Made by Russians

Russian "Sineva" against the American "Trident"

The Sineva submarine-launched ballistic missile is superior to its American counterpart Trident-2 in a number of characteristics.

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Vladimir Laktanov

The Verkhoturye missile submarine successfully launched the Sineva intercontinental ballistic missile from an underwater position in the Barents Sea. Photo: Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation/RIA Novosti

The successful, already 27th launch on December 12 of the Sineva ballistic missile from the nuclear submarine strategic missile cruiser (RPK SN) Verkhoturye confirmed: Russia has a weapon of retaliation. The missile covered about 6 thousand km and hit a conditional target at the Kamchatka Kura training ground. By the way, the Verkhoturye submarine is a deeply modernized version of the Project 667BDRM nuclear submarines of the Dolphin class (Delta-IV according to NATO classification), which today form the basis of the naval forces of strategic nuclear deterrence.

For those who jealously monitor the state of our defensive capabilities, this is not the first and quite familiar message about successful Sineva launches. In the current rather alarming international situation, many are interested in the question of the capabilities of our missile in comparison with the closest foreign analogue - the American UGM-133A Trident-II D5 missile (Trident-2), commonly known as Trident-2.

Ice "Sineva"

The R-29RMU2 "Sineva" missile is designed to destroy strategically important enemy targets at intercontinental ranges. It is the main armament of the Project 667BDRM strategic missile cruisers and is based on the R-29RM ICBM. According to NATO classification - SS-N-23 Skiff, according to the START treaty - RSM-54. It is a liquid-propelled, three-stage, sea-launched, submarine-launched intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) of the third generation. After entering service in 2007, it was planned to produce about 100 Sineva missiles.

The launch weight (payload) of Sineva does not exceed 40.3 tons. The multiple warhead of an ICBM (2.8 tons) at a range of up to 11,500 km can deliver, depending on the power, from 4 to 10 individually targeted warheads.

The maximum deviation from the target when launching from a depth of up to 55 m does not exceed 500 m, which is ensured by an effective on-board control system using astro correction and satellite navigation. To overcome enemy missile defenses, Sineva can be equipped with special means and use a flat flight path.

Intercontinental three-stage ballistic missile R-29RMU2 "Sineva". Photo: topwar.ru

American "Trident" - "Trident-2"

The Trident-2 sea-launched solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile was put into service in 1990. It has a lighter modification - “Trident-1” - and is designed to hit strategically important targets on enemy territory; in terms of the tasks it solves, it is similar to the Russian Sineva. The missile is equipped with the American SSBN-726 Ohio class submarines. In 2007, its serial production was discontinued.

With a launch weight of 59 tons, the Trident-2 ICBM is capable of delivering a payload weighing 2.8 tons to a distance of 7800 km from the launch site. A maximum flight range of 11,300 km can be achieved by reducing the weight and number of warheads. As a payload, the missile can carry 8 and 14 individually targeted warheads of medium (W88, 475 kt) and low (W76, 100 kt) power, respectively. The probable circular deviation of these blocks from the target is 90–120 m.

Comparison of the characteristics of the Sineva and Trident-2 missiles

In general, the Sineva is not inferior in its main characteristics, and in a number of ways it is superior to the American Trident-2 ICBM. At the same time, our missile, unlike its overseas counterpart, has great modernization potential. In 2011, a new version of the missile, the R-29RMU2.1 “Liner,” was tested and put into service in 2014. In addition, the R-29RMU3 modification, if necessary, can replace the Bulava solid-fuel ICBM.

Our Sineva is the best in the world in terms of energy-mass perfection (the ratio of the mass of the combat load to the launch mass of the rocket, reduced to one flight range). This figure of 46 units is noticeably higher than that of the Trident-1 (33) and Trident-2 (37.5) ICBMs, which directly affects the maximum flight range.

"Sineva", launched in October 2008 from the Barents Sea by the nuclear submarine "Tula" from an underwater position, flew 11,547 km and delivered a prototype of the warhead to the equatorial part Pacific Ocean. This is 200 km higher than that of Trident-2. No missile in the world has such a range.

In fact, Russian strategic missile submarines are capable of shelling the central US states from positions directly off their coasts under the protection of the surface fleet. You can say without leaving the pier. But there are also examples of how an underwater missile carrier carried out a secretive, “under-ice” launch of the Sineva from the Arctic latitudes when the ice was up to two meters thick in the North Pole area.

The Russian intercontinental ballistic missile can be launched by a carrier moving at a speed of up to five knots, from a depth of up to 55 m and sea state up to 7 points in any direction along the ship's course. The Trident-2 ICBM, at the same carrier speed, can be launched from a depth of up to 30 m and waves of up to 6 points. It is also important that immediately after the start, “Sineva” steadily reaches the given trajectory, which “Trident” cannot boast of. This is due to the fact that the Trident is launched by a pressure accumulator, and the submarine commander, thinking about safety, will always make a choice between an underwater or surface launch.

An important indicator for such weapons is the rate of fire and the possibility of salvo fire when preparing and conducting a retaliatory strike. This significantly increases the likelihood of breaking through the enemy’s missile defense system and inflicting a guaranteed defeat on him. With a maximum launch interval between Sineva ICBMs of up to 10 seconds, this figure for Trident-2 is twice as long (20 s). And in August 1991, a salvo launch of ammunition from 16 Sineva ICBMs was carried out by the Novomoskovsk submarine, which to date has no analogues in the world.

Our “Sineva” is not inferior to the American missile in terms of accuracy of hitting a target when equipped with a new medium-power unit. It can also be used in a non-nuclear conflict with a high-precision high-explosive fragmentation warhead weighing about 2 tons. To overcome the enemy's missile defense system, in addition to special equipment, Sineva can fly to the target along a flat trajectory. This significantly reduces the likelihood of its timely detection, and therefore the likelihood of defeat.

And there is one more important factor in our time. With all my positive indicators Trident-type ICBMs, we repeat, are difficult to modernize. Over its more than 25-year service life, the electronic base has changed significantly, which does not allow local modernization of modern systems in the rocket design at the software and hardware level.

Finally, another advantage of our Sineva is the possibility of its use for peaceful purposes. At one time, the Volna and Shtil launch vehicles were created to launch spacecraft into low Earth orbit. In 1991–1993, three such launches were carried out, and the conversion “Sineva” was included in the Guinness Book of Records as the fastest “mail”. In June 1995, this rocket delivered a set of scientific equipment and mail in a special capsule to Kamchatka over a distance of 9,000 km.

As a result: the above and other indicators became the basis for German experts to consider Sineva a masterpiece of naval rocket science.

On January 22, 1934, a scientist who worked in the field of control systems, Igor Ivanovich Velichko, was born. With his direct participation, sea-based ballistic missiles were created and entered service with the USSR Navy. In terms of shooting accuracy, they could compete with similar American Tridents. Russian strategic submarines are still armed with their modifications.

Trident 2 training launch

UPI graduate becomes director of OKB

The career history of Igor Ivanovich Velichko (1934 – 2014) is simple. After graduating from the Ural Polytechnic Institute in 1947, he entered the position of engineer at NII-529 (now NPO Avtomatiki, Yekaterinburg). Soon he worked as a senior engineer, then as a leading engineer, and as a department head. And in 1983 he headed the research institute.

In 1985, he moved to SKB-385 located in Miass, Chelyabinsk region (now the Makeev State Rocket Center) - director of the enterprise and general designer.

This transition was psychologically difficult. Because Velichko came to replace Viktor Petrovich Makeev, who suddenly died. Corypheus, founder of the national school of naval strategic rocketry. Winner of the Lenin and three State Prizes of the USSR.

Training launch of the Bulava missile

True, Velichko by that time also had the State and Lenin Prizes. And they were received for work in the same military-technical field. Because NII-529 is closely connected with SKB-385, creating control systems for sea-based missiles that Makeev developed.

Velichko began working on missiles for nuclear submarines in the early 70s. It was then that he acquired the proper degree of administrative influence on the course of development.

Entering the intercontinental level

It must be said that at the first stage of its existence, Soviet submarine-based missiles were not the weakest link in the USSR's strategic submarine fleet. They fit quite “harmoniously” into the tactical and technical level of nuclear submarines that existed at that time. The boats were inferior to the American ones in a number of parameters: they were noisier, had less speed and range. And the accident rate was far from all right. And the missiles had shorter range and accuracy. At least in terms of the “stuffing” of the missiles, that is, in terms of power calculated in kilotons, there was approximately equality.

So the design bureaus working for the Navy were catching up with American submariners in almost all categories of development. By the mid-1970s, as the US Navy rested on its laurels without fear of being overtaken by the Soviets in the 20th century, we had achieved equality, both quantitative and qualitative. And they moved forward inexorably.

The situation leveled out due to the appearance of Project 667BDR Kalmar boats, which began entering service in the early 70s. They were low noise and had excellent navigation and acoustic equipment. Living conditions for the crew have been improved.

Their main weapon was launcher D-9 developed by SKB-385, armed with an R-29 rocket with a liquid propellant engine. It was put into service in 1974. And three years later, a more advanced modification appeared - the D-9R with sixteen R-29R missiles in ammunition.

It was already absolutely modern weapons, which made it possible to solve absolutely all the tasks assigned to strategic nuclear submarine cruisers. An intercontinental firing range was ensured while simultaneously increasing the weight of the combat load, firing accuracy was increased due to astro-correction, multiple warheads (D-9R) were used, combat autonomy and all-weather capability were realized combat use missiles from multi-missile nuclear submarines from any area of ​​the World Ocean.

The D-9R complex allowed the launch, and salvo, of 16 R-29R missiles. Their range, depending on the payload, ranged from 6500 to 9000 km. Probable circular deviation is 900 m with an inertial target guidance system with full astro correction. A significant increase in accuracy (previous missiles had a CEP of 1,500 meters) was achieved by improving the missile control system. Igor Velichko also made a certain contribution to the new development.

The head of the rocket had 3 modifications. The power of the monoblock head was 450 kt. In the case of a multiple warhead, 3 warheads of 200 kt each or 7 of 100 kt were installed. And here Makeev was already ahead of his competitors from Lockheed by three whole years - it was three years later that US submariners had the first missiles with multiple warheads. These were no longer Polaris, but Trident.

The R-29R is still in service with the Russian submarine fleet. Their launches are carried out regularly, which all turn out to be successful. Their coefficient technical reliability equals 0.95.

Continuing Makeev's work

SKB-385, working in tandem with NII-529, created new complexes for new missiles and at the same time carried out a deep modernization of existing ones. So much so that the result was, in fact, new weapons of original quality.

Thus, in 1983, the D-19 complex with the first naval three-stage solid-propellant missile R-39 entered service. It is equipped with a multiple warhead with ten blocks, has an intercontinental firing range and is located on the Project 941 Pike nuclear submarine with a record displacement of 48,000 tons.

And in 1987, a modified D-9RM complex with an R-29RM missile with ten warheads was created for the third generation boat of the project. This work has already been completed by Igor Velichko, who headed the State Research Center named after. Makeeva. Both as the direct developer of the rocket control system, and as the newly appointed general designer of SKB-385.

Until 2007, the R-29RM had the best tactical and technical characteristics among Russian submarine-launched ballistic missiles. Then the R-29RMU2 “Sineva” appeared, with its CEP reduced by 200 meters and its anti-missile defense capabilities improved. But one of the main parameters - energy characteristics - remained the same. And it is the best among all ballistic naval missiles in the world. This is the ratio of the amount of weight thrown to the launch weight of the rocket.

For both the R-29RM and Sineva, this figure is 46. For Trident-1 - 33, for Trident-2 - 37.5. This is the most important indicator of a missile’s combat capabilities; it determines the dynamics of its flight. And this, in turn, affects overcoming the enemy missile defense system. In this connection, “Sineva” is even called “a masterpiece of naval rocket science.”

High flight of the "Liner"

The R-29RMU2 is a three-stage liquid-propellant missile, the range of which is 3.5 thousand km greater than that of the Trident-2, which is in service with the latest generation of American missile submarines. The missile can carry from 4 to 10 individual guidance heads.

"Sineva" has increased resistance to the effects of electromagnetic pulses. It is equipped with a modern set of means for overcoming missile defense. Targeting is carried out comprehensively: using an inertial system, astro-correction equipment and the GLONASS navigation satellite system, thanks to which the maximum deviation from the target was reduced to 250 m.

Makeev's GRC could also become a trendsetter in the field of creating sea-based solid fuel missiles. However, this did not happen due to both objective and subjective circumstances. From 1983 to 2004, R-39 solid-fuel missiles developed by Makeyevka were in service. They were inferior to the liquid-fuel R-29R both in range (by 25%) and in deviation from the target (twice), and their launch weight was more than 2 times.

But by the beginning of the 90s, more efficient fuel and new electronic components appeared. And the Miass people already had experience in creating this type of missiles. And the RKTs began to develop the R-39UTTH “Bark” missile, which was supposed to arm fourth-generation boats. However, this development went awry due to meager funding and the collapse of the USSR. The production of some components ended up in the territories of independent states, and they had to look for a replacement. In particular, we had to replace the excellent fuel, which had become “foreign,” with fuel of poorer quality. It was possible to test launch only three missiles. And they all turned out to be unsuccessful.

In 1998, the project was closed. And the rocket for the Boreys was given to the Moscow Institute of Thermal Engineering, which has proven itself well as a creator of mobile systems and. But what was not taken into account was the fact that MIT had never dealt with sea-based missiles. As a result, development is extremely difficult and slow. “Bulava” will undoubtedly be brought to fruition. But it is already clear that in terms of range and total power of multiple warheads, it is somewhat inferior to Sineva.

However, a “thermal” rocket has a significant advantage - greater survivability: resistance to damaging factors nuclear explosion and laser weapons. Countermeasures against missile defense systems are also ensured due to the low active section and its short duration. According to the chief designer of the rocket, Yuri Solomonov, it is 3-4 times smaller compared to domestic and foreign rockets. That is, all the advantages of the Topol-M were transferred to the Bulava.

At the end of the 2000s, a new modification of the Sineva rocket was created, called “Liner”. It is capable of carrying up to 12 warheads of 100 kt each. Moreover, according to the developers, these are warheads of a new type - “intelligent”. Their deviation from the target is 250 meters.

Performance characteristics of the R-29RMU2.1 “Liner” and UGM-133A “Trident-2” missiles

Number of steps: 3 – 3
Engine type: liquid – solid fuel
Length: 14.8 m – 13.4 m
Diameter: 1.9 m – 2.1 m
Launch weight: 40 t – 60 t
Throwing weight: 2.8 t – 2.8 t
CEP: 250 m – 120 m
Range: 11500 km – 7800 km
Warhead power: 12x100 kt or 4x250 kt – 4x475 kt or 14x100 kt

The rockets make their way to the surface and fly upward towards the stars. Among thousands of flickering dots, they need one. Polaris. Alpha Ursa Major. The farewell star of humanity, to which salvo points and astro-correction systems for warheads are attached.

Ours take off as smooth as a candle, firing the first stage engines right in the missile silo on board the submarine. Thick-sided American Tridents climb to the surface crookedly, staggering as if drunk. Their stability in the underwater part of the trajectory is not ensured by anything other than the starting impulse of the pressure accumulator...

But first things first!

R-29RMU2 “Sineva” is a further development of the glorious R-29RM family.
Development began in 1999. Adopted into service - 2007.

A three-stage liquid-fuelled submarine-launched ballistic missile with a launch weight of 40 tons. Max. throw weight - 2.8 tons with a launch range of 8300 km. Combat load - 8 small-sized individually targeted MIRVs (for the RMU2.1 “Liner” modification - 4 medium-power warheads with developed anti-missile defense means). Circular probable deviation is 500 meters.

Achievements and records. The R-29RMU2 has the highest energy and mass perfection among all existing domestic and foreign SLBMs (the ratio of the combat load to the launch weight reduced to the flight range is 46 units). For comparison: the energy-mass perfection of Trident-1 is only 33, Trident-2 is 37.5.

The high thrust of the R-29RMU2 engines allows for flight along a flat trajectory, which reduces the flight time and, according to a number of experts, radically increases the chances of overcoming missile defense (albeit at the cost of reducing the launch range).

On October 11, 2008, during the Stability 2008 exercise in the Barents Sea, a record-breaking Sineva missile was launched from the nuclear submarine Tula. The prototype of the warhead fell in the equatorial part of the Pacific Ocean, the launch range was 11,547 km.

UGM-133A Trident-II D5. “Trident-2” has been developed since 1977 in parallel with the lighter “Trident-1”. Adopted into service in 1990.

Launch weight - 59 tons. Max. throw weight - 2.8 tons with a launch range of 7800 km. Max. flight range with a reduced number of warheads is 11,300 km. Combat load - 8 medium-power MIRVs (W88, 475 kT) or 14 low-power MIRVs (W76, 100 kT). Circular probable deviation is 90...120 meters.

The inexperienced reader is probably wondering: why are American missiles so poor? They leave the water at an angle, fly worse, weigh more, energy-mass perfection is to hell...

The thing is that the Lockheed Martin designers were initially in more difficult situation compared to their Russian colleagues from the Design Bureau named after. Makeeva. In keeping with the traditions of the American Navy, they had to design an SLBM on solid fuel.

In terms of specific impulse, the solid propellant rocket engine is a priori inferior to the liquid rocket engine. The speed of gas flow from the nozzle of modern liquid-propellant rocket engines can reach 3500 m/s or more, while for solid propellant rocket engines this parameter does not exceed 2500 m/s.

Achievements and records of Trident-2:
1. The highest first-stage thrust (91,170 kgf) among all solid-fuel SLBMs, and the second among ballistic missiles with solid propellant rocket engines, after Minuteman-3.
2. The longest series of accident-free launches (150 as of June 2014).
3. Longest service life: Trident-2 will remain in service until 2042 (half a century in active service!). This testifies not only to the surprisingly long service life of the missile itself, but also to the correctness of the choice of the concept laid down at the height of the Cold War.

At the same time, “Trident” is difficult to modernize. Over the past quarter century since it was put into service, progress in the field of electronics and computing systems has gone so far that any local integration of modern systems into the Trident-2 design is impossible either at the software or even at the hardware level!

When the resource of the Mk.6 inertial navigation systems runs out (the last batch was purchased in 2001), it will be necessary to completely replace all the electronic “stuffing” of the Tridents to meet the requirements of the new generation INS Next Generation Guidance (NGG).

Warhead W76/Mk-4

However, even in his current state, the old warrior remains beyond competition. A vintage masterpiece from 40 years ago with a whole set of technical secrets, many of which could not be repeated even today.

A recessed solid propellant nozzle swinging in 2 planes in each of the three stages of the rocket.

A “mysterious needle” in the bow of an SLBM (an extendable rod consisting of seven parts), the use of which can reduce aerodynamic drag (increase in range - 550 km).

An original scheme with the placement of warheads (“carrots”) around the third stage propulsion engine (Mk-4 and Mk-5 warheads).

100-kiloton W76 warhead with a CEP unsurpassed to this day. In the original version, when using a dual correction system (INS + astro correction), the circular probable deviation of the W-76 reaches 120 meters. When using triple correction (INS + astro correction + GPS), the warhead's CEP is reduced to 90 m.

In 2007, with the end of production of the Trident-2 SLBM, a multi-stage modernization program D5 LEP (Life Extension Program) was launched to extend the life of existing missiles. In addition to re-equipping the Tridents with the new NGG navigation system, the Pentagon launched a cycle of research to create new, even more efficient rocket fuel compositions, create radiation-resistant electronics, as well as a number of works aimed at developing new warheads.

Some intangibles:

A liquid rocket engine consists of turbopump units, a complex mixing head and shut-off valves. Material - high-grade stainless steel. Each rocket with a rocket engine is a technical masterpiece, whose sophisticated design is directly proportional to its prohibitive cost.

IN general view A solid fuel SLBM is a fiberglass “barrel” (a thermostable container) filled to the brim with compressed gunpowder. The design of such a rocket does not even have a special combustion chamber - the “barrel” itself is the combustion chamber.

With mass production, the savings are enormous. But only if you know how to make such rockets correctly! The production of solid propellant rocket motors requires the highest technical culture and quality control. The slightest fluctuations in humidity and temperature will critically affect the stability of combustion of fuel stoves.

The developed US chemical industry suggested an obvious solution. As a result, all overseas SLBMs - from Polaris to Trident - flew on solid fuel. Our situation with this was somewhat more complicated. The first attempt was a disaster: the solid-fuel SLBM R-31 (1980) could not confirm even half the capabilities of liquid-propellant missiles of the Design Bureau named after. Makeeva. The second R-39 missile turned out no better - with a warhead mass equivalent to the Trident-2 SLBM, the launch mass of the Soviet missile reached an incredible 90 tons. We had to create a huge boat for the super-rocket (Project 941 “Shark”).

At the same time, the RT-2PM Topol land missile system (1988) was even very successful. Obviously, the main problems with the stability of fuel combustion had been successfully overcome by that time.

The design of the new “hybrid” Bulava uses engines that use both solid (first and second stages) and liquid fuel (last, third stage). However, the bulk of unsuccessful launches were associated not so much with instability of fuel combustion, but with sensors and the mechanical part of the rocket (stage separation mechanism, oscillating nozzle, etc.).

The advantage of SLBMs with solid propellant rocket engines, in addition to the lower cost of serial missiles, is the safety of their operation. Concerns related to the storage and preparation for launch of SLBMs with liquid propellant engines are not in vain: a whole series of accidents occurred in the domestic submarine fleet associated with the leakage of toxic components of liquid fuel and even explosions that led to the loss of the ship (K-219).

In addition, the following facts speak in favor of solid propellant rocket engines:

Shorter length (due to the absence of a separated combustion chamber). As a result, American submarines lack the characteristic “hump” above the missile compartment;

Less pre-launch preparation time. In contrast to SLBMs with liquid propellant engines, where first there is a long and dangerous procedure of pumping fuel components (FC) and filling pipelines and the combustion chamber with them. Plus, the “liquid start” process itself, which requires filling the shaft with sea water, which is an undesirable factor that violates the submarine’s stealth;

Until the pressure accumulator is launched, it is possible to cancel the launch (due to changes in the situation and/or detection of any malfunctions in the SLBM systems). Our “Sineva” works on a different principle: start - shoot. And nothing else. Otherwise, a dangerous process of draining the fuel tank will be required, after which the uncombatable missile can only be carefully unloaded and sent to the manufacturer for refurbishment.

As for the launch technology itself, the American version has its own drawback.

Will a pressure accumulator be able to provide the necessary conditions for “pushing” a 59-ton blank to the surface? Or at the moment of launch will you have to go at shallow depths, with the wheelhouse sticking out above the water?

The calculated pressure value for the launch of Trident-2 is 6 atm, the initial speed of movement in the vapor-gas cloud is 50 m/s. According to calculations, the starting impulse is sufficient to “lift” the rocket from a depth of at least 30 meters. As for the “unaesthetic” exit to the surface, at an angle to the normal, in technical terms this does not matter: the ignition of the third stage engine stabilizes the flight of the rocket in the first seconds.

At the same time, the “dry” launch of the “Trident”, in which the propulsion engine is started 30 meters above the water, provides some safety to the submarine itself in the event of an accident (explosion) of an SLBM in the first second of flight.

Unlike domestic high-energy SLBMs, whose creators are seriously discussing the possibility of flying along a flat trajectory, foreign experts are not even trying to work in this direction. Motivation: the active part of the SLBM trajectory lies in an area inaccessible to enemy missile defense systems (for example, the equatorial section of the Pacific Ocean or the ice shell of the Arctic). As for the final section, for missile defense systems it does not really matter what the angle of entry into the atmosphere was - 50 or 20 degrees. Moreover, the missile defense systems themselves, capable of repelling a massive missile attack, still exist only in the fantasies of generals. Flight in dense layers of the atmosphere, in addition to reducing range, creates a bright contrail, which in itself is a strong unmasking factor.

Epilogue

A galaxy of domestic submarine-launched missiles against a single Trident-2... I must say, the “American” is holding up well. Despite its advanced age and solid fuel engines, its throw weight is exactly equal to the throw weight of the liquid fuel Sineva. The launch range is no less impressive: in this indicator, Trident-2 is not inferior to perfected Russian liquid-fuel missiles and is head and shoulders above any French or Chinese analogue. Finally, a small CEP, making Trident-2 a real contender for first place in the ranking of naval strategic nuclear forces.

20 years is a considerable age, but the Yankees are not even discussing the possibility of replacing the Trident until the early 2030s. Obviously, a powerful and reliable rocket fully satisfies their ambitions.

All disputes about the superiority of one or another type of nuclear weapon are of little significance. Nuclear is like multiplying by zero. Regardless of other factors, the result will be zero.

Lockheed Martin engineers created a cool solid-fuel SLBM that was twenty years ahead of its time. The merits of domestic specialists in the field of creating liquid-propellant rockets are also beyond doubt: over the past half-century, Russian SLBMs with liquid-propellant rocket engines have been brought to true perfection.

General: ...a nuclear device with a yield of 5 to 50 Megatons was successfully tested.
Reporter: Why such a large range? You couldn't count for sure?
Well,” says the general, “we were counting on 5, but it’s going to explode.”

According to the Lokheed Martin Space Systems website, on April 14 and 16, 2012, the US Navy successfully conducted a series of paired launches of Trident submarine-launched ballistic missiles. These were the 139th, 140th, 141st and 142nd consecutive successful launches of Trident-II D5 SLBMs. All missile launches were carried out from the submerged SSBN738 Maryland SSBN in the Atlantic Ocean. Once again, a world record for reliability was set among long-range ballistic missiles and spacecraft launch vehicles.
In an official statement, Melanie A. Sloane, Vice President of Naval Ballistic Missile Programs at Lockheed Martin Space Systems, said: “...Trident missiles continue to demonstrate high operational reliability. These tests are an important part of the strategic deterrence mission, the very fact of their existence Such an effective combat system prevents the aggressive plans of opponents. The stealth and mobility of the Trident undersea system gives it unique capabilities as the most survivable component of the strategic triad, which ensures the security of our country from threats from any potential adversary.”

But while the “Trident” (and this is how the word Trident is translated) is setting records, its creators have accumulated many questions related to the real combat value of the American missile.

Because We are not going to divulge anyone's state secrets; our entire further conversation will be based on data taken from open sources. This complicates the situation – and ours. and the American military is falsifying the facts so that nasty details never come to light. But we will certainly be able to restore some of the “blank spots” in this complicated story, using the “deductive method” of Sherlock Holmes and the most ordinary logic.

So, what do we know for sure about Trident:
UGM-133A Trident II (D5) three-stage solid-propellant submarine-launched ballistic missile. Adopted by the US Navy in 1990 as a replacement for the first generation Trident missile. Currently, Trident-2 is armed with 14 US Navy nuclear-powered missile submarines Ohio and 4 British Vanguard SSBNs.
Main performance characteristics:
Length – 13.42 m
Diameter – 2.11 m
Maximum launch weight – 59 tons
Maximum flight range – up to 11,300 km
Throwing weight - 2800 kilograms (14 W76 warheads or 8 more powerful W88).
Agree, all this sounds very solid.

The most surprising thing is that each of the given parameters causes heated debate. The assessments range from enthusiastic to sharply negative. Well, let's get real:

Liquid or solid rocket motor?

Liquid rocket engine or turbojet engine? Two different design schools, two different approaches to solving the most serious problem of rocketry. Which engine is better?
Soviet rocket scientists traditionally preferred liquid fuel and achieved great success in this area. And for good reason: liquid-propellant rocket engines have a fundamental advantage: liquid-propellant rockets are always superior to rockets with turbojet engines in terms of energy-mass perfection - the amount of thrown weight related to the launch weight of the rocket.
Trident-2, like the new modification R-29RMU2 Sineva, have the same throw weight - 2800 kg, while the launch weight of Sineva is one third less: 40 tons versus 58 for Trident-2. That's it!
And then the difficulties begin: a liquid engine is overly complex, its design contains many moving parts (pumps, valves, turbines), and, as you know, mechanics are a critical element of any system. But there is also a positive point here: by controlling the fuel supply, you can easily solve control and maneuvering problems.
A solid-fuel rocket is structurally simpler and, accordingly, easier and safer to operate (in fact, its engine burns like a large smoke bomb). Obviously, talking about safety is not a simple philosophy; it was the R-27 liquid-propellant rocket that destroyed the K-219 nuclear submarine in October 1986.

TTRD places high demands on production technology: the required thrust parameters are achieved by varying the chemical composition of the fuel and the geometry of the combustion chamber. Any deviations in chemical composition components are excluded - even the presence of air bubbles in the fuel will cause an uncontrolled change in thrust. However, this condition did not prevent the United States from creating one of the best in the world missile systems underwater based.

"Trident 2" hunts seagulls.
The control nozzle appears to be stuck

There are also purely design disadvantages of liquid-propellant rockets: for example, Trident uses a “dry start” - the rocket is ejected from the silo by a steam-gas mixture, then the first stage engines are turned on at a height of 10-30 meters above the water. Our rocket scientists, on the contrary, chose a “wet launch” - the rocket silo is pre-filled with sea water before launch. Not only does this unmask the boat, the characteristic noise of the pumps clearly indicates what it is about to do.

The Americans, without any doubt, chose solid fuel missiles to arm their submarine missile carriers. Still, the simplicity of the solution is the key to success. The development of solid-fuel missiles has deep traditions in the United States - the first SLBM Polaris A-1, created in 1958, flew on solid fuel.

The USSR closely followed the development of foreign rocket technology and after some time also realized the need for rockets equipped with a turbojet engine. In 1984, the R-39 solid-fuel missile was put into service - an absolutely brutal product of the Soviet military-industrial complex. At that time, it was not possible to find effective solid fuel components - the launch weight of the R-39 reached an incredible 90 tons, while the throw weight was less than that of Trident-2. A special carrier was created for the overgrown missile - the heavy submarine strategic nuclear cruiser Project 941 "Akula" (according to NATO classification - "Typhoon"). Engineers from the Rubin Central Design Bureau have designed a unique submarine with two strong hulls and a buoyancy reserve of 40%. While submerged, the Typhoon dragged 15 thousand tons of water ballast, for which it received the destructive nickname “water carrier” in the navy. But, despite all the reproaches, the insane design of the Typhoon, by its very appearance, terrified the entire Western world. Q.E.D.

And then SHE came - a rocket that threw the general designer from his chair, but never reached the “probable enemy”. SLBM "Bulava". In my opinion, Yuri Solomonov managed the impossible - under conditions of severe financial restrictions, lack of bench tests and experience in developing ballistic missiles for submarines, the Moscow Institute of Thermal Engineering managed to create a rocket that FLYS. In technical terms, the Bulava SLBM is an original hybrid, the first and second stages run on solid fuel, the third stage uses liquid fuel.

In terms of energy and mass perfection, the Bulava is somewhat inferior to the first-generation Trident: the launch weight of the Bulava is 36.8 tons, the throwing weight is 1150 kilograms. Trident-1 has a launch weight of 32 tons and a throw weight of 1360 kg. But there is a nuance here: the capabilities of missiles depend not only on the weight thrown, but also on the launch range and accuracy (in other words, on the CEP - circular probable deviation). In the era of missile defense development, it became necessary to take into account such an important indicator as the duration of the active part of the trajectory. By all these indicators, the Bulava is a fairly promising missile.

Range of flight

Very controversial point, providing a rich topic for discussion. The creators of Trident-2 proudly declare that their SLBM flies at a range of 11,300 kilometers. Usually below, in small letters, there is a clarification: with a reduced number of warheads. Yeah! How much does Trident-2 produce with a full load of 2.8 tons? Lokheed Martin specialists are reluctant to give the answer: 7,800 kilometers. In principle, both figures are quite realistic and there is reason to trust them.

One of the secrets of the Trident-2 design. Telescopic needle reduces aerodynamic drag

As for the Bulava, the figure of 9,300 kilometers is often found. This crafty meaning was obtained by payload from 2 models of warheads. What is the maximum flight range of the Bulava at a full load of 1.15 tons? The answer is about 8000 kilometers. Fine.
And the record flight range among SLBMs was set by the Russian R-29RMU2 Sineva. 11547 kilometers. Empty, of course.

Another interesting point is that the light SLBM “Bulava”, logically, should accelerate faster and have a shorter active trajectory section. The same is confirmed by General Designer Yuri Solomonov: “the rocket engines operate in active mode for about 3 minutes.” Comparison of this statement with official data on Trident gives an unexpected result: the operating time of all three stages of Trident-2 is ... 3 minutes. Perhaps the whole secret of the Bulava is in the steepness of the trajectory, its flatness, but there is no reliable data on this issue.

Launch chronology

Arrival of combat units, Kwajalein Atoll
It's too late to crawl to the cemetery

Trident-2 is a record holder for reliability. 159 successful launches, 4 failures, one more launch was considered partially unsuccessful. Since December 6, 1989, a continuous series of 142 successful launches began, and so far not a single accident. The result is, of course, phenomenal.

There is one tricky point here related to the methodology for testing SLBMs in the US Navy. You will not find the phrase “the missile warheads successfully arrived at the Kwajalein test site” in reports about Trident 2 launches. The Trident 2 warheads did not arrive anywhere. They self-destructed in near-Earth space. That’s right – the detonation of a ballistic missile after a certain period of time ends the test launches of American SLBMs.

There is no doubt that sometimes American sailors carry out full cycle tests - with testing the deployment of individually guided warheads in orbit and their subsequent landing (splashdown) in a given area of ​​the ocean. But in the 2000s, preference was given to forcibly interrupting the flight of missiles. according to the official explanation, Trident-2 has already proven its performance dozens of times during testing; Now training launches have a different purpose - crew training. Another official explanation for the premature self-destruction of SLBMs is so that the ships of the “probable enemy” measuring complex will not be able to determine the flight parameters of the warheads at the final part of the trajectory.
In principle, this is a completely standard situation - just remember Operation Behemoth, when on August 6, 1991, the Soviet missile submarine K-407 Novomoskovsk fired with a full load of ammunition. Of the 16 launched R-29 SLBMs, only 2 reached the test site in Kamchatka, the remaining 14 were blown up in the stratosphere a few seconds after launch. The Americans themselves produced a maximum of 4 Trident-2s at a time.

Circular probable deviation.

It's completely dark here. The data is so contradictory that it is impossible to draw any conclusions. In theory, everything looks like this:

KVO "Trident-2" - 90...120 meters
90 meters - for W88 warhead with GPS correction
120 meters – using astro correction

For comparison, official data on domestic SLBMs:
KVO R-29RMU2 “Sineva” - 250…550 meters
KVO "Bulava" - 350 meters.
The following phrase is usually heard in the news: “warheads have arrived at the Kura training ground.” There is no talk about the fact that the warheads hit the targets. Maybe the extreme secrecy regime does not allow us to proudly announce that the CEP of the Bulava warheads is measured in several centimeters?
The same thing is observed with Trident. What 90 meters are we talking about if warhead tests have not been carried out for the last 10 years?
One more point - talk about equipping the Bulava with maneuvering warheads raises some doubts. With a maximum throw weight of 1150 kg, the Bulava is unlikely to lift more than one block.

CEP is by no means a harmless parameter, given the nature of the targets on the territory of the “probable enemy”. To destroy protected targets on the territory of a “probable enemy”, it is necessary to create an excess pressure of about 100 atmospheres, and for highly protected targets such as the R-36M2 mine - 200 atmospheres. Many years ago, experimentally, it was established that with a charge power of 100 kilotons, to defeat underground bunker or a silo-based ICBM needs to be detonated no further than 100 meters from the target.

Super weapon for a super hero

For Trident-2, the most advanced multiple independently targetable warhead (MIRV) was created - the W88 thermonuclear warhead. Power – 475 kilotons.
The design of the W88 was a closely guarded US secret until a package with documents arrived from China. In 1995, a Chinese defector archivist contacted the CIA station, whose testimony clearly indicated that the PRC intelligence services had obtained the secrets of the W88. The Chinese knew exactly the size of the “trigger” - 115 millimeters, the size of a grapefruit. It was known that the primary nuclear charge was “aspherical with two points.” The Chinese document pinpointed the radius of the circular secondary charge as 172 mm, and that, unlike other nuclear warheads, the W-88's primary charge was contained in a tapered, cone-shaped warhead housing, in front of the secondary, another warhead design mystery.

In principle, we didn’t learn anything special - and it’s clear that the W88 has a complex design and is extremely saturated with electronics. But the Chinese managed to find out something more interesting - when creating the W88, American engineers saved a lot on the thermal protection of the warhead, moreover, the initiating charges are made of ordinary explosives, and not of heat-resistant ones explosives, as is common throughout the world. The data was leaked to the press (well, it’s impossible to keep secrets in America, what can you do) - there was a scandal, there was a meeting of Congress at which the developers justified themselves by saying that placing warheads around the third stage of Trident-2 makes any thermal protection pointless - in the event A launch vehicle accident will result in a guaranteed Apocalypse. Measures taken quite enough to prevent strong heating of the warheads during flight in dense layers of the atmosphere. No more is required. But still, by decision of Congress, all 384 W88 warheads were modernized, designed to increase their thermal resistance.

Sectional view of a W-76 warhead

As we can see, of the 1,728 warheads placed on American missile carriers, only 384 are relatively new W88. The remaining 1,344 are 100-kiloton W76 warheads produced between 1975 and 1985. Of course, their technical condition is strictly monitored and the warheads have already gone through more than one stage of modernization, but average age at 30 years old says a lot...

60 years on combat duty

The US Navy operates 14 Ohio-class missile submarines. Underwater displacement - 18,000 tons. Armament - 24 launch silos. The Mark-98 fire control system allows all missiles to be put on combat readiness within 15 minutes. The Trident-2 launch interval is 15…20 seconds.

Boats created during the Cold War are still in service with the fleet, spending 60% of their time on combat patrols. It is expected that development of a new carrier and a new submarine-launched ballistic missile to replace the Trident will begin no earlier than 2020. The Ohio-Trident-2 complex is planned to be completely removed from service no earlier than 2040.

Her Majesty's Royal Navy is armed with 4 Vanguard-class submarines, each armed with 16 Trident-2 SLBMs. British Tridents have some differences from American ones. The warheads of British missiles are designed for 8 warheads with a capacity of 150 kilotons (created on the basis of the W76 warhead). Unlike the American "Ohio", "Vanguards" have a 2 times lower operational tension coefficient: at any given time there is only one boat on combat patrol.

Prospects

As for the production of Trident 2, despite the version that production of the missile was discontinued 20 years ago, between 1989 and 2007 Lokheed Martin assembled 425 Tridents for the US Navy at its factories. Another 58 missiles were supplied to the UK. Currently, within the framework of the LEP (Life Extension Program) there are discussions about the purchase of another 115 Trident-2. The new rockets will have more efficient engines and a new inertial control system with a star sensor. In the future, engineers hope to create a new warhead with atmospheric correction based on GPS data, which will allow for incredible accuracy: a CEP of less than 9 meters.