Intercontinental ballistic missile "Molodets" RT-23UTTH. 15Zh60 (RS-22)

The preliminary design of the RT-23 missile with improved tactical and technical characteristics was developed at the Yuzhnoye Design Bureau under the leadership of Vladimir Utkin in November 1982. On August 9, 1983, a government decree was issued to begin the development of the Molodets RT-23 UTTH complex with a single missile for three types of deployments - mine, railway and ground.

In September 1984, a preliminary design of the 15Zh60 complex was developed. In November 1984, fire bench tests of the 15D305 solid propellant rocket engine with a rotating nozzle having a connector in the subsonic part began. For the mine complex, in contrast to the railway complex, a version of the first stage engine with one rotary control nozzle was used. The second stage propulsion engine has one centrally located nozzle equipped with a retractable nozzle. The design of the third-stage propulsion solid propellant is similar to the second-stage engine.

The autonomous inertial control system for the silo version of the rocket was developed at NPO Khartron under the leadership of Vladimir Sergeev. Mixed fuel and solid propellant engine charges were developed at LNPO Soyuz under the leadership of Boris Zhukov. Ten warheads are placed in the head of the rocket in one tier.

Tests of the silo version of the rocket took place at the Plesetsk test site from July 31, 1986 to September 26, 1988. On August 19, 1988, the first RT-23UTTH regiment was placed on combat duty in silo launchers near the Ukrainian city of Pervomaisk. The RT-23 UTTH complex in the OS silo was put into service on November 28, 1989.

Serial production of missiles has been established at the Pavlograd Mechanical Plant. From 1983 to 1991, third-stage engines 15D291 of 15Zh60 missiles were manufactured at the Perm Chemical Equipment Plant (PZHO). In May 1986, the production of complexes for overcoming missile defense missiles 15Zh60 was transferred from Ukraine to related Russian organizations.

In the 1980s, the State Scientific Research Institute OKB Vympel, under the leadership of Oleg Baskakov, began work on re-equipping the high-security silo launchers of the UR-100N missiles being removed from duty to accommodate RT-23 (15Zh60) missiles. A total of 56 silo launchers were converted. Of these, 46 silos were converted near Pervomaisk, 10 silos were converted near Tatishchevo. The silo RT-23 regiment is armed with six or ten launchers.

By 1997, all 46 silo missiles located in the missile division near Pervomaisk in Ukraine were removed from combat duty.
In 1999, the Russian Strategic Missile Forces were armed with ten silo launchers with RT-23UTTH missiles. All of them are located in the missile division stationed near Tatishchevo. “Well done” RT-23UTTH.
15Zh60 (RS-22) [SS-24. Scalpel] RT-23 UTTH is a solid-fuel three-stage intercontinental ballistic missile for three types of deployment. Equipped with a MIRV with ten warheads. The development of the Molodets RT-23 UTTH complex began at the Yuzhnoye Design Bureau under the leadership of Vladimir Utkin on August 9, 1983. Tests of the 15Zh60 mine version at the Plesetsk test site took place from July 31, 1986 to September 26, 1988. The complex in the OS silo was put on combat duty on August 19, 1988. Entered service on November 28, 1989.

The silo was developed at the State Scientific Research Institute "OKB Vympel" under the leadership of Oleg Baskakov. The launch method is mortar. The autonomous control system was developed at NPO Khartron under the leadership of Vladimir Sergeev. Mixed fuel and solid propellant charges were developed at LNPO Soyuz under the leadership of Boris Zhukov. The system of temperature-humidity conditions and heat removal was created at the Moscow Design Bureau of Transport and Chemical Engineering. The missile is equipped with a set of means to overcome missile defense.

Serial production of missiles was launched at the Pavlograd Mechanical Plant. Production ceased in 1991. The maximum firing range is 10,450 km. The length of the rocket in the TPK is 22.4 m. The total length of the rocket is 23.3 m. The maximum diameter of the body is 2.4 m. The launch weight is 104.5 kg. The initial warranty period was 10 years.

