Combat railway missile complex "Molodets"
BZHRK - combat railway missile complex RT-23 UTTH “Molodets” (according to NATO classification SS-24 Scalpel).
According to experts, this is the most formidable weapon that ever existed on earth. It was created by teams led by Academician Vladimir Fedorovich Utkin and Academician Alexey Fedorovich Utkin.
The very idea of creating such a project was unprecedented.
The order “On the creation of a mobile combat railway missile system (BZHRK) with the RT-23 rocket” was signed on January 13, 1969. The design bureau Yuzhnoye was appointed the lead developer.
This is what Vladimir Fedorovich Utkin said about this: “The task that the Soviet government set for us was striking in its grandeur. In domestic and world practice, no one has ever encountered so many problems. We had to place an intercontinental ballistic missile in a railroad car, but a missile with a launcher weighs more than 150 tons. How to do it? After all, the train with such a huge load should go on the national routes of the Ministry of Railways. How to transport a strategic nuclear-guided missile in general, how to ensure absolute safety on the way, because we were given an estimated speed of up to 120 km / h. Will the bridges withstand, will the canvas collapse, and the launch itself, how to transfer the load on the railway track when launching the rocket, will the train stand on the rails during the launch, how to raise the rocket to the vertical position as quickly as possible after the train stops? ”
To create such a complex required a huge number of new solutions.
One of the main problems was the mass of the rocket and the launcher, a missile with a TPK should weigh no more than 130 tons, otherwise the railway track would not stand, which means new materials are needed; a rocket cannot be longer than a conventional refrigerator car, but such short cuts were not created in the design bureau.
Then it was decided to remove the nozzles in the engines themselves, although the world practice of rocket production did not know such decisions. A head fairing protrudes from the other end of the car, it cannot be without it - there will be no accuracy, first they made it inflatable, but, according to calculations, it would not be able to overcome the barrier of nuclear anti-missile defense explosions, and then a metal folding fairing was constructed!
In order for the rocket's fiery tail not to burn everything around it, a powder engine was used which pushes the rocket to a small height.
Next, the rocket maneuver engine was turned on, and the gas jet of the rocket sustainer engine passes by the cars, container and railroad tracks.
Flight tests of the RT-23UTTH rocket (15ZH61) were carried out from February 27, 1985 to December 22, 1987 at the Scientific Research Institute of Instrument Control and Construction (53) (Mirny), a total of 32 launches were made. 18 train exits for resource and transport tests were carried out, during which more than 400 thousand kilometers were traveled along the country's railways. The tests were conducted in various climatic zones from Salekhard in the north to Chardjou in the south, from Cherepovets in the west to Chita in the east.
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The first missile regiment with the RT-23UTTH rocket took up combat duty on October 20, 1987 (Kostroma, commander V.Yu. Spiridonov).
The last missile system was decommissioned in 2005.
The structure of BZHRK includes a train of standard configuration for the complex:
The command module, which has become a feature of increased protection from the powerful electromagnetic radiation of the contact network. For it, unique special communications antennas have been developed, which are guaranteed to ensure reception of combat control signals through radio transparent roofs of cars. I couldn’t take them outside, as the BZHRK should look like an ordinary train.
When moving along the country's railway network, the BZhRK made it possible to quickly change the location of the launch site up to 1000 kilometers per day.
Rocket trains have become a constant headache for Americans. The Pentagon spent on tracking more money than the Utkin brothers to create. Twelve satellites-scouts searched for them throughout our country and even from space they could not distinguish these ghost trains from ordinary refrigerators.
Last place of deployment.
In the early 90s, our potential adversaries became almost friends, but also potential ones. We blew up mines, cut rockets.
The Americans hastily allocated money to destroy the hated missiles and even provided the latest cutting devices.
For the disposal of “rocket trains” at the Bryansk repair plant of the Strategic Missile Forces, a special “cutting” line was installed.
In 2003–2005, all BZhRK complexes were removed from combat duty. The plant in Pavlograd (Ukraine) now makes trolley buses instead of rockets. And Ukraine, having become a nuclear-free power, according to the terms of the agreement, can neither have nor produce or maintain nuclear weapons.
But still there are hopes for the return to the system of such a miracle of engineering thought. On September 5, 2009, Lieutenant-General Vladimir Gagarin, Deputy Commander of the Strategic Missile Forces, stated that the Strategic Missile Forces do not exclude the possibility of resuming combat railway missile systems.
ps Today one of the BZHRK (without rockets) is located on the “last shelter” in the exposition of the Central Museum of the October Railway. at the Warsaw station in St. Petersburg.
According to experts, this is the most formidable weapon that ever existed on earth. It was created by teams led by Academician Vladimir Fedorovich Utkin and Academician Alexey Fedorovich Utkin.
History of creation.
The very idea of creating such a project was unprecedented.
The order “On the creation of a mobile combat railway missile system (BZHRK) with the RT-23 rocket” was signed on January 13, 1969. The design bureau Yuzhnoye was appointed the lead developer.
