"Barguzin" goes to the siding. Bzhrk "Barguzin" - a weapon of a new generation "Well done" left, but left behind "Topol"

BZHRK, or military railway missile system"Barguzin" is a new generation of trains armed with ballistic missiles. Developed in the Russian Federation. In 2020, it is planned to be adopted.

What is a nuclear train? What was the first generation of rocket trains in the USSR? Why did the US fail to create a ghost train? You will get answers to these and many other questions in this article.

What is "BZHRK"?

BZHRK (or ghost train) - combat railway missile system strategic purpose. The complex is located on the basis of a railway train consisting of a diesel locomotive and freight cars. Outside is no different from the usual freight trains, which are plying in Russia by the thousands. However, it has a very difficult filling. Inside are intercontinental missiles, command posts, technical service systems, technological modules that ensure the functioning of the complex and the vital activity of personnel. At the same time, the train is autonomous.

The BZHRK was created primarily as the main strike power for delivering retaliatory nuclear strike against a potential enemy, therefore, it had the qualities of mobility and survivability. According to the plans of the command, he was supposed to survive after being hit by an intercontinental ballistic missile by a potential enemy.

BZHRK "Scalpel" - the previous generation of nuclear trains

For the first time, the development of nuclear trains began to be carried out in the 60s of the twentieth century. Work was carried out in the USSR and the USA approximately in parallel.

What does the idea of ​​​​creation, according to legend, was thrown up, namely, by the Americans. After unsuccessful attempts by the United States to create a complex, it was decided to start disinformation that such trains were being actively created and would soon be on the rails. The purpose of false information was one - to force the Soviet Union to invest huge funds in an unrealizable idea. As a result, the result exceeded all expectations.

On January 13, 1969, the Order of the Commander-in-Chief "On the creation of a mobile combat railway missile system (BZHRK) with the RT-23 missile" was signed, in pursuance of which by the 1980s in the USSR for the first time in the world it was put into production and tested in conditions close to combat, a missile carrier on a railway platform, which had no analogues and does not exist in the whole world. As experts said, there is no more formidable and mobile weapon on the planet than a mobile railway combat train with a continental missile on board.

The team of the Russian Academy of Sciences, headed by the brothers Alexei and Vladimir Utkin, worked on the creation of the complex. During the creation, the designers faced several serious difficulties.

• Firstly, the mass of the train - a huge weight could deform the railway track. The weight of the smallest ICBM (Intercontinental Ballistic Missile) was 100 tons.
• Secondly, the direct flame at the launch of the rocket melted the train and the rails on which it stood.
• Thirdly, the contact network above the car, of course, was an obstacle to launching a rocket. And this is not the whole list of problems faced by Soviet specialists.

The BZHRK used RT-23U missiles (according to NATO classification SS-24 "Scalpel"). For the composition, special rockets were made with a retractable nozzle and fairing. One missile carries a MIRV-type multiple reentry vehicle with 10 warheads with a yield of 500 kilotons each.

An original decision was made to distribute the load on the track. Three cars were connected by a rigid coupling, which ensured the distribution of the weight of the rocket over more long section railroad track. In a combat state, special hydraulic paws were put forward.

To divert the contact suspension of the network that interferes with the launch, a special device was invented that carefully removed the wires from the operating area of ​​the complex. The network was de-energized before launch.

To launch a rocket, an ingenious solution was also invented - a mortar launch. The powder charge threw the rocket 20 meters above the ground, after which another charge corrected the inclination of the rocket nozzle away from the train, and after that the first stage engine was turned on. Thus, a column of flame of great temperature did not cause damage to the cars and tracks, but was directed in the right direction.

The autonomy of the rocket train was more than 20 days.

On October 20, 1987, after tests carried out at the Semipalatinsk test site, the RT-23UTTH Molodets missile regiment took up combat duty. And by 1989, 3 divisions of the BZHRK were deployed on the territory of the USSR, dispersed at a distance of many thousands of kilometers: in Kostroma region, in the Perm and Krasnoyarsk Territories.

The BZHRK device includes railway modules for various purposes, namely: 3 launch modules for RT-23UTTKh ICBMs, 7 cars as part of the command module, a module with fuel reserves in a railway tank, and 2 diesel locomotives of the DM-62 modification. Work on improving the equipment did not stop even after entering the troops, and its combat potential was steadily growing.

BZHRK "Molodets" were a nightmare for the Americans. Enormous funds were allocated for tracking ghost trains. Reconnaissance satellites searched for 12 ghost trains across the country and could not distinguish the combat complex from the train with refrigerators (refrigerator cars) carrying food.

