The Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) have tested the Kornet newest antitank missile system that is able to destroy ground and air targets, including helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles.
Photo: Vitaly V. Kuzmin
The Russian Defense Ministry has finished the latest phase of testing the Kornet newest antitank missile system that is able to equally effectively destroy ground and air targets, including helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles, which are difficult to detect and defeat, the Izvestiya newspaper reported on Friday. The new system, developed by the Tula Instrument Design Bureau (KBP), should protect the S-400 Triumf anti-aircraft weapon system from hitting by enemy’s saboteurs, armored vehicles and drones.
“The latest phase of the testing was finished successful. The Tula’s complex has coped with all tasks,” a representative of the Defense Ministry, familiar with the situation, explained. “We can say that now the product is in a high degree of readiness. Therefore, we plan to complete all remaining work in the near future.”
The Kornet-EM movable antitank missile system, mounted on the Tigr armored vehicle’s chassis, has been for the first time publicly presented during the Victory Parade on May 9, 2015. The difference between the latest model and ordinary armored vehicles can be seen only when two launchers with eight missiles, hidden in protective containers, rise from the vehicle’s body.
“The principle of the Kornet’s operating process is quite simple. The complex’s launcher directs a laser beam at the target. The missile’s target seeking device ‘sees’ this beam and hit the target, following the laser beam,” an editor of the Militaryrussia information website, Dmitry Kornev, told Izvestiya. “The missile launcher is equipped not only with an infrared thermal imaging camera, but also with an automatic target tracking system, which independently keeps the target in the laser beam until it will be destroyed.”
According to the expert, due to a very high speed and precision of the laser illumination system, as well as to a possibility of the 9M133 standard missile of the Kornet complex to reach a speed of 320 meters per second, the newest antitank missile system is able to destroy not only a tank, but also high-speed combat helicopters and drones, characterized by high maneuverability.
Export versions of Russian antitank missile systems of the previous generation have already taken part in the hostilities. In particular, the Al-Masirah Yemeni TV channel published several videos of the Yemeni Armed Forces’ attacks on the Saudi military positions, during which missiles of the antitank complex destroyed several military vehicles, including one of the most protected tanks in the world, the M1A2 Abrams.
Today, Russian weapons and military hardware are becoming more popular, especially in Arab countries, Africa and Asia, where there are armed conflicts. The reason for this growing popularity is testing of the military equipment in actual fighting in Syria, where it has already established itself with the best hand.
The best weapon against Vbied!
Apparently it could be used against small drones too.
Kind of interesting but the ideal system to be used isn’t an anti-tank weapon but KBP’s Pantsir-S1/S2 air defense systems as they can hit far and high compared to the Kornet-DM. A lot of drones and other planes will be striking at ranges of 25,000ft or more and Pantsir will be easily able to deal with that, while these Kornets will barely be able to suffice. Missile 57E6 travels double to quadrupal or more of those speeds of Kornet.
Cheaper than Pantsir, mainly used against light to medium armor, ocaasionally against heavy armor, more mobile (do not require Truck for transportation) better tactical use, and just in case can be used secondarily against helicopters with less trained pilots or low and slow flying drones. What more can anyone expect from a cheap light anti-tank weapon?
It is a defensive system for more important asset’s such as S 300/400 iskander, pantsir, bastion ect. It is on a fairly lightweight fast moving platform which can be used in close. A handful of these systems could provide a fairly capable outer cordon to protect the high value system. Ground missiles make sense because the other systems are extremely limited in what they can do to ground targets ex. being able to protect yourself from a MBT. By also using the missle for air targets it allows for conservation of more valuable assets. Using a S300 on a slow moving drone taking surveillance is a waste when one of these could handle it. Plus logistically it is a hell of a lot easier to move and supply these little trucks.
The Lebanese used an older variant of this Kornet to great effect a year and a half ago against armored Israeli military cars in retaliation for Israel murdering another round of Lebanese citizens two previous weeks earlier. That is proof that the older model is already very effective. So this newer model I am sure is top notch in its class in the world. Excellent work Russians.