2 and BMD-3 were provided with mixed complete set of one "Konkurs" and two "Fagot".

2. The travelling - portable anti-tank rocket complex of a second class "Cornet" is intended for the defeat of a modern and perspective armored equipment equipped with dynamic protection, fortification constructions, alive force of the opponent, the low-speed air, above-water targets at any time, in complex synoptic conditions, at the presence of passive and active optical handicapes. Complex "Cornet" was developed in Constructive Bureau in Tula. For the first time the export variant of a complex "Cornet - E" was represented in 1994 at the exhibition in Nizhni Novgorod. Complex can be placed on any carriers including ones with automatic setting of the units of fire, due to the small weight of a remote launcher, it is possible to use it independently in a portable variant. In the West the complex received a designation "AT-14". Into the structure of the complex enter: a launcher with a sight - the device of prompting, drives of prompting and the mechanism of start-up of rockets; thermal imaging sight; guided missiles placed in travelling-starting containers. The complex "Cornet" realizes a principle of direct attack of rockets in a face-to-face projection of the target with a semi-automatic control system and prompting of rockets on a laser beam. Functions of the operator at fighting work are: revealing of targets through optical or thermal imaging sight, getting it for accompanying, making of a shot and deducting of crossing of a sight on the target till its destruction. Rocket’s placing after a start on a line of vising (an axis of a laser beam) and further keeping it on this line occurs automatically. Wings of the rocket are made of thin sheets of steel and are openning after the start under action of own forces of elasticity. Wings are settled down in a plane of aerodynamic rudders. Rudders are opened from niches forward on flight of a rocket. Powerful tandem cumulative fighting part of PTUR of the complex is capable of striking all modern and perspective tanks of the opponent including ones equipped with dynamic protection. The remote launcher placed on a tripod and having the weight of 26 kg includes sighting device executed in one block with a laser radiator of the channel of prompting. The launcher can be equipped with thermal imaging sight 1PN-79 "Metis - 2" with weight of 11 kg which provides revealing of targets on the distance up to 4 km and start-up on range up to 2.5 km. The launcher provides the greatest flexibility of application - it can be transported on various automobiles, on armored troop-carrier, if necessary - to be transferred by fighting gunner. Besides the given variant the fighting machine on chassis BMP-3 has been created. Telescopic directed launcher includes two directing for suspension bracket TPK with rockets, from above the blocks with the equipment of prompting are placed. The unit of fire of the machine includes 16 rockets in TPK, 12 of them are placed in the automatic device of loading. The wheel fighting machine on the chassis ARMORED TROOP-CARRIER - 80 with a unit of fire of - 12 rockets in TPK is worked out, 8 pieces of them are in the automatic device of loading. The complex is multi-target, that is its characteristics do not depend on a kind of signatures of the targets in an optical and infra-red range of electromagnetic waves. Equipment of guided missiles by a fighting part - thermobaric or demolition action allows to strike a great number of minor targets - engineering constructions, bunkers, machine-gun jacks, etc. Such opportunities in a complex "ATGW-3/LR" developed on the West are absent by virtue of use of passive homing with capture of target of a rocket at the moment of start due to the low thermal signature of the minor targets. The cost of rockets of the complex "Cornet" is 3-4 times lower than the cost of rockets of the complex "ATGW-3/LR", at one and the same fighting efficiency and the identical means spent the complex "Cornet" can strike 3-4 times more targets. In “Cornet” complex practically full noise immunity from active and passive (as fighting smokes) optical handicapes is realized. High security from active optical handicapes of the opponent is realized due to the photoreception device of the rocket is inverted aside a shooting complex. At the presence of fighting smokes the operator practically al the time observes the aim in the thermal imaging sight and a principle "see - shoot" is provided with a high energy potential of the laser-beam channel of the control. The complex is adapted to automatic loading and enables simultaneous start of two rockets on the target. A unit of fire consists of - 16 rockets. On the basis of the complex "Cornet" Constructive Bureau developed universal tower installation - "Kliver" which can be established on armored troop-carriers BTP-80 and and BMP-1, boats and patrol ships. The tower has four launchers PTUR "Korvet", 30-mm automatic gun 2A72 (range of shooting is 4000m, rate of fire is 350-400 shots in a minute). The total weight of the tower is - about 1500kg including ammunition and rockets. Control system includes a ballistic computer, devices of night vision, a laser range finder and a system of stabilization. Working through and testing of the complex "Cornet" at shooting from prepared and unprepared positions (including slightly sandy ground, saline soils, sea coast, above water surgace) have been finished completely. Rockets of the complex do not demand maintenance service at the processes of use and storage within 10 years.