"Topol-M": characteristics. Intercontinental missile system "Topol-M": photo

Relative security of mankind in recent decades is ensured by nuclear parity between countries that own most of the nuclear weapons on the planet and the means of their delivery to the target. Currently, these two states are the United States of America and the Russian Federation. At the heart of delicate balance are the two main "pillars". The American heavy carrier "Trident-2" is opposed by the newest Russian "Topol-M" missile. This simplified scheme conceals a much more complicated picture.

The average man in the street is rarely interested in military equipment. In its appearance, it is difficult to judge how secure the state borders are. Many in memory of the magnificent Stalin military parades, during which citizens demonstrated the inviolability of Soviet defense. Huge five-tower tanks, giant TB bombers and other impressive examples were not very useful on the fronts of the war that soon began. Maybe the Topol-M complex, whose photo makes such a strong impression, is also out of date.

Judging by the reaction of military experts from countries that consider Russia a potential enemy, this is not so. Only in practice it would be better not to be convinced of this. Objective data on the newest rocket is not enough. It remains only to consider what is available. It seems that there is a lot of information. It is known what the mobile launcher "Topol-M" looks like, a photo of which was published by all the world's leading mass media. The main technical characteristics also do not constitute state secrets, on the contrary, they can become a warning for those who may be plotting an attack on our country.

A bit of history. The beginning of the atomic race

Americans built the atomic bomb before anyone else in the world and immediately applied it in August 1945, twice. At that time, the US Air Force had not only the most powerful weapon in the world, but also an aircraft capable of carrying it. It was a flying "superclust" - a strategic bomber B-29, the mass of its combat load reached nine tons. On an unimaginable for air defense of any country of altitude of 12 thousand meters at a speed of 600 km / h, this air giant could carry his terrible cargo to a goal distant for almost three and a half thousand kilometers. On the way, the crew of the B-29 could not worry about their safety. The plane was perfectly protected and equipped with all the latest achievements of science and technology: a radar, powerful rapid-fire cannon firefighters with telemetry control (in case somebody nevertheless comes nearer) and even some analogue of an on-board computer that performs the necessary calculations. So, in peace and comfort, you could punish any rebellious country. But it quickly ended.

Quantity and quality

In the 1950s, the Soviet leadership did not make a major bet on long-range bombers, but on strategic intercontinental missiles, and, as time showed, such a decision was correct. The remoteness of the American continent has ceased to be a guarantee of security. During the Caribbean crisis, the US outnumbered the Soviet Union in the number of nuclear warheads, but President Kennedy could not guarantee the lives of his citizens in the event of war with the USSR. According to experts, it turned out that in the event of a global conflict, America will formally win, but the number of victims may exceed half the population. Relying on these data, President JF Kennedy poured out the bellicose fervor, left Cuba alone and made other concessions. All that happened in the next decades in the field of strategic confrontation was reduced to competition not just the opportunity to inflict an all-destroying blow, but also to avoid retribution or minimize it. The question was raised not only about the number of bombs and missiles, but also about the possibility of intercepting them.

After the Cold War

The rocket RT-2PM "Topol" was developed in the USSR in the eighties. Its general concept consisted in the ability to overcome the impact of missile defense systems of a probable enemy mainly due to the factor of surprise. It could have been launched from various points on which this mobile system was engaged in combat patrolling. Unlike stationary launchers, where the deployment was often secret for Americans, Topol was constantly on the move, and it was not possible to calculate its possible trajectory quickly, even taking into account the high productivity of the Pentagon's computers. Stationary shaft installations, by the way, also carried a threat to the potential aggressor, because not all of them were known, besides they were well defended and built a lot.

The collapse of the Union, however, led to the destruction of a long-term security system based on the inevitability of a retaliatory strike. The response to new challenges was the "Topol-M" missile, adopted in 1997 for the Russian Army, whose characteristics have improved significantly.

How to complicate the problem of missile defense

The main change, which became revolutionary in the world ballistic missile industry, concerned the uncertainty and ambiguity of the missile trajectory on its combat course. The effect of all missile defense systems, already created and only promising (at the stage of design development and operational development), is based on the principle of anticipation miscalculation. This means that when the ICBM is locked by several indirect parameters, in particular by electromagnetic pulse, thermal trail or other objective data, a complex interception mechanism is triggered. With a classical trajectory, it is not difficult to calculate the position of the projectile, determining its speed and launch location, and it is possible to take measures in advance to destroy it on any part of the flight. It's possible to mark the launch of the Topol-M, there is not much difference between it and any other missile. But then things are more complicated.

Variable path

The idea was to make it impossible, even in the event of a detection, to calculate the coordinates of the warhead in the light of anticipation. To do this, it was necessary to change and complicate the trajectory along which the flight passes. Topol-M is equipped with gas-jet rudders and additional shunting engines (they are not yet known to the general public, but we are talking about dozens), which allow us to change direction in the active part of the trajectory, that is, during direct guidance. In this case, information about the ultimate goal is permanently held in the memory of the control system, and eventually the charge will fall exactly where it is required. In other words, anti-missiles, issued in order to shoot down a ballistic missile, will pass by. The defeat of the "Topol-M" by the existing and created missile defense of a probable enemy is not possible.

New engines and housing materials

Not only the unpredictability of the trajectory in the active site makes the attack of the new weapon irresistible, but also very high speed. "Topol-M" at different stages of the flight is set in motion by three marching engines and very quickly gaining altitude. Solid fuel is a mixture based on conventional aluminum. Of course, the composition of the oxidizer and other subtleties for obvious reasons are not disclosed. The case frames are simplified as much as possible, they are made of composite materials (organoplastics) using the technology of continuous winding of hardening fibers of super strength polymer ("cocoon"). Such a solution has a double practical meaning. Firstly, the weight of the Topol-M rocket decreases, and the characteristics of its acceleration significantly improve. Secondly, the plastic shell is harder to detect by radar, high-frequency radiation from it is reflected worse than from the metal surface.

