How a ballistic missile is launched. What is a "ballistic missile"

Presented to the attention of readers fastest rockets in the world throughout the history of creation.

Speed ​​3.8 km/s

The fastest medium-range ballistic missile with a maximum speed of 3.8 km per second opens the ranking of the fastest missiles in the world. The R-12U was a modified version of the R-12. The rocket differed from the prototype in the absence of an intermediate bottom in the oxidizer tank and some minor design changes - there are no wind loads in the shaft, which made it possible to lighten the tanks and dry compartments of the rocket and eliminate the need for stabilizers. Since 1976, the R-12 and R-12U missiles began to be removed from service and replaced with Pioneer mobile ground systems. They were withdrawn from service in June 1989, and between May 21, 1990, 149 missiles were destroyed at the Lesnaya base in Belarus.

Speed ​​5.8 km/s

One of the fastest American launch vehicles with a maximum speed of 5.8 km per second. It is the first developed intercontinental ballistic missile adopted by the United States. Developed as part of the MX-1593 program since 1951. Formed the basis nuclear arsenal US Air Force in 1959-1964, but then was quickly withdrawn from service due to the advent of the more advanced Minuteman missile. It served as the basis for the creation of the Atlas family of space launch vehicles, which have been in operation since 1959 to this day.

Speed ​​6 km/s

UGM-133 A Trident II- American three-stage ballistic missile, one of the fastest in the world. Its maximum speed is 6 km per second. “Trident-2” has been developed since 1977 in parallel with the lighter “Trident-1”. Adopted into service in 1990. Launch weight - 59 tons. Max. throw weight - 2.8 tons with a launch range of 7800 km. The maximum flight range with a reduced number of warheads is 11,300 km.

Speed ​​6 km/s

One of the fastest solid-propellant ballistic missiles in the world, in service with Russia. It has a minimum damage radius of 8000 km and an approximate speed of 6 km/s. The rocket has been developed since 1998 by the Moscow Institute of Thermal Engineering, which developed it in 1989-1997. ground-based missile "Topol-M". To date, 24 test launches of the Bulava have been carried out, fifteen of them were considered successful (during the first launch, weight and size layout missiles), two (seventh and eighth) - partially successful. The last test launch of the rocket took place on September 27, 2016.

Speed ​​6.7 km/s

Minuteman LGM-30 G- one of the fastest land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles in the world. Its speed is 6.7 km per second. The LGM-30G Minuteman III has an estimated flight range of 6,000 kilometers to 10,000 kilometers, depending on the type of warhead. Minuteman 3 has been in US service from 1970 to the present day. It is the only silo-based missile in the United States. The first launch of the rocket took place in February 1961, modifications II and III were launched in 1964 and 1968, respectively. The rocket weighs about 34,473 kilograms and is equipped with three solid propellant engines. It is planned that the missile will be in service until 2020.

Speed ​​7 km/s

The fastest anti-missile missile in the world, designed to destroy highly maneuverable targets and high-altitude hypersonic missiles. Tests of the 53T6 series of the Amur complex began in 1989. Its speed is 5 km per second. The rocket is a 12-meter pointed cone with no protruding parts. Its body is made of high-strength steel using composite winding. The design of the rocket allows it to withstand large overloads. The interceptor launches with 100-fold acceleration and is capable of intercepting targets flying at speeds of up to 7 km per second.

Speed ​​7.3 km/s

The most powerful and fastest nuclear missile in the world with a speed of 7.3 km per second. It is intended, first of all, to destroy the most fortified command posts, ballistic missile silos and air bases. The nuclear explosives of one missile can destroy Big city, a very large part of the USA. Hit accuracy is about 200-250 meters. The missile is housed in the world's strongest silos. The SS-18 carries 16 platforms, one of which is loaded with decoys. When entering a high orbit, all “Satan” heads go “in a cloud” of false targets and are practically not identified by radars.”

Speed ​​7.9 km/s

The intercontinental ballistic missile (DF-5A) with a maximum speed of 7.9 km per second opens the top three fastest in the world. The Chinese DF-5 ICBM entered service in 1981. It can carry a huge 5 MT warhead and has a range of over 12,000 km. The DF-5 has a deflection of approximately 1 km, which means that the missile has one purpose - to destroy cities. Warhead size, deflection and the fact that it full preparation Taking just an hour to launch, all this means is that the DF-5 is a punitive weapon, designed to punish any would-be attackers. The 5A version has increased range, improved 300m deflection and the ability to carry multiple warheads.

