How does a rocket train work? Special train Transportation of the largest rocket on the train

At the very end of last year, the Russian media appeared about a return to an old and almost forgotten idea. According to RIA Novosti, work is already underway to create a new combat railway missile system (BZHRK) and the first rocket train new project can be assembled by 2020. Similar systems were already in service with our army, however, the only ones in the BZHRK 15P961 "Molodets" were taken off duty back in 2005 and soon most equipment from their composition was disposed of. Trains from missile weapons rightfully were the pride of Soviet designers, and of the whole country as a whole. Due to their capabilities, these complexes posed a serious threat to a potential enemy. However, the history of this type of technology cannot be called simple. At first, a series of not at all pleasant events first severely limited the potential of domestic BZHRK, and then led to their complete disappearance.

The creation of a railway missile system was very difficult. Despite the fact that the corresponding order of the country's leadership and the Ministry of Defense appeared back in 1969, the first full-fledged launch new rocket RT-23UTTH took place only in the 85th. The development of the BZHRK was carried out in the Dnepropetrovsk design bureau "Southern" named after. M.K. Yangel under the leadership of V.F. Utkin. Specific operating conditions new system forced to develop a lot of new solutions, from a newly designed launcher car, disguised as a refrigerator, to a folding missile nose fairing. Nevertheless, more than fifteen years of work were crowned with success. In 1987, the first Molodtsov regiment took up duty. Over the next four years before the collapse Soviet Union three divisions were formed, armed with a total of twelve new BZHRK.

Unfortunately, shortly after the formation of the last third division, several unpleasant things happened that had a very bad effect on the further service of the BZHRK. In 1991, during international negotiations on the future START-I treaty, the Soviet leadership agreed to several disadvantageous proposals from the American side. Among them was a restriction regarding the patrol routes of the “rocket trains”. With the light hand of the President of the USSR M. Gorbachev and some of his associates, the BZHRK could now move only within a radius of several tens of kilometers from the bases. In addition to the obvious military-political disadvantages, such a restriction also had economic consequences. Simultaneously with the commissioning of the Molodets complexes, the Ministry of Railways was working to strengthen the tracks within a radius of several hundred kilometers from the bases of the BZHRK. Thus, the Soviet Union lost both the main advantage of the BZHRK, and a lot of money spent on the reconstruction of the tracks and the preparation of launch positions.

Next international treaty- START-II - meant the removal from duty and disposal of all RT-23UTTKh missiles. The year 2003 was called as the completion date for these works. Especially for dismantling and disposal at the Bryansk Repair Plant of the Missile Forces, with the participation of the United States, a cutting room was assembled technological line. Fortunately for the BZHRK, shortly before the deadline for the disposal of missiles and trains, Russia withdrew from the START-II treaty. However, over the next few years, recycling continued, albeit at a much slower pace. To date, only a few carriages of the former BZHRK have been preserved, which are used as museum exhibits.

As you can see, the short history of the Molodets missile systems was difficult and unsuccessful. Almost immediately after entering service, trains with missiles lost their main advantage and after that they no longer posed the same threat to the enemy as before. Nevertheless, the complexes continued to be in service for a decade and a half. Now there is every reason to believe that the disposal of "Molodtsev" occurred only when they exhausted their resource and the available stock of missiles came to an end. One of the most serious blows to Russian missile trains was the collapse of the Soviet Union. Because of him, the Yuzhmash plant, which assembled complexes and missiles for them, remained on the territory of sovereign Ukraine. This country had its own views for the further work of rocket production and therefore the trains were left without a new one.

In discussions about the news about the start of the development of a new BZHRK, the advantages and disadvantages of this type of technology are often considered. The first, of course, include the possibility of being on duty at a great distance from the base. Once a train with rockets has entered the public railways, its detection becomes very, very hard work. Of course, three diesel locomotives, nine refrigerated cars (three rocket modules) and a tank car gave out the old BZHRK to some extent, but enormous efforts were required to guarantee tracking their movements. In fact, it was necessary to "cover" the entire or almost the entire territory of the Soviet Union with reconnaissance means. Also, the advantage of the complex can be considered successful liquid rocket RT-23UTTH. A ballistic missile with a launch weight of 104 tons could deliver ten warheads with a capacity of 430 kilotons each to a range of up to 10,100 kilometers. In light of the mobility of the missile system, such characteristics of the missile gave it simply unique capabilities.

However, it hasn't been without drawbacks. The main disadvantage of the BZHRK 15P961 is its weight. Due to the non-standard “load”, several original technical solutions had to be applied, but even with their use, the three-car launch module exerted too much pressure on the rails, almost at the limit of the latter’s capabilities. Because of this, at the end of the eighties, the railway workers had to change and strengthen a huge number of tracks. Since then, the country's railways have again undergone wear and tear, and before putting into service a new missile system, most likely, another upgrade of the tracks will be needed.