RT-23 UTTH

Intercontinental rail-based ballistic missile "Molodets" RT-23 UTTH. 15Zh61 (RS-22)

In accordance with the SALT-2 treaty, the requirements of which were observed by the parties, the USSR could not create, test or deploy mobile launchers of heavy ICBMs. In this case, a rocket was considered heavy if its launch or throw weight exceeded the weight of the UR-100N rocket. That is, the launch weight of the RT-23 UTTH could not be more than 105.6 tons, and the throw weight could not be more than 4.35 tons. The designers managed to meet these parameters.

The missile was tested at the Plesetsk test site from February 27, 1985 to December 22, 1987. After a number of modifications based on test results, the BZHRK was put on combat duty in December 1988. On November 28, 1989, the RT-23UTTH combat railway missile system was put into service. Life tests of the P-450 train for the BZHRK were completed in December 1991.

In 1983, the construction of three BZHRK routes with parking areas began. In a short time, the permanent deployment points were set up. In the main position area, equipment and preparation for operation of a route with a length of over 1,500 kilometers began.

Serial production of missiles was launched at the Pavlograd Mechanical Plant. The railway launcher was mass-produced by the Yurginsky Machine-Building Plant and the Volgograd Production Association "Barricades". In May 1986, the production of systems for overcoming missile defense was transferred from Ukraine to related Russian organizations. Rocket production stopped in 1991.

The designers had to solve a number of problems associated with the creation of the railway complex. It was necessary to ensure the stability of the car, which, together with the launcher and missile in the container, weighs more than 200 tons. The load from the wheelset of the launch car was one and a half times higher than the maximum permissible load established by the Ministry of Railways.

To solve the problem of excess weight, a three-car coupler was designed. When a rocket is launched, when the loads are very high, neighboring cars “support” the launcher using special devices, ensuring its stability. After the rocket launch, when the car instantly becomes more than a hundred tons lighter, the side cars also, using a special device, “add load” on the launch car, pressing it to the railway track.

The rocket consists of three stages and a warhead. The first stage has a propulsion solid propellant rocket engine, tail and connecting compartments. Main engine of cocoon design with one centrally located fixed nozzle.

The second stage has a sustainer solid propellant rocket engine with one centrally located nozzle, which is equipped with a retractable nozzle that allows increasing the specific impulse of the engine at high altitudes, as well as a connecting compartment. Solid propellant rocket body of cocoon design.

The third stage has a sustainer solid propellant rocket motor, similar to the second stage, and a transition compartment.

The head of the missile contains ten individual target-targeting warheads with nuclear warheads. The blocks are placed in one tier. The block breeding stage has propulsion and power plants. The head part is covered with an aerodynamic fairing of variable geometry - this design is due to the limited length of the railway car.

The rocket is launched from a vertical position after removing the contact electrical wires (a special system has been created for this), opening the roof and exiting the transport and launch container from the carriage.

The designers solved the difficult problem of deflecting a rocket emerging from the container before starting the main engine. The rocket is ejected from the container by a low-power rocket engine - a powder pressure accumulator (PAA). The PAD ensures that the rocket rises by twenty to thirty meters. After the end of the PAD action, the first stage propulsion engine is switched on. To ensure that the torch of the operating first stage engine did not damage the car and the launcher, a control system was developed that allows the rocket to be deflected after launch so that the stream of hot gases does not touch the vital systems of the launch car, but passes by it. The missile is deflected before the main engine is turned on by deflecting the warhead.

Special launch cars with a hinged roof were created for the rocket. The complex included three launchers (combat modules), a command post, carriages for life support systems and missile personnel. There are 17 carriages in total. The complex can maintain combat duty in autonomous mode for one to two months. Combat patrol routes for railway complexes extend 1,500 kilometers from their bases. Shooting can be carried out either from any point on the patrol route, or directly at the base station while stationary. The RT-23UTTH railway regiment has three missiles on launchers as part of the echelon.

Increased survivability of the complex can be achieved not only due to its mobility, but also by sheltering the train during periods of danger in one of the rocky railway tunnels located on combat patrol routes.

According to experts, the existence of combat railway missile systems, with parking areas and equipped combat patrol routes stretching several thousand kilometers throughout the country, contributed to the preservation of a unified system of the Russian Ministry of Railways after the collapse of the USSR.

