Trident II D5 ballistic missile failure (5 photos). Russian “Sineva” vs. American “Trident” Nuclear shield is outdated

In 1990, tests of the new ballistic missile submarines (SLBM) Trident-2 and it was put into service. This SLBM, like its predecessor Trident-1, is part of the strategic missile complex Trident, which is carried by nuclear-powered missile submarines (SSBNs) of the Ohio and Lafayette classes. The complex of systems of this missile carrier ensures the performance of combat missions anywhere in the world's oceans, including in the high Arctic latitudes, and the firing accuracy combined with powerful warheads allows the missiles to effectively hit small-sized protected targets, such as silo-based ICBM launchers, command centers and others military facilities. The modernization capabilities incorporated during the development of the Trident-2 missile system, according to American experts, make it possible to keep the missile in service with naval strategic nuclear forces for a significant period of time.

The Trident-2 complex is significantly superior to Trident-1 in terms of the power of nuclear charges and their number, accuracy and firing range. An increase in the power of nuclear warheads and an increase in firing accuracy provide the Trident-2 SLBM with the ability to effectively hit heavily protected small targets, including silo-based ICBM launchers.

The main companies involved in the development of the Trident-2 SLBM:

• Lockheed Missiles and Space (Sunnyvale, California) - lead developer;
• Hercules and Morton Thiokol (Magna, Utah) - solid propellant rocket engines of the 1st and 2nd stages;
• Chemical Sistems (a division of United Technologies, San Jose, California) - 3rd stage solid propellant rocket engine;
• Ford Aerospace (Newport Beach, California) - engine valve block;
• Atlantic Research (Gainesville, Virginia) - dilution stage gas generators;
• General Electric (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) - head unit;
• Draper Laboratory (Cambridge, Massachusetts) - guidance system.

The flight test program was completed in February 1990 and included 20 launches from ground-based launchers and five from SSBNs:

• March 21, 1989 4 seconds after the start of the flight, while at an altitude of 68 m (225 ft), the rocket exploded. The failure was due to a mechanical or electronic problem with the nozzle gimbal that controls the rocket. The reason for the rocket's self-destruction was high angular velocities and overloads.
• 08/02/89 The test was successful
• 08/15/89 The 1st stage solid propellant rocket engine ignited normally, but 8 seconds after launch and 4 seconds after the rocket emerged from under the water, the automatic rocket detonation system was activated. The cause of the rocket explosion was damage to the thrust vector control system of the solid propellant rocket engine and, as a result, a deviation from the calculated flight path. The email was also damaged. first stage cables, which initiated the onboard self-destruct system.
• 12/04/89 The test was successful
• 12/13/89 The test was successful
• 12/13/89 The test was successful. The missile was launched from a depth of 37.5 m. The submarine moved at a speed relative to the water of 3-4 knots. The absolute speed was zero. The submarine's heading was 175 degrees, the launch azimuth was 97 degrees.
• 12/15/90 Fourth successful launch in a row from an underwater position.
• 01/16/90 The test was successful.

Test launches from a submarine revealed the need to make changes to the design of the first stage of the missile and the launch silo, which ultimately led to a delay in the acceptance of the missile into service and a reduction in its flight range. The designers had to solve the problem of protecting the nozzle block from the effects of the water column that occurs when the SLBM emerges from under the water. After testing was completed, the Trident-D5 entered service in 1990. Trident-2 is part of the Trident strategic missile system, which is carried by Ohio- and Lafayette-class nuclear-powered missile submarines (SSBNs).

The US Navy command expects that the Trident-2 missile system, created using latest technologies and materials, will remain in service for the next 20-30 years with its constant improvement. In particular, maneuvering warheads were developed for Trident missiles, with which there are great hopes for increasing the effectiveness of overcoming the enemy’s missile defense system and destroying point objects deeply hidden underground. In particular, the Trident-2 SLBM is planned to be equipped with maneuvering MARV (Maneouverable Re-entry Vehicle) warheads with radar sensors or inertial guidance systems on a laser gyroscope. Guidance accuracy (HVA), according to calculations by American experts, can be 45 and 90 m, respectively. Penetrating nuclear weapons are being developed for this warhead. According to experts from the Livermore Radiation Laboratory (California), technological difficulties in constructing such a warhead have already been overcome and prototypes have been tested. After separation from the warhead, the warhead maneuvers to evade enemy missile defense systems. When approaching the earth's surface, its trajectory changes and its speed decreases, which ensures penetration into the ground at the appropriate entry angle. When it penetrates the earth's surface to a depth of several meters, it explodes. This type of weapon is designed to destroy various objects, including highly protected underground command centers military-political leadership, command posts of strategic forces, nuclear missile systems and other facilities.

Compound

The UGM-96A Trident-2 missile (see diagram) is made according to a three-stage design. In this case, the third stage is located in the central opening of the instrument compartment and head section. Solid rocket motors (solid propellant motors) of all three stages of Trident-2 are made of materials with improved characteristics (aramid fiber, Kevlar-49, epoxy resin is used as a binder) and have a lightweight oscillating nozzle. Kevlar-49 has higher specific strength and modulus of elasticity compared to fiberglass. The choice of aramid fiber gave a gain in mass, as well as an increase in firing range. The engines are equipped with high-energy solid fuel - nitrolane, which has a density of 1.85 g/cm3 and a specific impulse of 281 kg-s/kg. Polyurethane rubber was used as a plasticizer. On the Trident-2 rocket, each stage has one oscillating nozzle that provides pitch and yaw control.

The nozzle is made of composite materials (graphite-based), which are lighter in weight and more resistant to erosion. Thrust vector control (TCV) in the active section of the trajectory in pitch and yaw is carried out due to the deflection of the nozzles, and roll control in the section of operation of the main engines is not performed. The roll deviation that accumulates during the operation of the solid propellant engine is compensated during the operation of the propulsion system of the head section. The rotation angles of the UVT nozzles are small and do not exceed 6-7°. Maximum angle The nozzle rotation is determined based on the magnitude of possible random deviations caused by the underwater launch and rotation of the rocket. The nozzle rotation angle during stage separation (for trajectory correction) is usually 2-3°, and during the rest of the flight - 0.5°. The first and second stages of the rocket have the same design of the UVT system, and in the third stage it is much smaller. They include three main elements: a powder pressure accumulator, which supplies gas (temperature 1200°C) to the hydraulic unit; a turbine that drives a centrifugal pump and a hydraulic power drive with pipelines. Working speed rotation of the turbine and the centrifugal pump rigidly connected to it at 100-130 thousand rpm. The UHT system of the Trident-2 rocket, unlike the Poseidon-SZ, does not have a gearbox that connects the turbine to the pump and reduces the rotation speed of the pump (up to 6000 rpm). This led to a reduction in their weight and increased reliability. In addition, in the UVT system, the steel hydraulic pipelines used on the Poseidon-SZ rocket are replaced with Teflon ones. The hydraulic fluid in a centrifugal pump has an operating temperature of 200-260°C. The solid propellant rocket motors of all stages of the Trident-2 SLBM operate until the fuel is completely burned out. The use of new advances in the field of microelectronics on the Trident-2 SLBM made it possible to reduce the mass of the electronic equipment unit in the guidance and control system by 50% compared to a similar unit on the Poseidon-SZ missile. In particular, the indicator of integration of electronic equipment on Polaris-AZ rockets was 0.25 conventional elements per 1 cm3, on Poseidon-SZ - 1, on Trident-2 - 30 (due to the use of thin-film hybrid circuits).

The head part (MS) includes an instrument compartment, a combat compartment, a propulsion system and a head fairing with a nose aerodynamic needle. The Trident-2 combat bay accommodates up to eight W-88 warheads with a yield of 475 kt each, or up to 14 W-76 warheads with a yield of 100 kt each, located in a circle. Their mass is 2.2 - 2.5 tons. The propulsion system of the warhead consists of solid fuel gas generators and control nozzles, with the help of which the speed of the warhead, its orientation and stabilization are regulated. On Trident-1 it includes two gas generators (powder pressure accumulator - operating temperature 1650 ° C, specific impulse 236 s, high pressure 33 kgf/cm2, low pressure 12 kgf/cm2) and 16 nozzles (four front, four rear and eight stabilization by roll). The propellant mass of the propulsion system is 193 kg, the maximum operating time after separation of the third stage is 7 minutes. The propulsion system of the Trident-2 missile uses four solid propellant gas generators developed by Atlantic research.