Also, the BZHRK is regularly accused of insufficient strength and survivability, especially in comparison with mine launchers. To test the survivability back in the eighties, appropriate tests began. In 1988, work on the topics "Shine" and "Thunderstorm" was successfully completed, the purpose of which was to test the performance of trains with rockets in conditions of strong electromagnetic radiation and thunderstorms, respectively. In 1991, one of the combatant trains took part in the "Shift" tests. At the 53rd research site (now the Plesetsk cosmodrome), several tens of thousands of anti-tank mines were laid with a total explosion power of about 1,000 tons of TNT. At a distance of 450 meters from the ammunition, the train's rocket module was placed end to end. A little further - 850 meters - they placed another launcher and the command post of the complex. The launchers were equipped with electrical missiles. During the detonation of mines, all BZHRK modules were slightly damaged - glass flew out and the operation of some minor equipment modules was disrupted. The training launch with the use of an electric rocket model was successful. Thus, a kiloton explosion less than a kilometer from the train is not capable of completely disabling the BZHRK. Added to this is the more than low probability of an enemy missile warhead hitting a train while it is moving or next to it.

In general, even a short operation of the Molodets BZHRK with serious restrictions on routes clearly showed both the advantages and the difficulties associated with this class. military equipment. Probably, precisely because of the ambiguity of the very concept of the railway complex, which at the same time promises greater mobility of missiles, but at the same time requires strengthening the tracks, not to mention the complexity of creating a train and missiles for it, design work to create new "rocket trains" have not yet been resumed. According to the latest data, employees are currently design organizations and the ministries of defense analyze the prospects of the BZHRK and determine the necessary features of its appearance. Therefore, now it is impossible to talk about any nuances of the new project. Moreover, due to the presence of Topol, Topol-M and Yars mobile ground-based missile systems (PGRK) in service, which do not need a solid railway track, the creation of a new BZHRK can be completely canceled.

A variety of opinions are now being expressed about the possible appearance of a promising BZHRK. For example, it is proposed to equip it with missiles of existing projects, such as the RS-24 Yars. With a launch weight of about 50 tons, such a missile, which is also already used on the PGRK, can be a good replacement for the old RT23UTTKh. With similar dimensions and half the mass, the new missile, with certain modifications, can become the armament of the new BZHRK. Wherein combat characteristics complex will remain approximately at the same level. So, the gain in range (up to 11,000 km) will be compensated by a smaller number of warheads, because only 3-4 (according to other sources, six) charges are placed in the head of the RS-24. However, the Yars missile will have been in operation for about ten years by the expected date of putting into service of the new BZHRK. Thus, new missile trains will need a new ballistic missile. It is quite possible that its appearance will be formed along with the requirements for the entire complex.

At the same time, rocket designers can use the experience gained in creating relatively small rockets like the Topol or Yars. In this case, it will be possible to create a new rocket with a wide use of mastered solutions and technologies, but at the same time suitable for use in railway complexes. As the basis for a new missile for the BZHRK, the existing Topoli-M or Yarsy will be suitable, among other things, due to the fact that they are adapted for operation on mobile complexes. However, the final decision regarding the "origin" of the missile and the requirements for it, it seems, has not yet been made. Given the duration of development and testing of new missiles, in order to be in time by 2020, rocket designers should receive requirements within the next years or even months.

Finally, the need to build infrastructure must be taken into account. Judging by the available information about the state of the old BZHRK bases, everything will have to be built anew. In a matter of years, the old depots, control rooms, etc. were decommissioned, deprived of a large amount of special equipment, rendered unusable and sometimes even partially looted. It is quite clear that for effective combat work, the new railway missile systems will need appropriate facilities and equipment. But the restoration of existing buildings or the construction of new ones will significantly increase the cost of the entire project.

Thus, if we compare railway and ground missile systems, the comparison may not be in favor of the former. A hypothetical mobile ground launcher, with the same missile as a railway one, is less demanding on the condition of the road, much easier to manufacture, and also does not need to coordinate travel routes with third-party organizations, for example, with the management of the railway. An important advantage of ground missile systems is also the fact that all the infrastructure necessary for them is simpler and, as a result, cheaper than for railway ones. Therefore, it is not surprising that in the middle of the 2000s, the command of the Strategic Missile Forces officially announced the abandonment of the BZHRK in favor of the PGRK. In the light of this decision, the resumption of work on the railway complexes looks solely as an attempt to expand the possibilities nuclear forces and, if there are certain prospects, to equip them with another type of equipment.

AT existing situation it is not yet worth waiting for news regarding the start of construction of the first rocket train of the new project, because it has not even been decided what it will be and whether it will be at all. Therefore, it remains to be hoped that an analysis of the possibilities and prospects, including a comparative one (BZHRK or PGRK), will be carried out with all responsibility and its results will only benefit our missile forces.

Russian BZHRK / Photo: artyushenkooleg.ru

In Russia, a new nuclear weapon is being prepared for the final stage of testing - a military railway missile system(BZHRK), created on the basis of its predecessor, (SS-24 Scalpel), which was on combat duty from 1987 to 2005 and was decommissioned by agreement with the United States from 1993. What forced Russia to return to the creation of these weapons again?

When in again In 2012, the Americans confirmed the deployment of their missile defense facilities in Europe, Russian President Vladimir Putin quite harshly formulated Russia's response to this. He officially stated that the creation of the American missile defense system actually “zeroes our nuclear missile potential", and announced that our answer would be "the development of strike nuclear missile systems."

