Nuclear train: What is it?

Vasily Sychev - about the new stage of the arms race between Russia and the USA

In early November, the first tests of the new intercontinental ballistic missile for a promising “nuclear train” took place in Russia. It is assumed that such trains are not recognized by anyone will run along the usual railways of Russia, and in the case of a nuclear war - to launch a missile with hundreds of kiloton retaliations on the enemy. Such trains were already in service with Russia, but all of them were shot as part of the contractual process on START-2. The new development has become the next stage of the arms race between Russia and the USA and the response to the development of the American quick global blow.

The idea of ​​“nuclear trains” arose in the 1960s, when the USSR and the USA received technologies for solid fuel engines for ballistic missiles. Such power plants did not require refueling before launch, complex pre -trial training, were insensitive to shaking and made it possible to make the carrier more compact.

At that time, the two powers fought a cold war, actively increased the reserves of nuclear weapons and were preparing for a sudden mutual intensity. The concept of conducting a nuclear war suggested (and still assumes) the mandatory delivering a response impact on the enemy, if he suddenly first applies his strategic weapons. The same concept involved the application of the first nuclear strikes on the positions of ballistic missiles and strategic aviation of the enemy, and then at large industrial centers and cities. This is necessary in order to destroy the enemy, minimizing the possibility of a response blow. Taking this into account, the parties began to develop different means of concealing the positions of their nuclear weapons.

One of these funds was submarines, and the other “nuclear trains”. In appearance, they should not differ from ordinary railway trains so that they could not be recognized in satellite pictures and photographs taken from reconnaissance aircraft. And under the appearance of the train with refrigerators or postal express wagons, a command post, a communication center and several ballistic missiles with a few megatons with a capacity of several megatons should have hidden.

"Big Star"

In the United States, the first work on the creation of a combat railway train began in mid -1960. They were conducted according to the Big Star project - the first train represented by the military was able to carry five minuteman ballistic missiles. Since all the components necessary for the implementation of the project were already ready - the missiles flew, and ordinary trains traveled - the first “nuclear trains” were planned to be planned in 1962. In total, it was planned to build 30 trains with 150 missiles for the US Air Force. However, soon the project was closed, considering it expensive and unnecessary. The military decided that hiding ballistic missiles in mines would be more reliable than carrying them throughout the country.

The idea of ​​“nuclear trains” in the United States returned only in 1986, when the new ballistic missiles of Peacekeeper entered service. The military searched for them new options for secretive basing, one of which were “nuclear trains”. Suddenly, the idea received approval, and already in 1987 the military showed a project of a new “nuclear train” - “Peacekeeper” Rail Garrison railway garrison. The project involved the creation of 50 new compositions, each of which could transport two missiles with ten combat units of individual guidance on each. This means that before the launch of one block in the warhead of the rocket could be aimed at Moscow, the second - to Dubna, the third - to Korolov and so on. The power of one nuclear unit in the warhead was 300 kiloton.

However, by the time the prototype of a new train, disguised as a conventional cargo composition, had the first tests had passed the need for the project disappeared. In December 1991, the United States - the USSR - did not become the main enemy of the United States, and soon the Pentagon closed the project of the Nuclear Train. By the way, Peacekeeper missiles were not very successful, and in 2005 they were removed from weapons.

"Well done"

In the USSR, work on military railway trains began much later than the United States - in 1969. The project was led by the Dnepropetrovsk design bureau "Yuzhnoye", the main developer of the ballistic missiles of the Soviet Union. In parallel, it led work on the creation of a new solid fuel ballistic missile RT-23, one of the options for which was the “nuclear train”. The project of the Soviet train was called "Well done." The main project of strategic railway staff was already introduced in the early 1970s, but the rocket was not yet ready by this time.

The first prototypes of the RT-23 ballistic missiles appeared only in the mid-1970s, and the flight tests of the nuclear weapon carrier began in 1982. The experimental operation of the new missile began in 1985, and entered the ART 23 in 1987. Moreover, in fact, this was no longer the rocket, the development of which began in 1969. RT-23 UTTH received a fighting unit with ten combat blocks of individual guidance with a capacity of 430 kiloton each.

By this time, South and several more design bureaus completed the design of the Nuclear Train. It included three diesel diesel engines DM62, seven wagons for the command post, a tower car with a margin of diesel fuel and lubricant for diesel locomotives and three launchers, disguised as refractory wagons. There were enough provisions and fuel on board so that it could go without stopping 28 days.

New trains entered the USSR in 1987. They moved along special reinforced railway tracks in the Kostroma region, Perm and Krasnoyarsk region. “Well done” could not move along the usual paths because of the large mass-one rocket weighed about 105 tons, and on one train there were three pieces. In total, 12 new “nuclear trains” stood into service of the USSR.

