The 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 their means of delivery to the target. Currently, these are two states - the United States of America and the Russian Federation. At the heart of fragile balance are the two main “pillars”. The Trident-2 American heavy carrier is opposed by the newest Russian Topol-M missile. Behind this simplified diagram is a much more complex picture.
The average layman is rarely interested in military equipment. By its appearance it is difficult to judge how reliably the borders of the state are protected. Many remember the magnificent Stalinist military parades, during which the citizens demonstrated the inviolability of Soviet defense. Huge five-turret tanks, giant TB bombers and other impressive models 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 Maybe the Topol-M complex, whose photo makes such a strong impression, is also outdated?
Judging by the reaction of military experts from countries that consider Russia a potential adversary, this is not so. Only in practice would it be better not to be convinced of this. There are few objective data on the latest rocket. It remains only to consider what is available. There seems to be a lot of information. It is known what the Topol-M mobile launcher looks like, a photo of which was published in due time by all the leading world media. The main technical characteristics also do not constitute a state secret, on the contrary, they can be a warning to those who may be plotting an attack on our country.
A bit of history. The start of the atomic race
The Americans built the atomic bomb before anyone else in the world and were not slow to use it immediately, in August 1945, and twice. At that time, the US Air Force possessed not only the most powerful weapon in the world, but also an aircraft capable of carrying it. It was a flying "super fortress" - a strategic B-29 bomber, the mass of the combat load of which reached nine tons. At an altitude unattainable for air defense systems of any country at a height of 12 thousand meters at a speed of 600 km / h, this air giant could convey its terrible cargo to a target distant by almost three and a half thousand kilometers. On the way, the B-29 crew could not worry about their safety. The aircraft was perfectly protected and equipped with all the latest achievements of science and technology: radar, powerful fast-firing barrage cannons with telemetry control (in case someone nevertheless approaches) and even some analogue of the 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 fifties, the leadership of the USSR made the main bet not on long-range bombers, but on strategic intercontinental missiles, and, as time has shown, such a decision was correct. The remoteness of the American continent has ceased to be a guarantee of security. During the Caribbean crisis, the United States surpassed the Soviet Union in the number of nuclear warheads, but President Kennedy could not guarantee the life of its citizens in the event of a war with the USSR. According to experts, it turned out that in the event of a global conflict, America would formally win, but the number of victims could exceed half the population. Based on these data, President J. F. Kennedy tempered the warlike fervor, left Cuba alone and made other concessions. Everything that happened in the next decades in the field of strategic confrontation came down to competition, not just the possibility of delivering a devastating blow, but also avoiding retribution or minimizing 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 RT-2PM Topol missile was developed in the USSR in the eighties. Its general concept was the ability to overcome the effects of missile defense systems of a potential adversary mainly due to the factor of surprise. It could be launched from various points along which this mobile system performed combat patrols. Unlike stationary launchers, the location of which was often not a secret for Americans, Topol was constantly on the move, and it was not possible to quickly calculate its possible trajectory even taking into account the high performance of Pentagon computers. Stationary mine installations, by the way, also posed a threat to the potential aggressor, because not all of them were known, moreover, they were well protected and built a lot.
The collapse of the Union, however, led to the destruction of a long-established security system based on the inevitability of a retaliatory strike. The response to new challenges was the Topol-M missile adopted in 1997 by the Russian Army, and its characteristics improved significantly.
How to complicate missile defense
The main change, which became revolutionary throughout the world of ballistic missile engineering, concerned the uncertainty and ambiguity of the missile trajectory in its combat course. The operation of all missile defense systems, already created and only promising (at the stage of design development and refinement), is based on the principle of miscalculation of lead. This means that when fixing the launch of an ICBM by several indirect parameters, in particular by electromagnetic pulse, thermal trace or other objective data, a complex interception mechanism is launched. With a classical trajectory, it is not difficult to calculate the position of the projectile, determining its speed and launch site, and measures can be taken in advance to destroy it at any part of the flight. It’s possible to detect the launch of Topol-M, there is no special difference between it and any other missile. But then things are more complicated.
Variable trajectory
The idea was to make it impossible even in case of detection of a miscalculation of the coordinates of the warhead taking into account the lead. 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 (their number is still unknown to the general public, but we are talking about dozens) that allow you to change direction in the active section of the trajectory, that is, during direct guidance. At the same time, information about the final goal is constantly held in the memory of the control system, and ultimately the charge will go exactly where it is needed. In other words, anti-missiles launched in order to bring down a ballistic projectile will pass by. Defeat of "Topol-M" by the existing and created missile defense of a potential enemy is not possible.
