The RBU-1000 Smerch-3 is a 300 mm caliber Russian anti-submarine and anti-torpedo rocket launcher. It entered service around 1962-1963. It is similar in operation to the Hedgehog system used during the Second World War. The RBU-1000 is remotely aimed by the Burya fire control system (which is also used by the RBU-6000 system). It is crewed by three men, two in the magazine room, one in the control center.
The launcher consists of six barrels which are automatically loaded one at a time from a below deck magazine that holds either 60 or 48 rounds per launcher. The systems reaction time is around two minutes between initial target detection and the first salvo reaching the target, though this can be reduced to under one minute if some target data is pre-entered (for example depth and speed). Salvos consist of 1,2,4 or 6 RGB-10 rockets with a gap of around a second between each rocket. Reloading takes less than three minutes.
The rockets travel in a ballistic arc and strike the water, sinking rapidly and are either detonated when reaching a depth set at launch or on impact with a target.
RBU-1000 were used, among others, on Rajput (Soviet Kashin) class destroyers (Project 61).
History
Antisubmarine weapon systems using depth charges occupy an important place among various antisubmarine weapons now operational with navies.
In the Russian Navy, the most widely used shipborne weaponry of this type is represented by Smerch family antisubmarine rocket systems.
One such example is the Smerch system, comprising the RBU-1000 antisubmarine rocket launcher developed for arming primarily small and medium-sized surface combatant ships.
The system is designed for combat against submarines and self-protection of ships against hostile torpedoes at close quarters. The minimum range of fire at submarines and torpedoes amounts to about 100 m, in other words is virtually equal to the ship's safe clearance with respect to bursts of its own rockets.
As in usual practice, the ship can carry one or two RBU-1000 antisubmarine rocket launchers and the PUS-B fire control system. Provision is also made for magazines to store antisubmarine rockets and feed them to launchers.
The RBU-1000 antisubmarine rocket launcher has been developed from the RBU-6000 antisubmarine rocket launcher which differs structurally from the latter in the new tube cluster and rocket hoist. These differences are attributable to the greater weight and overall dimensions of the RGB-10 antisubmarine rocket, compared with those of the RGB-60 antisubmarine rocket.
The tube cluster of the RBU-1000 rocket launcher comprises six radial tubes (barrels) designed to store the antisubmarine rockets in a state of constant readiness for use and launch them.
Located directly underneath the launcher is an underdeck space accommodating the mechanisms for loading the launcher and its remote and manual laying. Rockets from the magazine are fed to the rocket hoist by means of an elevator.
Participation of the crewmen in loading, laying and firing of the launcher boils down to mere control, as all these procedures are automated. However, provision is made for standby methods of loading and laying of the launcher via manual mechanisms, in the event of a power supply failure or damage to the equipment.
Provision is made in the design of launcher mechanisms (guidance drives, rocket hoist, rocket arresters, etc.) for locking devices to avoid emergencies.
The launcher crew comprises three people (two in the rocket magazine and one at the control station in the underdeck space).
The launcher may be employed at an outside air temperature ranging from -40 to +40 oC and in sea strengths of up to 8.
The RGB-10 antisubmarine rocket is actually an unguided solid-propellant projectile weighing 195 kg, 1,800 mm long and 300 mm in caliber.
The rocket's warhead is filled with a 100-kg explosive charge and completed with an impact-time fuze, which can be set to either impact or impact-time action. In the first case, the rocket explodes upon hitting a submarine or any other obstacle. In the second case, the burst occurs when the rocket hits an obstacle or reaches a preset depth.
The RGB-10 antisubmarine rocket is capable of destroying a submarine at a diving depth ranging from a periscopic depth to 500 m.
The type and depth of the detonation are set by the fire control officer depending on the type of a target, its diving depth, sea depth and other factors.
For recommendations on this matter, one should refer to respective instructions on antisubmarine rocket launcher combat use. The type and depth of the RGB rocket detonation are remotely set by the fire control officer with the aid of a fire control panel and launcher-mounted fire control devices.
The PUS-B fire control system provides for combat employment of the RBU-1000 and RBU-6000 antisubmarine rocket launchers. The system comprises a fire control director and fire control panel located at the ship's control center and peripheral devices installed on the launchers and in the rocket magazines, and also electrical lines for the transmission of data, signals and commands.
Using data obtained from the ship's underwater target detection facilities, the PUS-B system generates total laying angles both in azimuth and elevation and transmits them to the launchers to perform automatic remote or manual laying of the latter. Antisubmarine rockets are fired on command: there may be one, two, four or six rockets in a salvo. Each successive rocket is fired at a rate of one second. Once all the rockets have been spent, the tube cluster automatically turns to the position of loading the first tube. A rocket is fed into the tube with its stabilizer facing forward, becomes locked and then the next tube is turned home to take the position over the rocket hoist hatch, etc. Once all the tubes have been loaded, the launcher is automatically laid at the target, unless other commands are transmitted.
The rockets are stored in rocket magazines in a state of readiness for combat employment, i.e. with fuzes fitted on them. In combat conditions, the rockets are loaded into tubes as soon as the ship takes to sea and remain there throughout the cruise.
Specifications
Launcher
- Weight: 2900 kg
- Length: 2165 mm
- Width: 2000 mm
- Height: 2030 mm
- Traverse rate: 30 °/sec
RGB-10 (РГБ-10) rocket
- Range: 100 m to 1000 m
- Weight: 97 kg
- Caliber: 300 mm
- Length: 1800 mm
- Sink rate: 11.8 m/s
- Maximum depth: 450 m
Ships
Indian
Others
- 1134.2 Kara class
- 956 Sovremennyy class
- 61M Kashin Mod class
- 1144 (.2) Kirov class
Sources
- Warfare.ru
- Naval Technology
- russiansentry.com
