MILITARY THOUGHT (USSR): THE EMPLOYMENT OF HELICOPTERS FOR TACTICAL MISSILES AND ANTITANK GUIDED MISSILES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP10-00105R000201660001-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 9
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 11, 2012
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: March 2, 1976
• Content Type: MEMO

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.IQ~ECRET
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20505
2 March 1^76
IN01ORAhT)UM FOR: The Director of Central Intelligence
SUBJECT MILITARY THOUGHT (USSR) : The Employment
of Helicopters for Tactical Missiles
and Antitank Guided Missiles
1. The enclosed Intelligence Information Special Report is part of a
series now in preparation based on the SECRET USSR Ministry of Defense
publication Collection of Articles of the Journal '"Military Thought". This
article presents criticism of certain points in .-a 1963 article concerning
the use of helicopters to increase the mobility of tactical and antitank
missiles. with regard to tactical. missiles, the authors take issue with a
proposal to transport missiles on the outside of the helicopters, and
dispute the missile transport capabilities of the 111-1 and '~"I-4, and the
launching capabilities of the 1MMI-6. Helicopters may be used for normal
transport and delivery operations or to carry stripped-down, self-propelled
launchers close to firing positions. The authors concur with the proposal
to arm MI-4 helicopters with antitank guided missiles, but caution against
a large number of permanent modifications for this 5
appeared in Issue No 2 (72) fn-r 1q04_
2. Because the source of this report is extremely sensitive, this
document should be handled on a strict/ need-to-know basis with La recipient
agencies. For ea * ; cation have been
assigned
1 lam N&lSon
Deputy Director for Aerations
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Distribution:
The Director of Central Intelligence
The Joint Chiefs of Staff
The Director, Defense Intelligence Agency
The Assistant to the Chief of Staff for Intelligence
Department of the Army
The Assistant Chief of Staff, Intelligence
U. S. Air Force
Director, National Security Agency
Deputy Director of Central Intelligence
Deputy Director for Intelligence
Deputy Director for Science and Technology
Deputy to the Director of Central Intelligence
for National Intelligence Officers
Director of Strategic Research
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COUNTRY USSR
DATE OF
INFO. Mid-1964
MILITARY TiOUGI-iT (USSR): The Employment of Helicopters for Tactical
Missiles and Antitank Guided Missiles
N
Pocumentary
St nary:
117e following report is a translation from Russian of an article which
appeared in Issue Yo. 2 (72) for 1964 of the SECRET USSR Ministry of
Defense publication Collection of Articles of the Journal 'MIilitary
ihoou htt". The authors of this article are General _ayor o Ent gineer-Technical Service V. Alekseyev and En g neer Colonel A. Latuihin.
This article presents criticism of certain points in a 1963 article
concerning the use of helicopters to increase the mobility of tactical and
antitank missiles. With regard to tactical missiles, the authors take
issue with a proposal to transport missiles on the outside of the
helicopters, and dispute the missile transport capabilities of the MI-1 and
MI-4, and the launching capabilities of the I-6. Helicopters may be used-
" for normal transport and delivery operations or to carry stripped-down,
self-propelled launchers close to firing positions. The authors concur
with the proposal to arm MI-4 helicopters with antitank guided missiles,
but caution against a large number of permanent modifications for this
Comment: End of S1 rare,
gineer. Colonel A. Latukhin has been identified as the author of
various articles concerning
e ar is e to i~T, ich
it re ers was
entitled "The Use of Helicopters to
Increase the ~,O 1 itv or Tactical Rockets and Antitank Guided Missiles'".
The SECRLT version of `Military Thou ht was published three times annually
and was distributed down to t e level of division commander. It reportedly
ceased publication at the end of.1970.
2 March 1976
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Intelligence Information Special Report
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Employment of Helicopters for Tactical Missiles and
Antitank Guided Missiles
by
General-Mayor of Engineer-Technical Service V. Alekseyev
Engineer Colonel A. Latukhin
In the article of Colonel General of Artillery M. Parsegov and
Engineer Colonel K. Belyayevskiy,'T ployment of Helicopters to Increase the
Mobility of Tactical Missiles and Antitank Guided Missiles",* are put
forth, in our opinion, certain debatable propositions that contradict the
specific nature of helicopter employment. Individual recommendations of
the article may create a distorted impression of the combat capabilities of
missile systems transportable on helicopters and to some extent ccmpromise
the very idea of developing helicopter missile systems.
