The relative safety 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 delivering them to the target. Currently, these are two states - the United States of America and the Russian Federation. The fragile balance is based on two main “pillars”. The American heavy carrier "Trident-2" is opposed by the latest Russian missile "Topol-M". This simplified scheme hides a much more complex picture.
The average layman is rarely interested in military equipment. By its appearance it is difficult to judge how well the state's borders are protected. Many remember the magnificent Stalinist military parades, during which citizens were shown the inviolability of the Soviet defense. Huge five-tower tanks, giant TB bombers and other impressive models were not very useful on the fronts of the war that began soon. Maybe the Topol-M complex, whose photo makes such a strong impression, is also outdated?
Judging by the reaction of military experts from countries,who consider Russia a potential adversary, this is not the case. Only in practice it would be better not to be convinced of this. There is little 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, the photo of which was published at one time by all the world's leading media. The main specifications are also not state secrets, on the contrary, they can be a warning to those who may be plotting an attack on our country.
A bit of history. Start of the atomic race
The Americans built the atomic bomb before anyone else in the world and did not hesitate 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 "superfortress" - the B-29 strategic bomber, the mass of the combat load of which reached nine tons. At an altitude of 12 thousand meters, inaccessible to air defense systems of any country, at a speed of 600 km / h, this air giant could carry its terrible cargo to a target almost three and a half thousand kilometers away. On the way, the B-29 crew could not worry about their safety. The plane was perfectly protected and equipped with all the latest achievements of science and technology: radar, powerful fast-firing barrage guns with telemetry control (in case someone did get close), and even some kind of analogue on-board computer that makes the necessary calculations. So, in peace and comfort, it was possible to punish anyrebellious country. But it ended quickly.
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 the right one. 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 his 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 John F. Kennedy tempered his warlike ardor, left Cuba alone, and made other concessions. Everything that happened in the subsequent decades in the field of strategic confrontation came down to a competition not only for the opportunity to strike an all-destroying blow, but also to avoid or minimize retaliation. The question was raised not only about the number of bombs and missiles, but also about the ability to intercept them.
Post-Cold War
The RT-2PM Topol missile was developed in the USSR back in the 1980s. Its general concept was the ability to overcome the impact of a potential adversary's missile defense systems, mainly due to the surprise factor. It could be launched from various points along which this mobile system performed combat patrols. Unlike stationary launchers, the locationwhich were often no secret to the Americans, the 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 a potential aggressor, because not all of them were known, besides, they were well protected and built a lot.
The collapse of the Union, however, led to the destruction of a long-term security system built on the inevitability of a retaliatory strike. The Topol-M missile, adopted in 1997 by the Russian Army, was the answer to new challenges, the characteristics of which have improved significantly.
How to make missile defense more difficult
The main change, which became revolutionary in the entire world ballistic missile industry, concerned the uncertainty and ambiguity of the missile's trajectory on 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 an ICBM launch is detected by several indirect parameters, in particular, by an electromagnetic pulse, a 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 by determining its speed and launch site, and it is possible to take measures in advance to destroy it in any part of the flight. It is possible to detect the launch of Topol-M, there is not much difference between it and any other missile. And here's what's going onharder.
Changeable trajectory
The idea was to make it impossible, even in the event of detection, to miscalculate 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), allowing you to change direction in the active part of the trajectory, that is, during direct guidance. At the same time, information about the final target is constantly kept in the memory of the control system, and in the end the charge will get exactly where it is required. In other words, anti-missiles fired in order to shoot down a ballistic projectile will pass by. Defeat "Topol-M" by existing and created missile defense systems of a potential enemy is not possible.
New motors and hull materials
Not only the unpredictability of the trajectory on the active site makes the impact of the new weapon irresistible, but also a very high speed. "Topol-M" at different stages of the flight is set in motion by three sustainer engines and very quickly gains 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 step bodies are maximally lightened, they are made of composite materials (organoplastic) using the technology of continuous winding of hardening fibers of a heavy-duty polymer (“cocoon”). SuchThe decision has a double practical meaning. Firstly, the weight of the Topol-M rocket is reduced, and its acceleration characteristics are significantly improved. Secondly, the plastic shell is more difficult to detect by radar, high-frequency radiation from it is reflected worse than from a metal surface.