After the collapse Soviet Union, already in Russia everything has changed. On January 3, 1993, the START-2 treaty was signed in Moscow, according to which the Russian Federation must destroy part of its missile potential, including RT-23U missiles, therefore, by 2005, according to the official version, all BZHRKs are removed from combat duty and destroyed, and a few survivors are sent to storage for further disposal.

The complex was officially on combat duty in the Soviet Union for about 20 years, until 2005.

US attempts to create a ghost train

The United States also made attempts to create missile systems on a railway platform. Their development began in the 1960s, since around the same time, Pentagon scientists first created the Minuteman solid-fuel ballistic missile, which, in its own way, technical parameters could be launched from small sites and in conditions of railway shaking. The development was given the name "Minitman Rail Garrison".

It was originally planned that the ghost train filled with missiles would run to predetermined positions, for which work would be carried out at the indicated locations to create conditions in order to simplify the launch and adjust the missile's navigation system to the specified launch points.

The first mobile Minuteman missiles on a railway platform were to enter the US Army by mid-1962. But the American administration did not allocate the necessary amount to prepare the infrastructure and launch the production of prototypes, and the program was shelved. And the created transport wagons were used to deliver the "Minitman" to the place of combat deployment - launch mines.

However, after the success of the Soviet Union in the development of similar projects, the United States remembered the technology that had been gathering dust since the 60s and in 1986 created new project using old work. For the prototype, the then-existing LGM-118A "Peacekeeper" missile was chosen. It was planned that its traction would be provided by four-axle diesel locomotives, and each train would be provided with two security cars. 2 wagons will be allocated to the launcher with an already loaded missile in the launch container, another one will have a control center, and the rest of the wagons will take fuel and parts for current repairs.

But "Peacekeeper Rail Garrison" was never destined to get on the rails. After the official end of the Cold War, the US authorities abandoned the development of missile systems on a railway platform and redirected cash flows to other military industry projects.

In the United States, the rail-based missile system was never put into operation - its history ended after unsuccessful tests in 1989.

New railway missile complex of the Russian Federation

Currently on different reasons none of the armies of the world are armed with railway launchers. The Russian Federation is the only one that has been working on the creation of this type of weapon since 2012, and by now has developed preliminary projects for a railway launcher that meets all modern requirements for strategic weapons.

It is known that the design name of the new BZHRK is "Barguzin". The project documentation indicates that the Barguzin will be assembled from two main parts: a railway launcher and a combat missile.

The railway launcher will be located on a railway platform, to which a special beam with a lifting boom and a control mechanism is attached. A lifting frame is attached to the railway boom with the possibility of longitudinal movement. TPK (torpedo hull perforator) with a rocket will be supported by supports that are mounted on base plates and equipped with swivel rods.

The rocket is brought to the launch from the TPK, commands to which are given from a special car as part of the BZHRK with control systems brought to it. When the rocket is launched, the roof of the car opens (folds back), due to which the distance necessary for the launch is formed.

Comparative characteristics

Advantages of the new BZHRK:

1. Less train weight
2. Modern navigation systems
3. Greater missile hit accuracy

rockets

Under development project documentation, the developers and the command had a choice - which of modern missiles in service with Russian army, use as a projectile on the BZHRK "Barguzin". After numerous discussions, the Yars and Yars-M missiles were chosen. This missile is a silo-based and mobile-based solid-propellant ballistic missile with a separable warhead, the maximum flight range of which is 11,000 kilometers, and the charge capacity in TNT equivalent is from 150 to 300 kilograms. The specified ballistic missile proved to be excellent during preliminary tests.

Does BZHRK exist now?

After the signing of the START-2 international treaty in January 1993, Russia lost its combat railroad missile systems. Now most of them have been destroyed, and the rest have turned into exhibits standing on the sidings of the railway depots. Therefore, in fact, until 2006, our state was left without a strike force to strike back with colossal mobile capabilities. But in 2002, Russia refused to ratify the START-2 treaty, which meant the possibility of restoring the ballistic missile potential.

As mentioned above, not one of the world powers currently has a single BZHRK worker in combat service. The only country that is taking steps to create a BZHRK is Russia, and several stages have already passed in the process of creating the complex.

Current situation

In 2006, instead of the BZHRK, the troops began to receive Topol-M mobile ground-based missile systems armed with Yars missiles. Currently, the Russian army is armed with more than a hundred Topol-M combat complexes, which can partially fill the gap left after the decommissioning of the BZHRK.

