Guided Weapons are OBSOLETE - Free Fall is Better! - video Dailymotion

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00:00Till a few days ago I was thinking what everybody else was thinking, that the Russians were

00:04not using a lot of precision-guided munitions in Ukraine because their stores were limited.

00:12Then I received a message with just one acronym SPV-24.

00:22At first I didn't know what it was referring to, so I did what everybody does in 2022,

00:28I ducked agon it, is it a word?

00:30And the article at the top was enough to plunge me into a very deep rabbit hole.

00:37So it seems that the SPV-24 is a Russian ballistic computer that is credited with an extreme

00:45accuracy.

00:47So I referred to my usual sources and I found two types of articles.

00:51The first case there were press releases that were just translated and reported with pretty

00:56much no changes.

00:57Yeah, not very informative, but the other type was like if this is possible then everybody

01:02else using PGMs is an idiot, which I have to admit was a slightly more articulated position.

01:08So at this point I knew I had to look into the Russian sources and thanks to Google Translate

01:14a very curious picture emerged.

01:17Yeah, but first let's make sure that we all understand the context.

01:34Modern aircraft have two modes to release unguided gravity bombs.

01:39Continuously computed impact point is a mode where the armament computer keeps calculating

01:45the impact point of the weapons if they were released now.

01:51In its simplest form the system uses the aircraft motion and the height above the target to

01:57calculate the impact point.

01:59This information is usually presented as a paper or a crosshair on the head-up display.

02:05The pilot flies the aircraft to a point where the target is under the crosshair, then it

02:10releases the payload.

02:11The system may consider several additional parameters.

02:14First of all, the ballistic characteristics of the weapons being used, but also wind,

02:20humidity, temperature or specific conditions of the release system on the aircraft.

02:26This mode can work with different attack trajectories like level bombing, dive bombing and the parameters

02:32may be acquired automatically or in older systems that can be entered manually by the pilot.

02:39Continuously computed release point is a more sophisticated mode that is not only useful

02:44for unguided weapons, but it can also help optimizing the trajectory of guided weapons.

02:50In this mode the first step is to designate the target position, that is by a bombing

02:56radar or some other sensors.

02:59Based on the target position and the aircraft kinematics, the system calculates where and

03:05when payload needs to be released to hit the target.

03:09The information is usually presented as a line on the head-up display with a symbol

03:15placed on the target and in some cases also a countdown to the release is also shown.

03:22The pilot will fly the aircraft in the direction suggested by the system and the computer will

03:28decide when to release the weapons in order to maximize the possibility to hit the target.

03:36Level toss and loft bombing accuracy can greatly benefit from this type of approach.

03:42CCRP is helpful with guided weapons too, for example a laser guided weapon will be released

03:48when the possibilities of locking onto the target are maximized and the ballistic trajectory

03:55is ideal.

03:56This system has been in use for a very long time and has been implemented on pretty much

04:01every type of aircraft whose mission is to hit some ground targets.

04:07Obviously the complexity has grown from a manual input system to something which is

04:12pretty much entirely automatic like in modern aircraft.

04:16Is the SPV-24 just another system like this?

04:21Or is it different?

04:22Well, it is not.

04:24The SPV-24, which is actually nicknamed Hephaestus, is an assembly of several subsystems whose

04:30job is to implement a CCRP system, but a system on steroids.

05:00So the SPV-24 can be connected with the aircraft sensor, either radar, infrared or TV, to designate

05:20the target.

05:21But it can also receive the target designation from another aircraft, from a NOAAX or from

05:28a forward air controller on the ground, and this process is completely automatic and in

05:34real time.

05:35It doesn't involve the pilot entering any data.

05:38The system integrates satellite navigation, which means GLONASS obviously, but we can

05:43safely assume that it is also going to use all the other available systems.

05:47It is using satellite navigation to be very very accurate about the position and the kinematics

05:54of the aircraft and the target.

05:56If combined with a ground controller, the aircraft can receive local data conditions

06:02like wind, extremely important, but also humidity, temperature.