One of these complexes was the Barguzin BZHRK, which the US military especially did not like, causing them serious concern, since its adoption makes the US missile defense system as such practically useless.

The predecessor of "Bargruzin" "Well done"

Until 2005, the BZHRK was already in service with the Strategic Missile Forces. Its lead developer in the USSR was Yuzhnoye Design Bureau (Ukraine). The only rocket manufacturer is the Pavlograd Mechanical Plant. Tests of the BZHRK with the RT-23UTTH Molodets missile (according to NATO classification - SS-24 Scalpel) in the railway version began in February 1985 and ended by 1987. BZHRK looked like ordinary trains of refrigerated, mail-luggage and even passenger cars.

Inside each train there were three launchers with Molodets solid-propellant missiles, as well as the entire system for their support with a command post and combat crews. The first BZHRK was put on combat duty in 1987 in Kostroma. In 1988, five regiments were already deployed (a total of 15 launchers), and by 1991, three missile divisions: near Kostroma, Perm and Krasnoyarsk, each consisted of four missile regiments (a total of 12 BZHRK trains).

Each train consisted of several wagons. One car is a command post, the other three - with an opening roof - launchers with missiles. Moreover, it was possible to launch rockets both from the planned parking lots and from any point on the route. To do this, the train stopped, a contact suspension of electrical wires was removed with a special device, the launch container was placed in a vertical position, and the rocket started.

The complexes stood at a distance of about four kilometers from each other in stationary shelters. Within a radius of 1500 kilometers from their bases, together with the railway workers, work was carried out to strengthen the track: heavier rails were laid, wooden sleepers were replaced with reinforced concrete, embankments were littered with denser gravel.

Distinguish BZHRK from ordinary freight trains, thousands plying across the expanses of Russia, was only possible for professionals (launch modules with a rocket had eight wheelsets each, the rest of the support cars had four each). During the day, the train could cover about 1200 kilometers. Its time combat patrol was 21 days (thanks to the reserves on board, it could work autonomously for up to 28 days).

BZHRK was attached great importance, even the officers who served on these trains had higher ranks than their counterparts in similar positions in the mine complexes.

Soviet BZHRK– shock to Washington

Rocketeers tell either a legend, or a true story that the Americans themselves allegedly pushed our designers to create the BZHRK. They say that once our intelligence received information that in the United States they are working on the creation of a railway complex that will be able to move through underground tunnels and, if necessary, appear from under the ground at certain points in order to launch a strategic missile unexpectedly for the enemy.

Photos of this train were even attached to the scouts' report. Apparently, these data made a strong impression on the Soviet leadership, since it was immediately decided to create something similar. But our engineers approached this issue more creatively. They decided: why drive trains underground? You can put them on conventional railways, disguised as freight trains. It will be easier, cheaper and more efficient.

Later, however, it turned out that the Americans conducted special studies that showed that in their conditions the BZHRK would not be effective enough. They simply slipped us misinformation in order to once again shake up the Soviet budget, forcing us, as it seemed to them then, to useless expenses, and the photo was taken from a small full-scale model.

Combat railway missile system "Barguzin" / Image: 42.tut.by

But by the time all this became clear, it was already too late for Soviet engineers to work back. They, and not only in the drawings, have already created a new nuclear weapon with an individual-guided missile, a range of ten thousand kilometers with ten warheads with a capacity of 0.43 Mt and a serious set of means to overcome missile defense.

In Washington, this news caused a real shock. Still would! How do you determine which of the "freight trains" to destroy in the event of a nuclear strike? If you shoot at all at once, no nuclear warheads will be enough. Therefore, in order to track the movement of these trains, which easily escaped the field of view of tracking systems, the Americans had to keep a constellation of 18 spy satellites almost constantly over Russia, which was very costly for them. Especially when you consider that the US intelligence services have never been able to identify the BZHRK on the patrol route.

Therefore, as soon as the political situation allowed in the early 1990s, the United States immediately tried to get rid of this headache. At first, they obtained from the Russian authorities that the BZHRK would not ride around the country, but would be laid up. This allowed them to constantly keep over Russia instead of 16-18 spy satellites, only three or four. And then they persuaded our politicians to finally destroy the BZHRK. Those officially agreed under the pretext of supposedly "the expiration of the warranty period for their operation."

How the "Scalpels" were cut

The last combat personnel was sent for remelting in 2005. Eyewitnesses said that when the wheels of cars rattled on the rails in the twilight of the night and the nuclear “ghost train” with the Scalpel missiles set off on its last journey, even the strongest men could not stand it: tears rolled down from the eyes of both gray-haired designers and rocket officers . They said goodbye to unique weapons, in many combat characteristics superior to everything that was available and was even planned to be adopted in the near future.

Everyone understood that it unique weapon in the mid-1990s, it became a hostage to political agreements between the country's leadership and Washington. And unselfish ones. Apparently, therefore, each new stage the destruction of the BZHRK strangely coincided with the next tranche of the International Monetary Fund loan.