The railway launcher was developed at the Leningrad Design Bureau Spetsmash under the leadership of Alexey Utkin. The control system was developed at the Research Institute of AP under the leadership of Vladimir Lapygin. The temperature-humidity regime and heat removal system was created at the Moscow Design Bureau of Transport and Chemical Engineering (KBTCHM). The command module for controlling the BZHRK launcher was developed at TsKBTM under the leadership of Boris Aksyutin and Alexander Leontenkov.

In total, more than two hundred RT-23 missiles of all modifications were fired. In 1999, 36 missile systems on railway launchers were on combat duty in missile divisions at the Vasilek station near Kostroma (12 launchers), near Gladka in the Krasnoyarsk Territory (12 launchers) and Bershetya in the Perm region (12 launchers).

Since 1991, the complexes have been located within stations on station tracks at a distance of 20 kilometers, but periodically change their parking points.

In accordance with the START-2 treaty, if ratified by the Russian parliament, the RT-23 UTTH complexes are subject to liquidation, and missile production cannot be resumed at the Pavlograd Mechanical Plant, located on the territory of Ukraine.
“Well done” RT-23UTTH.
15Zh61 (RS-22) [SS-24. Scalpel] RT-23 UTTH is a solid-fuel three-stage intercontinental ballistic missile for three types of deployment. Equipped with a MIRV with ten warheads. The development of the Molodets RT-23 UTTH combat railway missile system began at the Yuzhnoye Design Bureau under the leadership of Vladimir Utkin on August 9, 1983. Tests of the 15Zh61 rocket for the BZHRK took place from February 27, 1985 to December 22, 1987 at the Plesetsk test site. The BZHRK was put on combat duty in December 1988. Entered service on November 28, 1989.

The launcher was developed at the Leningrad Design Bureau Spetsmash under the leadership of Alexey Utkin. The launch method is mortar. The autonomous control system was developed at the Research Institute of AP under the leadership of Vladimir Lapygin. Mixed fuel and solid propellant charges were developed at L NPO Soyuz under the leadership of Boris Zhukov. The system of temperature-humidity conditions and heat removal was created at the Moscow Design Bureau of Transport and Chemical Engineering (KBTCHM). The command module was developed at TsKB TM under the leadership of Boris Aksyutin and Alexander Leontenkov. The missile is equipped with a set of means to overcome missile defense.

Serial production of missiles was launched at the Pavlograd Mechanical Plant. Production stopped in 1991. The maximum firing range is 10,100 km. The length of the rocket in the TPK is 22.6 m. The total length of the rocket is 23.3 m. The maximum diameter of the body is 2.4 m. The launch mass of the rocket is 104.5 kg. The mass of the warhead is 4.05 tons. The mass of the rocket with the launch container is 126 tons. The mass of the first stage is 53.7 kg. The length of the first stage is 9.7 m. The diameter of the first stage body is 2.4 m. The weight of the launch car is more than 200 tons. The length of the railway launcher is 23.6 m. The width of the launcher is 3.2 m. The height of the launcher is 5.0 m. The initially established warranty period for the rocket is 10 years.

(To be continued)

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RS-22 BZHRK "Well done"

Intercontinental ballistic missile

RT-23U (15Zh60) [for silos] / RT-23U (15Zh61) [for BZHRK] RS-22A / RS-22V SS-24 (Scalpel)

Performance characteristics
Maximum firing range, km	10000
Launch weight, t	104,5
Payload weight, kg	4050
Rocket length, m	23,4
Rocket diameter, m	2,4
Number of steps	3
Number of warheads of warheads	10