R-7 Speed ​​7.9 km/s

R-7- Soviet, the first intercontinental ballistic missile, one of the fastest in the world. Its top speed is 7.9 km per second. The development and production of the first copies of the rocket was carried out in 1956-1957 by the OKB-1 enterprise near Moscow. After successful launches it was used in 1957 to launch the world's first artificial satellites. Since then, launch vehicles of the R-7 family have been actively used to launch spacecraft for various purposes, and since 1961, these launch vehicles have been widely used in manned astronautics. Based on the R-7, a whole family of launch vehicles was created. From 1957 to 2000, more than 1,800 launch vehicles based on the R-7 were launched, of which more than 97% were successful.

Speed ​​7.9 km/s

RT-2PM2 "Topol-M" (15Zh65)- the fastest intercontinental ballistic missile in the world with a maximum speed of 7.9 km per second. Maximum range - 11,000 km. Carries one thermonuclear warhead with a power of 550 kt. The silo-based version was put into service in 2000. The launch method is mortar. The rocket's sustaining solid-propellant engine allows it to gain speed much faster than previous types of rockets of a similar class created in Russia and the Soviet Union. This makes it much more difficult for missile defense systems to intercept it during the active phase of the flight.

Do you have information about which rocket is the fastest in the world? Russia is one of the leading leaders in the rocket science industry. The main competitor in the Russian rocket industry is the United States, which constantly dreams of gaining undisputed leadership in the arms race. However, it was our scientists who created the fastest rocket, which at the same time evokes a feeling of pride and respect. So which jet-powered aircraft are the most efficient in the world? Let's figure this out!

Fundamental purpose and objectives of ballistic missiles

Ballistic missiles (BMs) are a special type of missile-type weapon, the trajectory, speed and movement of which are completely regulated by a special control system. A military vehicle travels a certain distance with the engine turned off. Thus, the payload of the warhead purposefully moves along a pre-planned ballistic trajectory.

Multistage rockets quickly develop high speeds and discard spent stages. This operating scheme allows you to minimize the total weight of the devices and significantly increase its speed.

The ballistic missile is launched using special launchers. To achieve this, the military-industrial complex various countries develops special platforms. Such complexes include stationary (mines, open areas) and mobile sites (tracked chassis, aircraft, ships, submarines)

Flight range, including ultrasonic missile weapons, depends on many technical factors. Thus, ballistic developments are classified into the following groups:

• Short-range ballistic missile (500-1000 km);
• Medium-range ballistic missile (1.0 -5.5 thousand km);
• Intercontinental type BR (more than 5.5 thousand km).

The last group of intercontinental missiles is located on ground-based and ship-based systems. This gives the military development additional mobility and versatility. Thus, strategic bombers are capable of delivering nuclear strikes and hitting targets in any corner of the planet. This type of weapon is the basis of the main offensive forces of the world championship countries.

Depending on the assigned tasks, BRs are classified into:

1. Strategic. Weapons of this type are intended to destroy enemy infrastructure directly on its territory. Such missiles have a long flight range and can carry nuclear warheads. As a result, the launch of aircraft guarantees the elimination of large objects;
2. Tactical. BR have short range flight and are used to defeat the enemy in the combat area (positions, equipment).

A ballistic missile's flight path is very similar to a space missile. This provides an opportunity for domestic engineers to create a unique type of weapon. IN Soviet time V in this direction active development was underway. For example, NPO "UR-100" was to be used to launch military satellites into orbit. Also, on the basis of the RT-2PM, a launch vehicle of the Start and Start1 classes was formed.

Missile-type weapons have a wide range of applications. Strategic and tactical jet-powered aircraft underlie the security of many nations and are a key deterrent to large-scale wars on the planet.

Rating of the fastest and most effective missiles

American designers always strive to win the palm in the military-industrial complex. A few years ago, overconfident Pentagon generals declared that the fastest missile in the world was the X 51-F Waverider. Is this really true? To do this, let’s carefully study the rating (in increasing order of speed):

1. "R-12U" is the fastest missile with a medium ballistic range. The maximum speed of this structure is 3.8 km/s, which allows it to open the rating. Military development is a modification of “R-12” without an intermediate bottom in a tank with an oxidizer. This model is characterized by a shaft without wind loads.

This technical characteristic makes it possible to significantly lighten the tanks and other compartments of the ballistic missile and not use special stabilizers. At the end of the 80s of the 20th century, the ballistic missile began to be withdrawn from service and was used only on mobile ground-based complexes of the Pioneer class. In 1990, at a military base in Belarus, 149 units were destroyed due to complete depreciation.

2. Atlas SM-65 is one of the most dynamic launch vehicles with a speed limit of 5.8 km/s. The flying machine was officially adopted into service in the United States in the 60s. Scientific developments of this weapon were produced since 1951 as part of the secret MX-1593 program.

At that time, the development took pride of place among the nuclear arsenal of a world power. Due to the advent of a newer rocket, the carrier was removed from the balance sheet. SM-65 served as the fundamental basis for the production of other modifications.