The transportation of combat equipment on helicopters is a complex
technical task. One must not oversimplify it as the authors of the article
cited do by, for instance, considering the most advisable variant to be
that according to which missiles should be accommodated on the outside of
helicopters and not inside of cargo compartments. Such a suggestion is
incorrect. The experience of numerous tests in air transportation of
missiles has convincingly shown that the only sensible and advisable place
to accommodate missiles on the MI-?6 helicopter is in its cargo compartment.
Let us note that its authorized equipment permits loading, tie-down, and
unloading of missiles to be done without any modification of the
helicopter. This method is advantageous not only economically but also
tactically, since any NI-6 helicopter can be used for the transportation of
missiles, not just a helicopter specially adapted only for a given type of
missile. With external accommodation of missiles, the aerodynamic
properties of the helicopter as a flying vehicle deteriorate sharply and
piloting it is complicated drastically. Transportation. of missiles in the
cargo compartment will provide additional advantages, for instance,
concealment of the purpose of the cargo being carried, protection of the
missiles from atmospheric effects, assurance of a plus temperature for the
missiles on the flight, etc.
*Collection of Articles of the Journal "1ilitary Thought", No. 2 (69),
'1963.
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What are the specifics of air transportation in compartments? In the
first place, the weight and size of the items of missile armament must
ensure the possibility of loading and accommodating them in the cargo
compartments of helicopters; accommodation of items in helicopters is done
with the provision of necessary and strictly defined clearances between the
walls (ceiling) of the cargo compartment and the items being carried; the
unit load on the floor of the cargo compartments of helicopters also has
definite limits, inasmuch as the floor of the compartments is not of
uniform strength but has strong areas on which the technical equipment
being carried must be set. In the second place, the items of missile
armament must have special mountings for dependable fastening inside the
cargo compartments of the helicopters. The strength of these mountings
must guarantee taking the strain which the items being carried will
experience during take-off, flights in turbulent air, and landings. From
these requirements it is evident how much the conditions of air
transportation of equipment differ from the conditions of ground methods of
shipping.
For air transportation of missiles, special airfield depot dollies are
necessary. Missiles can be placed on them fully assembled and without
warheads, and be stored and transported in arsenals, bases, and depots.
The weight of the airfield depot dollies by comparison with the missiles
carried on them is extremely small (five to six times less). Accordingly,
as experience shows, air transportation of missiles with the use of dollies
fully satisfies all special requirements, which cannot be said of the
method recommended by the authors of accommodating missiles on cradles both
inside the cargo compartment of the helicopter and outside of it.
In the article there is given a somewhat exaggerated appraisal of the
transport capabilities of certain types of helicopters, for instance, the
MI-1 helicopter, which allegedly can suffice for the delivery of rockets.
As we know, the Mff-1 has no transport function and is therefore unsuitable
for the delivery of rockets. The transport capabilities of the MI-4 are
extremely modest: its carrying capacity and cargo compartment dimensions
are utterly inadequate for carrying tactical missiles. The MI-4 helicopter
can be employed only for delivering rockets, artillery anmrmition, and
other small cargoes.
The authors assert that the helicopters in the tactical missile
subunits can be used for transportation of missiles, launchers, transport
vehicles, and cranes. One can speak thus if not oriented towards the
helicopters we have. Analysis of the size and weight characteristics of
launchers, transport vehicles, and cranes of tactical missile systems shows
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that these items still cannot he airlifted even on the largest MI-6
helicopter.
Also causing objection are the methods suggested by the authors of
using the helicopter as a launcher for launching missiles from the ground.
The idea of developing a helicopter launcher is at first glance
tempting. However, on thorough research of this question, it turns out
that such a path for tactical missile systems is impractical and absolutely
will not work, neither with direct assembly of the ordnance on the
helicopter nor with the accommodation of only the monitoring-launching
electrical equipment on it.
For the effective launch of a tactical missile against an intended
target, a launcher accommodated in a helicopter must ensure the precise,
accurate performance of a number of operations, such as, for instance,
levelling elevation and azimuth guidance to the target, determination of
the ballistic wind, and conduct of prelaunch checkout and missile launch.
Even the MI-6 helicopter, the most suitable for these purposes in respect
to its transporting capabilities, will be technically unable to ensure even
half of the indicated operations. Besides that, the effect of the exhaust
gas stream in a missile launch is so great that the helicopter from which
the missile launch is conducted will probably be put out of operation.
Nor can one fail to take into consideration the give-away signs of the
helicopter. After all, to prepare a missile for the launch will require a
certain time, during which the MI-6 helicopter will be noticed and
destroyed by the enemy.
And one more circumstance. The MI-6 helicopter is an expensive flying
vehicle. It must not be designated for the fulfilment of only one
function; it has to be employed for other purposes, too.