The rejection of the BZHRK also had a number objective reasons. In particular, when Moscow and Kyiv "fled" in 1991, it immediately hurt Russia's nuclear power. Almost all of our nuclear missiles during the Soviet era, they were made in Ukraine under the guidance of Academicians Yangel and Utkin. Of the 20 types that were then in service, 12 were designed in Dnepropetrovsk, at the Yuzhnoye design bureau, and produced there, at the Yuzhmash plant. BZHRK was also made in Ukrainian Pavlograd.

But every time it became more and more difficult to negotiate with the developers from Nezalezhnaya to extend their service life or upgrade. As a result of all these circumstances, our generals had to report with a sour face to the country's leadership that "in accordance with the planned reduction in the Strategic Missile Forces, another BZHRK was removed from combat duty."

But what to do: the politicians promised - the military are forced to fulfill. At the same time, they perfectly understood: if we cut and remove missiles from combat duty due to old age at the same pace as in the late 90s, then in just five years, instead of the existing 150 Voevods, we will not have any of these heavy missiles. And then no light Topols will make the weather any more - and at that time there were only about 40 of them. For the American missile defense system, this is nothing.

For this reason, as soon as Yeltsin vacated the Kremlin cabinet, a number of people from the military leadership of the country, at the request of the rocket men, began to prove to the new president the need to create nuclear complex, similar to the BZHRK. And when it became finally clear that the US was not going to abandon plans to create its own missile defense system under any circumstances, work on creating this complex really began.

And now, in the very near future, the States will again receive their former headache, now in the form of a new generation BZHRK called "Barguzin". Moreover, as the rocket scientists say, these will be ultra-modern missiles, in which all the shortcomings that the Scalpel has have been eliminated.

"Barguzin"– main trump card against US missile defense

The main drawback noted by the opponents of the BZHRK is the accelerated wear and tear of the railway tracks along which it traveled. They often had to be repaired, about which the military and the railway workers had eternal disputes. The reason for this was heavy rockets - weighing 105 tons. They did not fit in one car - they had to be placed in two, reinforcing wheel sets on them.

Today, when the issues of profit and commerce have come to the fore, Russian Railways is probably not ready, as it was before, to infringe on its interests for the sake of the country's defense, and also bear the cost of repairing the canvas if it is decided that their roads will again BZHRK should run. It is the commercial reason, according to some experts, that today could become an obstacle to the final decision to adopt them.

However, this problem has now been removed. The fact is that there will no longer be heavy missiles in the new BZHRK. The complexes are armed with lighter missiles, which are used in the complexes, and therefore the weight of the wagon turns out to be comparable to the usual one, which makes it possible to achieve perfect camouflage of the combat personnel.

True, the RS-24s have only four warheads, while the old missiles had a dozen of them. But here it must be borne in mind that the Barguzin itself is carrying not three missiles, as it was before, but already twice as many. This, of course, is all the same - 24 against 30. But we should not forget that the Yars are practically the most modern development and the probability of overcoming missile defense is much higher than that of their predecessors. The navigation system has also been updated: now you do not need to set the coordinates of targets in advance, everything can be changed quickly.

Such a mobile complex can cover up to 1,000 kilometers per day, cruising along any railway lines in the country, indistinguishable from a regular train with refrigerated cars. The time of "autonomy" is a month. There is no doubt that the new BZHRK grouping will become a much more effective response to US missile defense than even the deployment of our operational-tactical missiles near the borders of Europe, which are so feared in the West.

There is also no doubt that the Americans will clearly not like the idea of ​​​​the BZHRK (although theoretically their creation will not violate the latest Russian-American agreements). BZHRK at one time formed the basis of a retaliatory strike grouping in the Strategic Missile Forces, since they had increased survivability and with a high probability could survive after the first strike was delivered by the enemy. The United States was afraid of him no less than the legendary "Satan", since the BZHRK was a real factor in inevitable retribution.

Until 2020, five regiments of the Barguzin BZHRK are planned to be put into service - these are 120 warheads, respectively. Apparently, the BZHRK will become the strongest argument, in fact, our main trump card in the dispute with the Americans regarding the advisability of deploying a global missile defense system.

Russian nuclear train as a scary puzzle for the Pentagon

What do a collapsible plastic travel cup and an intercontinental ballistic missile carrying 10 nuclear warheads have in common that can wipe out any city in the world in the blink of an eye? In the early 90s, this mystery baffled more than one delegation of the US military, who managed to visit a railway station that was not marked on any map. "Cornflower" near Kostroma. Today, this rebus is ready to be offered again to colleagues from the United States, announcing the start of work on the Combat Railway Missile System (BZHRK).

well forgotten old

BZHRK - rudiment cold war. The scarecrow that made more than one generation of the US military live in anxiety from the feeling that the USSR will always have the opportunity to strike back nuclear strike across America. The secret object "Vasilyok" and several other objects near Perm and with the same innocent names hid the base of the world's only combat railway missile systems (BZHRK). Ordinary trains - the same refrigerators, passenger cars, civil coloring. Only an experienced eye of a “railroad worker” would immediately note that, unlike ordinary cars, the BZHRK has not four, but eight pairs of wheels. There are no usual windows in passenger cars. All of them were replaced by imitators protected from the inside by an armor plate. Inside, as in ordinary passenger trains, compartments for officers and ensigns, reserved seats for soldiers. There is a first-aid post, a canteen and rooms for psychological relief. The train consists of a locomotive, several passenger and freight cars. With one significant nuance - instead of civilian cargo - 3 ballistic missiles SS-24 "Scalpel".

