New space planes Spiral and Yu 71. There has been confirmation of the creation of hypersonic weapons in Russia. Ballistic missile "Stiletto": technical characteristics. Reference

A typical passenger plane flies at a speed of about 900 km/h. A military fighter jet can develop approximately three times higher speed. However, modern engineers from the Russian Federation and other countries of the world are actively developing even faster machines - hypersonic aircraft. What are the specifics of the relevant concepts?

Criteria for a hypersonic aircraft

What is a hypersonic aircraft? This is usually understood as a device capable of flying at a speed many times higher than that of sound. Researchers' approaches to determining its specific indicator vary. A common methodology is that an aircraft should be considered hypersonic if it is a multiple of the speed indicators of the fastest modern supersonic vehicles. Which are about 3-4 thousand km/h. That is, a hypersonic aircraft, if you adhere to this methodology, must reach a speed of 6 thousand km/h.

Unmanned and controlled vehicles

The approaches of researchers may also differ in terms of determining the criteria for classifying a particular device as an aircraft. There is a version that only those machines that are controlled by a person can be classified as such. There is a point of view according to which an unmanned vehicle can also be considered an aircraft. Therefore, some analysts classify machines of the type in question into those that are subject to human control and those that function autonomously. Such a division may be justified, since unmanned vehicles can have much more impressive technical characteristics, for example, in terms of overload and speed.

At the same time, many researchers consider hypersonic aircraft as a single concept, for which the key indicator is speed. It doesn’t matter whether a person sits at the helm of the device or the machine is controlled by a robot - the main thing is that the plane is fast enough.

Take off - independently or with outside help?

There is a widespread classification of hypersonic aircraft, which is based on classifying them into the category of those that are capable of taking off on their own, or those that require placement on a more powerful carrier - a rocket or a cargo plane. There is a point of view according to which it is right to include mainly those that are capable of taking off independently or with minimal involvement of other types of equipment as devices of the type under consideration. However, those researchers who believe that the main criterion characterizing a hypersonic aircraft, speed, should be paramount in any classification. Whether the aircraft is classified as unmanned, controlled, capable of taking off on its own or with the help of other machines - if the corresponding indicator reaches the above values, then it means that we are talking about a hypersonic aircraft.

Main problems of hypersonic solutions

The concepts of hypersonic solutions are many decades old. Throughout the years of development of the corresponding type of devices, world engineers have been solving a number of significant problems that objectively prevent the production of “hypersonics” from being put into production - similar to organizing the production of turboprop aircraft.

The main difficulty in designing hypersonic aircraft is creating an engine that can be sufficiently energy efficient. Another problem is lining up the necessary apparatus. The fact is that the speed of a hypersonic aircraft in the values ​​​​that we discussed above implies strong heating of the body due to friction with the atmosphere.

Today we will look at several examples of successful prototypes of aircraft of the corresponding type, the developers of which were able to make significant progress in successfully solving the noted problems. Let us now study the most famous world developments in terms of creating hypersonic aircraft of the type in question.

from Boeing

The fastest hypersonic aircraft in the world, according to some experts, is the American Boeing X-43A. Thus, during testing of this device, it was recorded that it reached speeds exceeding 11 thousand km/h. That is approximately 9.6 times faster

What is especially remarkable about the X-43A hypersonic aircraft? The characteristics of this aircraft are as follows:

The maximum speed recorded in tests is 11,230 km/h;

Wingspan - 1.5 m;

Body length - 3.6 m;

Engine - direct-flow, Supersonic Combustion Ramjet;

Fuel - atmospheric oxygen, hydrogen.

It can be noted that the device in question is one of the most environmentally friendly. The fact is that the fuel used practically does not emit harmful products combustion.

The X-43A hypersonic aircraft was developed jointly by NASA engineers, as well as Orbical Science Corporation and Minocraft. was created about 10 years ago. About $250 million was invested in its development. The conceptual novelty of the aircraft in question is that it was conceived for the purpose of testing latest technology ensuring the operation of motor traction.

Development from Orbital Science

The Orbital Science company, which, as we noted above, took part in the creation of the X-43A, also managed to create its own hypersonic aircraft - the X-34.

Its top speed is more than 12 thousand km/h. True, during practical tests it was not achieved - moreover, it was not possible to achieve the indicator shown by the X43-A aircraft. The aircraft in question is accelerated when the Pegasus rocket, which operates on solid fuel, is activated. The X-34 was first tested in 2001. The aircraft in question is significantly larger than the Boeing aircraft - its length is 17.78 m, its wingspan is 8.85 m. The maximum flight altitude of the hypersonic vehicle from Orbical Science is 75 kilometers.