The current situation gives reason for optimism - we all hope that by 2020 the BZHRK "Barguzin" will enter mass production, which will equip our army.

Experimental design work (R&D) on the Barguzin project was started by the Moscow Institute of Thermal Engineering in 2012. The completion of the R&D is planned for 2020, and funds for their implementation are already being allocated. In 2014, the preliminary design of the complex was completed, and by the beginning of 2015, the designers began the first stage of experimental design work to create a railway launcher. The development of design documentation has been in full swing since 2015. The timing of the creation of individual elements of the Barguzin, its collection and preliminary tests will be known by 2018. The start of the deployment of the complex and its entry into the army is planned for 2020.

At one time, the creation of a combat railway missile system (BZHRK) 15P961 "Molodets" with a three-stage solid-propellant intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) RT-23UTTH (according to NATO classification - SS-24 Scalel Mod 3) with a multiple warhead with 10 individually targetable warheads became a landmark event in the domestic strategic nuclear forces and made it possible to significantly increase the combat potential of the Strategic Missile Forces (RVSN). But since then the situation has changed dramatically.

INVISIBLE "GOOD MAN"

The development of a rail-based missile system based on the RT-23UTTKh ICBM was assigned in accordance with the Decree of the Central Committee of the CPSU and the Council of Ministers of the USSR of August 9, 1983. Moreover, at the same time, the creation of stationary (mine) and mobile ground-based complexes on the basis of this missile was also set. The latter was never created, but the presence of a silo-based option subsequently played a cruel joke on the BZHRK: by and large, its liquidation took place not because it was necessary to destroy the rocket train itself, but because it was necessary to eliminate the rocket standing on it.

The Dnepropetrovsk Design Bureau (KB) Yuzhnoye was appointed the lead developer of the BZHRK, and the Utkin brothers became its chief designers: Vladimir Fedorovich from the Yuzhnoye Design Bureau was responsible for the creation of the rocket, and Alexei Fedorovich, who worked at the Leningrad Design Bureau of Special Machine Building (KBSM), was responsible for the design of the launch complex and carriages for the rocket train.

In November 1982, a draft design of the RT-23UTTKh and BZHRK missiles with improved railway launchers was developed. The complex provided the ability to carry out rocket firing from any point of the route, including from electrified railways, for which it included a high-precision navigation system, and its launchers were equipped with special devices for shorting and tapping the contact network. At the same time, as indicated in the domestic literature on the history of the BZHRK, Alexei Utkin managed to find a unique solution to "the problem of transferring large mass loads to the railway track during the operation of the BZHRK complexes."

The combat railway missile system "Molodets" was put into service on November 28, 1989, and the first complex began to carry out combat duty even earlier - on October 20, 1987. Production of intercontinental ballistic missiles type RT-23UTTH was carried out at the Pavlograd Mechanical Plant (PO Yuzhmash). In the period 1987-1991, 12 complexes were built, and the number of missiles fired was about 100.

Rocket trains were deployed in three regions of the country, and, interestingly, due to the huge mass of wagons - launchers of special trains - within a radius of 1500 km from the places where the latter were based, it was necessary to strengthen the embankments of the railway track with denser gravel, lay heavier rails, replace wooden sleepers for concrete, etc.

It can be said that the creation of the BZHRK to a certain extent positively influenced the development of the country's railway network. However, the cost of creating a missile system and ensuring its operation was simply enormous. But the situation of that time - the Cold War - demanded it.

In light of the warming relations between the USSR and the West, starting from 1991, rocket trains began to carry out combat duty at points of permanent deployment - patrolling took place on a strictly limited route, without leaving the country's railway network. Then, according to the START-2 treaty, the country agreed to eliminate all RT-23UTTKh missiles. Which is what was done. The trains were disposed of in the period 2003-2007 (the last BZHRK was removed from combat duty in 2005).

LIVING IDEA

Rocket trains are not a new topic. And the pioneers here, as in a number of other classes of weapons, were the American military. For the first time, they made an attempt to get a military railway complex at their disposal back in the 1960s, during the implementation of an ambitious program to create a new solid-propellant Minuteman ICBM.

In the summer of 1960, as part of a theoretical study of this issue, the US Department of Defense conducted Operation Big Star (Big Star), during which prototypes of future rocket trains secretly moved around railways America. The experience was considered successful, and the following year they prepared a project, as well as a prototype of the American-style BZHRK with five ICBMs. It was planned to put the first such train on duty as early as 1962, and the entire Air Force intended to launch 30 trains with 150 missiles across the country. But in the summer of 1961, the project was closed due to its high cost - the mine "minutemen" turned out to be cheaper, simpler, and more reliable (see the article "Well done" in American style - an unsuccessful debut "in this issue of HBO).