In the early 80s, the Yuzhnoye Design Bureau was tasked with creating a new missile as a counterweight to the American MX. At the same time, its main weight and dimensional characteristics should not have gone beyond the restrictions imposed by the Soviet-American SALT-2 Treaty. After evaluating the mission, it became clear that it had to be a solid-propellant missile, suitable for placement in both a silo launcher (silo launcher) and on a self-propelled chassis. At the same time, it is advisable to place the mobile launcher on the base of a railway car. This method of basing, despite the difficulties and disadvantages, made it possible to ensure high mobility of the missile system, which was extremely important for a retaliatory strike weapon. Tracking down a combat railway missile system (BZHRK), continuously plying routes along the country's branched, large-scale and crowded railway lines, is very difficult, even for a satellite reconnaissance system. It is even more difficult to land a targeted blow on him. On February 27, 1985, flight design tests of ICBMs for the railway complex, designated RS-22V, began at the Plesetsk training ground. Despite some difficulties at the first stage, the design team managed to bring their brainchild to the required standards, which made it possible to complete the tests on December 22, 1987. In the fall of the same year, the first missile regiment in Kostroma was put into trial operation. Later, another 30 ICBMs of this type were deployed at three missile bases. The RS-22V solid-propellant rocket is made of a three-stage “tandem” design, taking into account the latest technologies (cocoon shell design) and is similar in design and layout to the American “MX”. The first stage includes a cylindrical tail and connecting compartments and a sustainer solid propellant rocket engine equipped with one fixed nozzle. The second stage consists of a sustainer solid propellant rocket engine and a connecting compartment. The engine nozzle is equipped with a retractable nozzle, which makes it possible to increase the specific impulse when the engine operates at high altitudes while maintaining the original stage dimensions. The third stage includes a sustainer solid propellant rocket engine, similar in design to the engine in the second stage, and a transition compartment. The missile carries a MIRV-type multiple warhead with 10 warheads with a yield of 500 kt each. The breeding stage is made according to a standard design and includes a propulsion system and a control system. The head part is covered by fairings of variable geometry. The inertial control system ensures inspections and continuous monitoring of the technical condition of the rocket, pre-launch preparation and launch of the rocket, flight control and deployment of warheads with high accuracy. The COE of the impact points is no more than 200 m when firing and the range is about 10,000 km. The launch can be carried out from any suitable point on the combat patrol route. The railway complex includes three launchers with missiles, a command post and cars containing technical and technological systems that ensure the functioning of the complex at all stages of combat duty, as well as the vital functions of personnel. The launch car is equipped with a sliding roof. Before launch, the container with the rocket is placed in a vertical position. The rocket is ejected from the TPK due to the pressure generated when the PAD is triggered. Until 1991, BZHRKs regularly traveled along the railway lines of the Soviet Union, until in the fall of this year Gorbachev and R. Reagan agreed to lay them up at permanent deployment points. At the same time, in response to the US initiative (cessation of the development of the railway-based MX ICBM, which was undergoing field tests at that time), Gorbachev hastened to announce a refusal to further deploy and modernize the RS-22V ICBM. By this, he limited the period of stay of missiles of this type on combat duty by the warranty period of operation. Soon, the enterprises producing this missile found themselves outside of Russia, which finally signed the verdict on the RS-22, both railway and silo-based. The latter is designated RS-22A. The RS-22A was created to replace the liquid-fueled UR-100NU. It was planned that this missile would be based in the same silos. It differs from the BZHRK missile in the design of the first stage and the nose fairing. The first stage is somewhat shorter and lighter. Its solid propellant rocket engine is equipped with a rotating control nozzle. The head fairing has a constant geometry. On July 31, 1986, its flight tests began at the Plesetsk training ground, lasting until September 23, 1987. On August 19, 1988, the first missile regiment with RS-22A missiles was deployed in Pervomaisk. In total, until July 1991, 56 units were put on combat duty. Moreover, only 10 of them are in Russia. As it turned out later, this fact played a sad role in the fate of this rocket. After the collapse of the USSR, Russia became its legal successor and all strategic offensive arms inherited by the former Soviet republics, and now independent states, must be eliminated. Speaking about the RS-22, I would like to say that this rocket is the embodiment of the latest achievements of science and technology. It differs from all other missiles in its high combat readiness, versatility, power, reliability and relative ease of operation. The loss of the main group of missile systems with this missile significantly undermined the combat readiness of the Strategic Missile Forces. And what’s worse, it led to the loss of a promising, new missile system that ensured the combat stability of the entire group of intercontinental missiles for the period until 2005.