The last stage of missile modernization is to equip the W76-1/Mk4 AP with new MC4700 fuses (Penetrating Aggression). The new fuse makes it possible to compensate for a miss relative to the target during flight due to an earlier detonation above the target. The magnitude of the miss is estimated at an altitude of 60-80 kilometers after analyzing the actual position of the warhead and its flight trajectory relative to the designated detonation site. The estimated probability of hitting silo launchers with 10,000 psi protection increases from 0.5 to 0.86.

The head fairing is designed to protect the head of the rocket as it moves through water and dense layers of the atmosphere. The fairing is reset during the operation of the second stage engine. The nose aerodynamic needle was used on Trident-2 missiles in order to reduce aerodynamic drag and increase the firing range with the existing forms of their head fairings. It is recessed into the fairing and extends telescopically under the influence of the powder accumulator pressure. On the Trident-1 rocket, the needle has six components, extends at an altitude of 600 m within 100 ms and reduces aerodynamic drag by 50 percent. The aerodynamic needle on the Trident-2 SLBM has seven retractable parts.

The instrument compartment houses various systems (control and guidance, data entry for warhead detonation, warhead disengagement), power supplies and other equipment. The control and guidance system controls the flight of the missile during the operation of its propulsion engines and the deployment of warheads. It generates commands to turn on, turn off, separate solid propellant rocket motors of all three stages, turn on the propulsion system of the warhead, carry out maneuvers for correcting the flight path of SLBMs and targeting warheads. The control and guidance system for the Trident-2 Mk5 SLBM includes two electronic units installed in the lower (rear) part of the instrument compartment. The first block (size 0.42X0.43X0.23 m, weight 30 kg) contains a computer that generates control signals and control circuits. The second block (diameter 0.355 m, weight 38.5 kg) houses a gyro-stabilized platform on which two gyroscopes, three accelerometers, an astronomical sensor, and temperature control equipment are installed. The warhead disengagement system ensures the generation of commands for maneuvering the warhead when targeting warheads and their separation. It is installed in the upper (front) part of the instrument compartment. The warhead detonation data input system records the necessary information during pre-launch preparation and generates data on the detonation height of each warhead.

On-board and ground-based computing systems

The missile firing control system is designed to calculate firing data and enter them into the missile, carry out pre-launch checks of the readiness of the missile system for operation, control the missile launch process and subsequent operations.

It solves the following problems:

• calculation of firing data and inputting them into the missile;
• providing data to the SLBM storage and launch system for solving pre- and post-launch operations;
• connecting the SLBM to the ship's power sources until the moment of direct launch;
• checking all systems of the missile complex and general ship systems involved in pre-launch, launch and post-launch operations;
• monitoring compliance with the time sequence of actions during the preparation and launch of missiles;
• automatic detection and troubleshooting in the complex;
• providing the possibility of training combat crews to conduct missile firing (simulator mode);
• ensuring constant recording of data characterizing the state of the missile system.

Missile firing control system Mk98 mod. It includes two main computers, a network of peripheral computers, a missile firing control panel, data transmission lines and auxiliary equipment. The main elements of the SRS are located at the missile firing control post, and the control panel is located at the SSBN central post. The AN/UYK-7 main computers provide coordination of the fire control system for various types of action and its centralized computer maintenance. Each computer is housed in three racks and includes up to 12 blocks (size 1X0.8 m). Each of them contains several hundred standard military-grade SEM electronic modules. The computer has two central processors, two adapters and two input/output controllers, a storage device and a set of interfaces. Any of the processors of each computer has access to all data stored in the machine. This increases the reliability of solving problems of drawing up missile flight programs and controlling the missile system. The computer has a total memory capacity of 245 kbytes (32-bit words) and a speed of 660 thousand operations/s.

The network of peripheral computers provides additional data processing, storage, display and input into the main computers. It includes a small-sized (weight up to 100 kg) AN/UYK-20 computer (16-bit machine with a speed of 1330 op/s and a RAM capacity of 64 kB), two recording subsystems, a display, two disk drives and a tape recorder. The missile firing control panel is designed to control all stages of preparation and degrees of readiness of the missile system for missile launch, issuing a launch command and monitoring post-launch operations. It is equipped with a control and signal board, controls and blocking of missile system systems, and means of intra-ship communications. The SRS in the Trident-2 missile system has certain technical differences from the previous Mk98 mod system. O (in particular, it uses more modern AN/UYK-43 computers), but solves similar problems and has the same operating logic. It provides sequential launch of SLBMs in both automatic and manual modes in series or single missiles.

General ship systems that ensure the functioning of the Trident missile system supply it with electrical power with ratings of 450 V and 60 Hz, 120 V and 400 Hz, 120 V and 60 Hz alternating current, as well as hydraulic power with a pressure of 250 kg/cm2 and compressed air.

Maintaining the specified depth, roll and trim of SSBNs during missile launches is ensured using a ship-wide system for stabilizing the launch platform and maintaining a given launch depth, which includes systems for draining and replacing missile mass, as well as special automatic machines. It is controlled from the control panel of general ship systems.

General ship microclimate maintenance and control system environment provides the necessary air temperature, relative humidity, pressure, radiation control, air composition and other characteristics both in the SLBM launcher and in all service and living areas of the boat. Microclimate parameters are monitored using displays installed in each compartment.

The SSBN navigation system ensures that the missile system constantly receives accurate data on the location, depth and speed of the submarine. It includes an autonomous inertial system, optical and visual observation equipment, receiving and computing equipment for satellite navigation systems, receiver indicators for radio navigation systems and other equipment. The Ohio-type SSBN navigation complex with Trident-1 missiles includes two inertial systems SINS Mk2 mod.7, a high-precision internal correction unit ESGM, a LORAN-C AN/BRN-5 RNS receiver indicator, NAVSTAR SNS receiving and computing equipment and an Omega RNS MX-1105, AN/BQN-31 navigation sonar, reference frequency generator, computer, control panel and auxiliary equipment. The complex ensures the fulfillment of the specified characteristics of the firing accuracy of the Trident-1 SLBM (QUO 300-450 m) for 100 hours without correction by external navigation systems. The Ohio-class SSBN navigation complex with Trident-2 missiles provides higher accuracy characteristics of missile firing (QUO 120 m) and maintains them for an increased time between corrections according to external sources navigation. This was achieved by improving existing and introducing new systems. Thus, more advanced computers, digital interfaces, a navigation sonar and other innovations were installed. The ESGN inertial navigation system, equipment for determining the location and speed of SSBNs using underwater sonar transponders, and a magnetometric system were introduced.

The storage and launch system (see diagram) is designed for storage and maintenance, protection from overloads and shocks, emergency release and launch of missiles from SSBNs located underwater or on the surface. On Ohio-class submarines such a system is called Mk35 mod. O (on ships with the Trident-1 complex) and Mk35 mod. 1 (for the Trident-2 complex), and on converted Lafayette-class SSBNs - Mk24. The Mk35 mod.O systems include 24 silo launchers (PU), an SLBM ejection subsystem, a launch control and control subsystem and missile loading equipment. The control panel consists of a shaft, a cover with a hydraulic drive, sealing and locking the cover, a starting cup, a membrane, two plug connectors, equipment for supplying a vapor-gas mixture, four control and adjustment hatches, 11 electrical, pneumatic and optical sensors.

