Mennonite
Central
Committee

Chapter 2: Cluster Munitions in the Russian Arsenal

Clusters of Death
Copyright © 2000, Mennonite Central Committee

• Chapter 2: Cluster Munitions in the Russian Arsenal

  • Aircraft Delivered Cluster Munitions
    • Tactical Munitions Dispensers
  • Artillery/MLRS Delivered Cluster Munitions
    • Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS)
    • MLRS Submunitions
  • Ballistic and Cruise Missile Delivered Systems
    • Ballistic Missiles
    • Cruise Missiles
  • Stockpiles
  • Notes for Chapter 2

 

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On October 23, 1999, Yusup Magomedov begged his mother to go outside to play soccer in the Chechen village of Novi Sharoi following days of confinement as a result of the war. When an unexploded Russian cluster bomblet fired the day before detonated and shredded his legs a few minutes after Yusup left his house, his soccer playing came to an abrupt end. Seven children died in the explosion, and at least 15 were injured. A week later, while Russian bombs rained down as Yusup and his mother cowered in a cellar, doctors sharing their hiding place amputated his gangrenous legs above the knees with a kitchen knife.⁽¹⁾

U.S. cluster bombs and their lasting legacy of unexploded ordnance have received the greatest amount of attention in the media and among advocates calling for restrictions or bans on their use. Considerable research needs to be done on the combat impact and the unexploded remnants of cluster munitions systems manufactured, used, and exported by Russia. Unlike with respect to US submunitions, little attention has been paid to the problem of unexploded ordnance following conflicts involving Russian munitions. What follows is an effort to document the types of cluster munitions in the Russian arsenal. A companion article addresses use by Russian forces of cluster munitions in Chechnya.

Aircraft Delivered Cluster Munitions

The Russian Federation maintains a large number of aircraft delivered cluster munitions. The basic components are aircraft, munitions dispensers, and the submunitions. Most dispensers can carry a large variety of submunitions or bomblets, and in turn can be carried by a variety of aircraft. For example, the mother of all Russian tactical munitions dispensers, the RBK-500, comes in a variety of sizes, can carry at least eight different submunitions and can be dropped by a myriad of fighters, bombers, and helicopters.

Tactical Munitions Dispensers

RAB-120: The RAB-120 carries fragmentation bomblets.⁽²⁾

RBK-100: The RBK-100 carries PLAB-10K depth charge submunitions and can be carried by the Su-27IB/Su-34FN.⁽³⁾

RBK-250 Dispensers⁽⁴⁾: The RBK-250-275 AO-1SCh weighs 275 kg, is 325 x 2,119mm, and carries 150 AO-1SCh bomblets, with a footprint of 4,800m². It may also carry 60 AO-2.5RT anti-personnel bomblets or 30 anti-tank PTAB 2.5 bomblets.⁽⁵⁾ The RBK-250AD-1 is also capable of carrying chemical bomblets.⁽⁶⁾

RBK-500 Dispensers: The RBK-500 is marketed by Aviaexport.⁽⁷⁾ The RBK-500 AO-25.RT carries 108 AO-2.5RTM anti-personnel/anti-material (APAM) sub-munitions. That model measures 500 x 2,500mm, weighs 504kg, and has a footprint of 6,400m².⁽⁸⁾ The RBK-500 ShOAB-0.5 measure 450 x 1,500mm, weighs 334kg, carries 565 bomblets, and leaves a footprint of 300 x 400m.⁽⁹⁾ The RBK-500 also carries 268 PTAB-1M hollow-charge bomblets capable of penetrating 240mm of armor, 15 SPBE-D smart submunitions (in the RBK-500U),⁽¹⁰⁾ or 12 BETAB runway cratering bomblets.⁽¹¹⁾ The RBK-500 reportedly also carries fragmentation bomblets (RAP-2.5, -3,5, -16) and ZAB-2.5 incendiary bomblets.⁽¹²⁾ In 1988, the RBK-500 were said to also have the capacity to carry chemical and biological munitions.⁽¹³⁾

Aircraft which carry the RBK-250 and/or RBK-500 include the Su-39 (a newer variant of the Su-25 "Frogfoot")⁽¹⁴⁾ and the Su-34 (a newer variant of the Su-27 "Flanker").⁽¹⁵⁾ The Mig-29 "Fulcrum,"⁽¹⁶⁾ Su-24, Su-25 "Frogfoot," Su-27 "Flanker"carry cluster bombs.⁽¹⁷⁾ The strategic bombers Tu-22M3 and Tu-95MS also carry cluster bombs.⁽¹⁸⁾

According to one source, the Tu-22M3 can carry 17 RBK-500 dispensers or 33 RBK-250s.⁽¹⁹⁾ If loaded with RBK-250s, each carrying 150 AO-1SCh bomblets, the bomber could drop 4950 bomblets in one run. If loaded with RBK-500s, each carrying 565 ShOAB-0.5 bomblets, the bomber could drop 9,505 bomblets in a each run. Assuming a footprint of 300 x 400m for each RBK-500, such a bomb drop could have a footprint of 2,040,000m², or 204 hectares.