In 1986, the idea of ​​a rocket train again took hold of the Pentagon, but already as part of the creation of a new heavy ICBM "Pekekeeper", also known as the MX. The train, called Peacekeeper Rail Garrison ("Railway garrison with missiles" Peekeper "), was supposed to carry two missiles, each with a multiple warhead with 10 individually targetable warheads. It was planned since 1992 to put 25 such trains on combat duty. The prototype was tested in 1990, but a year later the main enemy, the Soviet Union, was gone, and therefore, in order to receive "peacetime dividends", the United States put the program under the knife (only the purchase of the first seven trains managed to save $ 2.16 billion in this way) .

But the idea in America, as well as in Russia, turned out to be surprisingly tenacious. Thus, within the framework of the "Analysis of alternatives" on the issue further development ground grouping of national strategic nuclear forces, completed in 2014, American experts considered, among others, the so-called "mobile option", which provided for the development of a new ICBM as part of a mobile strategic ground- or rail-based missile system. Moreover, a "tunnel option" was also considered - the creation of a strategic missile system based underground in specially constructed tunnels and moving through them. However, the cost of creating such complexes was eventually recognized as too expensive even for the huge military budget of the United States.

NEW GHOST TRAIN

The Russian military-political leadership also did not remain indifferent to the idea of ​​a rocket train. Discussing the need to create a replacement for the disposed of and sent to museums "Molodets" began almost from the day the last BZHRK was removed from combat duty.

The development of a new complex, called "Barguzin", was launched in Russia in 2012, although back in June 2010 a patent was issued by the Federal State Unitary Enterprise Central Design Bureau "Titan" for an invention designated as "Launcher for transporting and launching a rocket from a transport and launch container located in a railway car or on a platform. The lead executor of the new BZHRK was the Moscow Institute of Thermal Engineering - the creator of Topol, Yars and Bulava.

In December 2015, the commander of the Strategic Missile Forces, Colonel General Sergei Karakaev, said that "the preliminary design has now been completed, and working design documentation for the units and systems of the complex is being developed." “Of course, when reviving the BZHRK, all the latest developments in the field of combat missiles will be taken into account,” Sergey Karakaev emphasized. - The Barguzin complex will significantly exceed its predecessor in terms of accuracy, missile range and other characteristics, which will allow long years, at least until 2040, this complex is located in combat strength Strategic Missile Forces.

“Thus, the Strategic Missile Forces will recreate a grouping based on three types of missile systems: mine, mobile ground and railway, which in the Soviet years proved to be highly effective,” the Interfax agency quoted the commander of the Strategic Missile Forces at the time.

In November of the next year, 2016, the first ICBM drop tests for a promising missile train were successfully completed. “The first throw tests took place at the Plesetsk cosmodrome two weeks ago. They were recognized as fully successful, which paves the way for the start of flight design tests, ”Interfax quoted the interlocutor as saying. Representatives of the Ministry of Defense and the military-industrial complex of the Russian Federation were very optimistic, they reported that a report was planned for 2017 to Russian President Vladimir Putin on the prospects for the deployment of the Barguzin complex and the start of flight design tests of the missile intended for it.

And suddenly - unexpected that "the topic is closed" at least in the short term. What is even more remarkable: in the case of official confirmation this decision this will be the first time that work has been stopped, temporarily or permanently, in the area of ​​strategic nuclear weapons which, we recall, are considered by the Russian military-political leadership to be the main guarantor of the country's security against the aggression of any enemy, and therefore resources are allocated for their development as a priority.

So what's the deal? Is it just a banal lack of funds in the current difficult economic situation, or has the very approach to the development of Russia's strategic nuclear forces changed? To answer this question, it is necessary to consider the main features of the BZHRK.