New engines and body materials
Not only the unpredictability of the trajectory on the active site makes the strike of a new weapon irresistible, but also a 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 ordinary aluminum. Of course, the composition of the oxidizing agent and other subtleties for obvious reasons were not disclosed. The case casings are made as light as possible; they are made of composite materials (organoplastics) using the technology of continuous winding of hardening fibers of high-strength polymer (“cocoon”). Such a solution has a double practical meaning. First, the weight of the Topol-M rocket is reduced, and its acceleration characteristics are significantly improved. Secondly, it is more difficult to detect a plastic shell by radars; high-frequency radiation from it is reflected worse than from a metal surface.
To reduce the probability of the destruction of charges at the final stage of the combat course, numerous false targets are used, which are very difficult to distinguish from real ones.
Control system
Any missile defense system fights with enemy missiles, using a whole range of influences. The most common method of disorientation is to set up powerful electromagnetic barriers, also called interference. Electronic circuits do not withstand strong fields and fail completely or cease to function properly for some time. The Topol-M missile has an anti-interference guidance system, but this is not the main thing. Under the assumed conditions of a global conflict, a 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”, thanks to the ability to maneuver, with a high degree of probability will be able to get around it and continue its deadly trajectory.
Stationary base
The Topol-M missile system, regardless of whether it is mobile or stationary, is launched by the mortar method. This means that the launch is carried out vertically from a special container that serves to protect this complex technical system from accidental or combat damage. There are two variants of basing: stationary and mobile. The task of deploying new complexes in mines is maximally simplified due to the possibility of finalizing existing underground structures intended for heavy ICBMs that have been decommissioned under the terms of the OSV-2 agreement. It remains only to fill the too deep bottom of the shaft with an additional layer of concrete and install a restrictive ring that reduces the working diameter. 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 command and control.
The mobile complex and its chariot
The novelty of a mobile installation designed to fire from anywhere in the combat patrol route (position area) lies in the so-called incomplete hanging of the container. This technical feature suggests the possibility of deployment on any soil, including soft. Masking is also significantly improved, which makes it difficult to detect the complex with all existing reconnaissance equipment, including space-optical and electronic.
It is necessary to dwell in detail on a vehicle designed for the transportation and launch of the Topol-M rocket. The characteristics of this powerful machine are admired by experts. It is huge - it weighs 120 tons, but it is very maneuverable, has a high cross, reliability and speed. There are eight axles, respectively, sixteen wheels 1 m 60 cm high, all of them leading. An eighteen-meter turning radius is ensured by the fact that all six (three front and three rear) axles 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 over rough terrain, but also ford (with a bottom depth of more than a meter). Ground pressure is half that of any truck.
The Topol-M mobile installation is powered by a power 800-strong diesel turbo YaMZ-847 installation. Speed on the march - up to 45 km / h, cruising range - at least five hundred kilometers.
Other tricks and promising opportunities
Under the terms of the OSV-2 agreement, the number of shared combat units for individual guidance is subject to limitation. This means that it is impossible to create new missiles equipped with several nuclear charges. The situation with this international treaty is generally strange - as far back as 1979, in connection with the entry 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 conditions from the American government. In general, it is respected by both parties, although it has not received official status today.
Some violations, however, have occurred, and mutual. The United States insisted on reducing the total number of carriers to 2, 400, which corresponded to their geopolitical interests, since they had more multiply-charged missiles. In addition, it is important that the American nuclear forces are closer to the Russian borders to a greater extent, and they have much less flight time. All this prompted the country's leadership to look for ways to improve its safety performance without violating the conditions of the SALT-2. The Topol-M missile, the characteristics of which formally and without taking into account its features, correspond to the parameters of the RT-2P, was called a modification of the latter. The Americans, taking advantage of the gaps in the treaty, deployed cruise missiles on strategic bombers and practically do not comply with the quantitative restrictions on carriers with separate warheads for individual guidance.
These circumstances were taken into account when creating the Topol-M rocket. The radius of destruction 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 fighting compartment of one tonne makes it possible to change the warhead to a separating one in a fairly short time.