KMG-U⁽²⁰⁾: Some analysts have suggested that the KMG-U is released from an aircraft,⁽²¹⁾ but evidence indicating that the KMG-U can disperse bomblets to the left, right or center, suggests that the dispenser is a non-releasable, reusable container.⁽²²⁾

The KMG-U dispenser can disperse mines or submunitions. It is a clam-shell type dispenser with three prime variants which differ in direction of dispersal of bomblets - left, right, or vertically downwards. The bombs can dispense 248 PTAB-1M bomblets, 96 PTAB 2.5 bomblets, 96 AO-2.5 bomblets, 8 ODS-OD bomblets.⁽²³⁾

The KMG-U dispenser is 3.7 m long, 460mm wide and 545mm in height, and has four compartments in the center section. Upon reaching the target, it is believed that the clamshell doors are opened pneumatically and that high-pressure air inflates bags which eject the submunitions.⁽²⁴⁾

When configured as a AO-2.5RT BLU dispenser, the weapon weighs 525kg. In this configuration, it is designed to be operated at altitudes of between 30 and 1,000m at speeds of up to 1,100km/hr. When dispensing PTAB-2.5 bomblets, the dispenser weighs 470kg, and is designed to be used at the same altitudes as for the AO-2.5RTs, up to speeds of 1,500km/hr. When dispensing PTAB-1M bomblets, the total weight is also 470kg, with designed altitude use being between 6-1000m, at speeds of up to 1,500 km/hr. ⁽²⁵⁾

The new Ka-50 "Black Shark," Ka-52 "Alligator," and Mi-28N attack helicopters can carry two to four KMG-U-2 containers.⁽²⁶⁾ The Mi-35M "Hind-E" attack helicopter can also be equipped with KMG-U pods.⁽²⁷⁾ Among aircraft, the Sukhoi Su-35 (also known as the Su-27M) can carry the KMG-U,⁽²⁸⁾ as can the Su-34/Su-37,⁽²⁹⁾ the Su-29,⁽³⁰⁾ the Su-24M "Fencer,"⁽³¹⁾ the Su-17 "Fitter," the Su-25 "Frogfoot," the Su-27 "Flanker,"⁽³²⁾ the Su-39 (an upgrade of the Su-25 Frogfoot),⁽³³⁾ the MiG-21 "Fishbed," the MiG-27 "Flogger," and the MiG-29 "Fulcrum."⁽³⁴⁾

DPT-150: The DPT-150 reportedly carries 54 PTAB-1.5s, 44 RAP-2.5s, or 34 RAP-3.5s.⁽³⁵⁾

Other Dispensers: The AK-2 carries 240 1kg chemical bomblets (mustard and Lewisite) and the RRAB carries incendiary bomblets.⁽³⁶⁾

Submunitions

AO-1SCh Bomblet⁽³⁷⁾

The AO-1SCh bomblet weighs 1.2 kg and is 49 x 156mm.⁽³⁸⁾

AO-2.5RTM Anti-Personnel Submunition<

The AO-2.5RTM fills the same niche as the US Rockeye cluster bomblet, being an anti-personnel/anti-material submunition.⁽³⁹⁾ The AO-2.5RT weighs 2.5kg, measures 90 x 150mm, and is as "effective" as a single 81mm mortar.⁽⁴⁰⁾ The bomblet is prefragmented and has a destructive area of a single bomblet is 210m².⁽⁴¹⁾

They are unusual in appearance. They are rounded at both ends and have an arrangement of six semicircular discs flattened around the centre of the body, on what appears to be a strap type arrangement. These discs are believed to flip out after the bomblet is dropped to induce a stabilising spin during free-fall. . . . On reaching the ground the bomblets are activated by their own mechanical fuze system.⁽⁴²⁾

PTAB-2.5 Anti-Tank Bomblet⁽⁴³⁾

The PTAB 2.5 bomblet measures 68 x 362mm and weighs 2.8kg with a .45kg warhead). In the same family of submunitions are the PTAB-1.5, -2, -5, -5/1.⁽⁴⁴⁾ The PTAB-2.5 updated for use with the KMG-U dispenser is about .40 m long, has a diameter of 90mm, and weighs 2.5kg, has a shaped charge and a pre-fragmented case. Instead of the four fin tail arrangement of earlier versions, this newer version has five fins, each fin having a t-shape cross section. The fins form an umbrella to spin and stabilize the bomblet in free-fall.⁽⁴⁵⁾ They look somewhat like US made BLU-97s.