Launchers are critical integral part complex and are designed for storing, servicing and launching the rocket. The main elements of each launcher are: a shaft, a launch cup, a hydraulic pneumatic system, a membrane, valves, a plug connector, a steam supply subsystem, a subsystem for monitoring and testing all components of the launcher. The shaft is a cylindrical steel structure and is an integral part of the SSBN hull. It is closed on top with a hydraulically driven lid, which provides sealing against water and can withstand the same pressure as the durable hull of the boat. There is a seal between the cover and the neck of the shaft. To prevent unauthorized opening, the cover is equipped with a locking device, which also ensures the blocking of the sealing ring of the PU cover with the mechanisms for opening control and adjustment hatches. This prevents the simultaneous opening of the launcher cover and control and adjustment hatches, with the exception of the missile loading and unloading stage.

A steel launch cup is installed inside the shaft. The annular gap between the walls of the shaft and the glass has a seal made of elastomeric polymer, which acts as shock absorbers. Shock-absorbing and sealing belts are placed in the gap between the inner surface of the glass and the rocket. In the launch tube, the SLBM is installed on a support ring, which ensures its azimuthal alignment. The ring is fixed to shock-absorbing devices and centering cylinders. The top of the launch cup is covered with a membrane, which prevents sea water from entering the shaft when the lid is opened. The 6.3 mm thick, rigid membrane shell is dome-shaped with a diameter of 2.02 m and a height of 0.7 m. It is made of asbestos-reinforced phenolic resin. Adhered to the inner surface of the membrane is low-density polyurethane foam with open cells and a honeycomb material shaped like the nose of a rocket. This provides protection for the rocket from power and thermal loads when the membrane is opened using profiled explosive charges mounted on the inner surface of the shell. When opened, the shell is destroyed into several parts.

The launch cup of the Trident-2 missile system, manufactured by Westinghouse Electric, is made of the same grade of steel as the cup for the Trident-1 SLBM. However, due to the large size of the rocket, its diameter is 15% and height is 30% larger. Along with neoprene, urethane was also used as a sealing material between the walls of the shaft and the glass. The composition of the urethane composite material and seal configuration are selected to withstand the higher shock and vibration loads encountered during the launch of a Trident-2 SLBM.

The launcher is equipped with two plug connectors of a new type (umbilical), which are automatically unfastened at the moment of rocket launch. The connectors serve to supply power to the instrument compartment of the missile and enter the necessary firing data. Equipment for supplying the PU vapor-gas mixture is part of the SLBM ejection subsystem. The steam-gas mixture supply pipe and the sub-rocket chamber into which the steam-gas enters are mounted directly into the launcher. This equipment is located almost at the base of the shaft. The launcher has four control and adjustment hatches that provide access to the equipment and components of the rocket and launch equipment for the purpose of checking them and Maintenance. One hatch is located at the level of the first deck of the SSBN missile compartment, two - at the level of the second deck (providing access to the SLBM instrument compartment and connector), one - below the level of the fourth deck (access to the sub-missile chamber). The hatch opening mechanism is interlocked with the PU cover opening mechanism.

Each control unit has a BRIL emergency water cooling subsystem and is equipped with 11 sensors that monitor temperature, air humidity, amount of moisture and pressure. To control the required temperature (approximately 29°C), temperature sensors are installed in the control panel, which, in the event of an unacceptable temperature deviation, issue signals to the ship’s general thermal control system. Relative air humidity (30% or less) is controlled by three sensors located in the sub-rocket chamber, in the lower part and in the area of ​​the instrument compartment of the launch cup. As humidity increases, the sensors give a signal to the control panel installed in the missile compartment and to the missile firing control post. On command from the post, the relative humidity is reduced by passing dry air under pressure through the control unit. The presence of moisture in the launcher is detected using probes installed in the sub-rocket chamber and the gas-vapor mixture supply pipe. When the probe comes into contact with water, a corresponding alarm signal is generated. Water is heated in the same way as moist air.

The rocket ejection subsystem consists of 24 installations independent from each other. Each installation includes a gas generator (powder pressure accumulator), an ignition device, a cooling chamber, a gas-vapor mixture supply pipe, a sub-rocket chamber, a protective coating, as well as control and auxiliary equipment. The gases generated by the powder pressure accumulator pass through a chamber with water (cooling chamber), mix with it in certain proportions and form low-temperature steam. This vapor-gas mixture enters through the pipe into the sub-rocket chamber with uniform acceleration and, upon reaching a certain pressure, pushes the rocket out of the launch cup with a force sufficient to eject a body weighing 32 tons from a given depth (30-40 m) to a height of more than 10 m above the water surface. The Trident-2 SLBM ejection subsystem creates almost twice the pressure of the vapor-gas mixture, which makes it possible to eject even a missile weighing 57.5 tons from the same depth to the same height. The launch monitoring and control subsystem is designed to monitor the pre-launch preparation of the launcher, provide a signal to turn on the SLBM ejection subsystem, control the launch process and post-launch operations. It includes a launch control panel, launch safety equipment and test equipment. The launch control panel is used to display signals that allow you to control the actuation and operation of the launch system, as well as generate the necessary signals to change the operating mode of subsystems and equipment of the SLBM storage and launch system. It is located at the missile firing control post. The launch safety equipment monitors and provides signals to the SLBM ejection subsystem and the missile launch control system (MSRS). It gives the authorization signal for the control system for pre-launch preparation, launch and post-launch operations of five SLBM launchers simultaneously. The equipment includes a block with 24 launch safety modules, a panel for switching the SLBM ejection subsystem into test mode, and switches for the operating modes of the SLBM storage and launch system.

The test equipment includes three blocks, each of which controls the state and functioning of eight launchers, as well as five blocks that control the solution of logical, signal and test functions of the electronic equipment of the SLBM storage and launch system. All units are installed in the SSBN missile compartment.

Upon receiving a signal order to launch missiles, the boat commander announces a combat alert. After verifying the authenticity of the order, the commander gives the command to bring the submarine to ISy technical readiness, which is the highest level of readiness. With this command, the coordinates of the ship are specified, the speed is reduced to values ​​that ensure the launch of missiles, the boat floats to a depth of about 30 m. When the navigation post, as well as the subsystem post for monitoring and releasing missiles from silos, is ready, the SSBN commander inserts the launch key into the corresponding hole in the fire control panel and switches it. With this action, he gives a command to the missile compartment of the boat for the immediate pre-launch preparation of the missile system. Before launching the rocket, the pressure in the launch shaft is equalized with the outboard pressure, then the durable lid of the shaft is opened. Access to sea water is then blocked only by a relatively thin membrane located underneath.

The direct launch of the missile is carried out by the commander of the weapon warhead (missile-torpedo) using a trigger mechanism with a red handle (black for training launches), which is connected to the computer using a special cable. Then the powder pressure accumulator is turned on. The gases generated by it pass through a chamber with water and are partially cooled. The low-temperature steam formed in this case enters the lower part of the launch cup and pushes the rocket out of the shaft. The Polaris-AZ missile system used high-pressure air, which was supplied under the rocket shutter through a valve system according to a strictly defined schedule, precisely maintained by special automatic equipment. This ensured the specified mode of movement of the rocket in the launch cup and its acceleration with acceleration up to 10g at a speed of exit from the silo of 45-50 m/s. When moving upward, the rocket breaks the membrane, and sea water freely flows into the mine. After the rocket exits, the shaft lid is automatically closed, and the sea water in the shaft is drained into a special replacement tank inside the durable hull of the boat. When the missile moves in the launch cup, the SSBN is exposed to significant reactive force, and after it leaves the silo, it is subjected to the pressure of incoming sea water. The helmsman, with the help of special machines that control the operation of gyroscopic stabilizing devices and the pumping of water ballast, keeps the boat from sinking to depth. After uncontrolled movement in the water column, the rocket reaches the surface. The engine of the first stage of the SLBM is turned on at an altitude of 10-30 m above sea level according to a signal from the acceleration sensor. Along with the rocket, pieces of the launch cup seal are thrown onto the surface of the water.

