Roketsan unveils new 122 mm guided artillery missile
Roketsan is in the final qualification stages of a new, guided addition to its 122 mm calibre family (TR-122/TRB-122) of surface-to-surface artillery rockets. Designated TRG-122, Roketsan classifies the effector as a guided artillery missile because of its incorporation of a satellite navigation-aided guidance package.
Unveiled at the MSPO Exhibition in Kielce, Poland, in September, the design, development, and qualification trials of the TRG-122 have been funded exclusively by Roketsan. In development with Roketsan since mid-2015, the new effector leverages technologies from the company's existing class of 122 mm rockets along with a parallel development of a satellite navigation guidance package originally developed for the 300 mm calibre TRG-300 (Kaplan/Tiger) surface-to-surface missile.
- TRG-122 qualification expected to be finalised by mid-2017
- The new effector leverages technologies from the company's existing class of 122 mm rockets
Detail specifications !
Including the 18.4 kg high explosive (HE) or steel ball blast fragmentation warhead, the all-up TRG-122 round weighs 72 kg. Equipped with a Roketsan-developed proximity fuze (with point detonating back-up), the effective lethality radius of the warhead is given as more than or equal to 20 m (HE fragmentation) and more than or equal to 30 m (steel ball). The TRG-122 utilises the same composite solid propellant rocket motor and tail assembly used in its existing 122 mm rocket family. The missile's flight trajectory is corrected by electro-mechanically actuated aerodynamic surfaces located in the nose of missile, with guidance delivered by a satellite navigation-aided system. Roketsan is offering GNSS (GPS/GLONASS), GPS, and GLONASS satellite navigation packages, depending on customer preference.
Minimum range is given as 16 km, maximum range 35 km, and accuracy, in terms of circular error probable (CEP), as less than 50 m. Qualification of the missile is expected to be finalised by mid-2017, Dr Mahir Çakiroglu, director of Ballistic Systems Programmes at Roketsan, told IHS Janes .
The new missile is designed to provide concentrated precision fire support for manoeuvring forces against a broad target set, including lightly armoured vehicles, mobile command-and-control (C2) centres, anti-personnel, and other high pay off targets, Çakiroglu said. He noted that although TRG-122 is marketed as an all-up round, its guidance package can be incorporated with an unguided 122 mm rocket to add precision, "This [TRG-122] solution can be applied to new 122 mm rockets, as well as 122 mm rockets already in inventory, simply by dismantling the warhead and fuze package and installing the TRG-122 guidance package, new warhead, and new fuze assembly."
"The TRG-122 offers increased cost effectiveness over traditional unguided rockets. If you consider a target area 200 m x 200 m for example, it would require 15 times the number of unguided rockets to deliver the same effects as a TRG-122," he said.
Early qualification trials of the TRG-122 to evaluate guidance and control performance and CEP were conducted at the Turkish Armed Forces' Karapinar Firing Range Test and Evaluation Centre in Konya, Turkey, in April this year.
Çakiroglu said the trials included 10 live firing shots of the TRG-122 - equipped with an inert warhead - out to two different ranges: 18 km and 28 km. Çakiroglu confirmed that all shots achieved accuracy of 3 m and 18 m at the respective ranges, but noted that the stated CEP for the TRG-122 remains less than 50 m.
The TRG-122 is developed primarily, but not exclusively, for operation with the T-107/122, T-122/300, and Multi-cradle Rocket Launcher (MCRL)-122/300 launchers. However, Çakiroglu said the missile "has application with allied 122 mm and other traditional multiple barrel 122 mm calibre launcher systems".
Roketsan is showing two launch-package configurations for the TRG-122: 20 missiles in a thermally insulated single-sealed pod or - to equip legacy multiple-barrel 122 mm systems such as the BM-21 'Grad' 122 mm multiple rocket launcher - one TRG-122 missile packaged in a single individual storage container. Çakiroglu said that in the latter case, "the TRG-122 can be integrated with minimum modification to the launcher, and can be individually prepared for a fire mission, using a portable computer."
Typically there are two 122 mm sealed pods per launch platform, although options exist for mounting variable platform payloads: a single pod in the case of the T-107/122 launcher, two pods for the T-122/300 launcher, or up to three pods on the Roketsan MCRL-122/300. Çakiroglu said that the sealed pod configuration allows for 20 TRG-122 missiles to be loaded at one time and therefore enables reduced mission preparation time. A built-in test capability integrated into the weapon system allows for continuous monitoring of mission readiness for each missile, while automatic calculation and distribution of multiple aimpoints through the launch platform's Weapon Management System enables engagement of large or multiple target areas using a single launcher.
Çakiroglu noted that the TRG-122 missile, like the rest of the Roketsan 122 mm rocket family, will have a NATO stock code, which is a prerequisite for entering service with the Turkish Armed Forces or other NATO users.
Source: JDW