THE SITUATION HAS CHANGED

The main goal of creating the BZHRK "Molodets" was the desire of the Soviet military-political leadership to increase the power and effectiveness of the retaliatory / retaliatory-oncoming grouping missile attack in the conditions of a tough confrontation with the countries - members of the NATO military-political bloc, and primarily the United States. It became possible to solve this problem due to the high secrecy of the action of the BZHRK, which was ensured by the following circumstances:

- the actual closeness of the country to foreigners, which significantly limited the possibility of organizing constant monitoring of areas of possible deployment and patrolling of missile trains (and Soviet citizens were also significantly limited in visiting a number of regions and cities of the country);

– the lack of opportunities for the armed forces and special services potential adversary conduct aerial (aviation) reconnaissance of the territory of interest to them in the depths of the Soviet Union, which was due to the high efficiency of the air defense system created by that time;

- significant restrictions on the conduct of round-the-clock space reconnaissance of objects on the territory of the USSR, which, in turn, was due to the poor development of radar monitoring equipment for earth's surface, placed on board spacecraft (satellites) of the appropriate purpose and the only ones capable of providing all-weather and round-the-clock control over areas of interest for reconnaissance of a potential enemy (the most widespread optical and infrared surveillance systems did not provide such an opportunity);

- underdevelopment of high-precision air attack weapons, primarily such as relatively small-sized, low-profile cruise missiles of various types, designed to strike ground targets located deep in enemy territory, and capable of flying in the mode of following the terrain (not to mention guided and guided bombs long range and, even more so, hypersonic aircraft);

- the absence of such international treaties in the field of control over strategic offensive arms, which in one way or another limited the operation of such missile systems.

However, today the situation in this area has changed in the most radical way, significantly reducing or even completely leveling many of the advantages of rocket trains, and first of all, their secrecy.

Firstly, the country became open and free to move almost throughout its entire territory for both its citizens and foreign guests (provided, of course, that the latter freely entered Russia).

Secondly, modern space reconnaissance means include spacecraft equipped with highly efficient radar facilities detections that are capable of conducting all-weather round-the-clock monitoring of the areas of deployment of the BZHRK, known from the results of the exchange of relevant information under various international treaties or discovered as a result of intelligence activities of various kinds just hard).

Thirdly, high-precision aerospace attack weapons have also made a qualitative leap, capable of easily disabling such an object as the BZHRK with appropriate target designation and guidance. It does not even need to be destroyed, the main thing is to prevent it from performing rocket fire.

And in a study by the American corporation RAND from 2014, it is indicated that the rocket train also has the following significant shortcomings: more complex maintenance; the possibility of natural (snow, landslides) and artificial (sabotage, accidents) blocking railway track; limited set of routes for movement; lower survivability compared to mine complexes (being detected by the enemy, the BZHRK can be considered destroyed).

Moreover, according to the set of treaties in the field of limitation of strategic arms, to which Russia is a party, the operation of the BZHRK is literally squeezed into the vise of numerous restrictions that do not allow them to fully realize their unique combat potential. And most importantly, it does not allow for the secrecy of patrolling. If a rocket train must move only along a certain route or routes in its deployment area, and even regularly demonstrate itself to air and space surveillance equipment of foreign "controllers", then what kind of secrecy can we talk about? And this is perhaps the most important advantage of the BZHRK, without which the very concept of a rocket train loses its meaning (although, we emphasize this especially, there is no ban on the creation of such missile systems).

Of course, you can remove all these “controllers” with one stroke of the pen – withdraw from these treaties, thereby removing any restrictions from yourself, but the two superpowers did not allow themselves this even during the hottest periods of the Cold War. Not to mention the fact that there is also undercover intelligence of our potential "friends", and spy satellites will not go anywhere. Whether they will be able to disguise themselves is a big question.

Finally, we must not forget that the invisibility of the rocket train and the inability to distinguish it from ordinary freight trains is a myth. Don't believe? In confirmation, let us cite the words of the commander of the Strategic Missile Forces, Colonel-General Sergei Karakaev, which he told reporters in December 2013. According to him, the BZHRK car of the first generation was quite different from the refrigerator car, under which it was disguised. “It was longer, heavier, the number of wheelsets was more. No matter how they hid it, if the BZHRK was in the parking lot, any specialist could determine that this was not a train National economy", - RIA Novosti quotes the general as saying. The car of the new train, according to Sergey Karakaev, can be disguised more successfully, although experts in railway rolling stock questioned this thesis. Moreover, even if this succeeds, it is not clear what to do with such a revealing sign as several locomotives in the head of a short “special train”.

As a result, it seems that the creation of the BZHRK as a means of retaliatory or retaliatory strike is becoming a very dubious undertaking. In this regard, it is noteworthy that back in February 2011, in an interview with the VPK weekly, Yuri Solomonov, general designer of the Moscow Institute of Thermal Engineering Corporation, said: “In fact, the survivability of a mobile soil and railway complexes is almost the same. Quite recently, we just won a competition on this topic, but I was in favor of making a decision not to deploy full-scale work on the BZHRK. First, here we are talking not so much about missiles, but about the type of basing, which is associated with the necessary costs to recreate the military infrastructure, which is completely destroyed today. This is a lot of money, and it will potentially add nothing to the combat effectiveness of our strategic nuclear forces. Moreover, the BZHRK has a fundamental drawback in modern conditions: low anti-terrorist stability. This is a weak point of the railway complex, and it significantly reduces its combat capabilities.