Then the rocket rises vertically and, upon reaching a certain speed, begins to work out the given flight program. After the first stage engine has finished operating at an altitude of approximately 20 km, it separates and the second stage engine is turned on, and the first stage body is shot off. When a rocket moves on the active part of the trajectory, its flight is controlled by deflecting the nozzles of the stage engines. After the separation of the third stage, the warhead breeding stage begins. The head section with the instrument compartment continues to fly along a ballistic trajectory. The flight path of the warhead engine is corrected, warheads are aimed and fired. The warhead of the MIRV type uses the so-called “bus principle”: the warhead, having corrected its location, aims at the first target and fires the warhead, which flies along a ballistic trajectory towards the target, after which the warhead (“bus”), having corrected its location, the propulsion by installing a warhead breeding system, aims at the second target and fires the next warhead. A similar procedure is repeated for each warhead. If it is necessary to hit one target, then a program is incorporated into the warhead that allows for a strike to be carried out at intervals of time (in a warhead of the MRV type, after targeting is carried out by the second stage engine, all warheads are fired simultaneously). 15-40 minutes after the launch of the missile, the warheads reach the targets. The flight time depends on the distance of the SSBN firing position area from the target and the missile’s flight path.

Performance characteristics

At the end of last week, the Pentagon closed a significant area of ​​the world's oceans to air flights and navigation: west of the Florida peninsula in Gulf of Mexico, and also west of Angola in the South Atlantic. This was due to the scheduled launch of the Trident-2 ICBM on Sunday night from one of the Ohio-class strategic nuclear submarines.

This launch is not listed as planned, intended either to confirm the performance characteristics of missiles that have been in long-term operation, or to carry out measures for the next modernization of the missile, which was put into service in 1990. Since the previous planned firings of a pair of Trident-2s at an interval of three hours were carried out in March by the Ohio boat, located near the Californian coast of the United States.

So we can assume that we have now observed a demonstrative “flexing of muscles”. And it was associated with the salvo launch of four Bulava ICBMs by the Russian strategic submarine Dmitry Donskoy of Project 995 Borei. The salvo was fired with an interval of 1-2 seconds between the release of two adjacent missiles.

In the West, the firing of the Russian Navy is also considered demonstrative, for some reason linking it to the then approaching opening of the World Cup. However, these firings were, first of all, a test of the submarine's salvo firing systems, which had never been done in Russia since the late 80s.

The difficulty of such massive launches is that the boat loses mass after the launch of each rocket, which leads to a change in its depth. And this, in turn, in the case of unreliable operation of the rocket control automation, can affect the accuracy. On May 22, all missiles fired from the White Sea reached the Kura test site in Kamchatka, all combat units hit their targets.

Over the past three years, Pentagon generals, constantly and purposefully knocking out funding from the US Congress, have been talking about the need “in the face of Russia’s aggressive aspirations” to improve their nuclear potential. That is, to create new strategic weapons in all three of their types - underwater, air and ground.

And these persistent speeches had an effect. Last year, the Congressional Budget Office released a report, Projected Spending on U.S. Nuclear Forces, 2017 to 2026. It features total amount at 400 billion dollars. Of course, not all this money will be spent on new developments and construction of advanced weapons. Huge amounts of money are spent on maintaining existing arsenals and strategic equipment. At the same time, in the same document published in 2015, it was about 350 billion. The progress is significant.

This money is already beginning to be actively promoted. And above all in the maritime component of the nuclear triad. Currently, the fourth generation strategic boat Columbia is being designed, which should replace the Ohio boat, since it will soon turn 40 years old. The development cost is estimated at $12 billion. The construction of each of the 14 strategic submarines is estimated at approximately $5 billion. However, if the first boats begin to be laid down in the next decade, that is, during the period indicated in the Congressional report, then they will begin to enter service with the US Navy in the 30s. The entire Columbia project will cost $100 billion.

At the same time, there is no talk yet about replacing the Trident-2 missile with a promising ICBM. The US Navy is satisfied with it because it leads the world in a number of parameters. It has the smallest possible circular deviation from the target - about 100 meters. Our Bulava has 250 meters. So far, Trident-2 ranks second in range after the Russian Sineva - 11,300 km versus 11,500 km. In terms of throwing weight, it is on par with the Sinevaya - 2800 kg. However, Sineva, after replacing the third-generation strategic submarines Dolphin and Kalmar with fourth-generation Borei submarines, will be withdrawn from service. Only the Bulava will remain, which has less range and throwable weight. However, firstly, due to modernization, the Bulava is expected to improve its power characteristics to the American missile in the foreseeable future.

And, secondly, the Bulava control system is more advanced, which is extremely important in a situation of constantly increasing the capabilities of missile defense systems. An ICBM, “stupidly” flying along a ballistic trajectory, will after some time become not the most difficult prey for missile defense systems. As for the Bulava, it uses modern techniques for overcoming missile defense. A short active part of the trajectory, when the missile is easily detected by the running engine. A flat trajectory, leaving the anti-missile missiles too little time to react. And finally, maneuvering the warheads. And also equipment electronic warfare. The Trident-2 ICBM has none of this.

But the quantitative superiority in missiles located on one strategic submarine will be eliminated with the arrival of the Columbia boats in the US Navy. Now the Ohio boat has the 24th ICBM. Each Russian boat has 16 ICBMs. There will also be 16 on Columbia. However, the reduction in strike power of the Pentagon intends to compensate for the greater secrecy of Columbia. It is supposed to partially use the technology of the multi-purpose (non-strategic) boat “Virginia”, which, like our “Borey”, belongs to the fourth generation of submarines.

The maritime component of the triad is the strongest in the United States. Submarines have 67% of the nuclear warheads on alert. The rest comes from US strategic aviation and land-based silo-based missiles.

The second place is occupied by the air component of the nuclear triad. And here it is expected that a lot of work will be done so that, as the Deputy Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff recently stated at a hearing in Congress General Paul Selva, strategic aviation guaranteed to overcome the Russian air defense system.

Work is being carried out in two directions. Both the promising B-21 bomber and a cruise missile with a nuclear charge are being created. The USA has bombers, but they are mostly very ancient - B-52. There are very few modern ones - V-2, only 19 machines. No strategic missiles, instead of them bombs B61 (340 kt) and B63 (1.1 Mt).

The tender to create the B-21 bomber, worth $80 billion, was won by Northrop Grumman. Almost nothing is known about what the B-21 will be like and what characteristics it will have, since the work is at the very initial stage. There is only a reduced model for showing to the press and potential customers. Externally, this is a “flying wing”, which has some similarities with the B-2. It is assumed that the bomber will have two control modes - piloted and unmanned.

The first aircraft are scheduled to appear in 2025. However, these are overly optimistic forecasts. The B-2 Spirit took 20 years to complete. 10 years from the start of development to the first flight of the prototype, and the same amount until the start of mass production. However, the Pentagon plans to have 100 new bombers by 2037.

Lockheed Martin is developing nuclear cruise missile long-range LRSO (Long Range Stand-Off) to equip not only promising, but also operational strategic bombers.

Ground-based nuclear forces are the silo-based Minuteman 3 ICBMs, which began being put on combat duty in 1970. That is, almost half a century ago. This is the weakest link in the US nuclear triad. Even though the missiles have a good range of 13,000 km, there are almost no mechanisms to counter missile defense systems. They periodically change fuel, replace worn-out warheads, and update the control system. But this missile is clearly outdated, as stated several times Donald Trump, informed by referents.

The Pentagon decided to replace them with promising ones. The tender, worth $62 billion, was won by Northrop Grumman and Boeing. For a billion, by 2020 they must provide a report on what technologies need to be used to create a promising ICBM. That is, this is the cost of research. Big money will come at the stage of R&D and subsequent serial production of four hundred missiles. The cost of procurement together with the cost of development is 62 billion dollars. Of this, 13 billion will be paid for the creation of command and control systems, as well as launch centers.

The rockets make their way to the surface and fly upward towards the stars. Among thousands of flickering dots, they need one. Polaris. Alpha Ursa Major. The farewell star of humanity, to which salvo points and astro-correction systems for warheads are attached.

Ours take off as smooth as a candle, firing the first stage engines right in the missile silo on board the submarine. Thick-sided American Tridents climb to the surface crookedly, staggering as if drunk. Their stability in the underwater part of the trajectory is not ensured by anything other than the starting impulse of the pressure accumulator...

