Russia deploys Khrizantema-S anti-tank vehicle to fight Western tanks in Ukraine

To fight the modern Western tanks utilized by the Ukrainian army, Russian forces deploy one of the most efficient anti-tank armored vehicles, known as the Khrizantema-S, Russian designation, 9P157-2. The missile fired by the Khrizantema-S has the ability to penetrate both passive and reactive tank armor. Furthermore, it can engage low-altitude aircraft, defensive infrastructure, and enemy troops.
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The Russian Khrizantema-S is now deployed in Ukraine to fight Western tanks donated by European countries and the United States to the Ukrainian army. (Picture source Video footage Russian MoD)

According to Russian sources, three Khrizantema-S 9P157-2 tank destroyers have the capacity to confront 14 assault tanks, eliminating a minimum of sixty percent of the offensive force. The dual-guidance system guarantees resistance against electronic disruptions and the ability to function in any weather conditions, irrespective of day or night.

The Khrizantema anti-tank missile was unveiled in July 1996 by the Konstruktorskoye Byuro Mashynostroyenia (KB Mashinostroyeniya – KBM) Engineering Design Bureau. The missile began development in the 1980s and was designed as an all-weather, multi-purpose missile system that could defeat current and future armored units equipped with advanced armor protection, such as Explosive Reactive Armor (ERA).

The 9M123 Khrizantema, NATO reporting name AT-15 Springer is a Russian anti-tank guided missile (ATGM). It was designed to destroy current and future generations of main battle tanks and can also be used to engage slow and low-flying aerial targets like helicopters.

The Khrizantema-S anti-tank missile system can be mounted on several types of vehicle platforms. One such platform is the BMP-3, which is a Russian infantry fighting vehicle (IFV). The combination of the Khrizantema-S system on a BMP-3 chassis provides a highly mobile, well-protected, and heavily armed vehicle that can be used for a variety of combat scenarios.

The BMP-3 is one of the most heavily armed infantry combat vehicles in service, designed to provide infantry squads with armored protection while also providing significant firepower. When combined with the Khrizantema-S, the vehicle's anti-armor capabilities are significantly enhanced.

The 9M123 missile, utilized in the Khrizantema system, is a supersonic projectile capable of reaching speeds of approximately 400 meters per second, equivalent to Mach 1.2. Its operational range varies from 400 meters to as far as 6,000 meters. The missile uses a solid-fuel rocket motor with dual exhausts positioned on either side, which spins the missile during flight for propulsion.

The guidance and control of the missile are facilitated by a pair of pop-out control surfaces located at its rear. Four additional surfaces, positioned just ahead of the controls, lend stability to the missile during its flight. One of the distinguishing features of the Khrizantema is that, depending on the missile variant, it can be guided by either radar or laser.

The radar-guided version employs a millimeter wave band radar unit which automatically tracks the target and guides the missile along the radar beam. This line-of-sight beam riding (LOSBR) guidance is an automatic command to line-of-sight (ACLOS) system. In the laser-guided version, a continuous laser beam is aimed at the target, and a sensor in the rear of the missile enables it to follow this beam, a guidance method also termed LOSBR, but here it stands for a semi-automatic command to line of sight (SACLOS).

This dual guidance capability allows the simultaneous launching of two missiles at two distinct targets, one missile guided by laser and the other by radar. The payload of each missile comprises a tandem-charge high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) warhead, purported to penetrate 1100-1250 mm of rolled homogeneous armor (RHA) even if equipped with explosive reactive armor (ERA). As an alternative, the missile can be armed with a thermobaric warhead for combating soft-skinned targets, fortifications, and personnel.

Russian army Khrizantema-S anti-tank armored vehicle. (Picture source Army Recognition)