PTAB-1M HEAT Submunition

The PTAB-1M is a hollow-charge bomblet capable of penetrating up to 240mm of armor. 268 such submunitions can be delivered by the RBK-500 dispenser,⁽⁴⁶⁾ and 248 by the KMG-U dispenser.⁽⁴⁷⁾ They are .26m long, are 42mm in diameter, and weigh .94kg, reportedly have a self-destruct mechanism of 20-40 seconds, and have "unusual folding stabilising fins" which extend once released from the bomb dispenser.⁽⁴⁸⁾

RAP-2.5, -3.5, -16 Fragmentation Bomblets

The RAP bomblets are carried by the RBK-500.⁽⁴⁹⁾

ShOAB-0.5 Bomblet

The RBK-500 carries 565 ShOAB-0.5 bomblets.⁽⁵⁰⁾

SPBE-D Submunition

The SPBE-D are the Russian equivalent to the US Sensor Fuzed Weapon (SFW), and as such are autonomously guided anti-tank submunitions. Incorporated into the RBK-500 munitions dispenser, each SPBE-D submunitions has a weight of 14.5kg, measuring 284 x 255 x 186mm, and incorporate explosively formed penetrator (EFP) warheads triggered by dual-IR sensors. The SPBE-D sensor has a look-angle of 30 degree and scans the target area at a rotational speed of 6-8rps, its 15-17m/s descent rate being governed by a parachute retarder.⁽⁵¹⁾

Each munition has its own parachute, and a pair of paddle-like fins that cause it to spin during its descent. In still air, the weapon will tend to search a narrowing spiral as it approaches the ground. They are also larger than the SFW submunition, so that the RBK-500 carries 15 warheads compared with the 40 on the SFW. Bazalt claims that each bomb can kill up to six tanks.⁽⁵²⁾

The munitions are designed to be delivered from heights between 400m and 5,000m, at speeds from 500km/h to 1,200km/h.⁽⁵³⁾

ZAB-2.5 Incendiary Bomblets

Carried by the RBK-500, the ZAB-2.5 measures 91 x 135mm, weighs 2.7kg with a 1.72kg warhead.⁽⁵⁴⁾

Chemical Flechette Submunitions

In October 1999, it was reported that Pentagon officials working under the auspices of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons found Russian stockpiles of high-tech poison gas weapons, including a 'flechette' cluster bomb containing chemical-coated metal shards designed to pierce protective gear.⁽⁵⁵⁾

Artillery/MLRS Delivered Cluster Munitions

Russia was the first to develop and field MLRS, starting with the "Kitiusha" near Orsha on July 14, 1941.⁽⁵⁶⁾

Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS)

(See note on this section⁽⁵⁷⁾)

The basic concept behind Multiple Launch Rocket System is to shower an area with thousands of submunitions in less than a minute. Each mobile rocket launcher has between 12 and 40 rockets which can be launched simultaneously. Each rocket, in turn can carry a variety of warheads, from a warhead carrying a single high explosive fragmentation bomb, or up to 72 anti-personnel cluster submunitions. The results fit the names given to the systems by Russian weapons designers: tornado, hail, and hurricane. In addition to the immediate effects of such a barrage, many submunitions fail to explode on contact, leaving behind "duds" which lay in wait for the unfortunate soldier, civilian, or farm animal to discover, creating further storms long after the clouds of war have passed.

Smerch ("Tornado") MRLS (9K58)

The 12-round 300 mm Smerch (Tornado) MRLS had an initial maximum range was 70 km and minimum range 20 km.⁽⁵⁸⁾ In September 1999, the Russian military claimed the Smerch MLRS now has a range of 94km, and reportedly will be increased to 120km.⁽⁵⁹⁾

The 9K58 Smerch MRLS 300mm, 12 barreled system, was first identified by US intelligence in 1983 and entered Russian military service in 1987.⁽⁶⁰⁾ Its twelve rockets measure 7.6m long. The claimed flight deviation from range is .21%, or 150m at the range of 70km.⁽⁶¹⁾

The main mission of Smerch is combating tactical missile systems, army aviation on airfields, MRLS, gun, and mortar divisions and batteries, killing of command posts, armored vehicles in areas of concentration and on the move, as well as killing of manpower concentrations, and remote mine laying.⁽⁶²⁾

The Smerch launcher (designated 9A52) is based on a MAZ-543M (8 x 8) cross-country truck and weighs approximately 43 tons. The standard warhead is the 9M55K, which weighs 235kg and can carry 72 high explosive submunitions. These are produced in anti personnel and anti-materiel versions. Each version has a self-destruct fuze that is supposed to function two minutes after impact.⁽⁶³⁾ The footprint of a single salvo is 672,000m².⁽⁶⁴⁾

The Smerch rocket can also be fitted with a warhead designated 9M55K1 containing 5 top-attack MOTIV-3M "smart" sub-munitions.⁽⁶⁵⁾ The MOTIV-3M is equivalent to the Russian SPBE-D air dropped submunition, and is similar in desired effect to the US Sensor Fuzed Weapon.

