ALAS (missile)

ALAS (АЛАС) - LORANA
Advanced Light Attack System on display
Type	Long range multipurpose missile
Place of origin	Serbia
Service history
Used by	SRB
Production history
Manufacturer	EdePro, Yugoimport SDPR
Specifications
Weight	55 kg ALAS
Length	2300mm ALAS-A , 1800mm LORANA
Diameter	175mm x 1,450mm (wingspan) ALAS
Engine	solid fueled boost phase motor, EdePro TMM-404 single-shaft turbojet ALAS, rocket engine LORANA
Speed	180m/s
Guidance system	optical

ALAS (Advanced Light Attack System, Serbian: АЛАС)^[1] is a Serbian long-range multipurpose guided missile system developed by the private company EdePro, which operates under the direction of Yugoimport SDPR. The ALAS missile system is developed primarily for attack bombardment missions such as striking tanks, armored fighting vehicles, fortifications, command posts, low-flying helicopters, coastal ships, industrial facilities, and bridges. It can be deployed from helicopters, armored vehicles, small ships and infantry. The ALAS uses a combined TV/IR guidance, which cannot be jammed. The missile is guided using a fiber-optic cable, which connects the missile to the launcher. ALAS flies at very low altitude and has very small radar and IR signatures. It uses a turbofan motor instead of a turbojet motor. A secondary use for this system is as an UAV.^[2]

Description of system and role

The ALAS missile system is intended for two kinds of primary missions:

• Isolated strikes at targets from light land vehicles and for anti-ship combat.
• Striking land based targets from the sea. In this scenario, the missile is launched from a small ship or a helicopter.

Another possible application of the ALAS missile system would be to defend an airhead and conduct surgical strikes until heavier forces are available, using its range to extend the close-combat kill zone to 5–25 km in front of the forward line of its own troops, and for deeper strikes up to 60 km.

The operative flight envelope (required for flight and control system) in the radial axis with respect to the axis of motion is ±3g, whereas in the axial direction it is 10g.

Tactical role

The ALAS missile system is intended to attack distant targets, such as:

• Variety of static land installations.
• Tanks and combat vehicles.
• Hardened targets larger than 5 by 5 meters.
• Small boats, ships and other coastal targets.

Variants

There are two main types of system depending on missiles used as ALAS or LORANA system.

ALAS

The ALAS missile is hot-launched from its canister by means of a solid-propellant boost motor. Alas is the designation for missiles produced in Alas-A, Alas-B and Alas-C variants.

• Alas-A is a ground to ground variant with range of 25 km.
• Alas-B is a ground to ground variant with range of 60 km.
• Alas-C (Advanced Light Attack System - Coastal Defence) is an anti-ship variant and future mutual development between Serbia and UAE with 25 km or 50 km range in future development.

For UAE it will be delivered on the Nimr 6x6 chassis. The design of ALAS-C abandoned the initial design of the structure, The initial structure expanded the arrow wing forward, had a small degree of aerodynamic control via rudders, and was propelled by an axial turbine engine equipped with a single nozzle. The ALAS-C missiles actually installed the turbojet in the stretch LORANA of missile X-type wing control of the rudder head mounted at a 45 ° cross. Located in the wing front part on both sides of the elastomer is of the two intake ports of the engine, the wing rear portion on both sides of the elastomer is two flat engine nozzle, fiber spool is located in the nozzle rear. Employing an ins or optionally a gps guidance system the Alas-C will have a range of up to 25 km, using a TV/ccs/iir homing head to deliver its fragmentation warhead.^[3][4][5][6]

Specification of ALAS-A

• Speed: 180 m/s (mid-course)
• Altitude: 150-500m
• Range: 25 km
• Penetration: 800mm RHA

Guidance

The missile is programmed to follow a preset course around or over obstructing terrain using electronic terrain maps and inertial guidance. An infrared imaging is used for the terminal guidance phase, also it is possible to transfer the thermal images back to the launching platform via a 200 MBit/s data link provided by an optical fibre, and manually select the target or avoid collateral damage by aborting mission.

Missile communication is realized via optical monomode cable with two channels (communication directions):

• First channel is responsible for image transmission and data from missile to ground.
• Second channel is responsible for data transmission from ground station to vehicle.

