Our weapons systems tend to be abstract and neutral names, which in the case of partial leaks little say intelligence officers of foreign intelligence services.Take, for example, the same "poplar" or "Ash".Trees like trees.And if not "Pinocchio" some fabulous.But there is one weapon that in the West, and we have called sinister "Satan" - missile system of the third generation, he's 15P018, aka P-36, also known as the SS-18, also known as RS-20B, also known as "Voivod. "Such a large number of names for a reason.Use the Soviet codes among NATO experts have traditionally been made, they come up with their own designation of each sample of our technology, it is also usually quite harmless.So what are they so afraid of 15P018 and that this is a storm of Americans - missile "Satan"?
arms race as an instrument of aggression
Creating complex ballistic missiles - an expensive, high-tech and technologically sophisticated.To force the Soviet Union to participate in the arms race has long been a goal of US administrations from different times, from Truman to Reagan.For various reasons, America has always been richer than the Soviet Union, and the wearing down of its prohibitive expenditure ultimately secured victory in the Cold War.To a large extent today, this policy applies to the new Russia.
Our answer to Americans
Approximately by 1965 the power of American intercontinental missiles has increased dramatically, as well as other technical parameters, including the accuracy of hitting.This posed a threat to the Soviet launchers, most of which at the time were fixed and placed in the mines, concentrated in the areas of operational group principle.Thus, an American ICBMs in the case of a successful hit could cover several Soviet, not yet had time to start.Urgently needed to respond to the threat.Output had two: disperse launchers, hardened shaft, or make them mobile, while maintaining high power and, hence, the weight and dimensions.But in the age of satellites is difficult to hide the movement of the mobile launch complexes.Problems require solutions.The result was the P-36 "Satan" - the most powerful nuclear missile in the world.
Great
Utkin Academician Vladimir F. Utkin during the life of the famous man was not.But his friends, associates, colleagues, and former subordinates, noting the October 17 birthday of his boss, no doubt call it genius.And there are reasons for this.Under the guidance of this scientist was established missile system, "Satan," or rather, 15P018 (devilish nickname brainchild academician gave the Americans).It all started with the general concept, then it is divided into individual technical problems, each of which has been successfully resolved.
missile system "Satan" - the system is very complex, each unit it has to work in concert, and any failure could lead to irreparable consequences.In addition, the dangerous weapon was supposed to start from stationary as the mines and from the special railway platforms disguised as ordinary cars.
How to launch a heavy rocket from the mine
Housing rocket is made of aluminum and magnesium - a fairly soft metal.Wall thickness - 3 mm, otherwise the shell will be too heavy.Weight rockets - more than 210 tons, and it must be run out of a deep mine.It is easy to imagine what would happen if such a difficult and delicate subject begins to bathe with red-hot gases escaping from the nozzles.Inside - 195 tons of fuel, not just fuel and explosive.But that's not all.The head of the nuclear weapons are the power in four Hiroshima.
Here is a technical problem.And her Soviet engineers decided.Rocket gently and carefully removed the surface of the three special propellant charge, called a pressure accumulator, raised tens of meters, and only then start pre-prepared ("blow") engine starting stage.
This solution also allowed to significantly increase the combat radius of the system.On initial overcome the force of gravity consumed a large amount of fuel, in this case, its economy is about 9 tons.
This is just one example of the grace of making a great illustration of the genius Utkin.There are many, in the description of the other went to a book.Perhaps multivolume.
terrible nuclear train
USSR without reason called the great power train.Long distances to build a rail line prompted an unprecedented pace even Tsarist Russia, in the Soviet years were extended as new lines, covering the entire territory of our country's network of roads.Day and night on them are compositions, among which one can never distinguish between those under the roof of the car which lurk many megasmerti.Mobile system, "Satan" could be based on the railway platform, disguised as an ordinary train, which is distinguished from the ordinary can not the most advanced reconnaissance satellite.Of course, the weight of the launcher 130 tons are not allowed to use a simple rolling stock, so that in addition to technical problems had to be addressed and transport, and in the Union scale.Wooden sleepers have changed on the concrete quality and strength of the web brought to the highest level, because any accident can instantly turn into a catastrophe.Rocket launcher "Satan" has a length of 23 meters, just under the size of the refrigerator car, but the fairing had to develop a special - a folding structure.There were other problems, but the result justified the costs.Retaliation could be applied in terms of unpredictable and, therefore, was inevitable and guaranteed.