Smerch systems have been ordered by, among others: Kuwait (27 systems in 1995),⁽⁶⁶⁾ United Arab Emirates (6 systems in 1996),⁽⁶⁷⁾ and India.⁽⁶⁸⁾ In 1999, Algeria purchased 18 Smerch systems from the Motovilikhinkiye Zavody plant in Perm.⁽⁶⁹⁾

Grad ("Hail") MRLS (9K51/BM-21)

The Grad MRLS system has been in service since 1963, has been adopted for use by 50 countries, and as of 1997 was still in production in 11.⁽⁷⁰⁾ The Grad system has 40 rocket of 122 mm caliber. Its range is five to 20 km and its one-salvo footprint is 190,000m².⁽⁷¹⁾

The Grad has traditionally employed high-explosive unitary warheads. In the early 80s, the 50 rocket 9K59 Prima division variant was developed with a new, more lethal 9M53F unitary round, in comparison to the standard 9M22U warhead. In the mid-90s, new payloads for the Grad were under development, including one carrying 45 anti-personnel/anti-material (APAM) submunitions.⁽⁷²⁾

Russian officials demonstrated an upgraded Grad in October 1998, with the 122mm rocket demonstrating a range of 40km, double the distance of the original rocket. The SPLAV company claims that the design improvements have allowed the added range without a decrease in accuracy.⁽⁷³⁾ The new rocket carries a variety of warheads, including a High Explosive/Fragmentation warhead, a cluster warhead carrying anti-tank mines, a cluster warhead with antipersonnel mines, a smoke-generating warhead, a jammer payload operating in the HF and VHF bands, an air-target simulator, and anti-armor self-guided submunitions.⁽⁷⁴⁾ The control system has been automated, including the addition of satellite aided navigation.⁽⁷⁵⁾ The BM-21and RM-70 launch vehicles carry the Grad MRLS system.⁽⁷⁶⁾

The Grad MRLS has been sold to over 39 countries, including Afghanistan, Cambodia, China, India, Mongolia, North Korea, Pakistan, and Vietnam.⁽⁷⁷⁾ The publication Defense & Foreign Affairs Strategic Policy reported in 1997 that Armenia secretly acquired the Grad MLRS between 1994-96.⁽⁷⁸⁾ The Grad MRLS has been used extensively in the Chechen conflict.

Uragan ("Hurricane") MRLS (9K57/BM-22/BM-27)

The 16 round 9K57 Uragan MRLS was introduced in 1977.⁽⁷⁹⁾

The Uragan MRLS now has a range of 50km, increased from 34km.⁽⁸⁰⁾ One missile round can carry 30 cluster elements, 24 anti-tank mines or 312 anti-personnel mines. It has a footprint of 426,000m² and one salvo lasts 20 seconds.⁽⁸¹⁾

[T]he BM-22 fires sixteen 220-mm long-range rockets, each weighing 360 kg. The rockets are 4.8 metres long, and have a range of 40km. The rockets can be used to deliver high explosives, fuel-air explosives, or even chemical weapons. The rockets are fired from the back of an all-terrain vehicle, based on the Zil-135 truck, weighing almost 23 tons and 9.3 metres long. A similar truck is needed to reload the Uragan.⁽⁸²⁾

It is currently being offered for export firing either 9M27F HE fragmentation or 9M27K submunition rounds, which have 10km minimum and 35km maximum ranges. The first of these weighs 280kg, including a 100kg warhead which contains a 51.7kg explosive charge. The 9M27K is 10kg lighter, with a 90kg warhead containing 30 1.8kg grenades each of which generates 400 fragments. Among the upstanding world citizens employing the Uragan system is the rebel UNITA groups in Angola.⁽⁸³⁾ In late 1997, Afghan and Syrian forces were also employing the Uragan.⁽⁸⁴⁾ The Uragan system has been used extensively in the Chechnya conflict by Russian forces.

MLRS Submunitions

The following submunitions do not constitute an exhaustive lists of all munitions that the MRLS systems described above can deliver, but concentrates on those with cluster bomb characteristics.

9M27K Uragan Submunition Round

This 90kg warhead contains 30 1.8kg bomblets, each of which generates 400 fragments.⁽⁸⁵⁾

9M55K Smerch Round

This 235kg warhead contains 72 submunitions, which are produced in anti-personnel and anti-materiel versions. Each version has differing pre-formed fragment dimensions, but both incorporate a self-destruct fuze intended to function two minutes after impact.⁽⁸⁶⁾

OAB-2.5

The OAB-2.5 is an anti-material/anti-armor fragmentation submunition. Up to 126 can be used in a payload.⁽⁸⁷⁾

OFAB-50

The OFAB-50 is an anti-material/anti-armor fragmentation submunition. Up to 10 can be used in a payload.⁽⁸⁸⁾

Universal Submunition/Grad-M (USM)

The USM is designed by Bazalt and Splav as an anti-armor submunition, capable of penetrating 60mm of armor with an Explosively Formed Projectile (EFP). It uses millimetric-wave and infrared sensors to target. Twenty USMs can be fitted to a Smerch rocket round, five to a Uragan round, and one to a Grad round.⁽⁸⁹⁾