But first things first!

R-29RMU2 “Sineva” - further development glorious family of R-29RM.
Development began in 1999. Adopted into service - 2007.

A three-stage liquid-fuelled submarine-launched ballistic missile with a launch weight of 40 tons. Max. throw weight - 2.8 tons with a launch range of 8300 km. Combat load - 8 small-sized individually targeted MIRVs (for the RMU2.1 “Liner” modification - 4 medium-power warheads with developed anti-missile defense means). Circular probable deviation is 500 meters.

Achievements and records. The R-29RMU2 has the highest energy and mass perfection among all existing domestic and foreign SLBMs (the ratio of the combat load to the launch weight reduced to the flight range is 46 units). For comparison: the energy-mass perfection of Trident-1 is only 33, Trident-2 is 37.5.

The high thrust of the R-29RMU2 engines allows for flight along a flat trajectory, which reduces the flight time and, according to a number of experts, radically increases the chances of overcoming missile defense (albeit at the cost of reducing the launch range).

On October 11, 2008, during the Stability 2008 exercise in the Barents Sea, a record-breaking Sineva missile was launched from the nuclear submarine Tula. The prototype of the warhead fell in the equatorial part of the Pacific Ocean, the launch range was 11,547 km.

UGM-133A Trident-II D5. “Trident-2” has been developed since 1977 in parallel with the lighter “Trident-1”. Adopted into service in 1990.

Launch weight - 59 tons. Max. throw weight - 2.8 tons with a launch range of 7800 km. Max. flight range with a reduced number of warheads is 11,300 km. Combat load - 8 medium-power MIRVs (W88, 475 kT) or 14 low-power MIRVs (W76, 100 kT). Circular probable deviation is 90...120 meters.

The inexperienced reader is probably wondering: why are American missiles so poor? They leave the water at an angle, fly worse, weigh more, energy-mass perfection is to hell...

The thing is that the Lockheed Martin designers were initially in a more difficult situation compared to their Russian colleagues from the Design Bureau named after. Makeeva. In keeping with the traditions of the American Navy, they had to design an SLBM on solid fuel.

In terms of specific impulse, the solid propellant rocket engine is a priori inferior to the liquid rocket engine. The speed of gas flow from the nozzle of modern liquid-propellant rocket engines can reach 3500 m/s or more, while for solid propellant rocket engines this parameter does not exceed 2500 m/s.

Achievements and records of Trident-2:
1. The highest first-stage thrust (91,170 kgf) among all solid-fuel SLBMs, and the second among ballistic missiles with solid propellant rocket engines, after Minuteman-3.
2. The longest series of accident-free launches (150 as of June 2014).
3. Longest service life: Trident-2 will remain in service until 2042 (half a century in active service!). This testifies not only to the surprisingly long service life of the missile itself, but also to the correctness of the choice of the concept laid down at the height of the Cold War.

At the same time, “Trident” is difficult to modernize. Over the past quarter century since it was put into service, progress in the field of electronics and computing systems has gone so far that any local integration of modern systems into the Trident-2 design is impossible either at the software or even at the hardware level!

When the resource of the Mk.6 inertial navigation systems runs out (the last batch was purchased in 2001), it will be necessary to completely replace all the electronic “stuffing” of the Tridents to meet the requirements of the new generation INS Next Generation Guidance (NGG).

Warhead W76/Mk-4

A recessed solid propellant nozzle swinging in 2 planes in each of the three stages of the rocket.

A “mysterious needle” in the bow of an SLBM (an extendable rod consisting of seven parts), the use of which can reduce aerodynamic drag (increase in range - 550 km).

An original scheme with the placement of warheads (“carrots”) around the third stage propulsion engine (Mk-4 and Mk-5 warheads).

100-kiloton W76 warhead with a CEP unsurpassed to this day. In the original version, when using a dual correction system (INS + astro correction), the circular probable deviation of the W-76 reaches 120 meters. When using triple correction (INS + astro correction + GPS), the warhead's CEP is reduced to 90 m.

In 2007, with the end of production of the Trident-2 SLBM, a multi-stage modernization program D5 LEP (Life Extension Program) was launched to extend the life of existing missiles. In addition to re-equipping the Tridents with the new NGG navigation system, the Pentagon launched a cycle of research to create new, even more efficient rocket fuel compositions, create radiation-resistant electronics, as well as a number of works aimed at developing new warheads.

Some intangibles:

A liquid rocket engine consists of turbopump units, a complex mixing head and shut-off valves. Material - high-grade stainless steel. Each rocket with a rocket engine is a technical masterpiece, whose sophisticated design is directly proportional to its prohibitive cost.

IN general view A solid fuel SLBM is a fiberglass “barrel” (a thermostable container) filled to the brim with compressed gunpowder. The design of such a rocket does not even have a special combustion chamber - the “barrel” itself is the combustion chamber.

At serial production the savings are enormous. But only if you know how to make such rockets correctly! The production of solid propellant rocket motors requires the highest technical culture and quality control. The slightest fluctuations in humidity and temperature will critically affect the stability of combustion of fuel stoves.

The developed US chemical industry suggested an obvious solution. As a result, all overseas SLBMs - from Polaris to Trident - flew on solid fuel. Our situation with this was somewhat more complicated. The first attempt was a disaster: the solid-fuel SLBM R-31 (1980) could not confirm even half the capabilities of liquid-propellant missiles of the Design Bureau named after. Makeeva. The second R-39 missile turned out no better - with a warhead mass equivalent to the Trident-2 SLBM, the launch mass of the Soviet missile reached an incredible 90 tons. We had to create a huge boat for the super-rocket (Project 941 “Shark”).

At the same time, the RT-2PM Topol land missile system (1988) was even very successful. Obviously, the main problems with the stability of fuel combustion had been successfully overcome by that time.

The design of the new “hybrid” Bulava uses engines that use both solid (first and second stages) and liquid fuel (last, third stage). However, the bulk of unsuccessful launches were associated not so much with instability of fuel combustion, but with sensors and the mechanical part of the rocket (stage separation mechanism, oscillating nozzle, etc.).

The advantage of SLBMs with solid propellant rocket engines, in addition to the lower cost of serial missiles, is the safety of their operation. Concerns related to the storage and preparation for launch of SLBMs with liquid propellant rocket engines are not in vain: in the domestic submarine fleet There was a whole series of accidents associated with the leakage of toxic components of liquid fuel and even explosions that led to the loss of the ship (K-219).

In addition, the following facts speak in favor of solid propellant rocket engines:

Shorter length (due to the absence of a separated combustion chamber). As a result, American submarines lack the characteristic “hump” above the missile compartment;

Less pre-launch preparation time. In contrast to SLBMs with liquid propellant engines, where first there is a long and dangerous procedure of pumping fuel components (FC) and filling pipelines and the combustion chamber with them. Plus, the “liquid start” process itself, which requires filling the shaft with sea water, which is an undesirable factor that violates the submarine’s stealth;

Until the pressure accumulator is launched, it is possible to cancel the launch (due to changes in the situation and/or detection of any malfunctions in the SLBM systems). Our “Sineva” works on a different principle: start - shoot. And nothing else. Otherwise, you will need dangerous process draining the fuel tank, after which the uncombatable missile can only be carefully unloaded and sent to the manufacturer for refurbishment.

As for the launch technology itself, the American version has its own drawback.

Will the pressure accumulator be able to provide the necessary conditions for “pushing” a 59-ton blank to the surface? Or at the moment of launch will you have to go at shallow depths, with the wheelhouse sticking out above the water?

The calculated pressure value for the launch of Trident-2 is 6 atm., starting speed movement in a vapor-gas cloud - 50 m/s. According to calculations, the starting impulse is sufficient to “lift” the rocket from a depth of at least 30 meters. As for the “unaesthetic” exit to the surface, at an angle to the normal, in technical terms this does not matter: the ignition of the third stage engine stabilizes the flight of the rocket in the first seconds.

At the same time, the “dry” launch of the “Trident”, in which the propulsion engine is started 30 meters above the water, provides some safety to the submarine itself in the event of an accident (explosion) of an SLBM in the first second of flight.