Thus, it may be more appropriate to single out additional funds on mobile ground-based missile systems or on the new heavy intercontinental ballistic missile "Sarmat"?

Yury Solomonov, general designer of the Moscow Institute of Thermal Engineering, announces that the Barguzin combat railway missile system (BZHRK) is expected to be tested in the fourth quarter of this year. Based on their results, a decision will be made on the transition to the stage of deployment of full-scale work on the complex, including the transfer of technology to the manufacturer. The arrival of the first "Barguzins" in the Strategic Missile Forces is expected in 2019 or 2020.

Making it unique complex is developing rapidly. The decision to create the BZHRK was made in 2012. And now, throwing tests are on the way, which test the ability of all systems of the complex to launch a rocket from a transport and launch container. That is, to carry out a mortar launch using a solid fuel booster. In this case, the rocket propulsion engine does not start.

Such an increased "performance" of the designers is due to the fact that it is not created from scratch. In the mid-70s, Yuzhnoye Design Bureau began developing the BZHRK RT-23 UTTH Molodets. It used solid propellant ICBMs 15Zh61 with multiple warheads. In 1989, the first train, equipped with three intercontinental ballistic missiles, took up combat duty, that is, began to move along the country's railway network. In 1991, the number of such trains was increased to twelve.

The BZHRK was a train camouflaged as an ordinary civilian technical train. Three cars were disguised as compartment cars, 14 - as refrigerators. There was a tanker with fuel and lubricants. As well as three diesel locomotives carrying three missiles of 100 tons each. The BZHRK could autonomously navigate the railway networks for 28 days. The combat crew of the train included more than 70 servicemen.

3 minutes were allotted for launching the rocket from the moment the order was received from the General Staff. The procedure was carried out as follows. The train stopped. A special device took aside and grounded the contact wire. The launch container was in a vertical position. After that, a mortar launch of the rocket was carried out - with the engine turned off, it was “pushed out” by gases from the container 20 meters in height. Further, the rocket was taken away from the train with the help of a powder accelerator. And after that, the main engine was turned on - in order to avoid damage to the engine of the launcher and the railway track by the torch.

This basing had a number of significant advantages. Provided increased secrecy of the location of the missile system. Stealth resulted in the reliability of the protection of strategic weapons.

"Well done" also had tremendous resistance to the shock wave that occurs during a nuclear explosion. In 1991, a unique experiment was conducted at the Plesetsk test site to simulate nuclear explosion. Not far from the rocket train (the exact distance was not disclosed), a 20-meter-high pyramid was laid out, formed by anti-tank mines exported from East Germany. The power of the explosion was 1000 tons of TNT. A funnel with a diameter of 80 meters and a depth of 10 meters was formed. The level of acoustic pressure in the habitable compartments of the train reached 150 dB. Immediately after the explosion, the launcher worked normally.

When creating the railway complex, the designers had to solve many specific problems that they did not encounter when designing "standard" ICBMs. One of the most serious problems was that when launching a rocket, even a mortar type, the load on the railway track reaches a level at which the tracks can be deformed. To prevent the destruction of the embankment and sleepers, complex damping was used, in which the wagons adjacent to the launcher took part.

It is quite clear that all these complex technical issues are automatically transferred to the new Barguzin BZHRK. That is why its development is being carried out at an accelerated pace.

And "Well done" history released a short time. And this was predetermined by the fact that in 1991, the United States, which won the Cold War, began to impose its own rules of the game on the Kremlin - one way. At the same time, the initiatives were called “reducing the global nuclear threat”, but, in fact, were the disarmament of Russia. Well Done was one of America's most serious threats. Therefore, in 1991, Washington insisted that only half of the missile trains be on alert routes at the same time. Soon, this right was also curtailed - trains were allowed to move no further than 20 km from their permanent bases.

After all, under the START-2 treaty, signed in 1993, Russia was obliged to destroy the RT-23 UTTKh missiles. Both mine and rail-based. Accordingly, the unique trains themselves were put under the knife. 10 of them were disposed of at the Bryansk repair plant. Two - transferred to museums.

