4K51 Rubezh System - Vietnam's Three-Pronged Coastal Shield

According to Western assessments, with the 4K51 Rubezh, K-300P Bastion-P, and 4K44B Redut-M systems, the Vietnamese Navy has created a steel shield for coastal defense.

The 4K51 system was researched and manufactured by the Soviet Union. To this day, this weapon is still used by the navies of many countries around the world, including Vietnam.

The 4K51 system has served in the Vietnamese Navy for over 30 years and has become a powerful trio, comprising the Redut-M, 4K51 Rubezh, and K-300P Bastion-P systems, to protect Vietnam's maritime sovereignty in the East Sea.

Currently, the combat strategy against maritime intrusion typically consists of three lines. Line 1 is a long-range interception force comprised of ocean-going combat ships and submarines, in conjunction with the air force; Line 2 consists of patrol boats and small missile boats; and Line 3 is a coastal defense force.

The Vietnamese Navy trains with the 4K51 Rubezh system.

However, in reality, not every country has the resources to build all three lines of defense, from distant to near. Building the first line with heavy surface vessels such as frigates, destroyers, support ships, and electronic reconnaissance ships is only suitable for countries with a military strategy that extends far out to sea; moreover, these types of ships are too expensive.

For example, a heavy frigate with a displacement of 4000 tons or more costs nearly $1 billion, a heavy destroyer costs several billion, not to mention the tens of billions of dollars for an aircraft carrier.

Countries with weak surface navies and limited defense budgets often prioritize the combined development of the second and third lines of defense. The first line, or offshore interception capability, is supplemented by the combat capabilities of an air force with anti-ship capabilities, naval air forces, and conventional submarines (if available).

Vietnam follows a coastal defense model that heavily emphasizes the development of the second and third lines of defense, while the first line does not focus on long-range surface combat vessels; this task is primarily assigned to our air force and submarines. In reality, this is true because Vietnam lacks the capacity to pursue the development of ocean-going combat vessels.

In fact, in modern warfare, the US often uses stealth aircraft and cruise missiles to attack the enemy's command centers, operational headquarters, early warning radar systems, and fixed missile launchers, paralyzing their command, control, and defense systems.

This tactic has now been thoroughly studied by military planners around the world, especially the Russians, who are seeking ways to counter it by focusing on developing the mobility of offensive and defensive weapons, preventing the enemy from having the opportunity to neutralize their weapon systems.

All anti-ship missile systems belonging to the "Sea Shield Triad" share a unified orientation: not numerous but synchronized, focused on defensive functions with the ability to intercept from long to short range, and highly mobile when mounted on mobile transport vehicle chassis.

Vietnam's K-300P Bastion-P coastal defense system.

Immediately after launching the missiles, the systems would maneuver to a new combat position, making it impossible for enemy cruise missiles to identify their targets. The mobile launch system also facilitated the creation of decoy models to deceive the enemy.

The most significant advantage is that the command and control vehicles, radar vehicles, and missile launchers can operate far apart, which is very convenient for implementing the principle of "dispersed equipment, concentrated firepower." If hit, only a part of the system will be damaged, not the entire system, so it is easy to replenish and quickly restore combat capability.

Another advantage is that all these systems share the same technical standards, allowing them to use common observation data from coastal radar and target designation systems from reconnaissance aircraft and warships, thus ensuring continued control of the sea area even if the radar of some systems is disabled.

When enemy warships approach the Vietnamese coast by a few hundred kilometers, the three aforementioned missiles, each with a different range, form three layers of defense, from long-range to close-range. Among them, the P-35 missile, part of the 4K44B Redut-M system, with a range of 450 km, forms the long-range defense line.

The P-800 Yakhont supersonic anti-ship missile of the K-300P Bastion-P system, with a range of 300 km and extremely high speed, will shoot down warships that may cross the first line of defense, establishing a second line of defense; the P-15 Temit missile of the 4K51 Rubezh complex, with a range of 80 km, will destroy any survivors of the two devastating blows who venture close to shore.

According to Baodatviet