Unlike domestic high-energy SLBMs, whose creators are seriously discussing the possibility of flying along a flat trajectory, foreign specialists do not even try to work in in this direction. Motivation: the active part of the SLBM trajectory lies in an area inaccessible to enemy missile defense systems (for example, the equatorial section of the Pacific Ocean or the ice shell of the Arctic). As for the final section, for missile defense systems it does not really matter what the angle of entry into the atmosphere was - 50 or 20 degrees. Moreover, the missile defense systems themselves, capable of repelling a massive missile attack, still exist only in the fantasies of generals. Flight in dense layers of the atmosphere, in addition to reducing range, creates a bright contrail, which in itself is a strong unmasking factor.

Epilogue

A galaxy of domestic submarine-launched missiles against a single Trident-2... I must say, the “American” is holding up well. Despite its advanced age and solid fuel engines, its throw weight is exactly equal to the throw weight of the liquid fuel Sineva. The launch range is no less impressive: in this indicator, Trident-2 is not inferior to perfected Russian liquid-fuel missiles and is head and shoulders above any French or Chinese analogue. Finally, a small CEP, making Trident-2 a real contender for first place in the ranking of naval strategic nuclear forces.

20 years is a considerable age, but the Yankees are not even discussing the possibility of replacing the Trident until the early 2030s. Obviously, a powerful and reliable rocket fully satisfies their ambitions.

All disputes about the superiority of one or another type of nuclear weapon are of little significance. Nuclear is like multiplying by zero. Regardless of other factors, the result will be zero.

Lockheed Martin engineers created a cool solid-fuel SLBM that was twenty years ahead of its time. The merits of domestic specialists in the field of creating liquid-propellant rockets are also beyond doubt: over the past half-century, Russian SLBMs with liquid-propellant rocket engines have been brought to true perfection.

In 1990, testing of a new submarine-launched ballistic missile ( SLBM) "Trident-2" and it was put into service. This SLBM Submarine ballistic missile, like its predecessor Trident-1 C4, is part of the Trident strategic missile system, which is carried by nuclear missile submarines ( SSBN) Ohio type. The complex also includes missile storage and launch systems, as well as missile fire control systems. The functioning of the missile system is also ensured by auxiliary equipment.

The Trident-2 complex is superior to the Trident-1 C4 in terms of the power of nuclear charges and their number, accuracy and firing range. Increased power of nuclear warheads and increased firing accuracy provide SLBM Submarine ballistic missile"Trident-2" the ability to effectively hit highly protected small-sized targets, including silo launchers ICBM Intercontinental ballistic missile.

Solid fuel SLBM Submarine ballistic missile"Trident-2" have three stages, connected by transition (connecting) compartments, and the third stage engine is located in the central part of the head compartment. At the same time, the main mass-dimensional characteristics of the Trident-2 missile significantly exceed the similar parameters of the Trident-1 C4.

Solid rocket motors ( Solid propellant rocket engine) all three stages have a lightweight oscillating nozzle that provides pitch and yaw control. Trident-1 C4 nozzles are made of graphite-based composite material and have greater resistance to erosion, and Trident-2 nozzles and nozzle attachments are made of new materials that ensure operation at higher pressures for longer periods of time and when using fuel of higher activity. .

Thrust vector control (TCV) of a rocket in the active part of the flight path SLBM Submarine ballistic missile in pitch and yaw is carried out due to the deflection of the nozzles. Roll control is not performed in the area where the engines of all three stages are operating. Accumulated during operation Solid propellant rocket engine Solid Fuel Rocket Engine The roll deviation is compensated during the operation of the propulsion system of the missile head section (compartment). Nozzle rotation angles Solid propellant rocket engine Solid Fuel Rocket Engine are small and do not exceed 6-7°. The maximum rotation angle of the nozzle is determined based on the magnitude of possible random deviations caused by the underwater launch and rotation of the rocket. Angle of rotation of the nozzle to correct the flight path after completion of work Solid propellant rocket engine Solid Fuel Rocket Engine and separation of rocket stages is usually 2-3°, and during the rest of the flight - 0.5°.

An increase in the mass of the fuel of the first and second stages, as well as the use of rocket fuel with a high specific impulse and the introduction of some design changes made it possible to increase the firing range SLBM Submarine ballistic missile"Trident-2" in comparison with Trident-1 C4 is approximately 3000 km with the same throw weight.

The missile warheads, developed by General Electric, include an instrument compartment, a combat compartment, a propulsion system and a nose fairing with an aerodynamic nose needle. The instrument compartment houses various systems (control and guidance, data entry for warhead detonation, warhead disengagement), power supplies and other equipment. The control and guidance system controls the flight of the missile during the operation of its propulsion engines and the deployment of warheads. It generates commands to turn on, turn off, and separate Solid propellant rocket engine Solid Fuel Rocket Engine all three stages, turning on the propulsion system of the main unit, carrying out flight path correction maneuvers SLBM Submarine ballistic missile and targeting warheads.

Control and guidance system SLBM Submarine ballistic missile Trident-1 C4 type Mk5 includes two electronic units installed in the lower (rear) part of the instrument compartment. The first unit (size 0.42x0.43x0.23 m, weighing 30 kg) contains computer Electronic computer, generating control signals, and control circuits. The second block (diameter 0.355 m, weight 38.5 kg) contains a gyro-stabilized platform on which two gyroscopes, three accelerometers, an astronomical sensor, and temperature control equipment are installed. A similar Mk6 system is also available on SLBM Submarine ballistic missile"Trident-2".

The warhead disengagement system ensures the generation of commands for maneuvering the warhead when targeting warheads and their separation. It is installed in the upper (front) part of the instrument compartment. The warhead detonation data input system records the necessary information during pre-launch preparation and generates data on the detonation height of each warhead.

The combat compartment of Trident-1 C4 accommodates up to eight W-76 warheads with a yield of 100 kt each, located in a circle, and "Trident-2" (thanks to a significantly increased thrust-to-weight ratio) - eight W-88 warheads with a yield of 475 kt each, or up to 14 W-76.

The propulsion system of the warhead consists of solid propellant gas generators and control nozzles, with the help of which the speed of the warhead, its orientation and stabilization are regulated. On Trident-1 C4 it includes two gas generators (powder pressure accumulator - operating temperature 1650 ° C, specific impulse 236 s, high pressure 33 kgf/cm2, low pressure 12 kg/cm2) and 16 nozzles (four front, four rear and eight roll stabilization). The propellant mass of the propulsion system is 193 kg, the maximum operating time after separation of the third stage is 7 minutes. The propulsion system of the Trident-2 missile uses four solid fuel gas generators developed by Atlantic Research.

The head fairing is designed to protect the head of the rocket as it moves through water and dense layers of the atmosphere. The fairing is reset during the operation of the second stage engine. The nose aerodynamic needle was used on Trident-2 missiles in order to reduce aerodynamic drag and increase the firing range with the existing forms of their head fairings. It is recessed into the fairing and extends telescopically under the influence of the powder accumulator pressure. On the Trident-1 C4 rocket, the needle has six components, extends at an altitude of 600 m within 100 ms and reduces aerodynamic drag by 50 percent. Aerodynamic needle on SLBM Submarine ballistic missile"Trident-2" has seven retractable parts.

The missile storage and launch system is designed for storage and maintenance, protection from overloads and impacts, emergency release and launch of missiles with SSBN Nuclear ballistic missile submarine located in a submerged or surface position. On Ohio-class submarines such a system is called Mk35 mod. O (on ships with the Trident-1 C4 complex) and Mk35 mod. 1 (for the Trident-2 complex), and on converted SSBN Nuclear ballistic missile submarine type Lafayette Lafayette - Mk24. The Mk35 mod.O systems include 24 silo launchers ( PU Launcher), emission subsystem SLBM Submarine ballistic missile, launch monitoring and control subsystem and missile loading equipment. PU Launcher consists of a shaft, a cover with a hydraulic drive, sealing and locking the cover, a starting cup, a membrane, two plug connectors, equipment for supplying a vapor-gas mixture, four control and adjustment hatches, 11 electrical, pneumatic and optical sensors.