Aircraft from North American

Another famous hypersonic aircraft is the X-15, produced by North American. Analysts classify this apparatus as experimental.

It is equipped, which gives some experts a reason not to classify it, in fact, as an aircraft. However, the presence of rocket engines allows the device, in particular, to perform So, during one of the tests in this mode, it was tested by pilots. The purpose of the X-15 device is to study the specifics of hypersonic flights, evaluate certain design solutions, new materials, and control features of such machines in various layers of the atmosphere. It is noteworthy that it was approved back in 1954. The X-15 flies at a speed of more than 7 thousand km/hour. Its flight range is more than 500 km, its altitude exceeds 100 km.

The fastest production aircraft

The hypersonic vehicles we studied above actually belong to the research category. It will be useful to consider some production models of aircraft that are close in characteristics to hypersonic ones or are (according to one methodology or another) hypersonic ones.

Among such machines is the American development of the SR-71. Some researchers are not inclined to classify this aircraft as hypersonic, since its maximum speed is about 3.7 thousand km/h. Among its most notable characteristics is its take-off weight, which exceeds 77 tons. The length of the device is more than 23 m, the wingspan is more than 13 m.

The Russian MiG-25 is considered one of the fastest military aircraft. The device can reach speeds of more than 3.3 thousand km/h. Maximum take-off weight Russian plane- 41 tons.

Thus, in the market for serial solutions with characteristics close to hypersonic ones, the Russian Federation is among the leaders. But what can be said about Russian developments regarding “classic” hypersonic aircraft? Are engineers from the Russian Federation capable of creating a solution that is competitive with machines from Boeing and Orbital Scence?

Russian hypersonic vehicles

IN this moment Russian hypersonic aircraft is under development. But it is going quite actively. It's about about the Yu-71 aircraft. Its first tests, judging by media reports, were carried out in February 2015 near Orenburg.

It is assumed that the aircraft will be used for military purposes. Thus, a hypersonic vehicle will be able, if necessary, to deliver destructive weapons over considerable distances, monitor the territory, and also be used as an element attack aircraft. Some researchers believe that in 2020-2025. The Strategic Missile Forces will receive about 20 aircraft of the corresponding type.

There is information in the media that the Russian hypersonic aircraft in question will be mounted on the Sarmat ballistic missile, which is also at the design stage. Some analysts believe that the Yu-71 hypersonic vehicle being developed is nothing more than a warhead that will have to be separated from the ballistic missile at the final stage of flight and then, thanks to the high maneuverability characteristic of the aircraft, overcome missile defense systems.

Project "Ajax"

Among the most notable projects related to the development of hypersonic aircraft is Ajax. Let's study it in more detail. The Ajax hypersonic aircraft is a conceptual development of Soviet engineers. In the scientific community, conversations about it began back in the 80s. Among the most notable characteristics is the presence of a thermal protection system, which is designed to protect the case from overheating. Thus, the developers of the Ajax apparatus proposed a solution to one of the “hypersonic” problems we identified above.

The traditional thermal protection scheme for aircraft involves placing special materials on the body. The Ajax developers proposed a different concept, according to which it was supposed not to protect the device from external heat, but to let heat inside the machine, while simultaneously increasing its energy resource. The main competitor of the Soviet aircraft was considered the hypersonic aircraft “Aurora”, created in the USA. However, due to the fact that designers from the USSR significantly expanded the capabilities of the concept, the new development was assigned a wide range of tasks, in particular research ones. We can say that the Ajax is a hypersonic multi-purpose aircraft.

Let's take a closer look at the technological innovations proposed by engineers from the USSR.

So, the Soviet developers of Ajax proposed using the heat generated as a result of friction of the aircraft body with the atmosphere and converting it into useful energy. Technically, this could be realized by placing additional shells on the device. As a result, something like a second corps was formed. Its cavity was supposed to be filled with some kind of catalyst, for example, a mixture of flammable material and water. The heat-insulating layer made of solid material in Ajax was supposed to be replaced with a liquid one, which, on the one hand, was supposed to protect the engine, on the other, would promote a catalytic reaction, which, meanwhile, could be accompanied by an endothermic effect - the movement of heat from the outside body parts inward. Theoretically, the cooling of the external parts of the device could be anything. The excess heat, in turn, was supposed to be used to increase the efficiency of the aircraft engine. Wherein this technology would allow the generation of free hydrogen as a result of the fuel reaction.