MOTIV-3M Sensor Fuzed Weapon

The MOTIV-3M is the MLRS version of the SPBE-D Sensor Fuzed Weapon, and as such is part of the family of so-called "smart submunitions." Each submunition weighs 15 kg and is fitted with a 2-spectrum infra-red seeker. It is ejected and descends by parachute. The seeker detects a target, specifically armor, and guides the submunitions to its vulnerable upper surfaces and activates the warhead.⁽⁹⁰⁾ The sensor triggers the warhead about 150m above its target. The 173mm-diameter copper plate forms a 1kg penetrator with a velocity of 2,000m/s, able to penetrate 70mm of armor at an angle of 30% to normal.⁽⁹¹⁾ It descends at a speed of 15-17m/s.⁽⁹²⁾

Ballistic and Cruise Missile Delivered Systems

(See note on this section.⁽⁹³⁾)

Cluster warheads have been attached to ballistic missiles and cruise missiles for some years. The US, in its attempt to retaliate against Osama Bin Laden for his alleged role in the bombing of US embassies in Africa, attacked a base camp in Afghanistan in 1998 with cruise missiles tipped with conventional and cluster warheads.

Ballistic Missiles

Soviet designers have been working on cluster munition missile warheads for forty years. In 1963-64, the Soviets conducted trials of a missile based cluster warhead with 42 submunitions. Each submunitions weighed 7.5kg (1.7kg of explosive) and was designed to kill people and destroy lightly armored vehicles over an area of several hectares. The missile was adopted for use in 1969.⁽⁹⁴⁾

In 1963-1964 trials of 9M21-OF missiles with 9N18-OF cluster warhead were started. 9N18-OF weighed around 400 kilograms. It contained 42 combat elements weighing 7.5 kilogram each. Each element contained 1.7 kilogram of explosive. Fragments of the combat elements of one rocket could destroy personnel and lightly armored vehicles of the enemy in the area of several hectares. 9N18-OF warhead was equipped with a radio fuse. The warhead was actuated at an altitude of 1,000-1,400 meters. 9M21-OF rocket was adopted only in 1969. For the training purposes 9M21E and 9M31E1 rockets were also used.

Tochka-U 9M79-1 (also known as the SS-21 "Scarab")

The ballistic missile Tochka-U, can "blast a seven hectare area with cluster bombs."⁽⁹⁵⁾ When it went on the market in 1993, the Tochka-U ("Improved Point") had a maximum range of 120km, claimed an accuracy of 15m, and had independent aiming, control, and check-out systems. It carried either a 120kg high explosive warhead or 50 submunitions.⁽⁹⁶⁾

The accuracy and reliability of the Tochka-U have recently come into question. A test shot of a Ukrainian Tochka-U with a dummy warhead hit an apartment building in the Kiev suburb or Brovary on April 20, 2000. Three people were killed and five injured. The "high-precision" rocket was built at the Votkinsk, Russia plant in 1990⁽⁹⁷⁾ and had an expected lifespan of 10 years.⁽⁹⁸⁾ The commander of the Ukrainian Missile Troops and Artillery stated that it was the will of God that the missile did not hit the Chernobyl nuclear plant.⁽⁹⁹⁾

Over 60 tactical missiles, mainly Tochkas but also some SS-1 Scuds, had been used by mid-November 1999 in Chechnya.⁽¹⁰⁰⁾

Iskander-E (SS-X-26)

The new Russian tactical missile, the Iskander-E, has a reported range of 35 to 280km with an estimated circular error probable of 30m.⁽¹⁰¹⁾

Warhead types offered for the Iskander-E include blast-fragmentation and penetrating designs, and several types of cluster payloads including area-denial, antipersonnel and anti-vehicle, runway- cratering, and active submunitions (TGSMs) to engage armoured vehicles. Russian Army units will also have additional payloads, reported to include fuel-air explosive (FAE), electro-magnetic pulse (EMP), and "specialised penetration" warheads.⁽¹⁰²⁾

The maximum payload is 480kg, and the cluster bomb load reportedly is 54 submunitions.⁽¹⁰³⁾ Its self-homing guidance system makes it an attractive export item, as the user need not necessarily rely on satellite guidance which can be cut-off or jammed,⁽¹⁰⁴⁾ but its reliability in heavy cloud cover has been questioned.⁽¹⁰⁵⁾ Twenty two countries have ballistic missiles, and seven construct them. China and North Korea are the major exporters, and their systems are basically upgrades of Scud technology. Analysts predict the Iskander-E (the "E" stands for "export") will be an attractive medium range missile on the international arms market.⁽¹⁰⁶⁾

Cruise Missiles

AS-18 "Kazoo"