He is coming back

Even though the State Department keeps repeating that the United States is forced to build up its military in order to deter "Russia's aggressive aspirations," the causal relationship is exactly the opposite. Russia is simply forced to respond to American "initiatives". These include the withdrawal from the ABM treaty, the deployment of an anti-missile defense system in Europe, and the movement of NATO troops to Russia's borders.

One of these "initiatives" is the concept of "Fast global strike» (Prompt Global Strike, PGS). It involves the application of a massive global strike by non-nuclear forces on any country within one hour. Such a blow is called "disarming". This is typical Reaganism, but allegedly "with a human face." In fact, "disarmament" is the destruction of not only military structure but also industrial and administrative centers. That is, to a large extent, this is a blow to civilian population, which is equivalent to the use of nuclear weapons. You don't have to look far for examples. In particular, during the Second World War, during the American bombing of Tokyo, there were more casualties than Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

So, BZHRK "Barguzin" is the answer to PGS.

The lead developer of the project is the Moscow Institute of Thermal Engineering. Of course, "Barguzin" is different from "Well done". It cannot be otherwise, since the time distance between the two complexes is about 30 years. During this time, technology has advanced.

At the same time, developers are severely limited by the requirements of railway standards. That is, they must fit into the standard sizes of modern rolling stock so that the rocket train appearance did not differ from the usual. So, a rocket with a launch container should be placed in a standard refrigerated car, which has a length of 24 meters.

Of course, the main component of the BZHRK is a rocket. The Barguzin will use a three-stage solid-propellant ICBM, which has been in service with the Strategic Missile Forces since 2009.

At a superficial glance, this is a step back, towards weakening the combat power of the complex. Since the total nuclear charge of the RT-23 UTTKh is greater. However, the effectiveness of RS-24 is significantly higher. Because the Yars missile is more likely to be able to overcome enemy missile defense systems. This is achieved by a whole range of measures. The rocket has a short active flight phase when the sustainer engine is running. The flight takes place along a flat trajectory. Multiple warheads are equipped modern means electronic warfare, and also have increased protection against electromagnetic influences. And the guidance accuracy of Yars is higher.

TTX ICBM complexes "Molodets" and "Barguzin"
Range, km: 10100 - 11000
Number of steps: 3 - 3
Length, m: 23.3 - 23
Diameter, m: 2.4 - less than 2
Weight, t: 104.5 - 49
Thrown mass of warhead, kg: 4050 - n / a
Number of warheads - 10 - 4
Power of one warhead, kt: 430 - 300
Circular probable deviation, m: 500 - n/a

BZHRK "Barguzin" - a combat railway missile system, developed on the basis of another BZHRK - "Molodets". On this moment development was discontinued, and the Molodets missile system project was closed.

What is BZHRK? BZHRK - railway-based Barguzin missile system. That is, this is a train with several missiles on board, disguised as a simple civilian train and plying throughout the country. The Barguzin, whose weapons are thermonuclear missiles, could become one of these trains.

The history of the creation of "Barguzin"

The online encyclopedia Wikipedia about the BZHRK Barguzin says:

• year 2012- the beginning of work on the creation of a combat railway missile system "Barguzin";
• December 2014- the choice of the combat basis of the complex - it was the RS-24 Yars missile;
• End of 2015- Sergey Karakaev, Commander-in-Chief of the Strategic Missile Forces, announced that the design of the preliminary version of the BZHRK was completed and the development of working drawings for the complex began;
• May 2016- Colonel General Viktor Esin announced the approximate time frame for the creation and adoption of the Barguzin - 2018-2025;
• November 2016- at the Plesetsk cosmodrome, the first stage of testing of the modified RS-24 Yars rocket, developed specifically for the BZHRK, was successfully completed;
• December 2017- announcement of the termination of work on the project.

Progenitor of "Barguzin"

In itself, the idea of ​​​​creating a BZHRK as a combat unit is not new and did not belong to Russia or the USSR. The first attempts to do something similar were made by the United States, but the project was never adopted. But the USSR liked the idea of ​​​​a nuclear train, and already in 1969, the development of the project began - the new generation of Barguzin rocket trains.

The first combat duty BZHRK "Molodets" began to carry in 1987.

Currently, most of the Molodets complexes have been disposed of under the START-2 treaty, there are only two museum trains.

"Barguzin" was supposed to be a deep modification of "Molodets", but the project was closed. Let's analyze the structure of the BZHRK using the example of "Molodets".

Device

The specified BZHRK included three DM62 locomotives, a command post consisting of 7 cars, a tank car with fuel and lubricants and three launchers with missiles.