This is what Vladimir Fedorovich Utkin said about this: “The task that the Soviet government set for us was striking in its grandeur. In domestic and world practice, no one has ever encountered so many problems. We had to place an intercontinental ballistic missile in a railroad car, but a missile with a launcher weighs more than 150 tons. How to do it? After all, the train with such a huge load should go on the national routes of the Ministry of Railways. How to transport a strategic nuclear-guided missile in general, how to ensure absolute safety on the way, because we were given an estimated speed of up to 120 km / h. Will the bridges withstand, will the canvas collapse, and the launch itself, how to transfer the load on the railway track when launching the rocket, will the train stand on the rails during the launch, how to raise the rocket to the vertical position as quickly as possible after the train stops? ”
To create such a complex required a huge number of new solutions.
One of the main problems was the mass of the rocket and the launcher, a missile with a TPK should weigh no more than 130 tons, otherwise the railway track would not stand, which means new materials are needed; a rocket cannot be longer than a conventional refrigerator car, but such short cuts were not created in the design bureau.
Then it was decided to remove the nozzles in the engines themselves, although the world practice of rocket production did not know such decisions. A head fairing protrudes from the other end of the car, it cannot be without it - there will be no accuracy, first they made it inflatable, but, according to calculations, it would not be able to overcome the barrier of nuclear anti-missile defense explosions, and then a metal folding fairing was constructed!
In order for the rocket's fiery tail not to burn everything around it, a powder engine was used which pushes the rocket to a small height.
Next, the rocket maneuver engine was turned on, and the gas jet of the rocket sustainer engine passes by the cars, container and railroad tracks.
Flight tests of the RT-23UTTH rocket (15ZH61) were carried out from February 27, 1985 to December 22, 1987 at the Scientific Research Institute of Instrument Control and Construction (53) (Mirny), a total of 32 launches were made. 18 train exits for resource and transport tests were carried out, during which more than 400 thousand kilometers were traveled along the country's railways. The tests were conducted in various climatic zones from Salekhard in the north to Chardjou in the south, from Cherepovets in the west to Chita in the east.
')
The first missile regiment with the RT-23UTTH rocket took up combat duty on October 20, 1987 (Kostroma, commander V.Yu. Spiridonov).
The last missile system was decommissioned in 2005.
The composition of the complex
The structure of BZHRK includes a train of standard configuration for the complex:
- three three-car launch modules with RT-23UTTH ICBMs;
- command module consisting of 7 cars;
- tank wagon with stocks of fuel and lubricants;
- three diesel locomotives DM-62.
The command module, which has become a feature of increased protection from the powerful electromagnetic radiation of the contact network. For it, unique special communications antennas have been developed, which are guaranteed to ensure reception of combat control signals through radio transparent roofs of cars. I couldn’t take them outside, as the BZHRK should look like an ordinary train.
Characteristics of the complex
- Firing range, km 10100
- Accuracy (maximum deviation), 0.2-0.5 km
- Starting weight, tons 104.50
- Flight reliability 0.98
- The ratio of energy-weight perfection of the rocket Gpg / Go, kgf / ts 31
- Rocket length, m
- full 23.3
- without head 19.0
- in TPK 22.6 - Payload weight, kg 4050
Launcher
- Dimensions, m:
- length 23.6
- width 3.2
- height 5.0 - Speed, 80 km / h
- Resistance of BZHRK to a shock wave, kg / cm2
- in the longitudinal direction 0.3
- in the transverse direction 0.2
When moving along the country's railway network, the BZhRK made it possible to quickly change the location of the launch site up to 1000 kilometers per day.
Rocket trains have become a constant headache for Americans. The Pentagon spent on tracking more money than the Utkin brothers to create. Twelve satellites-scouts searched for them throughout our country and even from space they could not distinguish these ghost trains from ordinary refrigerators.
Last place of deployment.
Unenviable fate
In the early 90s, our potential adversaries became almost friends, but also potential ones. We blew up mines, cut rockets.
The Americans hastily allocated money to destroy the hated missiles and even provided the latest cutting devices.
For the disposal of “rocket trains” at the Bryansk repair plant of the Strategic Missile Forces, a special “cutting” line was installed.
In 2003–2005, all BZhRK complexes were removed from combat duty. The plant in Pavlograd (Ukraine) now makes trolley buses instead of rockets. And Ukraine, having become a nuclear-free power, according to the terms of the agreement, can neither have nor produce or maintain nuclear weapons.
But still there are hopes for the return to the system of such a miracle of engineering thought. On September 5, 2009, Lieutenant-General Vladimir Gagarin, Deputy Commander of the Strategic Missile Forces, stated that the Strategic Missile Forces do not exclude the possibility of resuming combat railway missile systems.
ps Today one of the BZHRK (without rockets) is located on the “last shelter” in the exposition of the Central Museum of the October Railway. at the Warsaw station in St. Petersburg.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/88529/
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