Also known as the Kh-59M Ovod-M, the AS-18 is "modernized version of AS-13 Kingbolt. It has a cylindrical body with sweptback cruciform flip-out nose surfaces and a cruciform tail unit carrying inset control surfaces and can be launched from heights between 330 and 16,400 ft. Like AS-13, its guidance signals are received from a 573-lb, 13-ft-long APK-9 pod carried by the launch aircraft."⁽¹⁰⁷⁾ The warhead can be either a 705-lb high explosive or 617-lb cluster submunitions. The missile has a wingspan of 4 ft 3 in, a length of 18 ft 8 in, a body diameter of 1 ft 3 in, and weighs 2,028 lb. It flies at a speed of Mach 0.7-0.82 and has a range of 25 miles.⁽¹⁰⁸⁾

Stockpiles

At the Tiraspol airfield, "[t]he quantity of ammunition alone constitutes an astronomical figure - 45,000 tons: from pistol rounds to giant 240-mm HEAT rockets for the Tylpan launcher. According to General Yevnevich, 'several tens of thousands of anti-tank guided missiles and a tremendous quantity of ammunition for the Uragan system' and various types of aerial bombs - 'up to and including spherical-projectiles and cluster bombs' are stored here."⁽¹⁰⁹⁾

Notes for Chapter 2

1. Margaret Coker, "Tragedy in Chechnya," Atlanta Journal & Constitution, 6 February 2000, p. 7C.

2. Norman Friedman, The Naval Institute Guide to World Naval Weapons Systems (Annapolis, Md; Naval Institute Press, 1991-92; 1994 Update), p.108.

3. Piotr Bukowski, "Russia's air forces face up to their dilemmas," Jane's Intelligence Review, 1 October 1997, p. 447.

4. RBK means razovaya bombovaya kaseta, or single use bomb cassette.

5. Friedman, The Naval Institute Guide, p.108.

6. "Soviet Intelligence: A new generation of CB munitions," Jane's Defence Weekly, 3 April 1988, p. 852.

7. "Russian anti-armour bombs detailed," International Defense Review, 1 December 1992, p.1189.

8. Friedman, The Naval Institute Guide, p.108.

9. Ibid.

10. "Russian anti-armour bombs detailed," International Defense Review. Other sources state that the RBK-500 carries 12, rather than 15 SPBE-D submunitions. Friedman, The Naval Institute Guide, p.108.

11. Friedman, The Naval Institute Guide, p.108.

12. Ibid.

13. "Soviet Intelligence: A new generation of CB munitions," Jane's Defence Weekly.

14. Martin Mamula, "Sukhoi's Su-39: a smart Shturmovik?" Jane's Intelligence Review, 1 August 1997, p. 346.

15. www.achilles.net/~rjl/warplane.html.

16. Michael J. Gething, "More details on MiG-29SMT," Jane's Defense Upgrades, 12 June 1998. The upgraded MiG-29 can carry the RBK-500, with "self-homing" cluster munitions, likely referring to the SPBE-D sensor fuzed weapons. Ibid.

17. Kenneth Munson, "Gallery of Russian Aerospace Weapons," Air Force Magazine, September 1998, p. 87; Owen Matthews, "The Sound and Fury of Russia's War in Chechnya," The Scotsman, 13 October 1999.

18. "Russia Likely to Use Heavy Bombers Against Rebel Bases in Chechnya," Interfax News Agency, 23 September 1999; Vladimir Yermolin, "Strategic Aviation May Appear in the Sky over Chechnya," Soviet Press Digest (Source: Izvestia), 15 December 1999.

19. Sieniel, "Zbrojownia: Tu-22M3 (Backfire-C),"
www.strategie.com.pl/zbrojownia/tu22_mongrafia.asp.

20. KMGU means koneteyner malogabaritniykh gruzov universalnyi, or small universal cargo container.

21. Friedman, The Naval Institute Guide, p. 108.

22. E-mail communication to Virgil Wiebe from Rae McGrath, 27 April 2000; Janes Air Launched Weapons, Issue 33, August 1999.

23. Ibid. See below for a description of the PTAB and AO bomblets. "OD" stands for obyomno-detoniiruyushohaya, or "volume detonation." Ibid. ODS-OD submunitions are air fuel explosives and are beyond the scope of this report.

24. Janes Air Launched Weapons, Issue 33.

25. Ibid.

26. John Fricker, "Avionics upgrades planned for new Russian attack helicopters," Jane's Intelligence Review, 1 March 1998, p. 5; Alexei Mazepov, "MI-28," Armament & Military Technology, 28 January 1998; Douglas Barrie, "Kamov's Alligator gets airborne," Flight International, 9 July 1997, p. 16. The Mi-28N is equivalent to the US AH-64 Longbow Apache. Piotr Butowski, "Russia's "Longbow' poised for first flight," Jane's Defence Weekly, 25 September 1996, p. 47. There have been unconfirmed reports that Ka-50s and MI-28Ns have been deployed in Chechnya. Alexey Komarov, "Chechen Conflict Drives Call for Air Force Modernization," Aviation Week & Space Technology, 14 February 2000, p. 80. The KMG-U-2 is 370 x 46cm, with a finspan of 46 cm, and the casing weighs170 kg (total approx. weight 525 kg). Friedman, The Naval Institute Guide, p. 108. KMG-U2 may simply be referring to when the KMG-U dispenser is configured as a dispenser of the AO-2.5 bomblets. See Janes Air Launched Weapons, Issue 33.