rocket
The delivery of the head, where nuclear warheads are located, is a two-stage intercontinental missile, which has a reach zone area of 300 thousand square kilometers.She is able to overcome the boundaries of high-performance and future missile defense systems and hit ten different purposes separate the components of a total capacity of eight megatons of TNT equivalent.To neutralize its effects after starting practically impossible, for which she received such a resounding name - "Satan".The missile system is equipped with thousands of objects that simulate nuclear warheads.Ten of them have a mass close to the actual charge, and the rest are made of metallized plastic and take the shape of warheads, swelling in the stratospheric vacuum.No missile defense system can not cope with so many goals.
electronic brain
management system development involved Deputy General Designer Vladimir Sergeev.It is built on the inertial principle, it has three channels and multi mazhoritirovanie.This means that the system checks herself, producing a self-test.If any discrepancy of results-based management takes over the channel has successfully passed the test.Interface cable, and is considered perfectly safe, failure of communication lines have been recorded even once in all the time, during which the missile system R-36M "Satan" is in service.
irritation Americans
program, launched in the United States and known as the Strategic Defense Initiative, aimed to create a global "umbrella" that would be able to protect the country "free world", and especially the United States, the consequences of retaliatory thermonuclear strike in the event ofworld conflict.Strategic missile system 15P018 ("Satan") is completely deprived of meaning this venture.No missile defense, even with expensive space-based elements, would be unable to ensure the safety of objects in the defeat of the USSR American "Pershing".Needless to say, this caused frustration among the inhabitants of the White House and the Capitol.Removed from service, these complexes Soviet leadership deliberately, believing that they provide a reliable nuclear shield.But it has moved forward after coming to power of the "hump" and the beginning of perestroika.
How crushed "Satan»
Every second rocket launcher "Satan" was destroyed under the terms of the START-1, signed by the General Secretary of the CPSU Mikhail Gorbachev.After the collapse of the Soviet Union continued to deal Russian President Boris Yeltsin.In fairness it should be noted the fact that the decommissioning and subsequent disposal of multiple warhead missiles were produced not so much because of pressure from the US side or national betrayal (as urged unduly exalted patriotic citizens).The reasons were far more prosaic and were economic in nature.The country's budget did not maintain such a high level of military expenditure, which include expenditure on maintenance and referred to the railroad tracks.And without them it could happen another Chernobyl, only far more terrible.The rocket complex "Satan" was a victim of the general chaos that accompanied the collapse of the Soviet Union.
peaceful
Once the territory of the once indestructible USSR emerged young states, suddenly found that all the production, research and experimental force that created complex are exceptionally Ukrainian.Further improvement of production and the powerful defense system has become impossible, at least in the short term.
decommissioned missiles threatening Americans did not mean a ban on its use for purposes other than the owners were quick to take advantage of the latest instances.As is the case with the famous "East", the converted vehicle was, it was used for launching commercial and scientific goods, including foreign ones.What to do?When the country needs the money, and go in the course of "Satan".Intercontinental ballistic missile in the period from 1999 to 2010 under the program "Dnepr" into orbit four dozen satellites.Launch took place on 14, one of them was unsuccessful.
«Voivod»
In the late eighties was upgraded R-36M to improve its resistance to the effects of a possible nuclear attack and improve performance in terms of accuracy.In addition, the required revision in view of the new features of the latest US missile defense systems.CB "South" (Dnepropetrovsk) has successfully coped with the task, the result of the work was the product 15A18M called "Voivode".In drawing up the text of the treaty START-1 of its designated code "RS-20B", but in its essence it was the same missile system, "Satan", but upgraded.
change in the international situation, expressed in an effort to guide the NATO countries, and primarily the United States, knead the bases as close as possible to the borders of Russia, led to revise the terms of the START-2, which has not passed the ratification, in the partwhich concerns multiply ICBMs.Rockets 15A18M (armed monoblocks), standing on duty at the moment, to be replaced by new Russian complex "Sarmat", capable of carrying multiple warheads.But about them is another story ...