Missile system 15P960 Well done with ICBM 15Zh60 (RT-23 UTTH)

By Decree of the USSR Government No. 484-166 dated June 23, 1976, the Yuzhnoye Design Bureau was instructed to begin full-scale development of the stationary silo-based RT-23 missile system with the 15Zh44 light-class ICBM, equipped with a monoblock warhead, and also to begin work on the BZHRK with the 15Zh52 ICBM, which is being developed based on the 15Zh44 rocket. The country's leadership attached great importance to the creation of the RT-23 complexes. At the Council of Chief Designers on July 28, 1976, the main provisions for the development of the RT-23 missile were approved, according to which the following technical solutions were incorporated into the missile design: the first stage engine was maximally unified with the first stage engine of the 3M65 SLBM, the missile design ensured increased resistance to influence of PFYAV, the flight control of the first and second stages of the rocket was provided by the system of “injecting” hot gas into the supercritical part of the nozzle of the propulsion engines, and the third stage - by the split control nozzle of the propulsion engine and inclination solid propellant rocket engines, new efficient mixed fuels were used, the engines of the second and third stages were made with folding nozzle nozzles to reduce the overall length of the rocket, the combat equipment of the rocket was a monoblock warhead, a breeding stage based on a solid-fuel engine of the “pulling” circuit was used to build battle formations, an inflatable tip of the fairing was developed, etc. The weight and size characteristics of the missile being developed were clarified.

Although the developers understood that the accepted characteristics of the rocket were quite challenging to implement, the results of the first studies turned out to be unexpected - disappointing results began to be received from the KBYU units and related organizations. The realized launch mass of the rocket significantly exceeded the specified one, a very large number of bench tests were required. During the transition phases of the active flight when the stages were separated, the rocket's controllability was not ensured. Initially, the rocket flight control options being developed did not provide the necessary efficiency and led to a significant complication of the design, an increase in dimensions and launch weight. It was necessary to look for a new way of management. Not long before, in one of the departments of the Design Bureau of Yugoslavia, a group of enthusiasts was researching a fundamentally new method of controlling a rocket by rotating the head compartment in a two-degree gimbal joint. In this case, two components of the resulting control force were used: aerodynamic - in dense layers of the atmosphere and mass - throughout the entire flight segment. Given the stalled work on the problem of rocket controllability, management turned to a new promising idea. On June 1, 1977, the preliminary design of the complex with the 15Zh44 rocket was reviewed and approved by the Council of Chief Designers, which approved the use of a new method of flight control on the rocket - deflection of the head compartment. Many other original technical solutions were introduced into the design of the 15Zh44 rocket - an inflatable head fairing, mortar stage separation, etc.

The decision of the Civil Code Council noted that the 15Zh44 rocket, in terms of the declared characteristics of engines, fuels, and main systems, fully meets the predicted level of domestic rocket production and surpasses in technical characteristics previously developed domestic models of solid fuel rockets, and in terms of the realized payload mass it is approximately at the level of a rocket. It was noted that the 15Zh44 missile under development is significantly inferior to the missile in a number of indicators that determine the combat effectiveness of the complex (resistance to PFYV, shooting accuracy, combat readiness). The reasons for the lag in terms of energy and mass indicators were also named: the use of a unified propulsion engine in the first stage of the rocket, the low mass perfection of the propulsion engines of the rocket, and the reduced values of the specific impulse of the rocket engines. This essentially determined the directions for further work to improve the energy-mass characteristics of the rocket. By the decision of the Council of Chief Designers, Yuzhnoye Design Bureau, as the lead developer, was instructed to develop and send to co-executing organizations for consideration and approval proposals to bring the level of perfection of the developed 15Zh44 rocket to the level of the MX rocket. In order to coordinate all work related to the development of solid fuel in Soviet rocketry, by decision of the military-industrial complex of March 28, 1979, an interdepartmental coordination technical council was formed, headed by Chief Designers V.P. Makeev, A.D. Nadiradze, V.F. Utkin .