Also doubtful is the assertion that it is possible, on an MI-6
helicopter, to install one to three launchers with missiles. We figure
that the authors are not taking into consideration the sizes of the
missiles and their launchers. On the MI-6 helicopter only one
(stripped-down at that) launcher with a missile can be accommodated.
In order to ensure the transporting of launchers on helicopters, the
authors suggest, to lower their weight, developing launchers without the
self-propelling part, i.e., having only the launcher -- the ordnance part,
accommodated on a mount with jacks. We cannot agree with this. Relieving
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the launchers being transported on helicopters of the element of
self-propulsion -- more accurately, self-movement -- would permit lowering
their weight to some degree, but it would have a most adverse effect on the
maneuverability of the launchers in firing positions and especially during
loading and unloading from helicopters.
It appears to us that helicopters must accomplish only two tasks on
behalf on the tactical missiles -- to be carriers of stripped-down
(structurally not connected with the helicopter) launchers with missiles
for immediate fulfilment of combat tasks and to carry out the function of a
transportation means for missile delivery in a front. Let us specify at
once that the second task is accomplished without special difficulties and
poses no new problems.
Accomplishment of the first task is technically more complicated but
fully realistic. The MI-6 helicopter must here play the role of carrier of
the stripped-down launcher on which is situated a missile, fully equipped
with a mated warhead, in a maximum degree of readiness. On the
stripped-down self-propelled launcher must be all necessary equipment for
.the pre-launch checkouts and the missile launch. Self-propulsion of the
launcher, according to our conviction, gives a certain freedom in the
choice of landing areas and will allow the launcher, after unloading from
the heliccpter, to move independently to a new firing position where the
helicopter will not always be able to make a landing. A stripped-down
launcher easily comes within the strict size limits and weight limitations.
All the tasks to prepare the missile for launching and the launch
itself must be done outside the helicopter, at the firing position. The
task of the helicopter is to deliver the launcher with a missile to the
intended area, quickly unload it, and after this fly to a waiting area or
return to the departure area. All the tasks to carry out the missile
launch at the firing position are performed independently by the combat
crew of the launcher. To these pertain such operations as fixing their
position by topographic survey, weather determination, guidance to the
target, and a number of others. The equipment for fulfilling these tasks
is installed and mounted right on the launcher. In the complete equipment
set of the launcher it is also necessary to include a radio set to ensure
dependable radio communications at great distances.
Such are the basic remarks on the questions of employing helicopters
in the interests of increasing the mobility of tactical missile systems.
Now a few remarks about arming helicopters with antitank guided missiles.
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The authors think that for firing antitank guided missiles from the
air (and from the ground), MI-4, YAK-24, and MI-6 helicopters can be used;
they consider most suitable for this the MI-4 helicopter, and, for guiding
the flight of missiles launched from the ground, the MI-1 helicopter.
If one can agree to some extent with. the proposal of arming the MI-4
with antitank guided missiles (although it would be more correct to be
oriented towards the new V-2 and V-8 helicopters), the use of the MI-1 and
YAK-24 helicopters cannot fail to provoke resolute objections.
The article insistently adheres to the idea of the need for structural
modifications and additional equipping of helicopters, which would permit,
in the opinion of the authors, more fully satisfying the requirements for
comprehensive employment of helicopters with tactical missiles and antitank
guided missiles. We consider it impractical to create dozens of the most
diverse modifications of one and the sane type of helicopter. In the
design of helicopters the main thing, the multipurpose function of the
flying vehicle, must always be preserved. Therefore, all launch rails for
antitank guided missiles, gear, and corresponding electrical equipment must
be installed on the helicopter in the troop repair organs or under field
conditions. Provision must be made that, in case of necessity, the
installed equipment can be removed, quickly. All such helicopters will find
wide employment for accomplishing a large number of tasks in service with
the troops.
It seems to us that helicopters armed with antitank guided missiles
will be most effective as an antitank reserve to destroy enemy tanks that
have broken through. In order to increase their survivability against
enemy antiaircraft fire, the firing range of antitank guided missiles from
the air should be substantially increased. On helicopters it is advisable
to install antitank guided missiles which would allow them to hit targets
dependably from a distance of four to five kilometers and more. In the
process, it will be required to introduce into the set of necessary
equipment for firing antitank guided missiles a sight and rangefinder so
that one firing from a helicopter can determine the distance to the target
and the nature of the target.
The full text of this report and of others in this series is stored on
magnetic tape for computer text searching in CIA/CRS/?)SB. For access call
Extension 5434 and ask for File No. C 303 U.
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