27. Ray Braybrook, "Hotting up the Hind," Jane's Defence Upgrades, 3 March 1997, p. 7.

28. John W.R. Taylor, "Gallery of Russian Aerospace Weapons: Fighters," Air Force Magazine, March 1997, p. 67; Kenneth Munson, "Gallery of Russian Aerospace Weapons," Air Force Magazine, September 1998, p. 87.

29. Martin Mamula, "The Su-34 - an aircraft to strike and fight," Jane's Intelligence Review, 1 April 1996, p. 150.

30. Milan Vego, "The New Yugoslav Air and Air Defence Systems," Jane's Intelligence Review, 1 July 1994, p. 297. In 1994, it was reported that the Yugoslav Air Force was employing the Su-29. Ibid.

31. "S-25," Jane's Intelligence Review, 1 April 1992.

32. Janes Air Launched Weapons, Issue 33.

33. Mamula, "Sukhoi's Su-39," Jane's Intelligence Review.

34. Janes Air Launched Weapons, Issue 33.

35. Friedman, The Naval Institute Guide, p.108.

36. Ibid.

37. The letters "AO" stand for aviatsionnaya oskolochnyang, or "aircraft fragmentation."

38. Munson, "Gallery of Russian Aerospace Weapons," Air Force Magazine.

39. "Russian anti-armour bombs detailed," International Defense Review.

40. Friedman, The Naval Institute Guide, p.108. The AO-2.5RT designation is used with the KMG-U dispenser, and the designation AO-2.5RTM is used with the RBK-500 dispenser. The submunition is thought to be the same. Janes Air Launched Weapons, Issue 33.

41. Janes Air Launched Weapons, Issue 33.

42. Ibid. Janes states that it unclear whether they detonated on impact or are contact mines.

43. "PTAB" stands for protivotankovaya aviatsionnaya bomba, or "anti-tank aircraft bomb." Janes Air Launched Weapons, Issue 33.

44. Friedman, The Naval Institute Guide, p.108.

45. Ibid.

46. "Russian anti-armour bombs detailed," International Defense Review.

47. Janes Air Launched Weapons, Issue 33.

48. Ibid.

49. Friedman, The Naval Institute Guide, p.108.

50. Friedman, The Naval Institute Guide, p.108.

51. "Russian anti-armour bombs detailed," International Defense Review.

52. Bill Sweetman, "Scratching the Surface: Next Century Air-to-Ground Weapons," International Defense Review, 1 July 1997, p. 55.

53. "Russian company leads the way in sensor-fuzed munitions," International Defense Review, 1 February 1997, p. 10.

54. Friedman, The Naval Institute Guide, p.108.

55. Sue Lackey, "Russia violates bio-chem treaties," Jane's Intelligence Review, 1 October 1999.

56. Prasun K. Sengupta, "MLRS Artillery for Area Saturation," Asian Defence Journal, October, 1998, p. 28.

57. Russian systems are interchangeably referred to in the literature as "MRLS" or "MLRS."

58. Rupert Pengelley, "Technology boosts long-range multiple rocketry," International Defense Review, 1 December 1997, p. 43.

59. "Press Conference With Armed Forces Chief of Arms Procurement Colonel," Official Kremlin Int'l News Broadcast, 28 September 1999.

60. Charles Cutshaw, "Soviet Military Restructuring: Is it really defensive?" Jane's Intelligence Review, 1 May 1990, p. 213; Victor Korablin, "Russian Smerch," Defense & Security, 8 March 2000 (Source: Oruzhie, 1999).

61. Korablin, "Russian Smerch," Defense & Security.

62. Ibid.

63. "Smerch warhead 'more advanced'," Jane's Defence Weekly, 15 April 1995, p. 6; Pengelley, "Technology boosts long-range multiple rocketry," Int'l Defense Review.

64. Korablin, "Russian Smerch," Defense & Security. The Smerch system can also lay anti-tank and anti-personnel landmine fields. Ibid.

65. "Smerch warhead 'more advanced'," Jane's Defence Weekly; David Markov, "Russian warhead range to secure new markets," Jane's Missiles & Rockets, 1 June 1997, p. 8.

66. "Smerch warhead 'more advanced'," Jane's Defence Weekly; "Kuwait to get smart submunitions for Smerch MRL," 21 April 1995

67. Pengelley, "Technology boosts long-range multiple rocketry," Int'l Defense Review.

68. Ibid.

69. "Russian Plant Supplies Multiple Rocket Launchers to Algeria," Interfax News Agency, 17 August 1999.