In the Soviet train, a unique launch system was used. In preparation for the start, the wagon - the launch platform lifted the roof, which clung to the electric cable above the railway line with special devices and took it to the side. Then a rocket rose on the bar. The launch was carried out by a mortar way - small powder charges pushed the rocket from the launch pad. Already in the air, powder accelerators tilting the rocket were triggered. This was done so that during the start of the engine jet not on the train, but to the side of it.

In 1993, the United States and Russia signed an agreement on a reduction in strategic offensive weapons (START-2). It was ratified, but did not enter into force, and in 2002 Russia completely came out of it in response to the US exit from the contract on restriction of missile defense systems. SNV-2 demanded that the RT-23 UTTH, as well as the destruction of “nuclear trains” and missile mines, were removed from the armament and disposal of ballistic missiles. “Nuclear trains” were removed from weapons in 2001, and in 2003-2007-completely dismantled and disposed of.

According to unconfirmed reports, the reason for this was not the START-2 agreement, but the fact that American intelligence was already known both the appearance of “nuclear trains” and the approximate routes along which they traveled, and the inability to transfer strategic railway compositions into ordinary paths. At the same time, the RT-23 Uttkh missiles in the mines were saved for a while. Their military was replaced by the new ballistic missiles of the Topol RT-2PM and the RT-2PM2 Topol-M.

"Barguzin"

In 2010, the Pentagon announced the start of the development of a project of quick global blow. This concept involves the creation of such a set of tools that would allow the United States to apply any type of impact (rockets, bombs, drones, lasers, rail, impressive electromagnine weapons, hypersonic planners) at any point in the Earth for no more than two hours. Within the framework of this concept, the development of intercontinental ballistic missiles with a regular combat part, new bomber and fighter, hypersonic missiles, combat lasers, and shock drones began.

In response to this, the Russian military decided to get new "nuclear trains." Only this time, these strategic railway compositions were to be able to move along ordinary railways. The sketch design of the new train as part of the Barguzin project started in 2012 and ended at the end of 2015. In early November of this year, the first throwing tests of the prototype of a new rocket for a new train were carried out in Russia.

Throwing trials are the very first stage in a series of tests of a new rocket, which most often at this time in the gland does not yet exist. During such checks from the mine or from a special starting platform, a mass -sized missile layout is launched. After starting, the layout is landed with a parachute or falls into the sea. This is necessary in order to conduct its repeated launches later. Throwing tests allow you to find out how the real rocket will behave at the time of the start. In particular, with their help, engineers get the opportunity to evaluate deformations and overloads that a new medium will experience.

Details about the first throwing trials of the new rocket are not disclosed. The developers plan to conduct the first flight tests of the carrier (that is, the already full prototype of the rocket) in early 2017. The new rocket for Barguzin is developed on the basis of the Ballistic missile RS-24 Yars. The mass of the new missile for the “nuclear train”, according to the requirements of the military, should not exceed 47 tons. The carrier, along with the launch platform, will be disguised in a refrigerator 24 meters long. The length of the ballistic missile for the train will be 22.5 meters.

For comparison, the length of the base solid fuel rocket RS-24 is 23 meters, and the mass is 49 tons. The carrier is able to hit targets at a distance of up to 11 thousand kilometers. Yars is designed to cast a warhead with four thermonuclear combat units and four false targets (they look like real combat units and are needed to break through the missile defense system). The power of combat units, according to various sources, is from 150 to 300 kilotons.

It is expected that one new Russian “nuclear train” will carry six ballistic missiles. More about the Barguzin project’s train is not known yet, except that in it, like the Soviet “fellow”, a mortar launch system with a deviation of the rocket will be used. According to the statements of the Russian military, the first new train will go into service in 2019-2020.

Today, a new agreement on the reduction of strategic offensive weapons (START-3), signed in 2010 and entered into force in 2011, is in force between the United States and Russia. This document stipulates the number of nuclear blocks and their carriers, which the sides can put on combat duty. The same document stipulates a list of missiles, bombs, submarines and bombers, which are in service with the parties.

At the same time, the contract is allowed to develop new carriers, and at the beginning of such work, the parties must notify each other. In accordance with this Regulation, Russia developed and adopted the Yars missiles (put on combat duty in 2011, and a notification was made to the contract during preparation for signing). So new ballistic missiles "Rubezh" and "Sarmat" will be included in the contract. Using the same provision of the contract, the USA will also include a new ballistic missile in the contract. Their new carrier will have to replace the obsolete minuteman III.

Vasily Sychev

Moscow