S-5 rocket

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A S-5M rocket. It has a sharper nose than the original S-5 rocket and the fins do not fold back as far.

A cross section of a S-5M rocket.

The S-5 (first designated ARS-57) is a rocket weapon developed by the Soviet Air Force and used by military aircraft against ground area targets. It is in service with the Russian Air Force and various export customers.

It is produced in a variety of subtypes with different warheads, including hollow-charge anti-armor (S-5K), high-explosive fragmentation (S-5M/MO), smoke, and incendiary rounds. Each rocket is about 1.4 meters (4 ft 6 in) long and weighs about 5 kg (11 lb), depending on warhead and fuse. Range is 3 to 4 kilometers (1.9 to 2.6 miles).

[edit] Development

Developed in the late 1950s, originally as part of the air to air AS-5 weapon system for the MiG-19. The rockets were tested in a series of configurations on MiG-15bis and MiG-17 jets, with the final tests complete on a MiG-17PF in January 1955. The tests revealed that the rockets did not perform as expected aginst aerial targets.

[edit] Description

The S-5 is actually 55 mm (2.2 in) calibre unguided rocket fired from a 57 mm calibre tube. It is used by fighter bombers and helicopters. It consists of a steel body containing a solid fuel rocket, and a high explosive warhead with a mechanical impact fuze. At the rear of the rocket is an elongated exhaust nozzle, attached to which are eight forward folding fins. The fins fold around the rocket when it is stowed in its launch tube, springing back as soon as it leaves the launch tube. In flight the fins provide stabilizing spin to the rocket, spinning it at approximately 750 rpm. The solid rocket motor burns for just 1.1 seconds, during which time it covers about 300 meters.

The S-5 is carried in rocket pods, with 4 - 32 rockets. The first were ORO-57 launchers, made in variants with capacity of 4, 8 and 16 rockets. Then, typical launcher became UB-16-57, with 16 rockets, produced in a few variants, for helicopters and planes. "57" is referring to the actual diameter of the launch tube (the diameter of the rocket plus 2 mm). In the 1970s there was developed an ultimate launcher UB-32 with 32 rockets, carried by heavier aircraft. In Poland, Mars-2 launcher was developed for 16 rockets.

S-5 rockets were used extensively by Sukhoi Su-25 and Mil Mi-24 aircraft in Afghanistan in the 1980s, where their effectiveness was considered poor. Pilots described the rockets fanning out after launch "like a tulip", and that the warhead was only good for "tickling the dookhi's heels". The Russian forces have shifted to higher-caliber weapons like the S-8 rocket instead.

[edit] Launchers specifications

Su-7BKL with UB-16-57U rocket launcher

• ORO-57K
  • rockets: 8
  • weight, empty: 33 kg
  • weight, loaded: 64 kg
  • aircraft: MiG-19
• UB-16-57U
  • rockets: 16
  • weight, empty: 54 kg
  • weight, loaded: 116 kg
  • aircraft: MiG-21, Su-7, Mi-8 (different variants of UB-16-57)
• UB-32
  • rockets: 32
  • weight, empty: 103 kg
  • weight, loaded: 264 kg
  • aircraft: MiG-21, MiG-23, MiG-27, Su-7, Su-17/20/22, Su-25, Mi-17, Mi-24

[edit] Rocket specifications

[edit] References

• Soviet/Russian Aircraft Weapons Since World War Two, Yefim Gordon, ISBN 1-85780-188-1
• Mil Mi-24 Hind Attack Helicopter, Yefim Gordon and Dimitri Komissarov, ISBN 1-84037-238-9
• Jane's Air Launched Weapons Issue 36, Duncan Lennox, ISBN 0-7106-0866-7