RBU-1000

The RBU-1000 Smerch-3 is a 300 mm caliber Russian anti-submarine and anti-torpedo rocket launcher. It entered service around 1962-1963. It is similar in operation to the Hedgehog system used during the Second World War. The RBU-1000 is remotely aimed by the Burya fire control system (which is also used by the RBU-6000 system). It is crewed by three men, two in the magazine room, one in the control center.

The launcher consists of six barrels which are automatically loaded one at a time from a below deck magazine that holds either 60 or 48 rounds per launcher. The systems reaction time is around two minutes between initial target detection and the first salvo reaching the target, though this can be reduced to under one minute if some target data is pre-entered (for example depth and speed). Salvos consist of 1,2,4 or 6 RGB-10 rockets with a gap of around a second between each rocket. Reloading takes less than three minutes.

The rockets travel in a ballistic arc and strike the water, sinking rapidly and are either detonated when reaching a depth set at launch or on impact with a target.

RBU-1000 were used, among others, on Kashin class destroyers (Project 61).

pecifications

Launcher

* Weight: 2900 kg
* Length: 2165 mm
* Width: 2000 mm
* Height: 2030 mm
* Traverse rate: 30 °/sec

RGB-10 (РГБ-10) rocket

* Range: 100 m to 1000 m
* Weight: 97 kg
* Caliber: 300 mm
* Length: 1800 mm
* Sink rate: 11.8 m/s
* Maximum depth: 450 m

References

* "The Naval Institute Guide to World Naval Systems 1997-1998"
* [http://warfare.ru/?catid=267&linkid=1726 Warfare.ru Smerch system]