At the moment, there is no information available to the general public about the continuation of the development of Ajax, however, researchers consider the implementation of Soviet concepts into practice to be very promising.

Chinese hypersonic vehicles

China is becoming a competitor to Russia and the United States in the hypersonic solutions market. Among the most famous developments of engineers from China is the WU-14 aircraft. It is a hypersonic controlled glider mounted on a ballistic missile.

An ICBM launches an aircraft into space, from where the vehicle sharply dives down, developing hypersonic speed. The Chinese device can be mounted on various ICBMs with a range from 2 to 12 thousand km. It was found that during tests, the WU-14 was able to reach a speed exceeding 12 thousand km/h, thus becoming the fastest hypersonic aircraft according to some analysts.

At the same time, many researchers believe that it is not entirely legitimate to classify the Chinese development as an aircraft. Thus, there is a widespread version according to which the device should be classified specifically as a warhead. And very effective. When flying downward at the specified speed, even the most modern missile defense systems will not be able to guarantee interception of the corresponding target.

It can be noted that Russia and the United States are also developing hypersonic vehicles used for military purposes. At the same time, the Russian concept, according to which it is supposed to create machines of the appropriate type, differs significantly, as evidenced by data in some media, from the technological principles implemented by the Americans and the Chinese. Thus, developers from the Russian Federation are concentrating their efforts in the field of creating aircraft equipped with a ramjet engine that can be launched from the ground. Russia plans to cooperate in this direction with India. Hypersonic vehicles created by Russian concept, according to some analysts, are characterized by lower cost and wider scope.

At the same time, the Russian hypersonic aircraft, which we mentioned above (Yu-71), suggests, as some analysts believe, deployment on ICBMs. If this thesis turns out to be correct, then we can say that engineers from the Russian Federation are working simultaneously in two popular conceptual directions in the construction of hypersonic aircraft.

Summary

So, probably the fastest hypersonic aircraft in the world, if we talk about aircraft regardless of their classification, is still the Chinese WU-14. Although you need to understand that real information about it, including those related to tests, may be classified. This is quite consistent with the principles of Chinese developers, who often strive to keep their military technologies secret at all costs. The speed of the fastest hypersonic aircraft is more than 12 thousand km/h. The American development of the X-43A is “catching up” with it - many experts consider it to be the fastest. Theoretically, the hypersonic aircraft X-43A, as well as the Chinese WU-14, can catch up with the development from Orbical Science, designed for a speed of more than 12 thousand km/h.

The characteristics of the Russian Yu-71 aircraft are not yet known to the general public. It is quite possible that they will be close to the parameters of the Chinese aircraft. Russian engineers are also developing a hypersonic aircraft capable of taking off independently, rather than based on an ICBM.

Current projects of researchers from Russia, China and the United States are in one way or another related to the military sphere. Hypersonic aircraft, regardless of their possible classification, are considered primarily as carriers of weapons, most likely nuclear. However, in the works of researchers from various countries Around the world, there are theses that “hypersound,” like nuclear technology, may well be peaceful.

It's up to the emergence of affordable and reliable solutions that allow you to organize mass production machines of the appropriate type. The use of such devices is possible in the widest range of sectors of economic development. Hypersonic aircraft are likely to find greatest demand in the space and research industries.

As production technologies for the corresponding vehicles become cheaper, transport businesses may begin to show interest in investing in such projects. Industrial corporations and providers of various services may begin to consider “hypersonic” as a tool for increasing business competitiveness in terms of organizing international communications.

Moscow is developing a hypersonic strategic strike aircraft similar to a similar Chinese one, it is reported Western media with reference to military analysts.

Yu-71 (Yu-71) has been in development for several years. The last tests of the aircraft took place in February 2015. The launch took place from the Dombarovsky test site near Orenburg. Previously, it was purely speculatively reported by other Western sources, but now this launch has been confirmed by new analysts. The publication refers to a report released in June by the famous Western military analytical center Jane's Information Group.

“The aircraft is part of a secret Russian project with the creation of a certain object 4202"

As noted in the document, this will give Russia the ability to launch high-precision strikes against selected targets, and in combination with the capabilities of its system missile defense Moscow will be able to successfully hit a target with only one missile.