To reduce the probability of 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 against enemy missiles using a whole range of actions. The most common method of disorientation is to set up powerful electromagnetic barriers, also called interference. Electronic circuits cannot withstand strong fields and fail completely or cease to function properly for some time. The Topol-M missile has an anti-jamming guidance system, but this is not the main thing either. In the assumed conditions of a global conflict, a potential adversary is ready to use the most effective means to destroy threatening strategic forces, including even barrage nuclear explosions in the stratosphere. Having found an insurmountable barrier on its way, "Topol", thanks to the ability to maneuver, with a high degree of probability will be able to bypass it and continue its deadly trajectory.
Fixed base
The Topol-M missile system, regardless of whether it is mobile or stationary, is launched by mortar. This means that the launch is carried out vertically from a speciala 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 deploying new complexes in mines is simplified as much as possible due to the possibility of refining existing underground structures designed for heavy ICBMs decommissioned under the terms of the SALT-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. At the same time, it is also important that the Topol-M missile system is maximally unified with the already proven infrastructure of the strategic deterrence forces, including communications and control.
Mobile complex and its chariot
The novelty of the mobile installation, designed for firing from any point of the combat patrol route (positional area), lies in the so-called incomplete hanging of the container. This technical feature implies the possibility of deployment on any ground, including soft. Also, camouflage has been significantly improved, which makes it difficult to detect the complex by all existing reconnaissance equipment, including space-optical and radio-electronic.
Details should be given to the vehicle designed to transport and launch the Topol-M rocket. The characteristics of this powerful machine are admired by specialists. It is huge - it weighs 120 tons, but at the same time it is very maneuverable, has a highthroughput, reliability and speed. There are eight axles, respectively, sixteen wheels 1 m 60 cm high, all of them are driving. The eighteen-meter turning radius is ensured by the fact that all six (three front and three rear) axles can turn. The width of the tires 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 unit is set in motion by a power 800-horsepower diesel-turbo unit YaMZ-847. Speed on the march - up to 45 km / h, cruising range - at least half a thousand kilometers.
Other Tricks and Promising Features
Under the terms of the SALT-2 agreement, the number of separable combat units of individual targeting is subject to limitation. This means that it is impossible to create new missiles equipped with several nuclear warheads. The situation with this international treaty is generally strange - back in 1979, in connection with the entry of Soviet troops into Afghanistan, it was withdrawn from the US Senate and has not yet been ratified. However, the American government did not refuse to comply with its conditions. In general, it is observed by both sides, although it has not received official status even today.
Some violations, however, took place, and mutual. The United States insisted on reducing the total number of carriers to 2400, which was in line with their geopolitical interests, since they had more multiply charged missiles. Besidesit is also important that the American nuclear forces are closer to the Russian borders to a greater extent, and their flying time is much shorter. All this prompted the country's leadership to look for ways to improve their security indicators without violating the terms of SALT-2. The Topol-M missile, whose characteristics 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, placed cruise missiles on strategic bombers and practically do not comply with quantitative restrictions on launch vehicles with multiple reentry vehicles.
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. Currently, it is equipped with a single-block charge, but the weight of the one-ton fighting compartment makes it quite possible to change the warhead to a separable one in a fairly short time.
Are there any disadvantages?
The Topol-M strategic missile system, like any other military equipment, is not an ideal weapon. The reason for the recognition of some shortcomings was, paradoxically, the discussion launched during the discussion of the further prospects of the SALT-2 treaty. Under certain conditions it is possible to hint vaguely at our 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. This is what happened with the complex."Topol M". The rocket's speed (up to 7 km/sec) turns out to be not high enough to be completely sure of its invulnerability. Security in the conditions of a barrage stratospheric nuclear explosion also leaves much to be desired, especially from such a terrible damaging factor as a shock wave. However, little can withstand it at all.
Topol-M, whose effective range allows it to destroy targets on other continents, is currently the only Russian strategic missile that is mass-produced. That is why she is the backbone of the containment forces.
Apparently, this lack of alternatives is a temporary phenomenon, other samples will appear that will absorb the advantages of Topol and leave its shortcomings in the past. Although it is unlikely to succeed completely without flaws. In the meantime, this type of BR bears the main burden in defense. Be that as it may, recent history shows that those who cannot defend themselves pay dearly for their own weakness.
It's not really all that bad. Readiness to repel aggression can be judged only on the basis of relative values. Nothing is absolute in matters of defense; each type of weapon can be improved endlessly. The main thing is that his fighting qualities should allow him to effectively resist the enemy forces.
