RKU-36U mortar
Contents
Description
The RKU-36U is a Soviet anti-submarine rocket (ASROC) launcher. It was introduced in Update "Drone Age".
Vehicles equipped with this weapon
General info
The RKU-36U is an anti-submarine rocket launcher system that fires 302 mm rockets equipped with depth charges. The launcher system is mounted to the rear of the ship in pairs, and angled slightly outwards. The launcher has no horizontal guidance, only vertical guidance.
Each rocket is propelled by a solid-fuel rocket motor.
Effective damage
Describe the type of damage produced by this type of mortar (high explosive, splash damage, etc)
Comparison with analogues
The RKU-36U's rocket velocity is slower than the rockets of the RBU-1200 and RBU-2500. The range of the RKU-36U is shorter than the RBU-1200 and RBU-2500.
Usage in battles
Describe situations when you would utilise this mortar in-game (vehicle, pillbox, base, etc)
Pros and cons
Pros:
- High destructive power
Cons:
- No horizontal guidance
- Only faces the rear of the ship
- Unguided rockets limit the precision of the weapon
History
The Soviet Scientific Research Institute-1, led by N.P. Mazurov, developed the RBU-2500 anti-submarine rocket launcher alongside the RKU-4500A "Burun" system. The Burun system was designed to complement the RBU-2500 by shooting depth charges from the ship's stern, providing a follow-up attack on enemy submarines targeted by the Smerch system. The goal was to enhance the effectiveness of anti-submarine systems and replace outdated depth charge projectors like the BMB-1 and BMB-2.
The Burun system consisted of four RKU-36U rocket launchers. These units served as a supporting platform with vertical guidance mechanisms, featuring six shafts (arranged in two vertical rows of three shafts) of 302 mm caliber rocket barrels. To target the stern of the ship, the RKU-36U launchers were designed without horizontal guidance systems but rather installed in a "fan" configuration. This allowed for a widespread attack over a relatively large area.
To neutralize a damaged enemy submarine targeted by the RBU-2500, the Burun system employed "jet-feed bombs" from the RSC. Each bomb weighed 180 kg and contained 101 kg of explosives. The RKB bomb's jet engine enabled shooting at a distance of 90-115 meters. Upon entering the water, the bomb sank at speeds up to 11.4 m/s. Equipped with the WB-1M contact and contactless acoustic fuse, the bombs could destroy targets at depths of up to 350 meters. A single volley from the RKU-4500A Burun system dispersed depth charges over an area measuring 120x200 meters.
The Burun system was controlled using elements from the Tornado complex, along with the specialized Tornado-56 equipment set. The latter received information from the Smerch SSMP and ship systems to calculate the ship's and enemy submarine's relative positions and determine the optimal firing moment.
Despite high expectations, the Burun system did not see widespread adoption. The RKU-36U launchers were only installed on a few Project 56PLO class destroyers, with each ship having two aft launchers instead of the intended four. The system was considered somewhat ineffective due to the loss of contact with the submarine when attacking from behind the ship's stern, which could impact shooting accuracy. Subsequent modernizations replaced the Burun launchers with RBU-2500 launchers.[1]
Media
Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.
See also
External links
Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:
- topic on the official game forum;
- other literature.
| Naval special armaments | |
|---|---|
| USA | |
| Mortars | 7.2-inch T37 · Mk 2 |
| Rockets | 5-inch GPSR Mk.7 · Mark 108 Weapon alfa |
| Missiles | RIM-24A |
| Germany | |
| Rockets | M/50 Bofors |
| Missiles | Strela-2M |
| USSR | |
| Mortars | BM-37 · RBM · RBU-1200 · RBU-2500 · RBU-6000 · RKU-36U |
| Rockets | BM-14-17 · BM-21 · M13 · M-8 |
| Missiles | Volna-M |
| Britain | |
| Mortars | Ordnance ML 4.2-inch mortar |
| Japan | |
| Rockets | 4.5-inch BBR Mk.7 (USA) · Mark 108 Weapon alfa (USA) |
| Italy | |
| Missiles | Nettuno |
| France | |
| Missiles | SS.11 |