3. “UGM-133A Trident II” belongs to the class of American-made three-stage ballistic missiles. A jet-powered flying vehicle can be called one of the fastest in the world. The speed of the functional device reaches 6 km/s. The development of the US military-industrial complex within the framework of “Trident II” began back in 1977 in conjunction with “Trident-1”.

A military structure of 59 tons (starting figure) was accepted into the ranks in 1990. The rocket could carry 2.8 loads on board with a flight range of 7800 km. When engineers reduced the number of heads, this distance increased to 11,300 km.

4. “RSM 56 Bulava” is the fastest solid fuel ballistic missile. The military development is in service in the Russian Federation and has a speed of 6 km/s. During testing, it was found that the minimum radius of combat impact is 8 thousand km.

Qualified specialists from the Moscow Institute of Thermal Engineering took an active part in the creation of this project. The work began back in 1998. Of the 24 test launches of the RSM 56, 5 are successful. The latest data on Bulava was recorded at a military training ground on September 27, 2016.

5. "Minuteman LGM-30G" is a prominent representative intercontinental ballistic missiles that are ground-based. The speed of the jet structure reaches 6.7 km/s with a clearly calculated flight range of 10,000 km. This indicator closely correlates with the type of warhead that is used. "Minuteman 3" has been joining the ranks of US weapons since 1970.

The mine-based location of the device makes it unique in this class. Trial launches were carried out back in 1961-1968 with modifications II and III. The rocket reaches a mass of 34.4 tons and has two solid fuel engines. The military plans to use the LGM-30G for another 15 years.

6. “Amur 53T6” boldly takes the status of the fastest anti-missile missile in the world. The military structure was created to eliminate maneuverable targets and hypersonic aircraft. Tests on this project began in 1989. The complex develops a speed of 7 km/s and has a cone-shaped shape (12 meters).

The Amur body is made of heavy-duty steel and special winding composite composition. The design of the model clearly withstands increased loads in the air. The technical characteristics of the interceptor allow it to take off with enormous acceleration and effectively eliminate targets.

7. SS-18 (R-36 M) “Satan” is a nuclear missile that is the most powerful in the world. The jet-powered aircraft is capable of reaching a speed of 7.3 km/s. Military development is ideal for the destruction of fortified objects. These can be various command posts, BR mines, underground cities.

The nuclear charge of 1 device can cause irreparable damage to a multimillion-dollar city. High hit accuracy of 250 meters guarantees the elimination of an enemy target. "Satan" is located in durable launch silos and houses 16 platforms (including those with decoys). R 36-M dynamically enters orbit and is not completely identified by powerful radars.

8. “DONGFENG 5A” is an intercontinental ballistic missile that is capable of reaching a speed of 7.9 km/h. The Chinese development was adopted in 1981.

The key feature of the model is that it is capable of delivering 5MT of explosive over 12,000 km with a deviation from the target of 1,000 meters. Thus, a military device is capable of wiping out a huge city from the face of the earth. It takes only 60 minutes to prepare and launch the DF-5A.

9. “R-7” - Soviet intercontinental-type ballistic missile. The maximum speed of a jet-powered aircraft reaches 7.9 km/s. The first tests of the rocket were carried out in 1956. In work on this project Employees of the OKB-1 enterprise took part.

The model was used to launch satellites into Earth orbit. “R-7” became the basis for the manufacture of modern launch vehicles. The high launch success rate (97%) is business card BR.

10. 15Zh65 RT-2PM2 “Topol-M” - the fastest intercontinental missile in the world, which has a speed of 7.9 km/s. The model easily covers distances of 11,000 km and has a powerful thermonuclear unit of 550 KT.

The mine version of the complex was put into service in the Russian Federation in 2000. A special feature of the development is its solid propellant propulsion engine. This allows Topol-M to be practically inaccessible to enemy missile defense.

The ICBM is an impressive human creation. Huge size, thermonuclear power, column of flame, roar of engines and the menacing roar of launch... However, all this exists only on the ground and in the first minutes of launch. After they expire, the rocket ceases to exist. Further into the flight and to carry out the combat mission, only what remains of the rocket after acceleration is spent - its payload.

With long launch ranges, the payload of an intercontinental ballistic missile extends into space for many hundreds of kilometers. It rises into the layer of low-orbit satellites, 1000-1200 km above the Earth, and is located among them for a short time, only slightly lagging behind their general run. And then it begins to slide down along an elliptical trajectory...

What exactly is this load?

A ballistic missile consists of two main parts - the accelerating part and the other for the sake of which the acceleration is started. The accelerating part is a pair or three of large multi-ton stages, filled to capacity with fuel and with engines at the bottom. They give the necessary speed and direction to the movement of the other main part of the rocket - the head. The booster stages, replacing each other in the launch relay, accelerate this warhead in the direction of the area of ​​its future fall.