"Scalpel" weighs more than 100 tons. It has a solid fuel engine and "cuts" at a distance of 11 thousand kilometers. Carries on 10 semi-megaton nuclear blocks of individual targeting. Each of the missiles is equipped with an anti-missile defense system and high precision system guidance. Actually, because of its accuracy, the rocket in the West was given the name "Scalpel", since it was intended for the surgical opening of well-protected enemy objects: underground bunkers, command posts and mine installations of strategic missile systems.

Under the 1993 START-2 treaty, Russia decommissioned all RT-23UTTKh missiles and destroyed them before 2003. For the disposal of "rocket trains" at the repair plant of the Strategic Missile Forces, a special "cutting" line was installed. Despite Russia's withdrawal from the START-2 treaty in 2002, during 2003-2007, all trains and launchers were disposed of, except for two demilitarized and installed as exhibits in the museum of railway equipment at the Varshavsky railway station in St. Petersburg and in Technical Museum AvtoVAZ.

Today, against the background of the aggravation of Russian-American relations, Moscow is ready to once again take out its "trump card", which can seriously complicate the life of Washington - revive the program creation of combat railway missile systems (BZHRK). Two decades ago, this weapon was recognized as ineffective and written off as scrap. The new BZHRK, as the command assures, will be not only modern, but also super-efficient.

"The creation of a missile train - a combat railway missile system, BZHRK - will soon resume," said the deputy commander Rocket troops strategic purpose to work with personnel Andrey Filatov on the air of the radio station "Echo of Moscow". "AT Soviet time such trains carrying Molodets missiles were made in Ukraine. The materialization of this idea will take place - to be expected in the near future. In Soviet times, a lot depended on this complex, and in the West it caused ill-concealed irritation that the Soviet Union had this type of weapon, ”added Filatov.

Previously, the resumption of the project and new missile trains, which may appear by 2019, were reported by sources in the military-industrial complex.

The Antidote to Disinformation

In the early 70s, our intelligence obtained American plans for the creation of the BZHRK and its photographs. For the military and political leadership of the country, it was a shock: it was almost impossible to track the train moving around the country, which means it was impossible to aim your rocket at it. It turned out that the United States was creating a strategic system against which the USSR had no antidote. If we cannot intercept, then at least we will create a similar threat, we reasoned and set such a task for the designer Vladimir Utkin, who headed the Yuzhnoye Design Bureau in Dnepropetrovsk. It took Utkin only 3 years to show the military his rocket train project. But then it turned out that the Americans themselves do not create anything of the kind. They only planted technical misinformation by photographing a mock-up of a "rocket train" against the backdrop of nature. The USA was going to do at first, but quickly changed their minds. The country's railway network is not sufficiently developed, which hampered the movement rocket composition, and a significant part of it is privately owned, which made the passage of such a composition commercially unprofitable.

There was an idea to make this train underground. To lay a ring highway underground and drive a train along it: no one needs to pay, and it would be impossible to find this road from a satellite. From the practical implementation of this project was kept only by the fact that in order to launch from the subway, it was necessary to make hatches in certain places. And they, as it is easy to assume, had clear coordinates, which makes the existence of an underground missile carrier meaningless. If the Russian missiles do not hit the train itself, then it will definitely not be difficult for them to tightly clog the missile vents.

Theory and practice

In theory, Soviet missile trains were supposed to disperse throughout the country during the threatened period, merging with ordinary freight and passenger trains. It is impossible to distinguish one from the other from space. This means that the BZHRK could painlessly get away from the "disarming strike" of the American ballistic missiles, and launch your rocket salvo from any point on the route. But that's in theory. Since taking up combat duty in 1985, the BZHRK left the territory of their bases only 18 times. Passed only 400 thousand kilometers.

Veterans of the Strategic Missile Forces recall that the main "enemies" of the BZHRK were not the Americans, who insisted on their disposal under the START-2 treaty, but their own railway authorities. With the inscription on the sides "For the transport of light cargo", after the first passage through the region, literally "tied up" the railway tracks into a knot. The railway management, unable to withstand the vandalism of the military, immediately filed a petition - they say, war is war, but who will pay for the repair of the road?

There were no people willing to pay, and trains with missiles were not driven around the country, and the training of officer-drivers of rocket carriers began to be carried out on civilian trains following the proposed routes of the BZHRK. This turned out to be not only more humane in relation to the railway workers, but also much cheaper and safer. The servicemen received the necessary skills to control the train and visual representation of the route. What was actually required, because missiles can be launched from any point along the route.

The inability to use the entire territory of the country for combat patrols was also not the only problem in the operation of the BZHRK. Passed 400 thousand km. At the same time, with the declared ability to launch missiles from any point on the route, the rocket train still needed accurate topographic location. To do this, along the entire route of combat patrols, the military built special "sumps". Where the train arrived at X-hour. Tied to a point and could fire a salvo of missiles. It must be understood that these were far from “blind staging stations”, but well-guarded “strategic facilities” with an infrastructure betraying their purpose. In addition, by the time START-2 was signed, it ceased to exist. The Yuzhnoye Design Bureau, where the rockets were created, ended up in Ukraine, as did the Pavlograd plant, where the “rental cars” were made.