Meanwhile, without slowing down, the development of the 15Zh44 rocket continued. The peculiarity of this development was that, due to its importance for the country, the prevailing tendency in the governing bodies was to ensure the constant implementation of all developed new technical solutions in the development and the imposition of ever higher demands on the characteristics of the missiles being developed, which inevitably led to the suspension of work, a return to already completed stages and, as a consequence, a postponement of the deadlines for completing the work. By government decree of June 1, 1979, in order to increase the combat effectiveness of the RT-23 complex, the monoblock warhead was replaced with a multiple warhead consisting of 8-10 warheads (WB) and missile defense penetration means installed instead of part of the WB. A new date was set for the start of flight tests - the first quarter of 1982. When developing an addition to the preliminary design of the 15Zh44 rocket in 1979-1980. a number of technical solutions were developed and implemented to improve the characteristics of the missile being developed. One of the main ones was the use of a liquid propulsion system for breeding warheads. The results of the preliminary design of complexes with the 15Zh44 missile showed that at that level of development of domestic equipment and technologies it is not possible to fulfill the Customer’s requirements in terms of ensuring the maximum firing range when installing a 10 BB of a given power on a missile.

The first launch (partially successful) of the 15Zh44 rocket took place on October 26, 1982 at the Plesetsk test site. The second launch, carried out on December 28, 1982, was completely successful. Of the eight launches, four were successful and four were accidents. Taking into account the fact that at this time work had already begun to develop more promising complexes based on the RT-23UTTH missile, work on the stationary complex with the 15Zh44 missile was stopped (decision of the Defense Council of February 10, 1983).

In the late 70s - early 80s. The development of combat missile systems based on solid fuel missiles developed in such a way that, in parallel with the creation of complexes based on the RT-23 missile (15Zh44 and 15Zh52), Yuzhnoye Design Bureau and co-executing organizations received the task (Government Decree of June 1, 1979 No. 514-175 ) begin development of the RT-23 missile with improved tactical and technical characteristics (RT-23UTTH) and complexes based on it. The same decree determines the main developers of the complexes: Yuzhnoye Design Bureau - for the mine and railway complexes, MIT - for the soil complex. To begin work on the RT-23UTTH missile, the Council of Chief Designers agreed on a work plan to ensure further improvement of the performance characteristics of the RT-23 missile. The measures proposed at the Council to improve the characteristics of the RT-23 missile formed the basis of the military industrial complex decision No. 339, issued on December 27, 1979. The same decision determined the development timeframe (release of a preliminary design - IV quarter of 1982, start of flight tests - IV quarter of 1984 .).

In April 1980, the Ministry of Defense issued a technical specification for the development of a missile for three types of launch: silo, railway and ground. Summarizing the results carried out in 1980-1982. in order to ensure the creation of the RT-23 UTTH rocket, design and experimental work, the Council of Chief Designers (September 1982) noted that full implementation of the requirements is possible only if the energy of the base RT-23 rocket is increased by ~30%, necessary to increase the main characteristics of the rocket being developed. However, the implementation of the corresponding measures would require a large amount of testing and repetition in full of all stages of testing the engines and the rocket as a whole. Ensuring readiness for flight testing no later than the fourth quarter of 1985 seemed possible only by consistently increasing the level of required characteristics (primarily in terms of resistance to PFYV) while maintaining the already developed conceptual and design layout diagrams of the RT-23 missile and with the use of new, more efficient fuels in the engines of the second and third stages, as well as the improvement of the mass characteristics of the propeller, propulsion system, engine casings and the rocket as a whole. The preliminary design for the RT-23 UTTH missile was released in November 1982. MIT took an active part in its development as the lead organization for the mobile soil complex with the RT-23 UTTH missile.

The development of a thermonuclear charge for combat equipment of the MIRV ICBM RT-23 and RT-23 UTTH was also distinguished by its complex and contradictory nature, associated with the difficulties of working on the missile at the Design Bureau of Yugoslavia and with the strict requirements of the customer. In accordance with the directive documents of the military-industrial complex and the Ministry of Defense, obliging the Ministry of Medium Machine Building to develop combat equipment for the RT-23 ICBM, a thermonuclear charge was developed at VNIIEF for this purpose, which was successfully tested in 1979. In January 1982, at a joint meeting of the scientific and technical management of the KBYu and VNIIEF, a decision was made to improve the layout parameters of the charge for the RT-23 ICBM and reduce the weight of the warhead through comprehensive optimization of the charge, the body of the warhead and reducing the weight of the automation while ensuring the required limitation on the midsection of the block . VNIIEF developed and in 1984 successfully tested a charge with a narrow midsection, which was later adopted as part of the missile system for service.

