S-13 rocket
Encyclopedia
The S-13 is a 122 mm calibre unguided rocket
weapon developed by the Soviet Air Force
for use by military aircraft
. It remains in service with the Russia
n Air Force and some other countries.
The S-13 rocket was developed in the 1970s to meet requirements for a penetrating weapon capable of cratering runways and penetrating hardened aircraft shelters, bunkers and pillboxes, to fill a gap between 80 mm and 240 mm rockets and fulfill a role similar to the 127 mm Zuni
rocket. The S-13 is conventional in layout, with a solid rocket motor and folding tail fins that provide stability after launch.
The first trials were in 1973, but it was introduced only in 1983. S-13 rockets are shot from 5-tube launchers B-13L, that can be carried by most of Soviet and Russian attack and new fighter aircraft, like Su-17/20/22
, Su-24, Su-25, Su-27, MiG-23BN, MiG-27, MiG-29. B-13L1 launcher is used by helicopters, like Mil Mi-24
, Mil Mi-28
, Ka-29TB, Ka-50
, Ka-52.
Rocket (weapon)
A rocket is a self propelled, unguided weapon system powered by a rocket motor.- Categorisation :In military parlance, powered munitions are broadly categorised as follows:* A powered, unguided munition is known as a rocket....
weapon developed by the Soviet Air Force
Soviet Air Force
The Soviet Air Force, officially known in Russian as Военно-воздушные силы or Voenno-Vozdushnye Sily and often abbreviated VVS was the official designation of one of the air forces of the Soviet Union. The other was the Soviet Air Defence Forces...
for use by military aircraft
Military aircraft
A military aircraft is any fixed-wing or rotary-wing aircraft that is operated by a legal or insurrectionary armed service of any type. Military aircraft can be either combat or non-combat:...
. It remains in service with the Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n Air Force and some other countries.
The S-13 rocket was developed in the 1970s to meet requirements for a penetrating weapon capable of cratering runways and penetrating hardened aircraft shelters, bunkers and pillboxes, to fill a gap between 80 mm and 240 mm rockets and fulfill a role similar to the 127 mm Zuni
Zuni (rocket)
The Zuni is a unguided rocket deployed by the United States armed forces. The rocket was developed for both air-to-air and air-to-ground operations. It can be used to carry various types of warheads, including chaff for countermeasures. It is usually fired from the LAU-10 rocket pod holding four...
rocket. The S-13 is conventional in layout, with a solid rocket motor and folding tail fins that provide stability after launch.
The first trials were in 1973, but it was introduced only in 1983. S-13 rockets are shot from 5-tube launchers B-13L, that can be carried by most of Soviet and Russian attack and new fighter aircraft, like Su-17/20/22
Sukhoi Su-17
The Sukhoi Su-17 is a Soviet attack aircraft developed from the Sukhoi Su-7 fighter-bomber. It enjoyed a long career in Soviet, later Russian, service and was widely exported to communist and Middle Eastern air forces, under names Su-20 and Su-22.-Development:Seeking to improve low-speed and...
, Su-24, Su-25, Su-27, MiG-23BN, MiG-27, MiG-29. B-13L1 launcher is used by helicopters, like Mil Mi-24
Mil Mi-24
The Mil Mi-24 is a large helicopter gunship and attack helicopter and low-capacity troop transport with room for 8 passengers. It is produced by Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant and operated since 1972 by the Soviet Air Force, its successors, and by over thirty other nations.In NATO circles the export...
, Mil Mi-28
Mil Mi-28
The Mil Mi-28 is a Russian all-weather day-night military tandem two-seat anti-armour attack helicopter. It is a dedicated attack helicopter with no intended secondary transport capability, better optimized than the Mil Mi-24 for the role...
, Ka-29TB, Ka-50
Kamov Ka-50
The Kamov Ka-50 "Black Shark" is a single-seat Russian attack helicopter with the distinctive coaxial rotor system of the Kamov design bureau. It was designed in the 1980s and adopted for service in the Russian army in 1995...
, Ka-52.
Launcher specifications
| Designation | Length | Diameter | Unloaded weight | Number of rockets | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B-13L | 3.56 m | 0.410 m | 160 kg | 5 | 0.15 seconds firing interval |
| B-13L1 | 3.06 m | 0.410 m | 140 kg | 5 | 0.15 seconds firing interval |
Rocket specifications
| Designation | Type | Length overall | Launch weight | Warhead weight | Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S-13 | Penetration | 2.54 m | 57 kg | 21 kg (1.82 kg of explosive) |
1.1 - 3 km | Penetrates 3 m of earth and 1 m of reinforced concrete. On runways it produces a demolition area of 20 m². Velocity 650 m/s |
| S-13B | Penetration | 2.63 m | 60 kg | 23 kg (1.92 kg of explosive) |
n/a | Penetrates 3 m of earth and 1 m of concrete. |
| S-13T | Tandem HEAT Heat In physics and thermodynamics, heat is energy transferred from one body, region, or thermodynamic system to another due to thermal contact or thermal radiation when the systems are at different temperatures. It is often described as one of the fundamental processes of energy transfer between... |
2.99 m | 75 kg | 21 kg and 16.3 kg (1.8 kg and 2.7 kg of explosives) | 1.1 - 4 km | Combined penetration of 6 m of earth and 1 m of reinforced concrete. Velocity 500 m/s |
| S-13OF | APAM/FRAG | 2.97 m | 69 kg | 33 kg (7 kg of explosive) |
1.6 - 3 km | Produces 450 splinters between 23 and 35 g, capable of penetrating lightly armoured vehicles such as APCs and IFVs. Velocity 530 m/s. Introduced in 1993. |
| S-13D | FAE Thermobaric weapon A thermobaric weapon, which includes the type known as a "fuel-air bomb", is an explosive weapon that produces a blast wave of a significantly longer duration than those produced by condensed explosives. This is useful in military applications where its longer duration increases the numbers of... |
3.12 m | 68 kg | 32 kg (14.2 kg of fuel) |
1.6 - 3 km | 35 - 40 kg TNT equivalent. Velocity 530 m/s. Introduced in 1995. |
| S-13DF | FAE | 3.12 m | 68 kg | 32 kg (14.6 kg of fuel) |
0.5 - 6 km | Up to 40 kg TNT equivalent. Velocity 530 m/s |
See also
- S-8 rocketS-8 rocketThe S-8 is a rocket weapon developed by the Soviet Air Force for use by military aircraft. It remains in service with the Russian Air Force and various export customers....
- S-24 rocketS-24 rocketThe S-24 is a rocket weapon designed and used by the Soviet Air Force. It remains in use by the Russian Air Force. The name is based on the diameter of the rocket, 240 mm ....
- UgrozaUgrozaUgroza is a precision-guided weapons system made in Russian Federation. It is an upgrade for standard Russian "dumb" rockets, including the S-5, S-8, and S-13 rockets. The system upgrades the "dumb" rockets with laser guidance, very significantly increasing their accuracy. It requires a laser...
, a proposed upgrade of "dumb" rockets to salvo-fired laser-guided precision missiles
External links
- http://warfare.ru/?linkid=2513&catid=346
- http://worldweapon.ru/vertuski/s13.php - photos (and description in Russian)