The shaft is a cylindrical steel structure and is an integral part of the hull SSBN Nuclear ballistic missile submarine. The top of the eye is closed with a hydraulically driven lid, which provides sealing against water and can withstand the same pressure as the strong hull of the boat. There is a seal between the cover and the neck of the shaft. To prevent unauthorized opening, the lid is equipped with a locking device, which also ensures the locking of the lid sealing ring. PU Launcher with mechanisms for opening control and adjustment hatches. This prevents the lid from opening at the same time PU Launcher and control and adjustment hatches, with the exception of the missile loading and unloading stage.

A steel launch cup is installed inside the shaft. The annular gap between the walls of the shaft and the glass has a seal made of elastomeric polymer, which acts as shock absorbers. Shock-absorbing and sealing belts are placed in the gap between the inner surface of the glass and the rocket. In the launch cup SLBM Submarine ballistic missile is installed on a support ring, which ensures its azimuthal alignment. The ring is fixed to shock-absorbing devices and centering cylinders. The top of the launch cup is covered with a membrane, which prevents sea water from entering the shaft when the lid is opened. The 6.3 mm thick, rigid membrane shell is dome-shaped with a diameter of 2.02 m and a height of 0.7 m. It is made of asbestos-reinforced phenolic resin. Adhered to the inner surface of the membrane is low-density polyurethane foam with open cells and a honeycomb material shaped like the nose of a rocket. This provides protection for the rocket from power and thermal loads when the membrane is opened using profiled explosive charges mounted on the inner surface of the shell. When opened, the shell is destroyed into several parts.

General: ...the test was successfully carried out nuclear device capacity from 5 to 50 Megatons.
Reporter: Why such a large range? You couldn't count for sure?
Well,” says the general, “we were counting on 5, but it’s going to explode.”

According to the Lokheed Martin Space Systems website, April 14 and 16, 2012 Naval forces The United States successfully conducted a series of paired launches of Trident submarine-launched ballistic missiles. These were the 139th, 140th, 141st and 142nd consecutive successful launches of Trident-II D5 SLBMs. All missile launches were carried out from the submerged SSBN738 Maryland SSBN in Atlantic Ocean. Once again, a world record for reliability was set among long-range ballistic missiles and spacecraft launch vehicles.
In an official statement, Melanie A. Sloane, Vice President of Naval Ballistic Missile Programs at Lockheed Martin Space Systems, said: “...Trident missiles continue to demonstrate high operational reliability. These tests are an important part of the strategic deterrence mission, the very fact of their existence Such an effective combat system prevents the aggressive plans of opponents. The stealth and mobility of the Trident undersea system gives it unique capabilities as the most survivable component of the strategic triad, which ensures the security of our country from threats from any potential adversary.”

But while the “Trident” (and this is how the word Trident is translated) is setting records, its creators have accumulated many questions related to the real combat value of the American missile.

Because We are not going to divulge anyone's state secrets; our entire further conversation will be based on data taken from open sources. This complicates the situation – and ours. and the American military is falsifying the facts so that nasty details never come to light. But we can certainly restore some of the “blind spots” in this complicated story, using the “deductive method” of Sherlock Holmes and the most ordinary logic.

So, what do we know for sure about Trident:
UGM-133A Trident II (D5) three-stage solid-propellant submarine-launched ballistic missile. Adopted by the US Navy in 1990 as a replacement for the first generation Trident missile. Currently, Trident-2 is armed with 14 US Navy nuclear-powered missile submarines Ohio and 4 British Vanguard SSBNs.
Main performance characteristics:
Length – 13.42 m
Diameter – 2.11 m
Maximum launch weight – 59 tons
Maximum flight range – up to 11,300 km
Throwing weight - 2800 kilograms (14 W76 warheads or 8 more powerful W88).
Agree, all this sounds very solid.

The most surprising thing is that each of the given parameters causes heated debate. The assessments range from enthusiastic to sharply negative. Well, let's get real:

Liquid or solid rocket motor?

Liquid rocket engine or turbojet engine? Two different design schools, two different approaches to solving the most serious problem of rocketry. Which engine is better?
Soviet rocket scientists traditionally preferred liquid fuel and achieved great success in this area. And for good reason: liquid-propellant rocket engines have a fundamental advantage: liquid-propellant rockets are always superior to rockets with turbojet engines in terms of energy-mass perfection - the amount of thrown weight related to the launch weight of the rocket.
Trident-2, like the new modification R-29RMU2 Sineva, have the same throw weight - 2800 kg, while the launch weight of Sineva is one third less: 40 tons versus 58 for Trident-2. That's it!
And then the difficulties begin: a liquid engine is overly complex, its design contains many moving parts (pumps, valves, turbines), and, as you know, mechanics are a critical element of any system. But there is also a positive point here: by controlling the fuel supply, you can easily solve control and maneuvering problems.
A solid-fuel rocket is structurally simpler and, accordingly, easier and safer to operate (in fact, its engine burns like a large smoke bomb). Obviously, talking about safety is not a simple philosophy; it was the R-27 liquid-propellant rocket that destroyed the K-219 nuclear submarine in October 1986.

TTRD places high demands on production technology: the required thrust parameters are achieved by varying the chemical composition of the fuel and the geometry of the combustion chamber. Any deviations in the chemical composition of the components are excluded - even the presence of air bubbles in the fuel will cause an uncontrolled change in thrust. However, this condition did not prevent the United States from creating one of the best underwater missile systems in the world.

"Trident 2" hunts seagulls.
The control nozzle appears to be stuck

There are still pure design flaws liquid rockets: for example, Trident uses a “dry start” - the rocket is ejected from the silo by a steam-gas mixture, then the first stage engines are turned on at an altitude of 10-30 meters above the water. Our rocket scientists, on the contrary, chose a “wet launch” - the rocket silo is pre-filled with sea water before launch. Not only does this unmask the boat, the characteristic noise of the pumps clearly indicates what it is about to do.

The Americans, without any doubt, chose solid fuel missiles to arm their submarine missile carriers. Still, the simplicity of the solution is the key to success. The development of solid-fuel missiles has deep traditions in the United States - the first SLBM Polaris A-1, created in 1958, flew on solid fuel.

The USSR closely followed the development of foreign rocket technology and after some time also realized the need for rockets equipped with a turbojet engine. In 1984, the R-39 solid-fuel missile was put into service - an absolutely brutal product of the Soviet military-industrial complex. At that time, it was not possible to find effective solid fuel components - the launch weight of the R-39 reached an incredible 90 tons, while the throw weight was less than that of Trident-2. A special carrier was created for the overgrown missile - a heavy nuclear submarine cruiser strategic purpose Project 941 "Shark" (according to NATO classification - "Typhoon"). Engineers from the Rubin Central Design Bureau have designed a unique submarine with two strong hulls and a buoyancy reserve of 40%. While submerged, the Typhoon dragged 15 thousand tons of water ballast, for which it received the destructive nickname “water carrier” in the navy. But, despite all the reproaches, the insane design of the Typhoon, by its very appearance, terrified the entire Western world. Q.E.D.

And then SHE came - a rocket that threw the general designer from his chair, but never reached the “probable enemy”. SLBM "Bulava". In my opinion, Yuri Solomonov managed the impossible - under conditions of severe financial restrictions, lack of bench tests and experience in developing ballistic missiles for submarines, the Moscow Institute of Thermal Engineering managed to create a rocket that FLYS. In technical terms, the Bulava SLBM is an original hybrid, the first and second stages run on solid fuel, the third stage uses liquid fuel.

In terms of energy and mass perfection, the Bulava is somewhat inferior to the first generation Trident: the Bulava’s launch weight is 36.8 tons, the throwing weight is 1150 kilograms. Trident-1 has a launch weight of 32 tons and a throw weight of 1360 kg. But there is a nuance here: the capabilities of missiles depend not only on the weight thrown, but also on the launch range and accuracy (in other words, on the CEP - circular probable deviation). In the era of missile defense development, it became necessary to take into account such an important indicator as the duration of the active part of the trajectory. By all these indicators, the Bulava is a fairly promising missile.