Government Decree No. 768-247 on the creation of the RT-23 UTTH missile system with a single missile for three types of deployment (mobile - railway and ground, stationary - mine with high security) was issued on August 9, 1983, and in November of the same year by a joint decision of the Ministry of Defense , the Ministry of General Machine Building, the Ministry of Defense Industry and the Ministry of Medium Machine Building, the time frame for the creation of a single missile is being clarified. In April 1984, the Ministry of Defense issued updated technical specifications to the developers of complexes based on RT-23UTTH missiles, which had already clearly determined that a single missile was being developed taking into account individual design and circuit differences due to the peculiarities of operation and combat use as part of mobile and stationary complexes.

A strategy for the development of complexes and missiles for them was adopted, which was proposed by the KBYU:

First of all, the missile for the BZHRK 15ZH961 and the missile for the ground complex 15ZH62 should be developed taking into account the short deadlines (start of serial production in 1986). The missiles use the basic technical solutions tested on the 15Zh52 missile; the resistance of the missile design to the damaging factors of nuclear weapons is ensured at a level optimal for mobile launches. By government decree, the BZHRK with the 15Zh961 missile was adopted by the Soviet Army in November 1989. By this time, a significant part of the group had already been placed on combat duty in positional areas. As for the ground mobile complex developed by MIT with the 15Zh62 rocket (Tselina-2 theme) and the twelve-axle MZKT-7906 tractor, its development was stopped, as it became obvious that such a complex would not be able to provide the necessary characteristics for combat effectiveness;
The stationary launch rocket 15Zh60 is being developed based on the start date of serial production (since 1987) and must provide the upper level of resistance to PFYV characteristics.

The development of the rocket for the stationary complex 15Zh60 was carried out following the rocket for the railway complex 15Zh961 and it began with the release in the third quarter of 1984 by the Yuzhnoye Design Bureau and related organizations of additional design materials, which represented a preliminary design for a stationary mine complex with a rocket developed in relation to the requirements , formulated by the Customer for a stationary complex with high survivability. At the end of 1984, the design materials were reviewed and approved by the Ministry of General Machinery and the Customer. Since 1985, the cooperation led by the KBYU began the deployment of a full-scale R&D project to create the 15P060 complex. In the process of design and development work, the technical appearance of the silo-based missile was formed and went into further development - a light-class solid-fuel ICBM with a launch weight of ~ 104.3 tons, delivering ten second-level warheads to designated targets, with an increased level of resistance to PFYaV; a combat missile system that ensures the launch of a missile without delay for the normalization of the external situation in the event of multiple nuclear impacts on neighboring DBK facilities and in the event of a high-altitude nuclear blockade of the position area, as well as with a minimal delay in the event of a non-damaging nuclear impact directly on the launcher.

The high characteristics of the 15Zh60 missile in ensuring an increased level of resistance to PFYaV were achieved due to:

the use of a newly developed protective coating applied to the outer surface of the rocket body and providing comprehensive protection against nuclear attack;
application of control system developed on an element base with increased durability and reliability;
applying a special coating with a high content of rare earth elements to the body of the sealed instrument compartment, which housed the control system equipment;
the use of shielding and special methods for laying the onboard cable network of the rocket;
introducing a special program maneuver for a rocket when passing through a cloud of ground-based nuclear weapons.

Flight tests of the 15Zh60 rocket were carried out at the Plesetsk test site. To conduct flight tests, four launchers were built at the test site (“Yuzhnaya-1”, “Yuzhnaya-2”, “Svetlaya-1” and “Svetlaya-2”). The location of these launchers was chosen in such a way as to ensure the use of designated impact areas for the first stages when firing at any range. The sites "Yuzhnaya-1" and "Yuzhnaya-2" were put into operation in 1986, "Svetlaya-2" - in 1987 and "Svetlaya-1" - in 1988. The launch pads " Yuzhnaya-1", "Yuzhnaya-2" and "Svetlaya-2". No launches were carried out from the Svetlaya-1 launch pad; it was used to test individual elements of the complex according to special programs.

