On the Ukrainian battlefield, the Russian Izdelie 305 LMUR missile is said to have excelled at consistently wreaking havoc on the adversary.
According to the Russian side, the video depicts a Russian missile attack using the Izdelie 305 LMUR against a Ukrainian target. Strong firepower, excellent mobility, and notably accuracy are what are credited with this weapon’s combat effectiveness.There are other Russian weapon variants that have performed well in actual warfare besides those that have not received as much attention, as evidenced by the Izdelie 305 LMUR missile.
For nearly two months, the Russian military has continually published photographs of missile attacks. Notably, the movies are immediately captured by the missile’s thermal imaging probe and sent to the aircraft rather than remotely captured by the sensors of the helicopter or unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). To protect the weapon’s secret, the writing on the screen is obscured, however in some footage, the letters “AS-BPLA” are visible. The LMUR missile’s communication tool is referred to by this abbreviation.
In order to create light rockets for helicopters, the Izdelie 305 LMUR project, also known as LMUR, was initially made public in 2007. Due to financial constraints at the time, the Russian Defense Ministry did not place an order for this weapon, which led the manufacturer to halt research and development of the weapon. With a two-way data transfer, this kind of missile can send photos from the probe to the helicopter and receive control instructions from the crew.
The FSB wants to be able to self-destruct once the rocket leaves the launch pad and regulate the rocket’s flight path as it approaches its objective. The Izdelie 305 LMUR was tested on the Mi-8MNP-2 helicopter in the years 2015 and 2016. Shortly after the FSB ordered this particular missile, a mass production line was established. Along with expressing interest and placing an order, the Russian Ministry of Defense also started testing Izdelie 305 LMUR missiles on heavy attack helicopters like the Mi-28NM and Ka-52M.
The Izdelie 305 LMUR, despite being referred to as a light missile, weighs twice as much as surface-to-surface missiles like the 9M120 Ataka and 9M123 Khrizantema, which are frequently deployed by Russian military helicopters. Izdelie 305 LMUR is almost two metres long, has a 0.2-meter diameter, and weighs 105 kg.A 25 kilogramme fragmentation warhead is used. The missile can travel at a maximum speed of more than 800 km/h and a range of 14.5 km, 2.5 times that of the Ataka series.
In addition to an autopilot system employing inertial positioning, radio altimeter, satellite navigation unit BNAP-305 compatible with Russian GLONASS systems, and Western GPS, the Izdelie 305 LMUR is outfitted with a 9B-7755 thermal imaging probe created by the MNITI Institute in Moscow.
Two antennae are installed on the shell to allow for data transfer to the chopper. The missile is fired against the visible target in the basic combat scenario. Pilots can designate the target and view photos directly from the missile’s launcher probe. The chopper will rotate to evade a retaliation as the bullet rushes to its target autonomously.
The second approach, in which the projectile will be released at a target out of sight or covered by an obstacle, has never been observed on Russian helicopter-launched air-to-ground missiles. The autopilot system and satellite navigation allow the missile to launch and fly to the presumed target location. The missile’s picture will be monitored by the pilot, who will then search for and choose a target before directing an assault.
If necessary, the pilot can instruct the Izdelie 305 LMUR missile to self-destruct or modify the target. The number of Izdelie 305 LMUR missiles that Russia has acquired is not made public, but experts believe that the military is armed with at least 200–300 rounds, not including the quantity that is in the FSB’s arsenal.
Each Izdelie 305 LMUR missile shell costs roughly $227,000, according to the 2018 deal. In order to battle in Ukraine, the Russian military has armed the Ka-52 and Mi-28 helicopters with Izdelie 305 LMUR missiles.