The head of a rocket is a complex load consisting of many elements. It contains a warhead (one or more), a platform on which these warheads are placed along with all other equipment (such as means of deceiving enemy radars and missile defenses), and a fairing. There is also fuel and compressed gases in the head part. All head part will not fly to the target. It, like the ballistic missile itself earlier, will split into many elements and simply cease to exist as a single whole. The fairing will separate from it not far from the launch area, during the operation of the second stage, and somewhere along the way it will fall. The platform will collapse upon entering the air of the impact area. Only one type of element will reach the target through the atmosphere. Warheads.

Up close, the warhead looks like an elongated cone, a meter or one and a half long, with a base as thick as a human torso. The nose of the cone is pointed or slightly blunt. This cone is special aircraft, whose task is to deliver weapons to the target. We'll come back to warheads later and take a closer look at them.

Head of the "Peacemaker"
The pictures show the breeding stages of the American heavy ICBM LGM0118A Peacekeeper, also known as MX. The missile was equipped with ten 300 kt multiple warheads. The missile was withdrawn from service in 2005.

Pull or push?

In a missile, all warheads are located in the so-called breeding stage, or “bus”. Why bus? Because, having first been freed from the fairing, and then from the last booster stage, the propagation stage carries the warheads, like passengers, along given stops, along their trajectories, along which the deadly cones will disperse to their targets.

The “bus” is also called the combat stage, because its work determines the accuracy of pointing the warhead to the target point, and therefore combat effectiveness. The breeding stage and its work is one of the most big secrets in a rocket. But we will still take a slight, schematic look at this mysterious step and its difficult dance in space.

The breeding step has different forms. Most often, it looks like a round stump or a wide loaf of bread, on which warheads are mounted on top, points forward, each on its own spring pusher. The warheads are pre-positioned at precise separation angles (at the missile base, manually, using theodolites) and point in different directions, like a bunch of carrots, like the needles of a hedgehog. The platform, bristling with warheads, occupies a given position in flight, gyro-stabilized in space. And at the right moments, warheads are pushed out of it one by one. They are ejected immediately after completion of acceleration and separation from the last accelerating stage. Until (you never know?) they shot down this entire undiluted hive with anti-missile weapons or something on board the breeding stage failed.

But this happened before, at the dawn of multiple warheads. Now breeding presents a completely different picture. If previously the warheads “stuck” forward, now the stage itself is in front along the course, and the warheads hang from below, with their tops back, upside down, like bats. The “bus” itself in some rockets also lies upside down, in a special recess in the upper stage of the rocket. Now, after separation, the breeding stage does not push, but drags the warheads along with it. Moreover, it drags, resting against its four “paws” placed crosswise, deployed in front. At the ends of these metal legs are rearward-facing thrust nozzles for the expansion stage. After separation from the accelerating stage, the “bus” very accurately, precisely sets its movement in the beginning of space with the help of its own powerful guidance system. He himself occupies the exact path of the next warhead - its individual path.

Then the special inertia-free locks that held the next detachable warhead are opened. And not even separated, but simply now no longer connected with the stage, the warhead remains motionless hanging here, in complete weightlessness. The moments of her own flight began and flowed by. Like one individual berry next to a bunch of grapes with other warhead grapes not yet plucked from the stage by the breeding process.

Fire ten
K-551 "Vladimir Monomakh" - Russian nuclear submarine strategic purpose(project 955 "Borey"), armed with 16 solid-fuel Bulava ICBMs with ten multiple warheads.

Delicate movements

Now the task of the stage is to crawl away from the warhead as delicately as possible, without disturbing its precisely set (targeted) movement with gas jets of its nozzles. If a supersonic jet of a nozzle hits a separated warhead, it will inevitably add its own additive to the parameters of its movement. Over the subsequent flight time (which is half an hour to fifty minutes, depending on the launch range), the warhead will drift from this exhaust “slap” of the jet half a kilometer to a kilometer sideways from the target, or even further. It will drift without obstacles: there is space, they slapped it - it floated, not being held back by anything. But is a kilometer sideways accurate today?

To avoid such effects, it is precisely the four upper “legs” with engines that are spaced apart to the sides that are needed. The stage is, as it were, pulled forward on them so that the exhaust jets go to the sides and cannot catch the warhead separated by the belly of the stage. All thrust is divided between four nozzles, which reduces the power of each individual jet. There are other features too. For example, if there is a donut-shaped propulsion stage (with a void in the middle - with this hole it is put on the rocket’s upper stage, like wedding ring finger) of the Trident-II D5 missile, the control system determines that the separated warhead still falls under the exhaust of one of the nozzles, then the control system turns off this nozzle. Silences the warhead.