“It is impossible to extend the resource of any type of weapon indefinitely,” ZVEZDA expressed his opinion to the TV channel. former boss headquarters of the Strategic Missile Forces Victor Esin. - This also applies to the BZHRK, especially considering that this unique complex was created in Ukraine. After all, today there are no longer those enterprises that were involved in its development and production. It's like upgrading a bullet when you no longer have a gun. At the Pavlograd plant, where they used to make launchers for, now they produce trolleybuses ... "

Let's get everyone

Combat Railway Missile Complex "Barguzin" will be created in Russia

In Russia, at a new technological level, a combat railway missile system (BZHRK), called "Barguzin", said the commander of the Strategic Missile Forces (RVSN), Colonel General Sergei Karakaev. “The creation of the latest BZHRK is planned in accordance with instructions. It is being developed exclusively by enterprises of the domestic military-industrial complex, embodying the most advanced achievements of our military rocket science,” said the commander of the Strategic Missile Forces.

The development of the BZHRK "Barguzin" is carried out by the Moscow Institute of Thermal Engineering. “Currently, the industry is designing the complex and creating the material part for testing,” Karakaev added. According to the commander, "the newest complex will embody the positive experience of creating and operating its predecessor - the BZHRK with the Molodets missile (RT-23 UTTKh, according to the classification - SS-24"Scalpel")".

“Of course, when reviving the BZHRK, all latest developments in the field of combat missiles. The Barguzin complex will significantly surpass its predecessor in accuracy, missile range and other characteristics, which will allow long years, at least up to 2040 year, this complex is located in combat strength Strategic Missile Forces,” said S. Karakaev.

BZHRK - Combat Railway Missile System

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BZHRK on the patrol route / Photo: Press Service of the Strategic Missile Forces

In 2020, the Russian armed forces will receive a new generation of trains with ballistic missile launchers. combat missile railway complex Barguzin will be armed with six RS-24 Yars missiles against three Scalpel ICBMs from its predecessor, the Molodets BZHRK.

It will be impossible to detect the train - in addition to modern means camouflage, it will be equipped with systems electronic warfare and other devices that increase secrecy. The BZHRK divisional set will consist of five trains, each of which will be equated to a regiment.

Former Chief of the Main Staff of the Strategic Missile Forces Viktor Yesin / Photo: Press Service of the Strategic Missile Forces

"The creation of the Barguzin is Russia's response to the deployment by the Americans of a global missile defense system," Viktor Esin, former head of the Strategic Missile Forces Main Staff, said.

Earlier, the commander of the Strategic Missile Forces, Colonel-General Sergei Karakaev, spoke about the adoption of the Barguzin into service in 2019, but the timing of the work on the creation of the train was shifted by a year due to the difficult financial situation. The draft design of the BZHRK has been created, design documentation is being developed. In 2017, Vladimir Putin will be presented with a detailed report on the topic and a plan for the deployment of missile trains.

The Barguzin BZHRK will be armed with six RS-24 Yars missiles against three Scalpel ICBMs from its predecessor, the Molodets BZHRK / Image: oko-planet.su

"The new BZHRKs will significantly surpass their predecessor Molodets in accuracy, missile range and other characteristics. This will allow this complex to be in the combat composition of the Strategic Missile Forces for many years, at least until 2040. Thus, the troops are returning to a three-species grouping, containing mine, mobile and rail-based complexes," said S. Karakaev.

Sergei Karakaev / Photo: Press Service of the Strategic Missile Forces

Of the 12 Soviet missile trains, 10 were destroyed in accordance with the START-2 treaty, two were transferred to museums. They were replaced by Topol-M mobile ground missile systems, which are significantly inferior to trains in terms of mobility and invulnerability. At the same time, it is not difficult to restore the BZHRK system: unique technical solutions and design developments, ground infrastructure - including rocky tunnels, where no reconnaissance will find a train and a nuclear strike will not reach.

The elusive "well done"

According to legend, the idea to use trains to launch ballistic missiles was thrown to the Soviet Union by the Americans. After the United States considered the creation of railway missile systems to be an expensive, difficult and impractical project, the CIA proposed to misinform Soviet intelligence: they say, in America such trains are being created - and let the Russians swell billions into utopia.

The operation was carried out, but its result was unexpected - the Soviet Union created the Molodets missile trains, which immediately became a headache for the Pentagon. To track them, a constellation of satellites was put into orbit, and in the late 80s - when the BZHRK had already entered the routes - a container with tracking equipment was sent from Vladivostok to Sweden by rail under the guise of commercial cargo. Soviet counterintelligence officers quickly "figured out" the container and removed it from the train. American general Colin Powell once admitted to the founder of the BZHRK, Academician Alexei Utkin: "Looking for your rocket trains is like a needle in a haystack."

