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9M133-1 / 9K135 - Kornet (AT-14 Spriggan)

A surface-to-surface [zemlya-zemlya] missile (ground-to-ground, ground-to-ship, ship-to-ground, ship-to-ship) is the broadest class of combat missiles, whose representatives are designed to hit targets on the surface of the earth, water, as well as buried objects. As a rule, they are part of the missile system. Surface-to-surface missiles can be launched from portable devices, self-propelled or towed installations, from fixed structures or from ships of various types. The flight of missiles of the described class is carried out, as in other cases, due to the thrust created during the operation of the jet engine.

Tactical missile - an unguided or guided (homing) missile with nuclear or conventional warheads that cannot be separated in flight, designed to destroy enemy targets in tactical depth. A tactical missile is launched from land-based mobile launchers, aircraft, helicopters, submarines and surface ships. It can also be used for electronic countermeasures and remote mining.

One of the signs of the classification of missile weapons was the position of the start and target. But the affiliation of a rocket (more precisely, a missile system), for example, to the “ground-to-ground” class does not yet explain its purpose, type or peculiarity of action.

A more detailed classification of missile systems is different in different countries. In Russia, it is customary to divide the ground-to-ground complexes into tactical, operational-tactical and strategic, which corresponds to the components of military art - tactics, operational art, strategy. This makes it possible to clearly define the range of tasks to be solved, the place in the weapons system, and the principles of combat use. Within the same class, complexes can differ in range, flight paths (cruise or ballistic missiles), types and power of warheads used, types of engines, guidance systems, mobility of launchers, combat readiness, etc.

Tactical missile systems are designed for fire support of troops, hitting targets directly in areas of combat operations. The range of their use is determined by the depth of the tasks of the formations, the warheads of the missiles are very diverse - anti-tank, high-explosive, incendiary, thermobaric, nuclear. Complexes with unguided missiles of the Luna-M type have left the scene, modern tactical missiles (for example, Tochka-U, Prithvi-1) are guided weapons. Multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS), like ATGMs, are classified as separate classes of missile weapons. However, an increase in the firing range, the introduction of corrected rockets and cluster warheads with self-aiming elements brought the MLRS closer in capabilities and value to tactical missile systems.

Operational-tactical complexes are designed to destroy enemy command posts, fire weapons, airfields, air defense and missile defense facilities, important point and group targets at an operational depth relative to the front line, are used in the interests of large military formations and in accordance with the general plan of an army or front operation ( army groups). The requirements for the use of troops in combat formations and high efficiency determined the placement of operational-tactical complexes, as well as tactical ones, on a self-propelled chassis. The maximum range of their use according to various classifications is determined at 300-500 km.

Operational-tactical complexes serve as an intermediate step between tactical and strategic missile weapons. However, it was they who most clearly demonstrated the capabilities of "long-range missiles" in combat conditions at the end of the 20th - beginning of the 21st century. It is not in vain that one of the most important new weapons systems of the Russian army has become the Iskander operational-tactical complex. Qualitative improvement of guidance systems has reduced the circular probable deviation to a few tens of meters. Together with an increase in the power of conventional warheads (cluster, penetrating, increased explosive action), this made it possible to achieve high efficiency in hitting important targets without the use of nuclear warheads.

Tactical missile system 9K79-1 " Tochka-U " development of the divisional missile system was launched by the Decree of the Council of Ministers of March 4, 1968. The "Tochka" complex was intended to destroy pinpoint small-sized targets in the depths of the enemy's defense: ground-based reconnaissance and strike systems.

Tactical missile system 9K52 Luna-M in 1961 was adopted by the Soviet army, which included the 2P16 tracked launcher, created on the basis of the PT-76 amphibious tank, as well as 3R10 and 3R9 missiles with a nuclear and high-explosive fragmentation warheads.

According to news reports and expert assessments, stocks of Russian missiles began to "melt" in the first weeks of the war in 2022. However, rocket attacks did not stop, which caused healthy skepticism about "emptied warehouses". There were several important points that will help to understand what is really happening. Indeed, as early as May 2022 the remnants of certain types of missiles were depleted due to small stocks in the combat zone. For example, most of the shelling at the beginning of the war was carried out by "Calibers" from ships in the Black Sea. Now they are used only for particularly valuable purposes. They can't carry out massive rocket launches now, because the first batch was fired quickly, let them reload once. And then you have to wait for reinforcements from other fleets - by rail or other ways. And these are not very large-scale additions.

As for "Iskanders", their number is also limited due to intensive use in the first days of the war. At the end of 2019, Russia rearmed 11 armies, in total they had a little more than 500 missiles (and some of them are definitely not involved in Ukraine: at least a third of the missiles should be left on other borders). According to media reports, the Russian military-industrial complex supplies no more than 100-200 missiles annually. Even if there were up to 1,000 Iskanders at the beginning of the war, and more than 500 were used in Ukraine, the reserves are still substantial, although they are forced to economize.

The estimated remains of the "Point-U" missiles are from 1,000 to 1,500. And although their technical characteristics are significantly inferior to the "Iskanders" (short range and accuracy), the possibilities for their strikes along the front line are practically unlimited - however, with a high the probability that the rocket will not fly after launch. Aviation missiles of the X-101 or X-555 type are also in short supply, because they were actively used in Syria, and the production of new ones is also limited - up to a hundred per year. According to one estimate, the minimum estimate of the number of X-555 is ~600 pieces, and the number of X-101 is about 100-200 pieces. Although ~300 cruise missiles of these two types have been fired, at least 400-500 X-555/X-101 are still in stock. Also, for their launch, expensive Tu-160, Tu-95MS, Tu-22M3M bombers need to be lifted into the sky, which theoretically should reduce the intensity of their use.