The report suggests that up to 24 of these hypersonic aircraft (combat units) could be deployed in the Dombarovsky regiment of the Strategic Missile Forces in the period from 2020 to 2025. It also follows from the document that by this time Russia will have created a new heavy intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of carrying the Yu-71.

Previously, this designation - Yu-71 - did not appear in open sources.

30-06-2015, 16:01

By 2025, Russia will have a serious nuclear trump card in negotiations with the United States

Russia is testing a new hypersonic glide vehicle, the Yu-71 (Yu-71), which is capable of carrying nuclear warheads. The Washington Free Beacon reported this on June 28, citing a publication by the famous British military analytical center Janes Information Group.

According to WFB, Russia has been developing the device for several years, but its first tests were carried out in February of this year. The device is allegedly part of the Russian secret project "4202" associated with the missile program. According to the authors of the publication, this will give Russia the opportunity to be guaranteed to hit a target with only one missile. According to the Washington Times, Russia intends to use the hypersonic military project as a tool of pressure during arms control negotiations with the United States.

Hypersonic vehicles like the one created by Russia are extremely difficult to track and shoot down, since they move along an unpredictable trajectory, and their speed reaches 11,200 km/h, experts from the British center note. According to them, up to 24 of these hypersonic aircraft (combat units) can be deployed in the Dombarovsky regiment of the Strategic Missile Forces in the period from 2020 to 2025. Previously, this designation - Yu-71 - did not appear in open sources.

It is worth noting that even retired generals of the Strategic Missile Forces prefer to refrain from commenting on object “4202”, citing the confidentiality of the topic and possible consequences discussion of this topic in "SP".

Plans for adopting “4202” objects into service were indeed not announced. But it is known from open sources that the development of the devices is being carried out by NPO Mashinostroeniya (Reutov), ​​and it began before 2009. The formal customer of the R&D “4202” is the Russian Federal Space Agency, which, according to some experts, can serve as a kind of “cover.” In the New Year's greeting from NPO Mashinostroyenia in 2012, facility 4202 was named one of the most important for the corporation for the next few years. Most likely, the first test of the device from object “4202” was carried out not in February 2015, as British experts claim, but as part of the “Safety-2004” exercise at the Baikonur training ground, because at a press conference the then first deputy chief General Staff Russian Armed Forces Yuri Baluevsky stated that during the training, a spacecraft was tested that is capable of flying at hypersonic speed, while performing maneuvers both in course and in altitude.

Corresponding Member Russian Academy rocket and artillery sciences (RARAN), Doctor of Military Sciences Konstantin Sivkov says that the current combat units intercontinental ballistic missiles develop hypersound in the passive phase. However, the difference between a promising hypersonic warhead most likely lies in the fact that it does not simply act as a ballistic warhead, but follows a rather complex trajectory, that is, it maneuvers like an aircraft at enormous flight speed.

It is possible that specialists on the topic “4202” use Soviet technologies, which were worked on by one of the leading developers of Soviet aerospace technology, Gleb Lozino-Lozinsky. Let me remind you that he was the project manager for the aerospace fighter-bomber “Spiral”, the leading developer of the Buran spacecraft, and supervised the project for the reusable aerospace system “MAKS” and a number of other programs where work was carried out, including on hypersound.

You need to understand that hypersonic warheads are quite heavy - 1.5-2 tons. Therefore, it can probably become the warhead of a light ICBM of the Topol-M type (after all, the latest tests were carried out on the UR-100N UTTH), but the RS-28 Sarmat ICBM, which should be put into service by the end of the decade, will be able to throw several such warheads at once, which will follow complex trajectories, which will make them practically invulnerable to enemy missile defense systems. For example, even in intercepting old ballistic missiles whose warheads do not maneuver, transatmospheric American GBI interceptors ground-based give a very low probability of defeat - 15−20%.

If our Strategic Missile Forces actually adopt missiles with hypersonic warheads by 2025, then this will be a rather serious application. It is logical that in the West, ICBMs with hypersonic warheads are called Moscow’s new possible trump card in negotiations with Washington. As practice shows, the United States can be brought to the negotiating table with only one the only way- put into service systems that will make Americans truly afraid.

In addition, Russia is also developing hypersonic cruise missiles that can fly at low altitudes. Accordingly, their defeat by promising missile defense systems is problematic, because these are, in fact, aerodynamic targets. In addition, modern missile defense systems have limits on the speed of hitting targets within 1000 meters per second: as a rule, the speed of an interceptor is 700-800 meters per second. The problem is that when firing at a high-speed target, the interceptor missile must be able to maneuver with overloads measured in tens and even hundreds of g. Such missile defenses do not yet exist.