Range of flight

A very controversial point that serves as a rich topic for discussion. The creators of Trident-2 proudly declare that their SLBM flies at a range of 11,300 kilometers. Usually below, in small letters, there is a clarification: with a reduced number of warheads. Yeah! How much does Trident-2 produce with a full load of 2.8 tons? Lokheed Martin specialists are reluctant to give the answer: 7,800 kilometers. In principle, both figures are quite realistic and there is reason to trust them.

One of the secrets of the Trident-2 design. Telescopic needle reduces aerodynamic drag

As for the Bulava, the figure of 9,300 kilometers is often found. This crafty value was obtained with a payload of 2 mock-up warheads. What is maximum range flight of the Bulava at a full load of 1.15 tons? The answer is about 8000 kilometers. Fine.
And the record flight range among SLBMs was set by the Russian R-29RMU2 Sineva. 11547 kilometers. Empty, of course.

Another interesting point is that the light SLBM “Bulava”, logically, should accelerate faster and have a shorter active trajectory section. The same is confirmed by General Designer Yuri Solomonov: “the rocket engines operate in active mode for about 3 minutes.” Comparison of this statement with official data on Trident gives an unexpected result: the operating time of all three stages of Trident-2 is ... 3 minutes. Perhaps the whole secret of the Bulava is in the steepness of the trajectory, its flatness, but there is no reliable data on this issue.

Launch chronology

Arrival of combat units, Kwajalein Atoll
It's too late to crawl to the cemetery

Trident-2 is a record holder for reliability. 159 successful launches, 4 failures, one more launch was considered partially unsuccessful. Since December 6, 1989, a continuous series of 142 successful launches began, and so far not a single accident. The result is, of course, phenomenal.

There is one tricky point here related to the methodology for testing SLBMs in the US Navy. You will not find the phrase “the missile warheads successfully arrived at the Kwajalein test site” in reports about Trident 2 launches. The Trident 2 warheads did not arrive anywhere. They self-destructed in near-Earth space. That’s right – the detonation of a ballistic missile after a certain period of time ends the test launches of American SLBMs.

There is no doubt that sometimes American sailors carry out full cycle tests - with testing the deployment of individually guided warheads in orbit and their subsequent landing (splashdown) in a given area of ​​the ocean. But in the 2000s, preference was given to forcibly interrupting the flight of missiles. according to the official explanation, Trident-2 has already proven its performance dozens of times during testing; Now training launches have a different purpose - crew training. Another official explanation for the premature self-destruction of SLBMs is so that the ships of the “probable enemy” measuring complex will not be able to determine the flight parameters of the warheads at the final part of the trajectory.
In principle, this is quite standard situation– just remember Operation Behemoth, when on August 6, 1991, the Soviet submarine missile carrier K-407 Novomoskovsk fired with a full load of ammunition. Of the 16 launched R-29 SLBMs, only 2 reached the test site in Kamchatka, the remaining 14 were blown up in the stratosphere a few seconds after launch. The Americans themselves produced a maximum of 4 Trident-2s at a time.

Circular probable deviation.

It's completely dark here. The data is so contradictory that it is impossible to draw any conclusions. In theory, everything looks like this:

KVO "Trident-2" - 90...120 meters
90 meters - for W88 warhead with GPS correction
120 meters – using astro correction

For comparison, official data on domestic SLBMs:
KVO R-29RMU2 “Sineva” - 250…550 meters
KVO "Bulava" - 350 meters.
The following phrase is usually heard in the news: “warheads have arrived at the Kura training ground.” There is no talk about the fact that the warheads hit the targets. Maybe the extreme secrecy regime does not allow us to proudly announce that the CEP of the Bulava warheads is measured in several centimeters?
The same thing is observed with Trident. What 90 meters are we talking about if warhead tests have not been carried out for the last 10 years?
One more point - talk about equipping the Bulava with maneuvering warheads raises some doubts. With a maximum throw weight of 1150 kg, the Bulava is unlikely to lift more than one block.

CEP is by no means a harmless parameter, given the nature of the targets on the territory of the “probable enemy”. To destroy protected targets on the territory of a “probable enemy”, it is necessary to create an excess pressure of about 100 atmospheres, and for highly protected targets such as the R-36M2 mine - 200 atmospheres. Many years ago, experimentally, it was established that with a charge power of 100 kilotons, to defeat underground bunker or a silo-based ICBM needs to be detonated no further than 100 meters from the target.

Super weapon for a super hero

For Trident-2, the most advanced multiple independently targetable warhead (MIRV) was created - the W88 thermonuclear warhead. Power – 475 kilotons.
The design of the W88 was a closely guarded US secret until a package with documents arrived from China. In 1995, a Chinese defector archivist contacted the CIA station, whose testimony clearly indicated that the PRC intelligence services had obtained the secrets of the W88. The Chinese knew exactly the size of the “trigger” - 115 millimeters, the size of a grapefruit. It was known that the primary nuclear charge was "two-point aspherical". The Chinese document pinpointed the radius of the circular secondary charge as 172 mm, and that, unlike other nuclear warheads, the W-88's primary charge was contained in a tapered, cone-shaped warhead housing, in front of the secondary, another warhead design mystery.

In principle, we didn’t learn anything special - and it’s clear that the W88 has a complex design and is extremely saturated with electronics. But the Chinese managed to find out something more interesting - when creating the W88, American engineers saved a lot on the thermal protection of the warhead, moreover, the initiating charges are made of ordinary explosives, and not of heat-resistant ones explosives, as is common throughout the world. The data was leaked to the press (well, it’s impossible to keep secrets in America, what can you do) - there was a scandal, there was a meeting of Congress at which the developers justified themselves by saying that placing warheads around the third stage of Trident-2 makes any thermal protection pointless - in the event A launch vehicle accident will result in a guaranteed Apocalypse. Measures taken quite enough to prevent strong heating of the warheads during flight in dense layers of the atmosphere. No more is required. But still, by decision of Congress, all 384 W88 warheads were modernized, designed to increase their thermal resistance.

Sectional view of a W-76 warhead

As we can see, of the 1,728 warheads placed on American missile carriers, only 384 are relatively new W88. The remaining 1,344 are 100-kiloton W76 warheads produced between 1975 and 1985. Of course, for their technical condition They are strictly monitoring and the warheads have already gone through more than one stage of modernization, but the average age of 30 years says a lot...

60 years on combat duty

The US Navy operates 14 Ohio-class missile submarines. Underwater displacement - 18,000 tons. Armament - 24 launch silos. The Mark-98 fire control system allows you to transfer all missiles to combat readiness within 15 minutes. The Trident-2 launch interval is 15…20 seconds.

Boats created in conditions Cold War, are still in service with the fleet, spending combat patrol 60% of the time. It is expected that development of a new carrier and a new submarine-launched ballistic missile to replace the Trident will begin no earlier than 2020. The Ohio-Trident-2 complex is planned to be completely removed from service no earlier than 2040.

Her Majesty's Royal Navy is armed with 4 Vanguard-class submarines, each armed with 16 Trident-2 SLBMs. British Tridents have some differences from American ones. The warheads of British missiles are designed for 8 warheads with a capacity of 150 kilotons (created on the basis of the W76 warhead). Unlike the American "Ohio", "Vanguards" have a 2 times lower operational tension coefficient: at any given time there is only one boat on combat patrol.

Prospects

As for the production of Trident 2, despite the version that production of the missile was discontinued 20 years ago, between 1989 and 2007 Lokheed Martin assembled 425 Tridents for the US Navy at its factories. Another 58 missiles were supplied to the UK. Currently, within the framework of the LEP (Life Extension Program) there are discussions about the purchase of another 115 Trident-2. The new rockets will have more efficient engines and a new inertial control system with a star sensor. In the future, engineers hope to create a new warhead with atmospheric correction based on GPS data, which will allow for incredible accuracy: a CEP of less than 9 meters.