The stage, gently, like a mother from the cradle of a sleeping child, fearing to disturb his peace, tiptoes away into space on the three remaining nozzles in low thrust mode, and the warhead remains on the aiming trajectory. Then the “donut” stage with the cross of the thrust nozzles is rotated around the axis so that the warhead comes out from under the zone of the torch of the switched off nozzle. Now the stage moves away from the remaining warhead on all four nozzles, but for now also at low throttle. When a sufficient distance is reached, the main thrust is turned on, and the stage vigorously moves into the area of ​​the target trajectory of the next warhead. There it slows down in a calculated manner and again very precisely sets the parameters of its movement, after which it separates the next warhead from itself. And so on - until it lands each warhead on its trajectory. This process is fast, much faster than you read about it. In one and a half to two minutes, the combat stage deploys a dozen warheads.

The abysses of mathematics

What has been said above is quite enough to understand how a warhead’s own path begins. But if you open the door a little wider and look a little deeper, you will notice that today the rotation in space of the breeding stage carrying the warhead is an area of ​​​​application of quaternion calculus, where the on-board attitude control system processes the measured parameters of its movement with a continuous construction of the on-board orientation quaternion. Quaternion is such a complex number (over the field complex numbers lies a flat body of quaternions, as mathematicians would say in their precise language of definitions). But not with the usual two parts, real and imaginary, but with one real and three imaginary. In total, the quaternion has four parts, which, in fact, is what it says Latin root quatro.

The dilution stage does its job quite low, immediately after the boost stages are turned off. That is, at an altitude of 100−150 km. And there is also the influence of gravitational anomalies on the Earth’s surface, heterogeneities in the even gravitational field surrounding the Earth. Where are they from? From the uneven terrain, mountain systems, occurrence of rocks of different densities, oceanic depressions. Gravitational anomalies either attract the stage to themselves with additional attraction, or, conversely, slightly release it from the Earth.

In such irregularities, the complex ripples of the local gravitational field, the breeding stage must place the warheads with precision accuracy. To do this, it was necessary to create a more detailed map of the Earth's gravitational field. It is better to “explain” the features of a real field in systems differential equations, describing precise ballistic motion. These are large, capacious (to include details) systems of several thousand differential equations, with several tens of thousands of constant numbers. And the gravitational field itself at low altitudes, in the immediate near-Earth region, is considered as a joint attraction of several hundred point masses of different “weights” located near the center of the Earth in a certain order. This achieves a more accurate simulation of the Earth's real gravitational field along the rocket's flight path. And more precise work flight control systems with it. And also... but that's enough! - Let's not look further and close the door; What has been said is enough for us.

Flight without warheads

The breeding stage, accelerated by the missile towards the same geographical area where the warheads should fall, continues its flight along with them. After all, she can’t fall behind, and why should she? After disengaging the warheads, the stage urgently attends to other matters. She moves away from the warheads, knowing in advance that she will fly a little differently from the warheads, and not wanting to disturb them. All yours further actions The breeding stage is also dedicated to warheads. This maternal desire to protect the flight of her “children” in every possible way continues for the rest of her short life.

Short, but intense.

Space won't last long
The ICBM payload spends most of its flight in space object mode, rising to an altitude three times the height of the ISS. The trajectory of enormous length must be calculated with extreme accuracy.

After the separated warheads, it is the turn of other wards. The most amusing things begin to fly away from the steps. Like a magician, she releases into space a lot of inflating balloons, some metal things that resemble open scissors, and objects of all sorts of other shapes. Durable air balloons sparkle brightly in the cosmic sun with the mercury shine of a metallized surface. They are quite large, some shaped like warheads flying nearby. Their aluminum-coated surface reflects a radar signal from a distance in much the same way as the warhead body. Enemy ground radars will perceive these inflatable warheads as well as real ones. Of course, in the very first moments of entering the atmosphere, these balls will fall behind and immediately burst. But before that, they will distract and load the computing power of ground-based radars - both long-range detection and guidance of anti-missile systems. In ballistic missile interceptor parlance, this is called “complicating the current ballistic environment.” And the entire heavenly army, inexorably moving towards the area of ​​impact, including real and false warheads, balloons, dipole and corner reflectors, this whole motley flock is called “multiple ballistic targets in a complicated ballistic environment.”

The metal scissors open up and become electric dipole reflectors - there are many of them, and they well reflect the radio signal of the long-range missile detection radar beam probing them. Instead of the ten desired fat ducks, the radar sees a huge blurry flock of small sparrows, in which it is difficult to make out anything. Devices of all shapes and sizes reflect different lengths waves

In addition to all this tinsel, the stage can theoretically itself emit radio signals that interfere with the targeting of enemy anti-missile missiles. Or distract them with yourself. In the end, you never know what she can do - after all, a whole stage is flying, large and complex, why not load it with a good solo program?