Photo: vk.com

Indeed, the BZHRK, which went on combat duty, instantly disappeared among the thousands of trains traveling along the extensive railway network of the Soviet Union. Outwardly, "Molodets" was disguised as the usual mixed train: passenger cars, mail, silver refrigerators.

True, some cars had not four pairs of wheels, but eight - but you can’t count them from a satellite. The BZHRK was set in motion by three diesel locomotives. Lest it be conspicuous, in the late 80s large freight trains began to drive three-section locomotives. By 1994, 12 BZHRKs were in service with three missiles each.

folding rocket

During the creation of "Molodets" a lot of complex problems had to be solved. The length of the wagon with the launcher should not exceed 24 meters - otherwise it will not fit into the railway infrastructure. Such short ballistic missiles were not made in the USSR. The most compact ICBM weighs over 100 tons. How to make sure that the composition with three launchers does not crush the railway tracks? How to save a train from the hellish flames of a launching rocket? Over the rails contact network - how to get around it? And this is not all the questions that arose before the designers.

The creation of the BZHRK was carried out by the famous academic brothers Alexei and Vladimir Utkin. The first one made a train, the second one made a rocket for it. For the first time in the USSR, an ICBM was made solid-propellant, with a multiple reentry vehicle. The RT-23 (according to NATO classification SS-24 Scalpel) consisted of three stages and threw 10 thermonuclear warheads with a capacity of 500 kilotons over 11 thousand kilometers. In order for the "Scalpel" to fit in a railway car, the nozzles and fairing were made retractable.

Retractable rocket nozzles / Photo: vk.com

While Vladimir Utkin was inventing a folding rocket, his brother Alexei was conjuring over a sliding train. The design bureau of special engineering designed a launcher with a carrying capacity of 135 tons on four biaxial bogies. Part of its gravity was transferred to neighboring cars. The car was disguised as a refrigerator with fake sliding doors on the sides. In fact, the roof opened, and powerful hydraulic jacks came out from under the bottom, resting against concrete slabs on the sides of the railway track. The BZHRK was equipped with unique retractable devices that diverted the contact wire to the side. In addition, the area where the launch took place was de-energized.

The rocket launch was mortar: powder charge threw the "Scalpel" out of the launch container to a height of 20 meters, the corrective charge diverted the nozzles away from the train, the first-stage engine turned on and, with a smoke trail characteristic of solid-propellant rockets, the SS-24 went into the sky. Invisible and invulnerable By 1991, three missile divisions with 12 BZHRK were deployed: in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, Kostroma and Perm regions. Within a radius of 1,500 kilometers from the places of deployment of the connections, the railway track was modernized: wooden sleepers were replaced with reinforced concrete, heavy rails were laid, embankments were strengthened with denser gravel.

Out of combat duty, the BZHRK were in shelter. Then they advanced to a certain point of the railway network and were divided into three. The locomotives took the launchers to the launch sites - usually they were located around the point in a triangle. Each train included a fuel tank (also disguised as a refrigerator) and a piping system that allowed locomotives to be refueled on the go. There were also sleeping cars for calculation, supplies of water and food. The autonomy of the rocket train was 28 days.

Having worked out the launch of missiles at one point, the train went to the next - there were more than 200 of them in the Soviet Union. In a day, the BZHRK could travel over a thousand kilometers. For reasons of secrecy, routes were laid past large stations, and if it was impossible to bypass them, rocket trains passed them without stopping and at dawn, when there were fewer people. The railway workers called the BZHRK "train number zero."

Since the rocket train was planned as a retaliatory weapon, in 1991 the "Shine" experiments - on the effects of electromagnetic radiation - and "Shift" were carried out. Last imitated nuclear explosion kiloton power. At the training ground in Plesetsk, 650 meters from the BZHRK, 100 thousand anti-tank mines were detonated, taken out of warehouses in eastern Germany and laid in a 20-meter pyramid. A funnel with a diameter of 80 meters formed at the site of the explosion, the sound pressure level in the habitable compartments of the BZHRK reached the pain threshold (150 decibels). One of the launchers showed deactivation, but after rebooting the onboard computer system, it launched a rocket.

New combat railway missile system " Barguzin» is preparing for the final stage of testing. After their successful completion, the BZHRK will enter Russian Army and take up combat duty. It will be practically impossible for a potential enemy to detect such a train with a rocket in the wide Russian expanses. At its core - great experience developments of similar complexes and the latest technological solutions.

The news about the successful test of the BZHRK "Barguzin" hastened to be made public. The original source was the transfer site Andrew Karaulova"The moment of truth", and there was no confirmation, although the news was distributed on many sites. Interfax then contacted Ministry defense through their channels, and it turned out that although the tests are scheduled for current year until there were no launches. However, there are still two months left until the end of the year.

“It is necessary to confirm on the new product the feasibility of a “mortar” launch of the product and its subsequent withdrawal away from the rocket train, in which there are people and technological equipment, after which the ICBM main engine will be launched.”

Although the journalists hurried a little, the development is in full swing, so you can discuss Barguzin now.

It is worth briefly recalling its predecessor - BZHRK 15P961 " Well done»:

A good video, but at the end - a juggling: the complexes, it turns out, " served for about 20 years and at the end of the warranty period they were disbanded". The adoption of the first missile regiment with RT-23UTTKh - October 1987, and why didn't they produce new trains, but waited for the end of the guarantee? Yes, and after the guarantee, it was possible to carry out preventive maintenance / modernization, as was done with missiles.