The first launch of the rocket on July 31, 1986 from the Yuzhnaya-1 site was successful. The launch of the 2L rocket was an emergency; The cause of the accident was a failure of the control system at the initial stage of movement. The launch of the 5L rocket was also an emergency launch due to the failure of the onboard control system. In order to eliminate the reasons that caused failures of the control system, the developer carried out its modifications, the effectiveness of which was fully confirmed by additional ground testing at a complex stand and subsequent launches. The launch of 4L also became an emergency - the nozzle block liner of the first stage propulsion system was destroyed. As a result of a thorough analysis, the cause of the failure was identified and the nozzle block was modified. The great work done by the development organizations brought positive results - there were no more accidents during launches of 15Zh60 missiles. The final launch of the test program took place on September 26, 1988. A total of 16 missiles were launched during state joint flight tests. Based on the results of the GSLI, a State Commission report was issued with a recommendation to adopt the complex for service. The last launch of the 15Zh60 ICBM - an 8L missile that passed transportation tests - was carried out on November 1, 1989 in the Aquatoria area with a positive result. It was included in the statistics as a test launch of a batch rocket carried out from the Svetlaya-2 launcher.

The first ICBMs were placed on experimental combat duty on August 19, 1988 in the 46th Nizhnedneprovsk Red Banner Order of the October Revolution missile division (Pervomaisk, Nikolaev region, Ukrainian SSR). The deployment proceeded at a rapid pace - by the end of the year there were already 20 missiles on combat duty. It can be considered an outstanding achievement that with an initial development lag of 10 years or more, the 15Zh60 ICBM was put on combat duty with less than a two-year lag behind the American MX ICBM (LGM-118A). In 1989, the deployment in the first positional area was continued, in the same year the deployment of a new ICBM began in the second positional area - in the 60th Taman Red Banner Order of the October Revolution missile division named after the 60th anniversary of the USSR (Tatishchevo, Saratov region, RSFSR ). The new missile replaced the UR-100N UTTH (15A35) ICBM in both deployment areas. On November 28, 1989, the complex was adopted by the Soviet Army. By the end of 1989, 56 missiles had already been deployed in both position areas (46 in the 46th and 10 in the 60th divisions). However, starting in 1990, despite the fact that at least 8 missiles were manufactured at PMZ and prepared for shipment to positional areas, the deployment of ICBMs was stopped - the leadership of the USSR adopted a new defense doctrine, which, along with the state program for the conversion of the defense industry and The consultative and treaty process with the United States, which overlapped with political and economic difficulties, made the deployment of large numbers of new missiles undesirable, even to replace the old ones.

In July 1991, the START-1 treaty was signed, and by November 1991, the process of the collapse of the USSR had virtually become irreversible. After the formal collapse of the USSR in December 1991, the production of new ICBMs at PMZ was completely stopped, missiles deployed on the territory of Ukraine were subject to removal from combat duty and destruction within the framework of international treaties. In 1993-1994, all ICBMs on the territory of Ukraine were removed from combat duty, and the warheads removed from the missiles were then taken to Russia for disposal. In 1998-2001, the second stage was carried out - all 46 “Ukrainian” 15Zh60 ICBMs were removed from the OS silos. In 1999-2002, all ICBMs (including those that were never put on combat duty) were dismantled and disposed of (see.

). The OS silos were blown up except for one, which served for museum purposes.

The life cycle of ICBMs deployed on the territory of the Russian Federation was also short - it was decided to refuse to extend the warranty period (following the example of the 15Zh961 ICBM) to 15 years, and by the end of 2001, all 10 ICBMs were removed from the silos and sent for disposal. After modernization with the assignment of the designation 15P765-60, the latest ICBMs RT-2PM2 “Topol-M” (15Zh65) were deployed in the OS silo. “Counter” ICBM 15Zh60 - an American ICBM - was also withdrawn from service in 2002-2005.

Assessing the DBK 15P160, it can be noted that for the first time in domestic practice, a highly efficient fourth-generation stationary missile system was developed with the latest solid-fuel ICBM, equipped with a MIRV IN with 10 BB, providing a guaranteed retaliatory strike, including in conditions of direct nuclear impact on the positional area.

In the west, the 15Zh60 missile received the designation SS-24 “Scalpel” Mod 2. The name according to START-1 is RS-22B.