Home for "Bulava"
Submarines of Project 955 "Borey" - a series of Russian nuclear submarines class "strategic missile submarine cruiser" fourth generation. Initially, the project was created for the Bark missile, which was replaced by the Bulava.

Last segment

However, from an aerodynamic point of view, the stage is not a warhead. If that one is a small and heavy narrow carrot, then the stage is an empty, vast bucket, with echoing empty fuel tanks, a large, streamlined body and a lack of orientation in the flow that is beginning to flow. With its wide body and decent windage, the stage responds much earlier to the first blows of the oncoming flow. The warheads also unfold along the flow, piercing the atmosphere with the least aerodynamic resistance. The step leans into the air with its vast sides and bottoms as necessary. It cannot fight the braking force of the flow. Its ballistic coefficient - an “alloy” of massiveness and compactness - is much worse than a warhead. Immediately and strongly it begins to slow down and lag behind the warheads. But the forces of the flow increase inexorably, and at the same time the temperature heats up the thin, unprotected metal, depriving it of its strength. The remaining fuel boils merrily in the hot tanks. Finally, the hull structure loses stability under the aerodynamic load that compresses it. Overload helps to destroy the bulkheads inside. Crack! Hurry! The crumpled body is immediately engulfed by hypersonic shock waves, tearing the stage into pieces and scattering them. After flying a little in the condensing air, the pieces again break into smaller fragments. Remaining fuel reacts instantly. Flying fragments of structural elements made of magnesium alloys are ignited by hot air and instantly burn with a blinding flash, similar to a camera flash - it’s not for nothing that magnesium was set on fire in the first photo flashes!

America's Underwater Sword
American Ohio-class submarines are the only type of missile carrier in service with the United States. Carries on board 24 ballistic missiles with MIRVed Trident-II (D5). The number of warheads (depending on power) is 8 or 16.

Everything is now on fire, everything is covered in hot plasma and shines well around orange coals from the fire. The denser parts go to decelerate forward, the lighter and sailier parts are blown into a tail stretching across the sky. All burning components produce dense smoke plumes, although at such speeds these very dense plumes cannot exist due to the monstrous dilution by the flow. But from a distance they are clearly visible. The ejected smoke particles stretch along the flight trail of this caravan of bits and pieces, filling the atmosphere with a wide white trail. Impact ionization gives rise to the nighttime greenish glow of this plume. Because of irregular shape fragments, their deceleration is rapid: everything that is not burned quickly loses speed, and with it the intoxicating effect of the air. Supersonic is the strongest brake! Having stood in the sky like a train falling apart on the tracks, and immediately cooled by the high-altitude frosty subsound, the strip of fragments becomes visually indistinguishable, loses its shape and structure and turns into a long, twenty minutes, quiet chaotic dispersion in the air. If you are in the right place, you can hear a small charred piece of duralumin clinking quietly against a birch trunk. Here you are. Goodbye breeding stage!

Sea trident
The photo shows the launch of a Trident II intercontinental missile (USA) from a submarine. Currently, Trident is the only family of ICBMs whose missiles are installed on American submarines. The maximum throwing weight is 2800 kg.

The ICBM is the ultimate weapon. And this is not an exaggeration. An ICBM is capable of delivering its cargo to any point on the planet and, having reached its target with incredible accuracy, destroying almost anything. So, where does horror fly on the wings of a ballistic missile?

Let us consider as a basic example the most “open” and simplest modern ICBM - Minuteman-III (US Department of Defense index LGM-30G). The veteran of the American strategic triad is soon fifty (the first launch was in August 1968, and he was put on duty in 1970). It so happened that on this moment 400 of these “militia” are the only land-based ICBMs in the American arsenal.
When on command post When an order is received, a modern silo-based ICBM will be launched within two to three minutes, with most of this time spent verifying the command and removing numerous “fuses.” High launch speed is an important advantage of silo rockets. Unpaved missile complex or the train needs a few more minutes to stop, deploy the supports, raise the rocket, and only after that the launch will occur. What can we say about a submarine, which (if it was not previously at a minimum depth of full readiness) will begin launching rockets in about 15 minutes.
Then the lid of the shaft will open, and a rocket will “pop out” of it. Modern domestic systems use the so-called mortar or “cold” start, when the rocket is thrown into the air with a separate small charge and only then starts its engines.
Then the most crucial time comes for the ICBM - it is necessary to pass the atmospheric section over the deployment area as quickly as possible. It is there that intense heat and wind gusts of up to several kilometers per second await it, so the active phase of the ICBM’s flight lasts only a few minutes.
In Minuteman III, the first stage operates for exactly one minute. During this time, the rocket rises to a height of 30 kilometers, moving not vertically, but at an angle to the ground. The second stage, also in a minute of operation, throws the rocket 70-90 kilometers - here everything greatly depends on the distance to the target. Since it is no longer possible to turn off the solid fuel engine, we have to adjust the range by the steepness of the trajectory: if we need to go further, we fly higher. When launching at a minimum distance, you don’t have to launch the third stage at all, and immediately start scattering gifts. In our case (in the video below), it worked, ending the three-minute work of the rocket itself.