Viktor Murakhovsky, editor-in-chief of the Arsenal of the Fatherland magazine, member of the Expert Council under the Chairman of the Military-Industrial Commission under the Government of the Russian Federation, notes: it is no secret that the combat equipment and payload of our ICBMs are continuously being improved.

And when President Vladimir Putin, speaking on June 16 at the Army 2015 forum, said that this year the composition nuclear forces will be replenished with more than 40 new intercontinental missiles, then all the media paid attention to this figure, but somehow missed the continuation of the phrase - “which will be able to overcome any, even the most technically advanced missile defense systems.”

In the improvement program combat equipment Work is also underway on the creation of hypersonic maneuvering warheads precisely on the maneuver trajectory - after the payload has been deployed, which will make it possible to truly ignore any conceivable promising missile defense system. Yes, the intercontinental ballistic missiles in service with the Strategic Missile Forces still have units that deploy at a speed of 5-7 kilometers per second. But it’s a completely different matter to carry out a maneuver, and a controlled one, at such speeds. It is quite possible that these warheads can be installed on the new Sarmat heavy missile, which will replace the legendary Soviet R-36M2 Voevoda in the army. I think that in the future similar warheads will be installed on missiles entering service with the Strategic Missile Forces.

“SP”: - According to information from open sources, on February 26, the launch of “object 4202” was carried out by the UR-100N UTTH missile system, the serial production of which continued until 1985. This missile is a modification of the Stiletto (UR-100N, according to NATO classification - SS-19 mod.1 Stiletto)…

The service life of this missile system seems to have been extended until 2031, and it is used only for testing. Naturally, this missile is examined before each launch, but it has always demonstrated reliability. So, in our country, the payload is launched into orbit by Dnepr launch vehicles - the launch vehicles, to put it mildly, are no longer young, but also reliable, during the operation of which, as far as I remember, major accidents didn't happen.

“SP”: - The media have repeatedly reported that the Chinese, in addition to the WU-14, are developing a hypersonic cruise missile.

Hypersonic missiles are, of course, a completely different direction. To be honest, I don’t really believe in the emergence of such weapons, even in the long term, since I can’t imagine how a cruise missile can be accelerated to hypersound in dense layers of the atmosphere. Of course, you can build something gigantic, but in relation to the payload it will be an absolutely irrational use of funds.

"SP": - In the USA, hypersonic projects within the framework of the implementation of the concept of "Prompt Global Strike" are being developed by various departments: the X-43A aircraft - NASA, the X-51A missile - the Air Force, the AHW device - Ground forces, ArcLight rocket - DARPA and Navy, Falcon HTV-2 airframe - DARPA and Air Force. Moreover, the timing of their appearance is different: missiles - by 2018-2020, reconnaissance aircraft - by 2030.

All this promising developments It’s not for nothing that there are so many of them. For example, the AHW project, according to various sources, is also a combined weapon consisting of a three-stage launch vehicle and a hypersonic warhead itself. But it is difficult to say how far the Americans have progressed in the development of this project (the tests were considered either successful or unsuccessful - “SP”). As you know, the Americans did not particularly bother about equipping their missiles with missile defense penetration systems, meaning, for example, the creation of a “cloud” of false targets around a real warhead.

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Yu-71 - hypersonic aircraft / Photo: azfilm.ru

In the ongoing discussions about the creation of a hypersonic aircraft in Russia, new data has appeared.

“It is expected that the Yu-71 will be used as combat equipment for the new Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile, and it is possible that one of the hypersonic vehicle options can be adapted for the promising PAK DA strategic bomber.”

General Director of OJSC "Tactical Corporation" missile weapons"("KTRV") Boris Obnosov, although indirectly, confirmed to the publication "VPK.name" the development of the project known as "object 4202".

The head of KTRV called the topic on “4202” closed and made it clear that to create such a weapon, systematic work is needed, which is being carried out in this direction.

“You all know very well about hypersound from the media. China, India, France, the USA and of course Russia are doing this,” explained B. Obnosov. “We have considerable historical experience in this regard.”

Boris Obnosov / Photo: aprpress.com The author of the publication noted that a short comment was received during the MAKS-2015 salon, but the reason for its publication appeared only after recent reports about another successful test of a hypersonic vehicle by the Chinese military.

