AT-8 Songster
Encyclopedia
The 9K112 Kobra SACLOS
is a radio-command guided anti-tank missile system of the Soviet Union
. It is fired from the 125 mm main guns of the T-64
and T-80
series of tanks. It is known in the west under its NATO reporting name
, AT-8 Songster.
The first generation of Soviet missile tanks started in 1956 when V.A. Malyshev was ordered by Nikita Khrushchev
to instill a "new thinking" into the weapons design bureaus. Part of this "new thinking" was the development of missile tanks including the IT-1
firing the Drakon
missile and the Taifun
armed Obiekt 297. However these early tank designs were failures. A purely missile armed tank had a 300 meter deadzone around it, where it could not engage targets - also the size of the early missiles limited the number carried. Hybrid designs compromised both main gun firepower and missile carrying capacity.
These limitations led to the development of a hybrid system, where the missile was fired through the barrel of the tanks main cannon. The first generation of this concept was the Obiekt 775 tank, armed with a 125 mm smoothbore gun that could fire high explosive unguided rockets, or a radio command guided projectile. The guided projectile was called Rubin (Ruby) and the unguided projectile called Bur (Drill). The tank could carry 24 Rubin missiles and 48 Bur rockets. The project was a failure, as the Rubins shaped charge warhead was not effective enough, and there were concerns that the missiles command link could be jammed.
Development continued during the 1960s but it was not until the 1970s that serious attention was paid to the concept again. This was probably because of three factors:
The development of a second generation of Soviet tube fired guided projectiles began in the 1970s. The Kobra missile system was in competition with the IR guided Gyurza system. The IR guidance system of the Gyurza missile proved troublesome and the Kobra was put into production. The 9K112 was first mounted on a new version of the T-64 in 1980. The later T-80B was also armed with the system. The Gyurza system continued to be developed, dropping the IR guidance system in favour of radio command guidance - it was then developed in to the Shturm or AT-6 Spiral.
The two separate sections are stored in the autoloader of the tank in the same way as conventional 125 mm rounds. As the round is hoisted into the gun the two halves are mated together.
The missile can be fired in any of three modes:
The missile has a muzzle velocity of 125 m/s, this increases to 800 m/s at peak, but averages at 350 to 400 meters a second. The flight time to 4000 meters is 9 to 10 seconds. The missile has a single 4.5 kg HEAT
warhead, that can penetrate 600 mm of RHA.
SACLOS
SACLOS is an acronym for Semi-Automatic Command to Line of Sight, a second-generation method of missile guidance. In SACLOS, the operator has to continually point a sighting device at the target while the missile is in flight...
is a radio-command guided anti-tank missile system of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. It is fired from the 125 mm main guns of the T-64
T-64
The T-64 is a Soviet main battle tank, introduced in the early 1960s. It was used solely by the Soviet Army in its front-line divisions and was a more advanced counterpart to the T-62...
and T-80
T-80
The T-80 is a main battle tank designed and manufactured in the former Soviet Union. A development of the T-64, it entered service in 1976 and was the first production tank to be equipped with a gas turbine engine for main propulsion.the Swedish Stridsvagn 103 of 1971 used a gas turbine alongside...
series of tanks. It is known in the west under its NATO reporting name
NATO reporting name
NATO reporting names are classified code names for military equipment of the Eastern Bloc...
, AT-8 Songster.
Development
Nikita Khrushchev
Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev led the Soviet Union during part of the Cold War. He served as First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964, and as Chairman of the Council of Ministers, or Premier, from 1958 to 1964...
to instill a "new thinking" into the weapons design bureaus. Part of this "new thinking" was the development of missile tanks including the IT-1
IT-1
The IT-1 was a Soviet cold war missile tank based around the hull of the T-62. The tank fired specially designed 3M7 Drakon missiles from a pop-up launcher. It saw a very limited service between 1968 and 1970. The large deadzone around the tank created by the missiles' minimum range combined with...
firing the Drakon
DRAKON
DRAKON is an algorithmic visual programming language developed for the Buran space project. Its development, started in 1986, was directed by Vladimir Parondzhanov...
missile and the Taifun
Taifun
Taifun 9M15 was a Soviet missile developed to arm the Obiekt 287 missile tank based on the T-64 tank chassis. The tank was armed with two 73 mm 2A28 low pressure guns mounted either side of a popup missile launcher...
armed Obiekt 297. However these early tank designs were failures. A purely missile armed tank had a 300 meter deadzone around it, where it could not engage targets - also the size of the early missiles limited the number carried. Hybrid designs compromised both main gun firepower and missile carrying capacity.
