MILITARY THOUGHT: THE COMBAT UTILIZATION OF FRONT CRUISE MISSILES IN A FRONT OFFENSIVE OPERATION, BY COLONEL P. PLYACHENKO

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80T00246A029700030001-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 18
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 12, 2012
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: June 25, 1962
• Content Type: MEMO

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The Combat Utilization of Front Cruise Missiles
in a Front Offensive Operation
by
Colonel P. Plyachenko
As is known, the main role in achieving the goals of a modern
offensive operation is played by the missile troops. Their significance
is particularly great in fulfilling basic fire tasks and winning fire
superiority over the enemy. In connection with this, very rigid demands
are made on modern missiles as regards their technical and operational-
tactical suitability. The missiles must possess adequate range, accuracy
of fire, rapidity of fire, and maneuverability on the battlefield; the
yield of their nuclear charges must ensure the destruction of various
targets -- both point and group -- in the entire depth of the offensive
operations of -combined arms and tank formations; in addition, the missiles
must be capable of besting the enemy's most powerful antiair defense.
The ballistic missiles of operational-tactical and tactical desig-
nation that are presently in the armament still do not fully answer all
the indicated requirements, especially as regards dispersion and the
yield of the nuclear charges. The dispersion of operational-tactical
ballistic missiles with a self-contained (avtonomnaye) guidance system
has parameters that are too large (one Vdp is 0.4 to 0.8km, and even
more, sometimes), as a result of which it is necessary to expend nuclear
charges with too large a yield to destroy enemy objectives. In those
casds when small enemy objectives (such as nuclear/missile weapons at
launching sites, depots 'of nuclear warheads, control points, bridges) are
located at the maximum range of fire of the ballistic missiles, the latter
will not always be able to destroy them even with a nuclear charge of
maximum yield, because of the deviation,that increases sharply with the
range. And as is shown by the analysis of the defense of our probable
enemy, and the. possible grouping of his forces and means, more than 50
percent of the objectives subject to destruction by the fire means of a
front are small targets and point targets. A significant part of them
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is located in the tactical rear and in the operational depth, i.e.,
at the maximum range of the tactical and operational-tactical
ballistic missiles. Research and calculations show that, in order
to destroy point targets with 90 percent probability, using
ballistic missiles, it is necessary that one y of these missiles
be reduced two, three, or more times in comparison with the pro-
bable errors of existing missiles. This problem has not yet been
resolved.
In connection with the above, it becomes quite apparent that
operational-tactical and tactical ballistic missiles cannot yet be
the single fire means capable of fully destroying targets that
vary in their nature, in an offensive operation; front missile troop
operations (especially operational-tactical missile units) must be
supplemented by operations of front aviation and front cruise missiles
(frontovaya krylataya raketa).
A series of exercises with troops, and research, show that the
best results in operations are achieved in those cases where all fire
means of the front, such as ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, avia-
tion and artillery - operate in close conjunction.
In this article we would like to examine in greater detail the
combat characteristics, potentialities and the combat employment of
front cruise missiles in a front offensive operation, since these
questions have not yet been elucidated adequately in the pages of
our military press.
As is known, our army is armed with short-and medium-range front
cruise missiles. They are intended for the destruction of important,and,
as a rule, fixed,ground installations of the enemy, located in his
tactical and operational depth.
The great destructive power of the combat charge of the front
cruise missiles, the great accuracy, and the possibility of flying to
the target at high speeds and at low altitudes, permit them to inflict
powerful strikes against enemy objectives. The significant range and
the mobility of the technical means of launching and guiding the flight
of the missiles guarantee that the front cruise missile units will have
the opportunity to shift strikes from one axis (objective) to another,
both along the front and in the depth.
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One of the most important positive qualities of the front
cruise missiles i s their great accuracy in hitting the target. The
accuracy of front cruise missiles, especially the short-range missiles,
is already, at the present time, higher than that of bombing by
horizontally flying aircraft. The mean error of short-range front
cruise missiles at maximum ranges is 0.lkm. Because of the high
accuracy of the front cruise missiles, they can effectively destroys
small targets, which advantageously differentiates cruise missiles
from ballistic missiles.
Front cruise missiles also have other positive characteristics.
Their combat launching may be executed from comparatively small
launching areas that can be found on any terrain. All the technical
means of assembly, check-out, and launching of missiles, and for guiding
their flight,are mounted on motor vehicles that have increased cross-
country ability and maneuverability in field conditions.
Front cruise missiles, the same as ballistic missiles, may be
utilized in any meteorological conditions, excluding cases when there
are heavy thunderstorms on the axes of their operations or when the
wind velocity (on the ground and at the altitude of the flight) exceeds
the limit for a given type of missile. Short-range missile fire is not
permitted with a wind velocity of over 15 to 20 meters per second, but
such winds are a fairly infrequent occurrence.