The launch of China's secret weapons was monitored by the Pentagon. According to its representatives, the DF-ZF aircraft was launched by a ballistic missile from the Wuzhai test site in the central Chinese province of Shanxi. It separated from the carrier at the edge of the atmosphere and then aimed at a target located several thousand kilometers from the launch site. This test was the sixth in China.

Information about the testing of GZLA in Russia also periodically leaks. Thus, in July last year, the American publication The Washington Free Beacon (WFB), citing a report by analysts from the British publication Jane's Intelligence Review, reported that the Russian Federation launched the Yu-71 device in low-Earth orbit, where it was delivered by an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) UR -100 N (according to NATO classification SS-19 “Stiletto”). It was launched from the position area of ​​the Dombarovsky Strategic Missile Forces formation in the Orenburg region. Experts say that Russia has been creating an experimental device since 2009. The goal of the top-secret program "4202" is to obtain a strategic supernova strike weapons , which will significantly increase the capabilities of the Strategic Missile Forces. The Yu-71 can be equipped with both a conventional and a nuclear charge. The trajectory of a hypersonic vehicle cannot be calculated, since it flies at a speed of over 11 thousand kilometers per hour (7 thousand miles per hour) and can maneuver. These features make it almost impossible for air defense or missile defense elements to intercept GZVs. Speaking about “considerable historical experience,” Boris Obnosov meant the achievements of the USSR, which managed to get as close as possible to the practical creation of a hypersonic aircraft. In the late 1980s, the Raduga Design Bureau, which is now part of KTRV OJSC, developed a hypersonic experimental aircraft (GELA), also designated by the index “X-90”. By design, it was a cruise missile with a folding delta wing and a fuselage containing a ramjet engine. With a launch weight of 15 tons, the X-90 rocket could accelerate to a speed of at least 4.5 Mach (1 Mach = 1225 kilometers/hour). According to reliable, but not officially confirmed data, the X-90 was launched from a carrier aircraft in the late 1980s, and the rocket reached its design speed. According to VPK.name, KTRV has currently mastered flights at speeds of 3.5 - 4 Mach. But when moving to speeds of 6-7-8 Mach, a number of problems arise with the propulsion system.() “We are looking for solutions , and they appear. We have progress in this matter, including at the Raduga MKB, NPO Mashinostroenie, at the main site,” said B. Obnosov. It is worth noting that at the International Aviation and Space Salon MAKS 2015, the Central Institute of Aviation Engine Engineering (CIAM) presented a hypersonic engine capable of accelerating an aircraft to 9,000 kilometers per hour. CIAM has the largest stand in Europe, which allows one to reproduce flight conditions at speeds of 5-7.5 M - 6125-9187 kilometers/hour. Institute employees have manufactured a module for a hypersonic engine running on hydrogen fuel. During its tests, when simulating conditions on the stand corresponding to the flight number M = 7.4, positive thrust was recorded. By the way, according to Western analysts, the Russian Yu-71 device was developed in the late 2000s and was tested four times. The first test launch took place in December 2011, the second in September 2013, the third in 2014, and the fourth in 2015. Experts name these dates on the basis of a number of documents relating to the construction of new military facilities. It is assumed that the Yu-71 will be used as combat equipment for the new Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile. It is also possible that one of the variants of the hypersonic vehicle could be adapted for the promising strategic bomber PAK DA.() Timur Alimov reports about this in the special RG project “Russian Weapons”.

Russia will be able to limit the effectiveness of the US missile defense system with the help of the Yu-71 hypersonic aircraft, which is currently being tested, writes the American edition of the Washington Times. The new weapon will be able to carry nuclear charge at a speed 10 times the speed of sound.

Estimated view of Yu-71 / Image: nampuom-pycu.livejournal.com

In an atmosphere of strict secrecy, Russia is testing a new hypersonic maneuvering aircraft, the Yu-71, which will be capable of carrying nuclear warheads at a speed of 10 times the speed of sound, reports the American edition of the Washington Times. The Kremlin is developing similar devices to overcome US missile defenses, InoTV notes, citing the newspaper. (Yu-71) has been in development for several years. The last tests of the aircraft took place in February 2015. The launch took place from the Dombarovsky test site near Orenburg. Previously, it was purely speculatively reported by other Western sources, but now this launch has been confirmed by new analysts. The publication refers to a report released in June by the famous Western military analytical center Jane’s.

Previously, this designation - Yu-71 - did not appear in open sources.