By that time, the payload is already in space and moving almost from the first escape velocity- the longest-range ICBMs accelerate to 7 km/s, or even faster. It is not surprising that with minimal modifications, heavy ICBMs, such as the domestic R-36M/M2 or the American LGM-118 Peacekeeper, were successfully used as light launch vehicles.

Then the fun begins. The so-called “bus” comes into play - the platform/stage for breeding warheads. He drops the combat units one by one, aiming them at Right way. This is a real technical miracle - the “bus” does everything so smoothly that small cones without control systems, flying half over the seas and continents globe, fit within a radius of just a few hundred meters! Such accuracy is ensured by an ultra-precise and insanely expensive inertial navigation system. On satellite systems cannot be relied upon, although they are also used as an auxiliary means. And at this stage there are no longer any self-destruct signals - the risk is too great that the enemy will be able to imitate them.

Together with combat units, the “bus” also bombards enemy missile defense systems with false targets. Since the platform's capabilities are limited both in time and in fuel supply, blocks from one missile can hit targets only in one region. According to rumors, ours recently tested a new modification of Yars with several “buses” at once, individual for each block - and this already removes the restriction.

The block is hidden among many decoys, its place in the battle order is unknown and is chosen randomly by the missile. The number of false targets can exceed a hundred. In addition, a whole scattering of means of creating radar interference is scattered - both passive (the notorious clouds of cut foil) and active, creating additional “noise” for enemy radars. It is interesting that the means created back in the 1970s and 80s can still easily overcome missile defense.

Well, then, after a relatively quiet phase of travel, the warhead enters the atmosphere and rushes towards the target. The entire flight takes about half an hour at intercontinental range. Depending on the type of target, a detonation is possible either at a given height (optimal for hitting a city) or on the surface. Some warheads with sufficient strength can even hit underground targets, while others, before entering the atmosphere, are able to assess their deviation from the ideal trajectory and adjust the detonation altitude. The units in service do not maneuver independently, but their appearance is a matter of the near future.

The more carefully you look at an ICBM, the more clearly you understand that in terms of technical excellence and complexity it is not inferior to “real” space launch vehicles. And this is not surprising - after all, you cannot trust just anyone with the ultra-fast delivery of a small star that lives only for an instant.

Alexander Ermakov

Intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) are the primary means of nuclear deterrence. The following countries have this type of weapon: Russia, USA, Great Britain, France, China. Israel does not deny the presence of these types of missiles, but does not officially confirm it either, but it has the capabilities and known developments to create such a missile.

Below is a list of intercontinental ballistic missiles ranked by maximum range.

1. P-36M (SS-18 Satan), Russia (USSR) - 16,000 km

• The P-36M (SS-18 Satan) is an intercontinental missile with the world's longest range - 16,000 km. Hit accuracy 1300 meters.
• Launch weight 183 tons. The maximum range is achieved with a warhead mass of up to 4 tons, with a warhead mass of 5825 kg, the missile’s flight range is 10200 kilometers. The missile can be equipped with multiple and monoblock warheads. To protect against missile defense (BMD), when approaching the affected area, the missile throws out decoy targets for the BMD. The rocket was developed at the Yuzhnoye design bureau named after. M. K. Yangelya, Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine. The main missile base is silo-based.
• The first R-36Ms entered the USSR Strategic Missile Forces in 1978.
• The rocket is two-stage, with liquid rocket engines providing a speed of about 7.9 km/sec. Withdrawn from service in 1982, replaced by a next-generation missile based on the R-36M, but with increased accuracy and the ability to overcome missile defense systems. Currently, the rocket is used for peaceful purposes, to launch satellites into orbit. The created civilian rocket was named Dnepr.

2. DongFeng 5A (DF-5A), China - 13,000 km.

• DongFeng 5A (NATO reporting name: CSS-4) has the longest flight range among the Chinese Army ICBMs. Its flight range is 13,000 km.
• The missile was designed to be capable of hitting targets within the Continental United States (CONUS). The DF-5A missile entered service in 1983.
• The missile can carry six warheads weighing 600 kg each.
• The inertial guidance system and on-board computers ensure the desired direction of the rocket's flight. Rocket engines two-stage with liquid fuel.