These limitations led to the development of a hybrid system, where the missile was fired through the barrel of the tanks main cannon. The first generation of this concept was the Obiekt 775 tank, armed with a 125 mm smoothbore gun that could fire high explosive unguided rockets, or a radio command guided projectile. The guided projectile was called Rubin (Ruby) and the unguided projectile called Bur (Drill). The tank could carry 24 Rubin missiles and 48 Bur rockets. The project was a failure, as the Rubins shaped charge warhead was not effective enough, and there were concerns that the missiles command link could be jammed.
Development continued during the 1960s but it was not until the 1970s that serious attention was paid to the concept again. This was probably because of three factors:
- The United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
development of a 152 mm gun missile system for the M551 SheridanM551 SheridanThe M551 Sheridan was a light tank developed by the United States and named after Civil War General Philip Sheridan. It was designed to be landed by parachute and to swim across rivers. It was armed with the technically advanced but troublesome M81/M81E1 152mm gun/launcher which fired conventional...
and M60M60 PattonThe 105 mm Gun Full Tracked Combat Tank, M60, also known unofficially as the M60 Patton, is a first-generation main battle tank introduced in December 1960. It was widely used by the U.S. and its Cold War allies, especially those in NATO, and remains in service throughout the world today...
A2 tank. - The development NATO anti-tank missiles such as TOWTOWTOW may refer to:* BGM-71 TOW, U.S. anti-tank missile* Maximum Takeoff Weight of an aircraft* Tug of war, a sport* Things on Wheels, video game...
and Euromissile HOTEuromissile HOTThe HOT is a second-generation long-range anti-tank missile system developed originally as an effort to meet a joint German-French Army requirement, by the then German firm Bolkow and the French firm Nord, to replace the older SS.11 wire guided...
systems, which had better accuracy at long range than contemporary tank guns. - The increased threat of helicopterHelicopterA helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
s such as the AH-1 CobraAH-1 CobraThe Bell AH-1 Cobra is a two-bladed, single engine attack helicopter manufactured by Bell Helicopter. It shares a common engine, transmission and rotor system with the older UH-1 Iroquois...
. Missiles could offer a degree of protection against treetop-hovering helicopters.
The development of a second generation of Soviet tube fired guided projectiles began in the 1970s. The Kobra missile system was in competition with the IR guided Gyurza system. The IR guidance system of the Gyurza missile proved troublesome and the Kobra was put into production. The 9K112 was first mounted on a new version of the T-64 in 1980. The later T-80B was also armed with the system. The Gyurza system continued to be developed, dropping the IR guidance system in favour of radio command guidance - it was then developed in to the Shturm or AT-6 Spiral.
Description
The 9M112 Kobra missile consists of two sections:- 9M43 head section - containing the 9M129 shaped charge warhead and the 9D129 sustainer motor.
- 9B447 tail section - containing a battery, the flight controls, a light source for the guidance system on the tank to track and a small antenna to receive commands from the tank.
The two separate sections are stored in the autoloader of the tank in the same way as conventional 125 mm rounds. As the round is hoisted into the gun the two halves are mated together.
The missile can be fired in any of three modes:
- Primary mode - the gun is elevated 3 degrees above the line of sight to reduce the amount of dust generated by the missile launch. This is critical since the tank has to see both the target and the light source on the rear of the missile, in order to be able to guide the missile to the target. The missile system uses SACLOSSACLOSSACLOS is an acronym for Semi-Automatic Command to Line of Sight, a second-generation method of missile guidance. In SACLOS, the operator has to continually point a sighting device at the target while the missile is in flight...
guidance, all the gunner has to do is keep the crosshairs centered on the target and the 1A33 fire control system generates course corrections which are broadcast to the missile. Accuracy at 4000 m is estimated to be about 80 % in this mode. - Ballistic mode - the gun is elevated 3 degrees above the line of sight. The missile then flies 3 to 5 meters above the gunners line of sight, dropping down to the line of sight just before reaching the target. This further reduces the amount of dust kicked up by the flight of the missile, reducing the chance of the guidance system losing the missile.
- Emergency mode - This mode is only for use if a target suddenly appears within 1000 m and the missile is already loaded. The gun is at only 40 minutes of arc above line of sight to the target, and the command link is activated early. The hit probability is lower in this mode.
The missile has a muzzle velocity of 125 m/s, this increases to 800 m/s at peak, but averages at 350 to 400 meters a second. The flight time to 4000 meters is 9 to 10 seconds. The missile has a single 4.5 kg HEAT
Heat
In physics and thermodynamics, heat is energy transferred from one body, region, or thermodynamic system to another due to thermal contact or thermal radiation when the systems are at different temperatures. It is often described as one of the fundamental processes of energy transfer between...
warhead, that can penetrate 600 mm of RHA.