To reduce the probability of destruction of charges at the final stage of the battle course, numerous false goals are used, which are very difficult to distinguish from the real ones.

Control system

With missile systems, any missile defense system fights, using a whole complex of influences. The most common way of disorientation is to produce powerful electromagnetic barriers, also called interference. Electronic circuits do not withstand strong fields and fail completely or stop functioning properly for some time. The Topol-M missile has an anti-jamming guidance system, but this is not the main thing. Under the anticipated conditions of a global conflict, the likely adversary is ready to use the most effective means to destroy threatening strategic forces, including even barrage nuclear explosions in the stratosphere. Having discovered an insurmountable barrier in its path, "Topol", due to the ability to maneuver, with a high degree of probability will be able to circumvent it and continue its deadly trajectory.

Stationary basing

The Topol-M missile system, irrespective of whether it is mobile or stationary, is launched by the mortar method. This means that the launch is made vertically from a special container that serves to protect this complex technical system from accidental or combat damage. There are two options for basing: stationary and mobile. The task of placing new complexes in mines has been simplified as much as possible due to the possibility of finalizing existing underground structures intended for heavy ICBMs removed from armament under the terms of the SALT-2 treaty. It remains only to pour a too deep mine bottom with an additional layer of concrete and install a restrictive ring that reduces the working diameter. At the same time, it is also important that the Topol-M missile system is maximally unified with the already proven infrastructure of strategic deterrence forces, including communications and control.

The mobile complex and his chariot

The novelty of the mobile installation, intended for firing from any point of the route of combat patrol (position area), is the so-called incomplete hanging of the container. This technical feature implies the possibility of deployment on any ground, including soft. Also significantly improved camouflage, which makes it difficult to detect the complex by all existing means of reconnaissance, including space-optical and radio-electronic.

Details should be given to a vehicle designed for the transport and launch of the Topol-M rocket. The characteristics of this powerful machine are admired by specialists. It is huge - weighs 120 tons, but it is very maneuverable, has high cross-country capability, reliability and speed. The axles are eight, respectively, sixteen wheels with a height of 1 m 60 cm, all of them leading. An eighteen-meter turning radius is provided by the fact that all six (three front and three rear) axes can be rotated. The width of the pneumatics is 60 cm. The high clearance between the bottom and the road (it is almost half a meter) ensures unhindered passage not only through rough terrain, but also wade (with a depth of more than a meter). The specific pressure on the ground is half that of any truck.

The mobile Topol-M plant is being put into motion with a 800-horsepower diesel-turbine power plant YaMZ-847. Speed on the march - up to 45 km / h, power reserve - at least half a thousand kilometers.

Other tricks and opportunities

According to the terms of the SALT-2 contract, the number of individual combat units to be divided is subject to restriction. This means that it is impossible to create new missiles equipped with several nuclear charges. The situation with this international treaty is generally strange - back in 1979, in connection with the introduction of Soviet troops into Afghanistan, he was recalled from the US Senate and has not yet been ratified. However, there was no refusal to comply with its terms from the American government. In general, it is respected by both sides, although it has not yet received an official status today.

Some violations, however, took place, and mutual. The US insisted on reducing the total number of carriers to 2,400, which was in accordance with their geopolitical interests, since they had more multi-charged missiles. In addition, it is also important that the American nuclear forces are closer to the Russian borders, and they have much less flight time. All this prompted the country's leadership to seek ways to improve its security indicators, without violating the terms of SALT-2. The Topol-M rocket, whose characteristics formally and without regard for its features correspond to the parameters of RT-2P, was called the modification of the latter. Americans, taking advantage of the gaps in the treaty, placed cruise missiles on strategic bombers and almost do not observe quantitative restrictions on carriers with multiple heads of individual guidance.

These circumstances were taken into account when creating the Topol-M rocket. The radius of defeat is ten thousand kilometers, that is, a quarter of the equator. This is quite enough to consider it intercontinental. At present, it is equipped with a monoblock charge, but the weight of the combat compartment of one tonne makes it possible to change the warhead to a detachable one in a fairly short time.

Are there any shortcomings?

The Topol-M strategic missile system, like any other military equipment, is not an ideal weapon. The reason for recognizing some of the shortcomings was, paradoxically, the discussion that was unfolded during the discussion of the future prospects for the SALT-2 treaty. In some circumstances, one can vaguely hint at one's own omnipotence, and under other circumstances it is more advantageous, on the contrary, to point out that we are not so terrible as it seems. So it happened with the Topol-M complex. The speed of the rocket (up to 7 km / s), it turns out, is not large enough to fully believe in its invulnerability. Security in the conditions of a stratospheric nuclear explosion also leaves much to be desired, especially from such a terrible damaging factor as the shock wave. However, it generally will not last very much.

"Topol-M", the radius of destruction of which allows you to destroy targets on other continents, at the moment - the only Russian strategic missile, produced serially. That is why it is the mainstay of deterrence.

Apparently, this lack of alternatives is a temporary phenomenon, other samples will appear that will take advantage of the "Topol" and leave its shortcomings in the past. Although it is unlikely to work without any shortcomings. In the meantime, this type of BR is the main burden in the defense business. Whatever it was, and recent history shows that someone who can not protect themselves, pays dearly for his own weakness.

In fact, not everything is so bad. The readiness to repel aggression can only be judged by relying on relative values. Absolute in matters of defense nothing happens, each of the types of weapons can be perfected endlessly. The main thing is that his fighting qualities allow him to effectively resist the enemy forces.