06:08And if the target is moving, it can receive direction and speed of the target.

06:14And the update is automatic and in real time.

06:16On the basis of this extended data set, the computer calculates and gives the pilots the

06:21best trajectories to attack the target.

06:24For example, it can choose a high altitude option or a low altitude option, or toss bombing

06:31rather than level bombing.

06:33Then the pilot makes its choice and the computer automatically releases the weapons.

06:38So the system is more accurate than any other ballistic computer because it uses an extended

06:43data set to calculate the firing solution.

06:47This seems to be the secret sauce of the SPV-24.

06:52When the system in its current form was first tested in Syria, the Russians were enthusiasts

06:57because they had never seen anything like that.

07:00Accuracy is measured with a parameter called Circular Error Probability.

07:05For example, if the CEP of a system, or anything for what matters, is 50 meters, it means that

07:1350% of the shots fall in a circle of 50 meters radius around the target.

07:22There have been unconfirmed reports that the SPV-24 demonstrated a CEP of 13 meters, which

07:31is definitely much better of any other system of this kind.

07:34Obviously, the CEP depends from a lot of conditions, but even this is the best CEP they could get

07:41from the system, it is still a remarkable result.

07:46Observers on the ground reported at least one confirmed case in which an aircraft equipped

07:52with the SPV-24 was capable of hitting directly a tank with an unguided bomb, something which

07:59is incredibly difficult to obtain.

08:02The Russians were so happy with the system that contracts were signed in a hurry to equip

08:07almost all the air-to-ground platforms of the VKS, there have been claims from Russian

08:12officials that the system is as accurate as precision-guided munitions.

08:19Actually if the system CEP is 13 meters and the JDAM CEP is 10-12 meters, well I can see

08:26where the claim is coming from.

08:28So is this to be believed?

08:29Well, no, it can't be.

08:32First because I believe that the JDAM is definitely much more accurate than that.

08:37Second, it is impossible to work around the law of physics.

08:41When the payload leaves the pylon, it will always have a minor lateral velocity component,

08:48and during the fall, the wind will influence it in a way that can be irregular and very

08:55difficult to calculate.

08:56Every time free-fall bombs are used, it is also expected that they will have a dispersion.

09:02There's no way around.

09:04It is indeed likely that a system like the SPV-24 that is using an extended set of parameters

09:11to calculate the trajectory is going to be more accurate than the average armament computer,

09:17potentially even much more accurate.

09:20Still, it's hard to believe that it's going to reach the same level of accuracy as a guided

09:25weapon.

09:27Nothing to see here?

09:28Well, no, because a system like this can still be valuable.

09:33I don't know the numbers, but probably a salvo of DAM-Russian bombs is still 4 or 5 times

09:41less expensive than a JDAM kit.

09:44DAM bombs are relatively cheap, can be serially produced, they are low technology, they don't

09:49depend on foreign suppliers, so they will always be available.

09:53If they can reach a decent level of precision like the SPV-24 seems to provide, they are

10:00still an excellent bang for the buck.

10:03Western air forces today hardly use unguided weapons, so a system like this for a NATO

10:08country would not be particularly interesting.

10:12But for a mid-tier air force, well, it's definitely something to consider.

10:17And probably the presence of a system like this is the reason why we are seeing so many

10:25DAM bombs being used in Ukraine.

10:28But there is still something unclear.

10:30Who sent me the original message?

10:40If you got so far, I'm sure you liked the video, and if you liked the video, there are

10:44several other videos about the Russian air force and Russian aircraft on the channel

10:49that are going to appear beside me.

10:51A great thank you to all those who are supporting the channel by being members or on Patreon.

10:55Remember there is a new way of supporting the channel by purchasing aircraft models

10:59built by Air Models, there is an affiliate link below, I will get a small percentage

11:03and at no extra cost for you.

11:06So, thank you very much for watching, and see you there!

Guided Weapons are OBSOLETE - Free Fall is Better!

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