Firing station comprises a high-performance compact computer for missile guidance, an operator control panel and a high-resolution display. The system uses advanced control and image processing algorithms, electro-optical converters and radio links. The firing station has an optional Global Positioning System (GPS),and north-seeking device. The firing station used for mission planning before the engagement. For mission planning the firing station stores a digitized map and displays the map during missile flight. For some mission applications, a dual monitor system used. The firing unit used as a trainer and simulator without additional hardware.

When attacking ships, missiles can fly at an altitude of a few meters above sea level. At this stage of the flight, the flight controls are made according to pre-programmed data, when the rocket fly to the target area, gunners seizes control and joystick controls and screen.

Propulsion

During launch, a solid propellant booster accelerates the missile to an initial cruising speed (120–150 m/s). The turbojet engine TMM-040 ignited to take the missile to the target under control of the guidance system and the operator to control the missile speed. Main propulsion characteristics:

• Missile main engine is Mongoose 040 turbojet according specified characteristics pushing the missile to a sub-sonic top speed of around 640–740 km/h (340-400 mp/h).
• In launch phase ALAS missile use two assigned propellant boosters
• Solid propellant booster is positioned on the rear side on the missile body placed after turbojet engine with requirements that thrust vector direction going through missile center of gravity position.

LORANA

There is a solid propellant sustainer rocket engine and accelerated with solid propellant booster engine variant instead turbojet with range estimated to 9 km with greater speed designated LORANA (LOng RAnge Non line of sight Attack system). Lorana has a 10 kg mono-HEAT or tandem warhead. LORANA is intended for use from land or helicopter platforms for launch.^[7] Lorana missile seeker was tested in mid 2012 on light aircraft SILA 450C domestic aircraft (made in Kraljevo, Serbia by Aero-East-Europe) in a series of 10 flights above military multibranch exercise range "Pasuljanske livade" Serbia.^[8] LORANA represents advanced remote non-line of sight attack system battery which consists of battery command post (based on light wheeled armored SUV or semi) and four launch vehicles, with each vehicle equipped with 4 to 6 containers with missiles. Also, there is a missile carrier, for reloading missiles or as a backup control car.

Lorana missile consists of the following functional units - sub-systems:^[9]

• Guidance head with a gyro-stabilized TV camera
• Subsystem management and control;- Warhead anti-tank tandem with 1 000 mm penetration of rolled homogeneous armor steel
• Group fired solid fuel propellant formed starting rocket engine and flight rocket engine (both engines developed by EDePro company)
• Communication subsystem based on fiber optic cable connection to transfer real-time (part of communication sub system are roll with fiber optic cable with a length of 9 km
• Electronic transmission apparatus for laser video signal to digital signal receiver

Specification of LORANA

• Length is 1.8 meters

• Diameter of the cylindrical body is 175 mm
• Wingspan reaches 1.2 m
• Starting weight missile is 60 kg
• Warhead is 10 kg
• Start rocket motor thrust is 4500 N and his work time is 3.5 seconds
• Start drive group provides missile flight speed of 120–200 m/s
• The flight rocket engine is equipped with a pair of laterally inclined nozzles, its thrust is 300 N and maximum specific impulse reaches 14 000 N^[9]

Guidance

The nose missile is mounted with TV unit, which allows the detection of target size tank at distances within 3 km. Field of view cameras used in TV display unit is 7 ° x 5 °. Fiber optic cable can handle pulling force 52 N. Loss signal in an optical cable is 0.2 dB / km. Optical Cable provides direction of ground control kit on board missile data transmission rate of 128 kbit/s and direction of the missile deck to ground control station data transmission speed of 240 Mbi /s - this direction is available one video channel and two data channels.

Firing station works in same principle as for ALAS rockets. According to available data Lorana can achieve accuracy of intervention chosen destination with a maximum deviation of 1 m.^[9]

Operational use

Missile takes off from the shipping container-starter.

Lorana can be stored in a container more than 10 years without the need preventive maintenance. After the installation on the carrier is ready for immediate use.^[9]

Exports

•  UAE: Contract reported in IDEX2013 ^[10] Contract is for ALAS-C based on 6x6 Nimr vehicle with 8 canisters for missiles. After completion of rocket within 1 year of signing contract first operational complete system prototype on NImr 6x6 is to be delivered for testing within 6 month after missile ALAS-C is made.^[4]

See also

• CM-501G
• FOG-MPM
• MGM-157 EFOGM
• XM501 Non-Line-of-Sight Launch System
• Polyphem, a similar European project
• Type 96 Multi-Purpose Missile System

References