Alas, out of 12 rocket trains, two were converted into museum exhibits (located in the AvtoVAZ Technical Museum and in the museum of railway equipment at the Varshavsky railway station Petersburg), and the rest were destroyed, despite Russia's withdrawal from the treaty START-2 in 2002.

Didn't like it very much Washington"Well done" (according to NATO classification - "Scalpel"): strategic missiles with nuclear warheads ride on the railroad, and try to find. And if you find it, then try to prevent the launch. In 1991, they set up an experiment: not far from Molodets, they piled up a bunch of anti-tank mines that had once been taken out of Germany, about 20 meters high and blew up. The power of the explosion was about a kiloton, resulting in a funnel with a diameter of 80 meters and a depth of 10 meters - and immediately after the explosion, the rocket was launched in a regular manner.

However, it is incorrect to reduce the reasons only to the desire to please Washington. Yes, the hard-to-track BZHRKs made them want to destroy them “by contractual means” - even then, specialists in the United States themselves understood the problems with modern ICBMs, and indeed with military developments in general. Let's say, an analogue of "Well done" Pentagon never managed to develop (projects "Peacekeeper Rail Garrison" and "Midgetman"), while the Chinese are slowly getting something.

But the point is also that the 15Zh61 missiles used by Molodets were produced at the Pavlograd Mechanical Plant (PO Yuzhmash), which, after being destroyed USSR stayed in the area Ukraine, where it is still degrading. It is clear that relying on the reliability of Ukrainian suppliers would be extremely naive and Maidan.

Relying on the reliability of Ukrainian suppliers of high-tech products is extremely naive.

In addition, the Molodets had its drawbacks - for example, it was still noticeable, because due to the weight of the missiles, the train was pulled by three diesel locomotives at once, and the cars with launchers had additional axles, so it was difficult to confuse it with a conventional refrigerated train. Outdated, of course, and navigation equipment.

Therefore, it was decided not to try to restore the Molodets project, but to immediately develop a modern version - Barguzin.

It was reported that according to the plan in 2016, there was only the creation of documentation, but, as you already know, testing of the launch system will begin soon. Everything is logical: the specifics were worked out even on Molodets: a mechanism for diverting electrical wires, a mortar take-off, and redirecting the rocket exhaust to the side at launch.

At the same time, the new rocket train becomes unrecognizable: it uses rockets RS-24 "Yars". Although they have only 4 warheads, and there were a dozen of them on the 15Zh61, the Barguzin itself carries not three missiles, but twice as many. Of course, it still turns out 24 against 30.

However, we must not forget that Yarsy is a more modern development, and the likelihood of overcoming PRO much higher. At the same time, the weight of the rockets is almost half as much, and the weight of the car is comparable to the usual one. Therefore, the camouflage is perfect from the outside, and the train itself can pull a double locomotive. The navigation system has also been updated: it is no longer necessary to set the coordinates of targets in advance, everything can be quickly changed.

Such a mobile complex can travel up to 1,000 km per day, running along any railway line in the country, indistinguishable from a regular train with refrigerated cars up to “X hour”. Time of "autonomy" - a month.

Why did the United States insist so much on the destruction of the "Molodtsev" and now they are very unhappy with the "Barguzin"? It's all about the concept of war: if Russia always plays on defense (although, of course, we must not forget that in some cases a preventive nuclear strike can also be a defense), then military doctrine The USA is always attacking. And if the Pentagon is getting worse and worse with nuclear weapons, and its use will not be approved by others important countries, not to mention a retaliatory nuclear attack, then the concept of "Fast Global Impact"(Prompt Global Strike, PGS) provides for a massive global strike by non-nuclear forces.

US military doctrine is always attacking.

There is a "disarmament": known military and civilian targets are destroyed by non-nuclear, but powerful explosions, after which the result differs from the use of nuclear weapons only in the absence of radioactivity. Let us emphasize global character such an attack, industrial centers will also be destroyed, and not just military installations. A good example from the past: the bombings Dresden USA and UK. They had no military meaning, the function is purely awesome (as well as the use of atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki subsequently).

And against such an attacking strategy, "rocket trains" are a very good "antidote", since they cannot be destroyed with an accurate strike, and in response to aggression, the "Yars" will take off - and, accordingly, will fly in. Until 2020, 5 regiments of the BZHRK "Barguzin" should be put into service - this is, respectively, 120 warheads.

However, it should be noted that, of course, the BZHRK here is not some kind of miracle weapon: if Washington suddenly collectively goes crazy and sanctions such a volley at Russia, then its mass character will be obvious - and, accordingly, in response, you can immediately launch missiles with nuclear warheads, and not just from trains. Those. we get a total nuclear war, in which it is somehow strange to start with non-nuclear charges, the probability of destroying the enemy for the United States is less when its own is guaranteed. Therefore, a “quick global strike” against Russia still does not work, but can be applied to a smaller country. What if in such countries they also learn how to make rocket trains? Russia sets a bad example, no life for the aggressor.