According to The WashingtonFree Beacon, the aircraft is part of a secret Russian project to create a certain object 4202. Analysts claim that the February launch was carried out using an UR-100N UTTH rocket, in which object 4202 served as the warhead, and ended unsuccessfully.

Perhaps this index refers to the modifications being developed of hypersonic maneuvering nuclear warheads, which have been equipped with Russian ICBMs for several years now. These units, after separation from the launch vehicle, are capable of changing the flight trajectory in altitude and heading and, as a result, successfully bypass both existing and future missile defense systems.

This would give Russia the ability to launch precision strikes against selected targets, and when combined with the capabilities of its missile defense system, Moscow would be able to successfully hit a target with just one missile.

24 hypersonic aircraft with nuclear warheads will be deployed at the Dombarovsky training ground from 2020 to 2025, the military analytical center Jane’s Information Group is confident. By that time, Moscow will already have a new intercontinental ballistic missile capable of carrying the Yu-71, the publication writes.

The speed of hypersonic aircraft reaches 11,200 km/h, and unpredictable maneuverability makes the task of finding their bearing almost impossible, the Washington Times emphasizes.

MOSCOW, WEAPONS OF RUSSIA, Stanislav Zakaryan www.arms-expo.ru

The desire to create as quickly as possible military equipment– this is a key goal for any state, because only high speeds are a guarantee of overcoming the means air defense. For this reason, hypersonic weapon technologies were actively mastered back in Hitler's Germany. Later they migrated to the allies, who continued their outstanding developments.

However, only in recent decades has technology made it possible to make a qualitative step forward. For Russia, this is expressed in the secret project Yu-71 - a hypersonic aircraft.

History of the creation of hypersonic weapons

Hypersonic weapons reached their maximum development during the “ Cold War" Like many outstanding military projects of mankind, fundamentally new technologies were created in conditions of competition between the USA and the USSR. The first attempts to exceed the speed of sound (namely, to overcome the barrier of 1234.8 km/h) did not lead to serious achievements. But it should also be noted that the tasks set were almost impossible even for such powerful powers.

Not much is known about these projects, but some information has reached us that, for example, in the USSR, designers were faced with the task of making:

• an aircraft that could reach a speed of at least 7000 km/h;
• reliable design for using the equipment many times;
• a controlled aircraft to make it as difficult as possible to detect and eliminate it;
• finally, surpass a similar development of the states - the X-20 Dyna Soar.

But during the tests it became clear that it was impossible to even get into the air with similar speeds and the required design, and Soviet Union closed the project.

Fortunately for the leadership of the USSR, the Americans also did not achieve progress: only a few times the hypersonic aircraft rose to suborbital altitude, but in most situations it lost control and crashed.

Development of supersonic technologies in the 21st century

Hypersonic technologies are closely intertwined in two different directions: the creation of ballistic and guided missiles or the design of a full-fledged aircraft.

And if missiles that exceed the speed of sound several times are already being successfully created and even participate in military operations, then aircraft require truly ingenious design solutions. The main catch is that overloads at high speeds during maneuvers are measured not even in tens, but in hundreds of g. Planning such loads and ensuring reliability of the equipment is a rather difficult task.

Technologies do not stand still, so in the 21st century the project “4202” was implemented in Russia, which is often referred to as the Yu-71 - a hypersonic aircraft.

It grew out of the development of hypersonic technologies in missiles.

Very little is known about the development, because similar work was and is being carried out not only in the USSR and then Russia, but also in the USA, as well as China, Britain, and France. The desire of the leading world powers to keep complex and expensive discoveries secret is quite understandable, since serious military superiority will be achieved with hypersonic technology.

It is known that the first successes were achieved back in the USSR, in 1991. Then the Kholod aircraft successfully took off into the air. The device was launched on the basis anti-aircraft missile system S-200, using a 5B28 missile. The engineers were able to achieve a controlled flight and reach a speed of 1900 km/h. After this, the possibilities only expanded, but in 1998 the tests were stopped. The reason turned out to be prosaic - the crisis that had broken out in the country.

Given the high secrecy of information, there are not many reliable sources.

However, the foreign press provides such information that in 20-2010. Russia has again begun to develop hypersonic projects. The tasks were set as follows:

1. To develop ballistic and guided missiles at a faster pace to ensure that they overcome any known interception means before reaching the target.
2. Develop missile systems with rocket speeds exceeding the speed of sound up to 13 times.
3. Conduct tests of an aircraft with means of delivering nuclear and non-nuclear weapons.