3. R-29RMU2 Sineva (RSM-54, according to NATO classification SS-N-23 Skiff), Russia - 11,547 kilometers

• The R-29RMU2 Sineva, also known as the RSM-54 (NATO code name: SS-N-23 Skiff), is a third generation intercontinental ballistic missile. The main basing of missiles is submarines. Sineva showed maximum range 11,547 kilometers during testing.
• The missile entered service in 2007 and is expected to be in use until 2030. The missile is capable of carrying from four to ten individually targetable warheads. The Russian GLONASS system is used for flight control. Targets are hit with high precision.
• The rocket is three-stage, liquid jet engines are installed.

4. UGM-133A Trident II (D5), USA - 11,300 kilometers

• The UGM-133A Trident II is an intercontinental ballistic missile designed for submarine deployment.
• Currently, missile submarines are based on the Ohio (USA) and Vanguard (UK) submarines. In the United States, this missile will be in service until 2042.
• The first launch of UGM-133A was carried out from the Cape Canaveral launch site in January 1987. The missile entered service with the US Navy in 1990. The UGM-133A can be equipped with eight warheads for various purposes.
• The missile is equipped with three solid-fuel rocket engines, providing a flight range of up to 11,300 kilometers. It is highly reliable; during testing, 156 launches were carried out and only 4 of them were unsuccessful, and 134 consecutive launches were successful.

5. DongFeng 31 (DF-31A), China - 11,200 km

• The DongFeng 31A or DF-31A (NATO reporting name: CSS-9 Mod-2) is a Chinese intercontinental ballistic missile with a range of 11,200 kilometers.
• The modification was developed on the basis of the DF-31 missile.
• The DF-31A missile has been operational since 2006. Based on the Julang-2 (JL-2) submarines. Modifications of ground-based missiles on a mobile launcher (TEL) are also being developed.
• The three-stage rocket has a launch weight of 42 tons and is equipped with solid propellant rocket engines.

6. RT-2PM2 “Topol-M”, Russia - 11,000 km

• RT-2PM2 "Topol-M", according to NATO classification - SS-27 Sickle B with a range of about 11,000 kilometers, is an improved version of the Topol ICBM. The rocket is installed on mobile launchers, and a mine-based option can also be used.
• The total mass of the rocket is 47.2 tons. It was developed at the Moscow Institute of Thermal Engineering. Produced at the Votkinsk Machine-Building Plant. This is Russia's first ICBM to be developed after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
• A rocket in flight can withstand powerful radiation, electromagnetic pulses and nuclear explosion in close proximity. There is also protection against high-energy lasers. During flight, it performs maneuvers thanks to additional engines.
• Three-stage rocket engines use solid fuel, the maximum rocket speed is 7,320 meters/sec. Testing of the missile began in 1994 and was adopted by the Strategic Missile Forces in 2000.

7. LGM-30G Minuteman III, USA - 10,000 km

• The LGM-30G Minuteman III has an estimated flight range of 6,000 kilometers to 10,000 kilometers, depending on the type of warhead. This missile entered service in 1970 and is the world's oldest missile in service. It is also the only silo-based missile in the United States.
• The first launch of the rocket took place in February 1961, modifications II and III were launched in 1964 and 1968, respectively.
• The rocket weighs about 34,473 kilograms and is equipped with three solid propellant engines. Rocket flight speed 24,140 km/h

8. M51, France - 10,000 km

• The M51 is an intercontinental range missile. Designed for basing and launching from submarines.
• Produced by EADS Astrium Space Transportation, for French navy. Designed to replace the M45 ICBM.
• The rocket entered service in 2010.
• Based on Triomphant-class submarines of the French Navy.
• Its combat range is from 8,000 km to 10,000 km. An improved version with new nuclear warheads is scheduled to enter service in 2015.
• The M51 weighs 50 tons and can carry six individually targetable warheads.
• The rocket uses a solid propellant engine.

9. UR-100N (SS-19 Stiletto), Russia - 10,000 km

• UR-100N, according to the START treaty - RS-18A, according to NATO classification - SS-19 mod.1 Stiletto. This is a fourth-generation ICBM in service with the Russian Strategic Missile Forces.
• The UR-100N entered service in 1975 and is expected to be in service until 2030.
• Can carry up to six individually targetable warheads. It uses an inertial target guidance system.
• The missile is two-stage, silo-based. Rocket engines use liquid rocket fuel.

10. RSM-56 Bulava, Russia - 10,000 km

• Bulava or RSM-56 (NATO code name: SS-NX-32) is a new intercontinental missile designed for deployment on Russian Navy submarines. The missile has a flight range of up to 10,000 km and is designed for Borei class nuclear submarines.
• The Bulava missile entered service in January 2013. Each missile can carry from six to ten separate nuclear warheads. The total useful delivered weight is approximately 1,150 kg.
• The rocket uses solid fuel for the first two stages and liquid fuel for the third stage.