Yakhont (missile Brahmos based on)
Employs stealth technology, has supersonic flight speed and a
completely independent guidance system based on the fire-and-forget
concept. The missile is 8.9 meters (29.1 feet) in length.
It can be launched from ships, aircraft, submarines, or
even ground mobile launchers and is fired from a unified
encapsulated ampoule - shaped transporter - launching container.
Flight speed is at Mach 2.0+, using a kerosene liquid-fuel ramjet,
with a terminal run at Mach 2.5.
Range is at 300 km in a hi-lo profile or at 120 km at altitudes of
5-15 metres, in a lo-lo profile. A regular mid-course phase of the
flight occurs at 15 km. If and when launched from submarines, the
vessel must be fitted with 650mm torpedo tubes. An operational
missile designed for hitting complex sea-based and in-shore
targets, a vessel armed with the Yakhount can carry out combat
operations against warships or even against carrier battle
groups.
Yakhont's navigation system uses an inertial guidance
system based on the present target location data. At a
pre-calculated flight point (around 25 - 80 km), a brief turn-on of
the homing scanner occurs, resulting in exact determination of
target location. After that, the homing system turns on only when
the Yakhont leaves the radio horizon and drops its altitude to 5 -
15 metres, i.e. a few seconds before hitting the target.
It carries a 250 kg (553 lbs.) warhead.
The missile's designers assume, that the enemy would detect the
launch of the missile at the distance of 300 km and take measures
to destroy it. However, being resistant to jamming, having the
flight velocity of 750 m/s and making complex maneuvers during
flight, the Yakhont ASCM shall anyway reach the target. It
is not the high speed or jamming protection that makes Yakhont an
advanced weapon system. It's major advantage is the guidance system
which has accumulated all experience everywhere in developing
electronic systems of AI (Artificial Intelligence)
enabling to fight against single warships (one missile - one ship)
or even against a group of warships (a flock against a
group).
It is salvo launching that shows all unsurpassed tactical
capabilities of the Russian weapon. The missiles allocate and range
targets by their importance and choose the attack implementation
plan. The independent control system keeps in memory not
only of the ECM (Electronic Countermeasures) and ECCM (Electronic
Counter-Countermeasures) data, but also the methods of evading the
fire of the enemy's air defense systems such as the US' Phalanx
CIWS (Close-In Weapon System). Having destroyed the main
target in a carrier group, the missiles left attack other ships of
the carrier group, eliminating the possibility of using two
missiles on one target.