The main reason for the development of such weapons was based on the fact that a similar American project, Prompt Global Strike, was developed to be based on ships and aircraft in order to be guaranteed to hit any point on the planet in 1 hour. Naturally, Russia had to respond with the same weapons, because no country has interception weapons capable of targeting targets at such a high speed.

The most famous facts about Russia's secret weapon - Yu-71

Already at the start of work, the ideas of the “4202” project were seriously ahead of their time, since the chief designer was the brilliant Gleb Lozino-Lozinsky. But they were able to create a full-fledged aircraft much later, already in Russia.

According to foreign sources, tests of the glider, namely the Yu-71 aircraft, did not take place at the beginning of 2015, as it says military leadership Russia. There is information that already in 2004, a supposedly new hypersonic glider was launched at Baikonur. This version is confirmed by the fact that in 2012, at one of the country’s defense enterprises in the city of Reutov, New Year’s greetings were announced, where employees were told that the “4202” project was key for the near future.

In general, the Russian Yu-71 supersonic aircraft is extremely difficult to shoot down and even track. Therefore, a lot of information is hidden from ordinary people. According to reports, the Yu-71 is different the following characteristics:

1. A hypersonic aircraft takes off from low-Earth orbit. It is delivered there by UR-100N UTTH type missiles. At the level of opinions it is said that in the future the company will be responsible for delivery newest rocket"Sarmat" ICBM RS-28.
2. The maximum recorded speed of the Yu-71 is estimated at 11,200 km/h. Experts say that the device is capable of maneuvering on the final part of the trajectory. But even without this ability, it remains out of reach of air defense and missile defense systems due to high speed. According to the Russian military, the Yu-71 can maneuver in altitude and heading from the moment it launches in low-Earth orbit.
3. The Yu-71 can go into space, which makes it even more invisible to most detection equipment.
4. It is believed that from the moment of launch, the glider can fly to New York in 40 minutes, carrying nuclear warheads on board.
5. Hypersonic modules are characterized by a very large mass, so the military leadership is considering the possibility of delivering several Yu-71s into low-Earth orbit at once. powerful missiles than they are used now.
6. The glider has 3 compartments with various equipment and weapons.
7. There is an opinion that Russia is starting active production of the Yu-71 project. Thus, presumably the Strela production facility near Orenburg is being completely technically rebuilt to assemble hypersonic weapons.

The only information that is called accurate is the developed aircraft speed and ability to maneuver in flight.

Other information is kept secret. But it is already clear that Russia is ready to respond adequately in the hypersonic race.

Competitors Yu-71

Hypersonic technologies are the subject of work by the world's leading powers. Some have achieved serious achievements, for others the costs were high or it was not possible to carry out highly technological projects. Russia's main competitors today are the United States and China.

Competitors	Description
1.Advanced Hypersonic Weapon glider (USA).	The AHW aircraft became part of the Prompt Global Strike program. Technical aspects hidden under seven seals. It is only known that the glider reaches speeds of up to Mach 8 (10,000 km/h). His first tests were considered successful, but during the second, the launch vehicle exploded. So we can confidently say that the work overseas is not yet finished.
2. Glider WU-14 (PRC).	China's great aspirations are aimed at creating hypersonic ballistic and cruise missiles. But the WU-14 glider is also being developed. It is known to reach speeds of up to Mach 10 (just over 12,000 km/h). Some sources also provide information that the Chinese are working on their own ramjet hypersonic engine specifically for direct launch of gliders from aircraft.

In the 21st century, humanity has come close to hypersonic weapons.

If you believe information leaks, then Russia can announce the final stage faster than others, namely the adoption of such technologies. This will bring a tangible advantage in military terms.

Prospects for the Russian Yu-71

According to some reports, the Yu-71 has passed tests and is preparing for serial production. Although the project is secret, a number of sources indicate that by 2025 Russia will have 40 such gliders with nuclear warheads.

Even though Yu-71 launches are expensive, the device can be used for different purposes. The ability is also called as soon as possible deliver a warhead to any point on the planet, and, for example, transport food and supplies.

Due to its maneuverability, the Yu-71 can be used as an attack aircraft or bomber deep behind enemy lines.

The Yu-71 will most likely be located near Orenburg, in the rear, since the most vulnerable part of the flight is the launch and achievement of orbit. After separating the glider from the rocket, it becomes impossible for anyone to track its movement and, moreover, shoot it down. modern systems Missile defense or air defense.

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