Front cruise missiles have a rather high flight speed and, as a
rule, proceed to the target at low altitudes, which promotes surprise
of strikes. During flight to a target at altitudes of 400 to 500m,
modern radar means can track the missile only 15 to 20km from the line
of the front. In order to deliver a strike against an objective located
100 to 150km from the line of the front, the cruise missile will require
about 5 to 7 minutes. This circumstance makes it difficult for the enemy
antiair defense to combat cruise missiles.
Front cruise missiles are equipped with a conventional or nuclear
charge. The nuclear charges may have various yields, which permits the
use of front cruise missiles (FKR) against the most varied targets. It
does not pay to use cruise missiles with conventional charges. Thus, in
order to destroy one hardstand of fighter or fighter-bomber aircraft, up
to 20 cruise missiles with high-explosive charges are necessary, while
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with a small-yield nuclear charge one missile is adequate. Therefore,
cruise missiles are used primarily as a means of delivering nuclear
charges to targets.
The design of the cruise missile warhead permits carrying out air
as well as surface bursts.
The possibility of using front cruise missiles with chemical charges
is not ruled out. Calculations show that missiles with toxic combat sub-
stances (nerve-paralyzing and general toxic action) with high concentra-
tions are fully justified.
Finally, one of the positive characteristics of the cruise missiles
is their ability to neutralize detection and guidance radar sets inde-
pendently during flight. This is achieved by installing an active jamming
set in the missile and equipping it with means for setting up passive
Jamming. In addition it is possible to create cruise missiles in which
the programmed flight will provide for course and altitude maneuvers
which will significantly complicate their discovery and destruction.
The most substantial fault of the front cruise missiles is their
much lower capability to penetrate enemy antiair defenses than that of
the ballistic missiles. The experience of firings and calculations
shows that the losses of front cruise missiles (flying at an altitude of
400 to 600m) from PVO weapons may sometimes reach 30 percent, while losses
of ballistic missiles in this respect are practically equal to zero. Often
this circumstance may eliminate the advantages of the cruise missiles over
the ballistic missiles in other parameters.
Front cruise missiles,, like other p1Iot est ;pons, are constantly in
need of accurate reconnaiss; nee data wbout the objectives to be destroyed,
of the Jamming of enemy electronic mean:,, of the neutralization of his PVO
means, and of other measures of combat and pec.i l support which they are
not able to carry out fully with their organic forces and means.
Now let us examine the combat capabilities of cruise missiles to
destroy various targets. As an example, let us take the most characteristic,
in our opinion, targets - the enemy means of delivery of nuclear warheads,
since they are small, and consequently, not very vulnerable, and are also
very important from the standpoint of their combat significance. Atomic
artillery, guided missiles and free rockets, and nuclear-bomb-carrying
aircraft, are included in these targets.
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As is known, enemy atomic artillery, free rockets (NURS), and
some types of guided missiles (URS), at the firing positions are
some of the basic objectives of tactical missile and artillery
operations. However, in a number of cases tactical missiles and
artillery alone may not be able to cope with the mission of destroy-
ing the tactical nuclear weapons of the enemy, especially when a
large number of them are uncovered simultaneously on a broad front.
Therefore, in order to destroy tactical nuclear weapons of the enemy,
the operational-tactical, ballistic, and front cruise missiles, and
aviation,will often be brought in.
What is the difference in the expenditure of nuclear charges
and missiles - ballistic and cruise, that are necessary for destroy-
ing each individual targett In order to destroy fully a battery of
atomic artillery in its firing position (an area 1 x 2km),with the
guns and personnel located in shelters, it is necessary to have one
cruise missile with a nuclear charge of 15 kilotons or two tactical
ballistic missiles with a nuclear charge of 20 kilotons each. In
order to destroy the launching mounts and rockets (reaktivnyy
snaryad) of an "Honest John" NURS battery in its firing position
(an area 1 x 0.3km),it is necessary to use one cruise missile with
a 10-kiloton nuclear charge or 1 or 2 tactical ballistic missiles,
each with a 20-kiloton nuclear warhead.
In order to combat enemy operational-tactical means of using
nuclear weapons, front cruise missiles () will be used jointly
with operational-tactical missiles (OTR) and aviation. Let us
examine their capabilities. In order to put out of action com-
pletely the launching mounts and missiles (reaktivnyy snaryad) of
a "Corporal" URS battery in its firing position (an area 1.5 x 2km),
one FKR with a 30-kiloton nuclear charge is necessary, or five
ballistic OTR, each with a 40-kiloton nuclear charge.
One cruise missile with a 20-kiloton nuclear charge can destroy
all the cruise missiles (samolet-snaryad) and launching mounts of a
squadron of "I&tador" -.a; "lice" cruise missiles (samolet-snaryad)
in their launching zone (an area 3 x 2km). In order to fulfil this
same mission, it will be necessary to expend six operational-tactical
ballistic missiles, each with a 20-kiloton nuclear charge, or two
missiles with 100-kiloton nuclear charges.
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In examining the potentialities of missiles for destroying air-
cra,ft carrying nuclc':r weapons, it is necessary to take the following
into consideration. Inasmuch as our probable enemies are striving to
have each tactical bomber or fighter equipped to use nucle: