There was a time when unique trains ran across our country. Outwardly, they resembled familiar trains. But they differed from them in that they never stopped at stations, they preferred remote stops, and the busy stations of cities, if fate (or an order!) brought them there, tried to pass at dawn, when there were fewer people there.

Just a few years ago, secret trains ran along the Russian railway network. Outwardly, they were almost no different from the passenger trains familiar to the eye. But the dispatchers tried to schedule their movement in such a way that they passed the busy and crowded stations of large cities at night or at dawn. They should not have caught the eye of ordinary people. Ghost trains, or BZHRK - combat railway missile systems - kept a combat watch in the Siberian taiga, in the North and Far East with nuclear weapons. And along with nuclear-powered ships, aviation and the Missile Forces, they maintained and maintain the strategic balance in the world.

The main designers of the BZHRK were academicians brothers Vladimir and Alexey Utkin. The eldest, Vladimir Fedorovich, has already passed away. Right hand Vladimir Fedorovich was involved in the creation of a rocket train with his brother Alexey.
How did the idea of ​​creating rocket trains come about? According to one version, the Americans planted it on us. Soviet intelligence officers obtained information: the American military-industrial complex is preparing to create a train capable of launching ballistic missiles. Allegedly, his photograph even fell into the hands of the intelligence services.

It was as if the photograph had skillfully captured a small model of a rocket train that did not exist in nature. They say that the overseas “hawks” at first really intended to build a nuclear train, but then abandoned this idea. Why? Their railway network is not so extensive, and the cost of the project was fabulous. In order to direct our scientists along a road that leads to a dead end, they made and planted a “linden tree” with the Russians. Let them rack their brains! And the political leadership fell for it and made a strong-willed decision: to “catch up and overtake” the overseas strategists.

How was it real? After the Americans deployed their Pershing missiles in Germany, it was necessary to adequately respond to new threats to the security of our state. So we returned to the idea of ​​rocket trains. Domestic scientists thought about this project even earlier, but until now they did not take on its solution due to high cost and labor intensity. In addition, the existing defensive potential was quite enough to adequately respond to the Americans. By the way, it was initially considered as a weapon of retaliation. What is its advantage?

In elusiveness. Unlike silo-based missiles, where the coordinates of targets are known in advance. With the BZHRK, our opponents had a lot of questions to which they could not find answers. To track them, in the early nineties, the Americans even created a constellation of military satellites. But even from space it was not so easy to detect their traces. Therefore, even the most modern technology often lost sight of them. They were elusive thanks to the well-developed railway network of the Soviet Union. Many years later, the American General Powell admitted to the academician: “Looking for your missile trains is like finding a needle in a haystack.”

The Americans even came up with a special carriage that was equipped with the latest equipment. It did not last long......

30 ministries and departments and over 130 defense enterprises worked on the creation of combat missile trains. At first sight, simple idea, proposed by the designers - to raise the shaft from the ground and put it on wheels - included a huge number of organizational and technical problems.

What was one of the main problems? Take shooting. When it is launched from a missile silo, the azimuth, altitude, and starting point are known. Determining your location is one of the most difficult problems. In addition, it is imperative to know the load on the rails in a specific location. And, as you know, soils are different. Identical conditions do not exist in nature. So, to prevent the cars from falling next to the railway, they came up with a special “mortar launch”. Without going into details, the essence of it is that the rocket is first thrown to a height, and only then takes off.

How to aim? Before doing this, you need to stop the train, launch the gyroscopes, determine north and south and where to shoot. Do not forget that you still need to accept orders and commands from above. To let in

missile at exactly the appointed time and obey your commander in any, even the most unfavorable circumstances of modern combat, in the conditions of the use of high-precision weapons, you must receive this command. So a rocket train is a very complex complex. And when the Americans were working on this idea, they encountered a number of technical difficulties, and therefore, most likely, abandoned the science-intensive project.

What if there are high-voltage wires located directly above your head? - A special wire outlet was invented, and in addition to this, the power supply to the substation was automatically removed. As for the axle load, it should not be more than 25 tons. And the rocket with the launch container weighs over 100 tons, plus the carriage itself, so it turns out to be about 200 tons. They came up with the idea of ​​unloading the launch complex using other cars.

It is also necessary to take into account the fact that when moving the train is subject to strong vibration. This means that it is necessary not only to stop the train, but also to “turn off” the springs - do not wait until they calm down!

Don't forget that there are officers and soldiers on the train. They need bedrooms, toilets, a dining room, rest rooms... And supplies of food, fuel, and water are also necessary! So the complex is very complex...
- At first glance, it might seem that our country is large and full of “bear corners” where missile systems could be safely hidden.

Our potential enemies' missiles were becoming more and more accurate, and they could "cover" silos with relative ease. Therefore, it was necessary to take measures to ensure reliability preemptive strike. Of course there were Pershings good missiles. Although some experts somewhat exaggerated their capabilities. They even said that they could hit a stake driven into the ground a thousand kilometers away.

The answer was the Scalpel missile. It “fit” within the framework of the agreement with the Americans. It was made in two versions: mine and for deployment on the railway. It is difficult to imagine how many Pershings would have to be fired to destroy the missile train.

This is not a one-on-one fight, as in the mine version, here the balance of forces is completely different... And therefore, such a combat complex, of course, is unique. And yet, the main idea of ​​​​the development of combat missile systems is to increase the possibility of deterrence, so that no one even thinks that they can press a button with impunity!

History shows that we were not the initiators of the arms race. We were constantly forced to catch up and did it in such a way that no one had the illusion that there was an advantage. The deterrence effect has continually determined the state of affairs in our defense industry, and as long as we can remain at the proper level, there will be no nuclear war not to happen.

We were preparing four complexes at once. If problems arise with one car, a commission is created to find out the causes of the accident. Task general designer is to convince the customer, to prove that all the necessary tests have been carried out. You need to move the “car” from its place, and then it will go on its own... And at this time, the first launch from the rocket train is in Plesetsk, and naturally, you go there. The test deputy can also go to the second or third launch, but, as a rule, he sits there almost constantly...

The first train left the factory in 1987, and the last - the twelfth - in 1991. The warranty period is ten years. But usually it was then extended, everything depended on the ideas included in the complex. They have stood the test of time.

In 1991, rocket trains were laid up. The former President of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev, took the position of the Americans and came to the conclusion that in order to strengthen mutual understanding between the two countries, it is better not to release the BZHRK into the vastness of Russia. Otherwise, American taxpayers would have to shell out a tidy sum for the Pentagon to deploy an additional constellation of reconnaissance satellites. After all, each rocket train travels more than 1,000 kilometers per day, and in order to identify only one BZHRK among hundreds of trains plying throughout Russia, and then track the route of its movement, it would be necessary to increase the constellation of tracking satellites tenfold. It turned out to be impossible to implement such a project even in such a rich and technically developed country as the United States.

It is unknown with what arguments the overseas friends managed to convince Mikhail Gorbachev. Another thing is known: not so long ago, the granddaughter of the former President of the Union, Ksenia Virganskaya, showed off at the ball of the richest people on the planet in Paris in a dress from Dior, which costs 22 thousand dollars.

But the formidable missile carriers on rails cannot go beyond the technical territory of the unit. No money.
True, one missile train left the security perimeter - it was necessary to carry out repair work in the factory. All other movements of the BZHRK crews have to be carried out within the boundaries of the unit’s territory. But, as it turned out, “local maneuvers” in no way reduce the overall combat readiness of the BZHRK crews.

To train officer-drivers of rolling stock, training is regularly conducted on the BZHRK routes. It is important for them to visually imagine the landscape along the railway track, to know all the turns and forks of the road, and almost every telegraph pole along the route. All this ultimately allows you to competently manage your combat personnel.

This problem can be solved thanks to the disposition towards the rocket scientists on the part of the management of the Russian railways, their state approach and understanding that this is being done in the name of the country’s defense. In principle, military personnel could use their own training train for training, simulating a BZHRK, but a lack of funds affects it. Today it is more important to spend money on maintaining in working condition those locomotives that are in constant combat readiness.
Now the BZHRK is not aimed anywhere. In the language of rocket scientists, this is called a “zero flight mission.” The difficulty is that since 1991, missile units have never fired from their systems. Tasks combat use weapons in Lately they had to practice only on simulators. True, in 1998 there was one exception. The combat crew of the BZHRK launched the standard Scalpel, removed from the train, using a launcher at the Plesetsk training ground.

Under the leadership of V.F. Utkin and with his direct participation, most of the missiles on which the country’s missile defense shield is based were created.

From 1970 to 1990, V.F. Utkin headed the Yuzhnoye Design Bureau, first as chief and then general designer. During this time, four strategic missile systems were developed and put into service, and several launch vehicles were created. These include the highly efficient, environmentally friendly Zenit launch vehicle; SS-24 solid propellant missile; the unparalleled highly effective strategic missile SS-18.

In the field of space research, various satellites for defense and scientific purposes have been implemented. In total, more than three hundred spacecraft of the Cosmos family developed by the Yuzhnoye Design Bureau were launched into orbit, constituting a significant part of the total number of satellites in this series.

The characteristic principle of V.F. Utkin’s work is the use of defense scientific and technical developments in the interests of science and the national economy. Thus, a conversion launch vehicle was created on the basis of the SS-9 combat vehicle

"Cyclone", designed to launch medium payloads into orbit. The Cosmos-1500 satellite was used to remove convoys of ships covered in ice in the East Siberian Sea. Kosmos-1500 also became the founder of the well-known Ocean series of satellites, which provide significant improvements in the safety and efficiency of navigation.

Since 1990, V.F. Utkin has been the director of the Central Research Institute of Mechanical Engineering (TSNIIMASH) of the Russian Aviation and Space Agency (Rosaviakosmos). With the direct participation of Vladimir Fedorovich, a federal space program Russia.

Under his leadership as the general designer, R&D was carried out with the aim of creating experimental special-purpose devices, and scientific and technical “support” was provided for key problems related to the International Space Station (ISS). Vladimir Fedorovich headed the coordinating scientific and technical council of Rosaviakosmos and the Russian Academy of Sciences for research and experiments on the manned station "Mir" and the Russian segment of the ISS. V.F. Utkin is the author of over 200 scientific works and a large number of inventions, holder of 11 orders and 14 medals.

The first production train went on combat duty in 1987. He was placed on a special platform. Americans recorded from space
location of the combat unit. This was done specifically so that they could take this train into account. This procedure was spelled out in detail in the bilateral agreement. And then his trace was lost. We tested the train in Plesetsk. It had three combat modules, a “living area”, and its own command post.

The main carriages of the BZHRK are those in which they are located missile system PC-22 (according to the Western classification "Scalpel") and the command post of the combat crew. “Scalpel” weighs more than a hundred tons and “reaches” a range of 10 thousand kilometers. The missiles are solid fuel, three-stage, with ten half-megaton individually targetable nuclear units on each. The Kostroma division has several such trains, and each of them has three launchers: twelve missiles, one hundred and twenty nuclear warheads. One can imagine the destructive power of these seemingly harmless-looking echelons! In addition to Kostroma, BZHRK are deployed in two more places.

And such trains roamed the expanses of the country, which could only be seen by chance, kept a combat watch in the North and the Far East, among the taiga and in the mountains... And they were closely monitored by the ocean, sending special satellites to detect them, and hourly, every minute trying to determine where they are. But it was not always possible to do this, despite all the perfection of modern technology - rocket trains were “hidden” under ordinary ones, and try to determine where this missile complex is going, and where is the fast Novosibirsk-Moscow train.”...

Start

Two three-meter telescopic “paws” came out from under the bottom of the car and rested on special reinforced concrete pedestals, rigidly fixing the starting car. The car itself also had an aiming platform, which, when the car was fixed, rested tightly against the railway track, reading the coordinates of the module’s location. Thus, at each point of combat duty, each missile received a clear program and a given flight path to the real target of a potential enemy. When the launch car is already fixed at a certain point on the railway, at the operator’s command, hydraulic pinning jacks release its roof. Then the end hydraulic jacks operate synchronously, and the car opens like a chest, only in two halves. At the same seconds, the main hydraulic pump of the main hydraulic jack begins to work actively, and the huge “cigar” of the TPK smoothly becomes vertical and is fixed with side brackets. All! The rocket is ready for launch!

The missile carries a MIRV-type multiple warhead with 10 warheads with a yield of 500 kt each. (It was dropped on Hiroshima atomic bomb power 10 kt.). Flight range is 10 thousand kilometers.
Mariupol machine builders equipped these trains with very reliable TVR (temperature and humidity) systems and fire extinguishing systems. Flight tests of the rocket were carried out from February 27, 1985 to December 22, 1987. A total of 32 launches were made.
By the way, for the successful testing of the “Scalpel” in Plesetsk, a group of leading Ukrainian designers and machine builders were presented with high government awards. Mostly they were awarded the medal "For Labor Valor", but soon they were to be awarded honorary titles"Honored Worker of Transport of the USSR." Although, according to the regulations in force at that time, the “distance” from award to award was at least three years. It took a special petition from the industry minister for the early assignment of “deserved” ones.
In 1991, the list was placed on the table of Mikhail Gorbachev, who in a week or two was to part with the presidency of the head of the superpower. What Mikhail Sergeevich thought then, only he knows. But he dealt with the candidates for “merit” in his characteristic spirit of making unpredictable decisions. Gorbachev decided: the last citizen of the Soviet Union, which was bursting at the seams, to whom he would assign this high title of “honored” would be... Alla Borisovna Pugacheva. Signed - President of the USSR...

June 16, 2005, the penultimate of the railway-based missile systems "Scalpel" was sent from the Kostroma missile force formation to a storage base for subsequent liquidation. The last of them is scheduled to be destroyed in September 2005. The official reason why "Scalpels" removal from service is called expiration of service life, although if we take into account that they were put into service in 91-94, this period should expire only by 2018, provided that regular maintenance is carried out by the manufacturer. But the plant in Pavlovgrad (Ukraine) now makes trolleybuses instead of rockets. And Ukraine, having become a nuclear-free power, under the terms of the agreement cannot have, produce or maintain nuclear weapons, especially now that the new Ukrainian authorities have set a course to the west. And the equipment for the production of missiles in service with Russia is being melted down.

In connection with the destruction of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces, the structure of strategic weapons is being adjusted both here and in the United States. With a high degree of probability, it can be assumed that the Americans will begin to deploy medium-range missiles in Europe and Asia in the foreseeable future. Their creation has already started, work is underway full swing. This is evidenced, for example, by the testing of prototypes of two such missiles this year, which should become ground-based modifications of the “good old” Tomahawk sea-based cruise missiles.

The editor-in-chief of the National Defense magazine, Igor Korotchenko, believes that one of the answers to these processes could be the revival of the Barguzin combat railway missile system (BZHRK) project. Its implementation was stopped in 2017. But, in fact, the project was close to completion. In the spring of 2016, production of a prototype BZHRK began, or more precisely, its individual elements. And in the fall of the same year, throw tests of the rocket took place. Flight tests were expected to begin in 2019.

The reason for stopping the project was a correction in the defense budget due to insufficient funds. All efforts and, naturally, finances in terms of creating new weapons for the Strategic Missile Forces were directed toward the Sarmat heavy silo-based missile.

The main advantage of the Barguzin is its secrecy, the impossibility of determining the location of the complex even with the help of the most advanced space- and air-based reconnaissance equipment. Because the BZHRK is no different in appearance from ordinary freight trains, many thousands of which move around the Russian railway network around the clock.

That is, “Barguzin” is ideal in that part of the requirements for strategic missile weapons that relate to its protection from destruction by the enemy. This is necessary in order to preserve the nuclear missile potential for a retaliatory strike.

The idea of ​​Barguzin is not new. It was already implemented in the Soviet Union in 1987, when the RT-23 UTTH “Molodets” BZHRK (SS-24 “Scalpel” according to NATO classification) was put into service. The lead developer of the complex was the Dnepropetrovsk Yuzhnoye Design Bureau.

“Molodets” was equipped with three-stage solid-fuel 15Zh61 ICBMs with ten individually targeted warheads with a capacity of 550 kt each. The difficulty in creating the complex was that the rocket weighed 105 tons, while standard railway cars are designed for a maximum load of 60 tons. And this, in turn, led to the fact that, firstly, it was necessary to create cars that were outwardly indistinguishable from standard ones, but with increased strength characteristics. Secondly, it was necessary to distribute the load on the rails in such a way that the specific pressure on them did not exceed permissible standards.

Of course, there were many other problems that Soviet developers encountered for the first time. Therefore, the creation of “Well done” lasted a decade and a half.

The first Soviet and only BZHRK in the world with three 15Zh61 ICBMs was a train that outwardly did not differ from an ordinary technical train that served railway networks. Three cars were disguised as passenger cars, 14 as refrigerators. There was also a tank with fuel for diesel engines. Due to the excess weight of the train, three diesel locomotives of increased power were used. That is, “Molodets” could also move along non-electrified tracks. The combat crew of the complex consisted of 70 military personnel. Autonomy reached a month.

The BZHRK was supposed to remain combat ready even in the event of exposure to a shock wave arising from a nuclear explosion. This requirement was tested at the test site in Plesetsk, when in 1991, not far from Molodets, a 20-meter-high pyramid made of anti-tank mines taken from East Germany was blown up. 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. Immediately after the explosion, the launcher of the complex worked normally.

The train stopped to launch the rocket. Special device the contact wire was pulled aside. The roofs of three cars were successively moved, and the launchers took a vertical position. The missiles were launched from the launch containers with the help of powder accelerators, raising the ICBMs to a height of 20 meters and moving them some distance from the train so that the torch of the ignited rocket engine did not damage the train.

The control system was inertial, providing a probable circular deviation from the target of about 400 meters. In this case, the launch could be made from any point on the route. The maximum flight range is 10,100 km. The length of the rocket in the launch container is 23.3 m, diameter is 2.4 m.

The time parameters were extremely strict. From receiving a command from the General Staff to launching the first missile should have taken no more than three minutes.

In 1989, 12 “missile trains” armed with a total of 36 ICBMs were already running along the railway networks of the Soviet Union. Nothing was known about the position of each of them in the Pentagon, which greatly worried the American command. Therefore, even during perestroika, Washington began to insist that “in the name of reducing nuclear threat» deprive the BZHRK of their main advantage - secrecy. And in 1991, half of the complexes were prohibited from leaving the depot, the coordinates of which were well known. The second half was allowed to move no further than 20 kilometers from their permanent bases.

And in 1993, when the START-2 treaty was signed, the complexes were banned. 10 “rocket trains” were disposed of at the Bryansk Mechanical Repair Plant. 2 - disarmed and sent to museums - to the Museum of Railway Equipment at the Baltic Station in St. Petersburg and to the AvtoVAZ Technical Museum.

Barguzin uses the same principle of placing missiles and necessary equipment in railway cars. However, the designers did not have to solve the problem of compensating for the excess mass of the rocket. This complex uses a ready-made Yars rocket. The weight of the rocket does not exceed 50 tons.

Lightening the composition also provides another advantage - reducing the required traction. And, therefore, Barguzin will no longer require 3 diesel locomotives, but fewer. Still, three diesel locomotives carrying a train of 17 cars is excessive for an ordinary train. Therefore, the BZHRK “Molodets” cannot be considered completely camouflaged.

The lead developer of the project is the Moscow Institute of Thermal Engineering, which created the Topol and Yars ICBMs, as well as the Bulava missile for strategic submarines. But, of course, a special modification of the Yars will be used. The total power of individually targeted warheads and their number will be less than that of the Molodets BZHRK missile - 4x500 kt or 6x150 kt. However, the launch range will increase to 12 thousand km. At the same time, Yars has an increased ability to overcome enemy missile defenses due to a short active section when the rocket engine is running, an electronic warfare system and a decoy ejection system. Firing accuracy will also increase.

It is also stated that the Barguzin train will be equipped with not three, but six missiles. At the same time, the number of diesel locomotives will be reduced to two or even one.

Another advantage of the BZHRK is its ability to quickly relocate - the train can travel up to 1000 km per day.

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In the 70s and 80s of the last century, American politicians repeatedly said that nuclear weapons were the main factor that prevented the Cold War from escalating into World War III. Indeed, the possibility of total destruction can cool down many hotheads, but only if the aggressor realizes that he cannot avoid a retaliatory strike. Meanwhile, the United States was actively developing the concept of “preventive war,” a surprise attack as a result of which all Soviet delivery vehicles nuclear weapons should have been destroyed at their bases. One of the most effective ways protection against this threat was the creation of combat railway missile systems - BZHRK. Despite the fact that this deterrent remained in service for a relatively short time, the impressions received by the “international partners” turned out to be unusually strong.

What is BZHRK

The combat railway missile system (BZHRK) is a mobile carrier of nuclear weapons strategic purpose. At first, another abbreviation was used to designate it - BRZHDK, but gradually the “extra” letter disappeared. In my own way appearance it is a regular train, making it extremely difficult for a potential adversary to detect and track. In addition, such a carrier is highly mobile: it is capable of covering hundreds and even thousands of kilometers within a day. Stealth and mobility are the most important properties, which allow us to expect that the complex will be able to “survive” the first nuclear strike from the aggressor and carry out a retaliatory launch.

History of the creation of combat railway missile systems

At the end of the 50s of the last century, a solid-fuel intercontinental missile was developed in the USA. ballistic missile LGM-30 Minuteman. It was distinguished from earlier liquid carriers by its low cost, ease of operation, and compactness. All these qualities allowed the US military to put forward the idea of ​​placing the Minutemen on special trains. Already in 1960, Operation Big Star was carried out, during which weight and size dummies that copied the LGM-30 were moved along US railways. Despite the fact that the exercises ended quite successfully, the concept was not further developed, since a train with nuclear missiles was considered too expensive.

The first Soviet “railway-based” projects appeared almost simultaneously with the American ones, and three design bureaus took up the corresponding developments at once:

1. OKB-586 (future Yuzhnoye Design Bureau). It was planned to place RT-12 medium-range missiles on the train;
2. OKB-301 (now JSC NPO named after S.A. Lavochkin). The most unusual project involved the rail-based deployment of the Burya cruise missile;
3. OKB-1 (modern name - RKO "Energia" named after S.P. Korolev). The complex was created with the expectation of using RT-2 missiles capable of reaching the United States.

All three projects had to be closed at a very early stage: the time had not yet come for their implementation. The issue of the BZHRK was again on the agenda after OKB-586 (Yuzhnoye) began creating the RT-21 solid-fuel rocket. But, unfortunately, it was not possible to achieve success here either. Neither the RT-21 nor the RT-22 were put into service with the Soviet Army. Therefore, rocket trains appeared only on drawings.

The turning point in this story was 1969, when the Yuzhnoye Design Bureau received an official assignment from the government, which included the creation of a special train for the new promising RT-23 ICBM. After two long decades of hard work Soviet designers ended in complete success - the “Molodets”, the world’s first BZHRK, entered the troops. But the achievement, as it soon became clear, turned out to be ephemeral. Already in 1993, Russia committed itself to destroying these trains within ten years, which was done - only two of them survived, and only as museum exhibits. In addition, at the request of Western “friends”, missile trains spent almost the entire time of their existence at permanent deployment points, practically not appearing on the railway.

At the beginning of the twenty-first century, the United States began to feel more and more free in the international arena. The withdrawal from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty was officially announced, and then the creation of the doctrine of “instant global impact", aimed at the complete destruction of the military potential of any potential enemy. Under these conditions, the Russian leadership inevitably had to think again about the lost strategic trains. It was no longer possible to restore the destroyed Molodtsy, since Yuzhnoye Design Bureau became a foreign company after the collapse of the USSR. The only solution was to create a completely new complex, called “Barguzin”.

Principle of design and operation of BZHRK

The combat railway complex includes the following elements:

1. Launch modules located in specially equipped cars. The missiles are initially in a horizontal position;
2. Diesel locomotives that drive the train;
3. Command module;
4. A tank containing a supply of diesel fuel.

In particular, the command module RT-23 UTTH “Molodets” consisted of seven cars, which housed launch control points, living compartments for military personnel, a canteen and other necessary premises.

The use of missile trains involves their placement at permanent deployment points with the ability to immediately go on duty upon command. Moving along the railways, this “special” train constantly maintains contact with the command, and after receiving an order must immediately stop, and then at the earliest short time prepare and carry out the launch according to specified goals.

Advantages and disadvantages of BZHRK

Railway complexes occupy a special position in the classic “nuclear triad”. Conventional silo launchers are stationary, and no matter how carefully they are camouflaged, sooner or later satellite reconnaissance will detect them. In other words, the enemy knows in advance where the disarming blow should be delivered. Nuclear submarines move and try to remain undetected, but any of them can still be detected, tracked, and then destroyed. Strategic bombers are even more vulnerable.

Moreover, in the event of a surprise attack, even mobile ground systems may not be able to deliver a retaliatory strike to the enemy, since most often they do not move more than several tens of kilometers from their main base. A different matter is a train, which is capable of traveling vast distances, and very quickly. Thanks to this quality, no type of reconnaissance will help a potential aggressor determine which point should be struck in order to disable the missile train.

The main disadvantage of the BZHRK is its relatively low level of security. Although the train is armored, it may not be as resistant to damaging factors nuclear explosion like a launch silo. In addition, an attack by saboteurs poses a significant danger. True, the likelihood of such attacks is low: they are very difficult to organize.

It should also be noted that a rather significant drawback of the RT-23 UTTH was its enormous weight - the rails sagged and wore out under the weight of the launch modules.

Types of BZHRK

Over the past sixty years, a considerable number of different designs for combat trains have been invented, however, in most cases, the bold design concept remained on whatman paper in the form of a drawing or sketch. Only two complexes were built - RT-23 UTTH “Molodets” and the more modern “Barguzin”, which, however, was unfinished.

BZHRK "Molodets"

The first and so far only serial combat railway complex took a very long time to create. The government task provided for the simultaneous development of both the special train and the RT-23 missile intended for it, which was later designated in the West, according to the classification adopted by NATO, as the SS-24 Scalpel (not to be confused with the SS-19 Stiletto).

At first it seemed that everything would end in failure. Testing of the rocket propulsion systems took so long that in 1973 the train project was “frozen”, and all efforts were switched to the development of a stationary “mine” version of the weapon, designated in documents as 15Zh44. All this happened against the backdrop of a constant increase in the level of requirements from the main customer - the USSR Ministry of Defense.

In 1979, the designers were given two instructions at once: firstly, to install a warhead with multiple warheads on the RT-23, and secondly, to return to the problem of creating a “special-purpose composition”. Tests of the “mine” missile began in 1982, and two years later the first launch of the RT-23 (in modification 15Zh52) from a combat train took place. It was built in only one copy and was a purely experimental model for testing technologies and training. Test launches were mostly successful, however, the military was not satisfied with both the range and the accuracy of hitting the target. These problems were solved only after the creation of the RT-23 UTTH, also known as 15Zh61 or SS-24 Scalpel mod. 3 according to NATO classification.

In 1989, the world's first full-fledged BZHRK "Molodets" entered service with the Soviet Army. It was a special train equipped with three 15Zh61 missiles. A total of 12 such trains were built.

The most significant features of the “Molodets” design were:

1. Three-car launch modules disguised as refrigerators, mounted on bogies with double the number of axles;
2. Retractable stops for fixing the platform before rocket launch;
3. A special system with the help of which the wires of the contact network were removed to the side and grounded.

In order to reduce the dimensions of the 15Zh61, the designers created a special folding fairing for it. On 15Zh52 it was inflatable. The launch was also non-standard: first, a “mortar launch” was carried out - the rocket was thrown up without turning on the engines, then the powder accelerator gave its body an inclined position, and only after that the power plant began to work. Thanks to the use of such a scheme, hot gases were diverted to the side and could not damage the train or rails.

BZHRK "Barguzin"

The development of a new combat railway complex, which officially started in 2012, was entrusted to the Moscow Institute of Thermal Engineering (MIT). In this case, it was planned to use the intercontinental RS-24 Yars, whose weight is more than half that of the Soviet Scalpels. Reducing the weight of the launcher made it possible to abandon the use of reinforced wheeled trolleys. In addition, the new train no longer required reinforcement of the railway tracks. Stealth also increased, because previously very specific cars of the “Molodets” launch modules could be recognized with careful observation.

In 2014-2015, official reports were published several times about the successful development of individual components of the system, however, then there was silence, which lasted until December 2017, when it was finally announced that all activities on the project would be completely stopped.

The official reason for such a disastrous outcome was a simple lack of funding. It seemed that this would all end, but in the first months of 2019, journalists started talking about the possible resumption of the creation of Barguzin. This time the reason was the US withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Ban Treaty. Therefore, the media have already “re-equipped” the new BZHRK, saying that it has now been decided to install the RS-26 Rubezh on it. It is extremely difficult today to assess the level of reliability of such information “stuffing”.

Performance characteristics of combat railway missile systems

BZHRK "Molodets"

Firing range	10,450 (10,100) kilometers
Circular probable deviation	0.2-0.3 (0.5-0.7) kilometers
Rocket launch weight	104.8 tons
Throwing weight	4050 kg
Launcher weight	126 tons
Weight of the car with launcher and rocket	More than 200 tons
Rocket length (total)	23.3 meters
Rocket energy-weight perfection coefficient Gpg/Go, kgf/tf	31
Head type	Multiple individually targeted warheads
Number of warheads	10
Charge power	550 kilotons
Time to bring the missile into firing position	80 seconds
Maximum speed of BZHRK	80 km/h
Number of missiles	3

The characteristics of the RT-23 (15Zh52) missiles, which were installed on the very first prototype of the combat railway missile system, are indicated in brackets.

BZHRK "Barguzin"

Many characteristics of the RS-24 Yars ICBM currently remain classified. In addition, it is not clear to what degree of readiness the BZHRK missile system “Barguzin” was brought. Therefore, today we can only give the estimated performance characteristics of this train with six nuclear missiles on board:

According to information published in the public press, the weight of the Barguzin BZHRK launch module does not exceed 65-70 tons, which approximately corresponds to the characteristics of a conventional freight car. It is easy to see that the destructive power of the Molodets is much greater than that of its contemporary, however, this disadvantage is compensated by the increased accuracy of the missiles and the use of special blocks to overcome missile defense.

Despite its considerable age, the concept of the “nuclear train” remains relevant today. In any case, for Russia, with its vast territory and extensive railway network, the BZHRK is a weapon that is needed today and will remain necessary tomorrow. It is difficult to say whether it will appear again. Designers are hampered by a lack of money, a technological gap that arose after the collapse of the USSR, and a constantly changing political background. One thing is clear: even a small number of missile trains could dramatically increase the country’s defense capability.

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BZHRK, or the Barguzin combat railway missile system, is a new generation of trains armed with ballistic missiles. Developed in Russian Federation. It is planned to be put into service in 2020.

What is a nuclear train? What were the first generation of USSR rocket trains like? Why didn't the US manage 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) is a military railway missile system for strategic purposes. The complex is located on the base of a railway train consisting of a diesel locomotive and freight cars. From the outside, it is no different from ordinary freight trains that run in thousands across Russia. However, it has a very complicated filling. Inside there are intercontinental missiles, command posts, technical service systems, technological modules that ensure the functioning of the complex and the vital functions of personnel. At the same time, the train is autonomous.

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

BZHRK "Scalpel" - previous generation of nuclear trains

The development of nuclear trains first began in the 60s of the twentieth century. Work was carried out in the USSR and the USA approximately in parallel.

Moreover, the idea of ​​​​creation, according to legend, was planted by the Americans. After unsuccessful attempts by the United States to create the complex, it was decided to spread misinformation that such trains were being actively created and would soon hit the rails. The purpose of the false information was one - to force the Soviet Union to invest huge amounts of money 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 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.

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

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

The BZHRK used RT-23U missiles (NATO classification SS-24 "Scalpel"). Special rockets with a retractable nozzle and fairing were manufactured for the composition. One missile carries a MIRV-type multiple warhead with 10 warheads with a yield of 500 kilotons each.

An original solution was made to distribute the load on the track. The three cars were connected by a rigid coupling, which ensured that the weight of the rocket was distributed over a longer section of the railway track. In combat mode, special hydraulic paws extended.

To remove the catenary system that interfered with the launch, a special device was invented that carefully removed the wires from the complex’s operating area. The network was de-energized before launch.

An ingenious solution was also invented to launch the rocket - a mortar launch. A powder charge ejected the rocket 20 meters above the ground, after which another charge adjusted the tilt of the rocket nozzle away from the train, and after that the first stage engine turned on. Thus, the column of flame of enormous 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 went on combat duty. And by 1989, 3 divisions of the BZHRK were deployed on the territory of the USSR, dispersed over a distance of many thousands of kilometers: in the Kostroma region, in the Perm and Krasnoyarsk territories.

The BZHRK device includes railway modules various purposes, namely: 3 launch modules of the RT-23UTTH ICBM, 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 grew steadily.

BZHRK "Molodets" were a nightmare for the Americans. Huge amounts of money have been allocated to track ghost trains. Reconnaissance satellites searched for 12 ghost trains across the country and could not distinguish the combat complex from a train with refrigerators (refrigerated cars) carrying food.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, everything changed in Russia. 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 the RT-23U missiles, therefore by 2005, according to the official version, all BZHRKs are removed from combat duty and destroyed, and the 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 has 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 a solid-fuel Minuteman ballistic missile, which, according to its technical parameters, could be launched from small sites and in railway shaking conditions. The development was given the name "Minitman Rail Garrison".

Initially, it was planned that a ghost train filled with missiles would run along predetermined positions, for which work would be carried out at the specified 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 supposed 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 cars were used to deliver the “Minitman” to the place of combat deployment - launch silos.

However, after the success of the Soviet Union in developing similar projects, the United States remembered the technology that had been gathering dust since the 60s and in 1986 created new project using old developments. The then existing LGM-118A “Peacekeeper” missile was chosen for the prototype. 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 cars will be allocated to the launcher with an already charged missile in the launch container, another one will house the control center, and the remaining cars will take fuel and parts for routine repairs.

But the 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 railway-based missile system was never put into operation - its history ended after unsuccessful tests in 1989.

New railway missile system of the Russian Federation

Currently, for various reasons, none of the armies in the world have railway launchers in service. The Russian Federation is the only one that has been working on the creation of this type of weapon since 2012, and has now developed preliminary designs 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”. 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 with the possibility of longitudinal movement is attached to the railway boom. The TPK (torpedo hull perforator) with the missile will be supported by supports that are mounted on support plates and equipped with rotating rods.

The rocket is launched from the TPK, commands for which are given from a special car as part of the BZHRK with control systems attached to it. When a rocket is launched, the roof of the car opens (reclines), thereby creating the distance necessary for the launch.

Comparative characteristics

Parameter	BZHRK "Barguzin"	BZHRK "Well done"
Date of adoption	2009	1989
Rocket length, m	22,7	22,6
Launch weight, t	47,1	104,5
Maximum range, km	11000	10 100
Number and power of warheads, Mt	3-4 X 0.15; 3-4 X 0.3	10×0.55
Number of locomotives	1	3
Number of missiles	6	3
Autonomy, days	28	28

Advantages of the new BZHRK:

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

Rockets

Under development project documentation, the developers and command were faced with a choice - which of the modern missiles in service with the Russian army should be used as a projectile for the Barguzin BZHRK. After numerous discussions, the Yars and Yars-M missiles were chosen. This missile is a silo-based and mobile solid-fuel ballistic missile with a detachable warhead, the maximum flight range of which is 11,000 kilometers, and the charge power in TNT equivalent ranges from 150 to 300 kilograms. This ballistic missile performed excellently during preliminary tests.

Does BZHRK exist now?

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

As mentioned above, none of the world powers currently has a single BZHRK worker in combat service. The only country 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, the troops began to receive Topol-M ground-based mobile missile systems armed with Yars missiles instead of the BZHRK. Currently, the Russian army is armed with more than a hundred Topol-M combat systems, which can partially fill the gap left after the decommissioning of the BZHRK.

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

Experimental design work (R&D) on the Barguzin project began at the Moscow Institute of Thermal Engineering in 2012. The completion of the research and development work is planned for 2020, and funds for their implementation are already being allocated. Completed in 2014 preliminary design complex, and by the beginning of 2015, 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 Barguzin, its assembly and preliminary tests will become known by 2018. The deployment of the complex and its entry into the army is planned for 2020.

Information has appeared about the successful launch of a missile from the Barguzin combat railway complex. No official confirmation yet.

RT-23 UTTH "Well done".

Information has appeared about the successful launch of a missile from the Barguzin combat railway complex (BZHRK), which is being developed in Russia to replace the Molodets complex, created in the 1980s. However, there has not yet been confirmation of this information from the Ministry of Defense. It is quite possible that the talk (without specifying) was about the start of throw tests, which were scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2016.

For the first time after the 80s, Academician Yu.S. Solomonov carried out a successful launch of the Barguzin rocket, this is the so-called “wandering launch”. Combat railway missile system "Barguzin" - a promising mobile complex missile weapons strategic missile forces Armed Forces Russian Federation.

Vladimir Putin and Yuri Solomonov

The Barguzin rocket takes off from the freight car of an ordinary train, i.e. the train itself is a spaceport. Such missiles - four BZHRKs - have been in service with our Strategic Missile Forces since the late 80s, but first Gorbachev, then Yeltsin destroyed all four complexes. The Americans feared such missiles more than anything else, because in one night such trains could go anywhere, to any point in the Soviet Union.

Vladimir Putin and the Moscow Institute of Thermal Engineering Research Institute, which is headed by Hero of Labor of the Russian Federation, Academician Yuri Semenovich Solomonov, recreated this great weapon practically from scratch. Before today we were ahead of the Americans and Chinese in rocket science by about 10 - 15 years, and from that moment on we were already half a century ahead of them! All the country's leaders have already congratulated the great Russian rocket scientist Yuri Solomonov on his successful launch. We join in their congratulations.

In May 2016, information appeared about the completion of the process of developing documentation for the Barguzin BZHRK. It is assumed that new complex will carry more modern and lighter missiles created on the basis of the RS-24 Yars. One train will include six missiles - each is located in a separate carriage, disguised as a standard refrigerator. For traction, one diesel locomotive will be used instead of three, as in the Molodets BZHRK.

This option for deploying ballistic missiles is very much criticized by NATO countries. The fact is that with such a placement it is very difficult to track the movement of such trains. From above, the cars are generally identical and can change direction at any time, which makes the destruction of the complex in the event of a launch very difficult. Although the START-3 international treaty does not prohibit the creation of such weapons, every news about the return of “ghost trains” is met with a wave of criticism in the Western press.

Intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) / combat railway missile system (BZHRK). The R&D work on the creation of the BZHRK began in 2012 and is being carried out by the Moscow Institute of Thermal Engineering (MIT). Until December 2014, it was discussed that the creation of the complex was possible either on the basis of the RS-24 Yars ICBM, or on the basis of the RS-26 Rubezh ICBM, or using developments on the 3M30 Bulava intercontinental SLBM. But in December 2014, information appeared in the media that the complex would include ICBMs of the Yars or Yars-M type.
It is unlikely that the chief designer of the complex could be Yu.S. Solomonov because in his speeches in the media, he repeatedly spoke out against the BZHRK as a class of missile systems. By 2020, it is planned to complete R&D, create and test prototypes of BZHRK (according to 2012 plans). After 2020, the complexes will begin to enter service with the Strategic Missile Forces.

On April 23, 2013, Deputy Minister of Defense of Russia Yuri Borisov stated that the preliminary design of the BZHRK is currently underway, and work is underway on technical projects. On December 18, 2013, the commander of the Strategic Missile Forces, Colonel General Sergei Karakaev, announced that the preliminary design will be completed in the first half of 2014, but the final decision on the design of the BZHRK has not yet been made. As a result, the preliminary design of the complex was completed at the end of 2014. The media reported that as of mid-2015, the first stage of development work to create the complex was underway.

In December 2014, in the media, the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Strategic Missile Forces stated that the development of the BZHRK could soon begin, and the Commander-in-Chief of the Strategic Missile Forces stated a day later that the new complex is called “Barguzin”. The development of design documentation began in 2015 and is planned to be completed in mid-2016. Although later in December 2015, a source in the Russian defense industry told the media that due to the difficult financial situation, the deadline for the creation of Barguzin has been postponed by more than one year and will be completed no earlier than 2020. On May 12, 2016, information appeared in the media that “the design documentation has been worked out, individual elements of the complex are being created, but there are no exact dates for its creation and adoption into service,” clarity on the timing will come in 2018 G..

The start of deployment of the new BZHRK is expected no earlier than 2018, and most likely in 2019. At the end of 2015, the start date for deployment of the complex has been specified - 2020.

Illustrations for the TsKB Titan patent for a railway launcher.
The numbers in the diagram indicate: 1 - railway car or platform, 2 - fixed pinned beam, 3 - lifting boom, 4 - boom lifting mechanism, 5 - movable frame mounted on the boom with the possibility of longitudinal movement, 6 - TPK with a rocket , 7 - telescopic supports, 8 - support plates, 9 - rotary rods for “aiming” the supports on the rails of the railway track.

Launcher - BZHRK - combat railway missile system. The launch is carried out from a TPK, brought into the starting position at the starting point from a special railway car with a drop-down roof. Technically, the BZHRK may include several cars with ICBMs, as well as cars for combat duty support and, probably, maintenance of the complex.

There is a possibility that the development of the BZHRK launcher is being carried out by the Federal State Unitary Enterprise Central Design Bureau "Titan" (Volgograd) - this company has registered a patent for "Launcher for transporting and launching a missile from a transport-launch container located in a railway car or on a platform" (RU 2392573). Designers (authors of the patent) - V.A. Shurygin, B.M. Abramovich, D.N. Biryukov and I.V. Shapkin.

The development of launch equipment is most likely being carried out by KBSM within the framework of the Barguzin theme. In 2013, KBSM developed a preliminary design of system units and the complex as a whole, formed cooperation between co-executing enterprises, and developed technical specifications for contractors.

In addition, on the topic "Barguzin-RV" in 2013, the development of preliminary designs for special railway formations was carried out at the Central Design Bureau of Transport Engineering.

According to media reports, as of 2014, the option of a railway train of the Barguzin BZHRK with 6 launchers- which is equal to a regiment of the Strategic Missile Forces. The missile division will include 5 regiments of the Barguzin BZHRK.

Missile - it is likely to use a missile similar to previously created intercontinental missile systems with a minimum time of the active part of the trajectory and with a MIRV. RS-24 Yars ICBMs, RS-26 Rubezh ICBMs, and 3M30 Bulava SLBMs can be considered as basic options. With a high probability, the degree of unification among missiles will be high, but less than 100%.

According to media reports, as of 2014, the option of a railway composition of the Barguzin BZHRK with 6 launchers with Yars or Yars-M missiles is being considered.

The rocket design is a three-stage rocket of a classical layout with a sequential arrangement of stages. With a high probability, the missile will be equipped with a complex of means for overcoming missile defense (KSP ABM).

Control and guidance system - inertial autonomous.

Engines - solid propellant rocket engines at all stages.

Warhead types - MIRV IN. It is possible to use advanced maneuvering combat equipment.

Status: Russia
- 2012 - The Moscow Institute of Thermal Engineering began R&D to create a BZHRK.

2013 - development of preliminary designs for the complex components.