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The United States failed to develop a target to simulate the Russian anti-ship supersonic missile, forcing the Pentagon to order a model Kh-31 made by Moscow.
The United States Navy in the 1990s carried out a series of projects to develop high-speed flight targets and similarities to Russian anti-ship missiles, in order to find ways to counter and train soldiers in conditions of the real life. possible. However, the projects in turn failed, prompting the Pentagon to order the Russian-developed MA-31 flight target from the Kh-31 supersonic tactical missile platform.
The Kh-31 rocket was developed by the Soviet design institute Zvezda-Strela in the late 1970s with the goal of creating a radar destroyer missile that can handle advanced American weapons at the time, as a defense complex. There is no Patriot and Aegis shield system.
The Kh-31 missile is shown alongside the Su-30KN fighter in 1991. Photo: Ausairpower.
The first Kh-31 prototype was tested in 1982 and was put into service six years later. The first full version featured a passive radar detector, designated Kh-31P, followed by an anti-ship variant with an active radar detector, called Kh-31A.
Both versions were made public in 1991, shortly before the breakup of the Soviet Union. Then Russia continually improved and launched new Kh-31 models for domestic and export use, equipped with many combat models such as Su-27SM, Su-30, Su-35S, MiG-29M. and MiG-35.
All Kh-31 variants use a primary boost to achieve negative overspeed, then activate a straight-line jet engine (ramjet) to maintain supersonic speed throughout the ride.
The Kh-31P flies at high altitude to follow enemy radar signals, allowing it to reach speeds of over 4,300 km / h and a range of 110 km, while the Kh-31A flies close to the sea surface, with a top speed of 3,300 km / h and a range of 100 km. Modernized versions can hit targets 160-250 km away.
The Kh-31 series is considered one of the most dangerous tactical weapons for American Patriot batteries and warships, forcing Washington to find a countermeasure.
The US Navy USA In the late 1970s, it launched the Small High Magnitude Target (SLAT) project to test the Aegis shield’s combat capabilities, after failing and destroying ZBGM-90A and ZBQM-111A. The temporary solution was to convert the RIM-8 Talos anti-aircraft missiles into MQM-8G Vandal flying targets, but they were far below the requirements and did not simulate the threat of the Inter-Supersonic anti-ship missiles. Push.
Martin Marietta Corporation received a SLAT development contract in 1984 and produced the YAQM-127A prototype using a ramjet engine. However, the testing process encountered a number of problems, only one success in six testing periods from 1987 to 1989. Two additional inspections in November 1990 and May 1991 failed, prompting Congress to cancel the program.
The breakup of the Soviet Union created a rare opportunity for the United States, when the Pentagon was able to purchase a full range of designs and weapons from Russia, Ukraine, and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).
The American technician mounted the MA-31 flying target on the F-4 fighter. Image: Drive.
In 1995, the US Navy. USA It contracted with McDonnell Douglas Corporation to purchase and modify the Kh-31A anti-ship missiles to compare with the requirements of the Supersonic Sea Target (SSST) project. The group has partnered with Zvezda-Strela to develop an MA-31 flight target.
McDonnell Douglas purchased the hull and engine of the Kh-31 rocket, which had the detonator and firing system removed, then installed the device to make it a flying target. The complete MA-31 is equipped with a remote control pilot system (URAP), a signal transmitter, a flight parameter measurement device and a nose self-destruct device.
MA-31 flight targets have the same tactical specifications as Russian Kh-31 missiles, which can fly in anti-ship orbit or kill radar on demand. They are able to perform complex maneuvers while maintaining supersonic speed near the surface of the sea.
Boeing merged McDonnell Douglas in 1997 and maintained the MA-31 program. This type of objective defeated Sea Snake, developed in the United States in 1999, helping Boeing win a contract to build a total of 34 MA-31 rounds. During 1996-2003, the group conducted 13 MA-31 shells from F-4 Phantom II fighters. Three were having problems due to the power supply system, or URAP.
However, the MA-31 era did not last long. The US Navy USA You want more supersonic lenses with greater range and precision than the MA-31. Orbital Sciences Corporation was asked to create the Coyote GQM-163A rocket model.
Coyote’s first prototype flew in 2004, around the same time that Boeing launched the MA-31PG design, in which the URAP system was replaced by a satellite navigation system similar to the JDAM bomb. Boeing is also studying a combination that allows the F-16 multifunction fighter to use MA-31 ammunition, increasing the threat of simulating threats and expanding the market.
The F-16 aims to fly MA-31 under the wings during a 2005 test. Drive.
This effort was unsuccessful when Russian President Vladimir Putin imposed a restriction on arms exports in 2001, slowing the process of equipment delivery to Boeing. President George W. Bush withdrew the United States from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty (ABM) later that year, which cooled Moscow-Washington relations. By 2005, Boeing had produced only 18 of 34 MA-31 rounds under contract.
The success of the GQM-163A project ended the MA-31 line. The US Navy USA He exhausted his MA-31 flight target, which was delivered and completed the project in 2007.
“The deterioration of the bilateral relationship makes it difficult for the United States to buy more Russian weapons in the near future. However, the MA-31 project still shows an interesting historical period when the United States Navy had difficulty manufacturing.” target simulated weapons from potential opponents and eventually find the source of that threat, “said military expert Tyler Rogoway.
Vu Anh (Follow Drive)