70. Nikolai Novichkov, "SPLAV demonstrates updated Grad," Jane's Missiles & Rockets, 1 November 1998, p. 9; Pengelley, "Technology boosts long-range multiple rocketry," Int'l Defense Review.

71. Fyodor Zavyalov, "Federal Troops Pounding Guerilla Strongholds," TASS, 7 September 1999.

72. Pengelley, "Technology boosts long-range multiple rocketry," Int'l Defense Review. The other versions "three blast-effect anti-tank mines, two terminally-guided self-forging fragment anti-tank mines, [and] a Lilia-2 communications jammer settable in the 1.5-120MHz band." Ibid.

73. Novichkov, "SPLAV demonstrates updated Grad," Jane's Missiles & Rockets.

74. Ibid.

75. Ibid.

76. Ibid.

77. Sengupta, "MLRS Artillery for Area Saturation," Asian Defence Journal.

78. "Arms Transfer Tables," Defense & Foreign Affairs Strategic Policy, June 1997, p. 28.

79. Korablin, "Russian Smerch," Defense & Security. Other analysts note it entered service in 1975. Pengelley, "Technology boosts long-range multiple rocketry," Int'l Defense Review.

80. "Press Conference With Armed Forces Chief of Arms Procurement Colonel," Official Kremlin Int'l News Broadcast.

81. Zavyalov, "Federal Troops Pounding Guerilla Strongholds," TASS. The cluster bomblets are designated as 9M27K, the anti-tank mines are called PGMDM liquid-explosive anti-tank mines (9MK27K2), and the anti-personnel mines are called PFM-1 (9M27K3). Bottom-attack anti-tank mines (9M59), of which each rocket can carry 9, were also developed for the Uragan. Pengelley, "Technology boosts long-range multiple rocketry," Int'l Defense Review.

82. Action for Southern Africa, "Angola: The human cost of international inaction on Angolan sanctions," Africa News, 18 April 2000.

83. Ibid.

84. Pengelley, "Technology boosts long-range multiple rocketry," Int'l Defense Review.

85. Pengelley, "Technology boosts long-range multiple rocketry," Int'l Defense Review.

86. Ibid.

87. "Possible Submunitions under development for MLRS rounds," Jane's Missiles & Rockets, 1 June 1997, p. 8.

88. Ibid.

89. David Markov, "Russian warhead range to secure new markets," Jane's Missiles & Rockets, 1 June 1997, p. 8.

90. "Smerch warhead 'more advanced'," Jane's Defence Weekly.

91. "Russian Company leads the way in sensor-fuzed munitions," International Defense Review, 1 February 1997, p. 10. If no contact is made with a target, the munitions are designed to self-destruct in 45 seconds. Pengelley, "Technology boosts long-range multiple rocketry," Int'l Defense Review. An earlier version of the munition was termed the MOTIV-3F. Ibid.

92. Mark Hewish, "Smart Munitions: Brains plus Brawn," International Defense Review, 1 February 1996, p. 34.

93. While MRLS rockets technically are ballistic in nature, they are generally considered alongside traditional artillery, and are therefore included in the prior section.

94. Alexander Shirokorad, "Rocket Ram of the Ground Forces," Defense & Security, 27 October 1999. The missile was called the 9M21-OF and the warhead the 9N18-OF. Ibid.

95. "Russia's Arms Industry: Ivan the Lethal," The Economist (US edition), 25 March 2000. A hectare is 10,000

96. Christopher F. Ross, "Russia puts 'pinpoint' missile on the market," Jane's Defence Weekly, 21 August 1993, p. 9. The original sale price was $1.7m for the rocket, $3.3m for the launcher and $700,000 for the BAZ-5921 transporter. Ibid.

97. Mikhail Melnik, "Minister confirms apartment house blast," TASS, 24 April 2000.

98. "Missile missed Chernobyl by will of God," BBC Worldwide Monitoring (Source: Ukrainian TV Second Programme, 23 Apr 00), 25 April 2000.

99. Ibid.

100. David C. Isby, "Tochka upgrade announced," Jane's Missiles and Rockets, 1 December 1999.

101. Seymour Johnson, "Iskander will replace ageing Scuds," Jane's Missiles & Rockets, 1 November 1999.

102. Ibid.

103. Sergei Sokut, "Iskander System Attacks Rivals," Defense & Security, 8 December 1999.

104. Ibid.

105. Nikolai Novichkov, "Russia ready to export Iskander-E," Jane's Missiles & Rockets, 1 January 2000.

106. Ibid.

107. Kenneth Munson, "Gallery of Russian Aerospace Weapons," Air Force Magazine, September 1998, p. 87.

108. Ibid.

109. "Russia given access to Dnestr region stockpiles,"BBC Summary of World Broadcasts, (Source: 'Izvestiya,' 21 Sep 99), 27 September 1999.