One of the most fearsome weapons he is using Russia in Ukrainewith no direct equivalent in other armies, is the heavy flamethrower TOS-1A Solntsepyok (Burning Sun). This system now has a new version which has already been sent to the Russian army for deployment. The new TOS-1A addresses one of the biggest challenges on the Ukrainian battlefield, small drone attacks, by equipping itself with a set of anti-drone protection derived from the experience accumulated in more than three years of war, as reported by the state defense conglomerate Rostec.
The systems, mounted on a tank chassis T-72have arrived in the military after completing field tests that evaluated their mechanical reliability, aiming instruments and their performance in a wide variety of conditions, according to Uralvagonzavodthe Rostec subsidiary responsible for its production. Deliveries have been carried out just before Day of the Radiological, Chemical and Biological Defense Troops of Russia., collects the Army Recognition defense medium.
Thermobaric rocket launcher
The TOS-1A is one of the combat systems that Russia has promoted the most during its war in Ukraine, probably because the psychological impact of this type of weapon. The effects of a salvo thermobaric rockets They cover an area of 40,000 square meters in which everything is destroyed in a matter of seconds. Not only practically vaporizes human bodiesbut the overpressure generated ends with bunkers, fortified positions and light vehicles.
Also known as fuel-air explosivesthese rockets release when detonated a cloud of finely atomized fuel that mixes with air before exploding. The detonation generates a overpressure wave very intense and prolonged, up to 3 megapascalsaccompanied by temperatures of up to 3,000 degrees in the immediate area of the explosion.
The shock wave penetrates any structure that is not airtight – windows, doors, tunnels or improvised shelters – and is followed by a phase of depression which aggravates the damage inside and can cause asphyxiation due to drastic decrease in oxygen. Thermobaric rocket victims can die cremated instantly into the fireball or by severe burnsdue to the effect of the overpressure on internal organs or asphyxiated. Its use is particularly destructive in urban environments and fortified positions, as seen in Ukraine.
Improvements to counter small drone attacks
Russian forces use it at short and medium distances, with ranges ranging from several hundred meters to several kilometers. Rostec has explained that the latest improvements focus on counter small drones which have become one of the main threats to Russian armored vehicles on the front.
The company has not detailed the new anti-UAV equipment, but Russian manufacturers have been increasingly installing plus electronic warfare modules, radar warning receivers and cage armor with the aim of reducing losses caused by FPV drones.
‘Combat use is the most effective step towards continuous improvement. We don’t just supply systems; We update them based on operational requirements and current threats. Our engineers and designers are continually improving the Solntsepyok,’ he said. Dmitri Semizorovdeputy general director of specialized equipment at Uralvagonzavod.
A unique weapon of which there are no ‘direct analogues’
The TOS-1A ‘has no direct analogues’ outside Russianeither by design nor by the way in which it is used, according to Rostec. Unlike traditional multiple launch rocket systems, including thermobaric ones, the Solntsepyok is built on an armored tank chassis, allowing it to accompany assault units at very close range.
Russian military channels regularly highlight the role of the TOS-1A in the destruction of fortified positions, UAV checkpoints, concentrations of soldiers and armored vehiclesalthough independent evaluations of its performance on the ground remain limited.
Uralvagonzavod notes that tests of a modernized version of the system based on the tank platform T-80 They are close to completion. This variant should offer greater range, more precision and a fire control system with a higher degree of automation.