The Molodets complex looked like an ordinary train of refrigerated wagons.

Postal-baggage and passenger cars. Fourteen wagons had eight wheelsets, and three had four.

Three cars were disguised as cars of the passenger fleet, the rest, those that had eight axles - under "refrigerators". Thanks to the available reserves on board, the complex could operate autonomously for up to 28 days.

The weight of the rocket was 104 tons, and to solve the overload problem, special unloading devices were used to redistribute part of the weight to neighboring cars. In addition, the length of the rocket was not supposed to exceed the length of standard wagons, so the nose fairing was redesigned and became foldable.

Missiles could be launched from any point along the route.

The launch algorithm is as follows:

• the train stops, a special device takes aside and shorts the contact network to the ground;
• the launch container takes a vertical position due to the hydraulic system;
• after that, a mortar launch of a rocket can be carried out;
• already in the air, the rocket launched the main engine.

The whole operation took about three minutes. Each starting device could work both as part of the train and separately from it.

Tactical and technical characteristics of the complex

Why "Barguzin" was not adopted

The Barguzin project was very promising. The news of its creation caused a wave of indignation in the West. And no wonder, because the new "Barguzin" was supposed to be an improved model of another BZHRK "Molodets". That is, to absorb the best from him and correct the shortcomings.

So, for example, "Barguzin" was supposed to look more like an ordinary freight train than its predecessor.

In its structure, there were no signs such as an elongated wagon, several additional wheelsets and locomotives, and this is an important factor in disguise. In addition, the BZHRK can change the vector of movement at any time, which will make it difficult to strike back at it.

And despite all these advantages, the project is either frozen or completely discontinued. Why? There are several versions.

The first is a strategic move with misinformation of the enemy. The good old trick, let the potential enemy think that Russia has really stopped the development of the new generation of the Barguzin BRZHDK, and lower their guard.

The second - the development is really stopped. And there are several reasons for this. For example, leading weapons developers do not have a common opinion about the BZHRK as a whole. This project, the Barguzin combat railway missile system, has both supporters and opponents.

The economic factor should not be excluded either. Perhaps the spending on the Molodets rocket train would have been too large, and the project might not have justified itself. It is also worth adding that for the army, the creation of the BZHRK - the Barguzin rocket train has never been a priority.

However, according to the persons responsible for this project, if necessary, the Barguzin railway missile system will be built as soon as possible.

Characteristics of the complex BZHRK Barguzin

Below are the characteristics of the BZHRK Barguzin: missiles and some characteristics of the entire complex as a whole.

BZHRK design

Roughly speaking, how combat unit the Barguzin train never existed. All of its development and construction is on paper marked "SECRET", so all of its description is conjectural.

In appearance, "Barguzin" is an ordinary freight train, of which there are a huge number. And that's it. The developers were severely limited by the requirements of railway standards.

That is, they must fit into the framework of modern rolling stock so that the BZHRK does not differ in appearance from a conventional train. So, a rocket with a launch container should be placed in a standard refrigerated car, which has a length of 24 meters.

Intercontinental ballistic missiles "Yars" with 30 warheads with a capacity of 550 kilotons each are installed in the carriages of the new generation BZHRK Barguzin. Due to the same limitations, it was decided to make the rocket stages collapsible.

In addition, command posts, technological and technical systems, communications equipment and personnel are located inside the locomotive. In the event of an enemy attack, the train stops and prepares to start. The wings on the roofs of the cars move apart, the mechanisms bring the rockets to a vertical position and a launch is made.

Barguzin project - advantages and disadvantages

Advantages:

• Stealth. Thanks to the disguise as ordinary Russian Railways trains, it will be extremely difficult for a potential enemy to find the BZHRK of the Barguzin project even with the help of a satellite;
• Maneuverability. There are a huge number of railway tracks in Russia and the Barguzin is able to change direction at any moment, and this will make it difficult to strike back;
• Economy. Maintenance of one BZHRD unit is cheaper than maintenance of any other ground-based complex.

Flaws:

• Blade wear. wagon with nuclear missile much heavier than any freight car. This causes an additional load on the blade and accelerates its wear. And due to extraordinary repairs, a potential enemy can find out the approximate route of the BZHRK;
• frivolity. For some unknown reason, there is no proper attitude to the BZHRK. Yes, this is a nuclear missile system, but the development of such projects has never been a priority. After all, there are time-tested and battle-tested land, sea and underwater complexes;
• high cost. Despite the relatively small maintenance costs, the construction of such a complex is very expensive. And at the moment there is no urgent need for it.