Length, m	18,3
Diameter, m	2,69
Starting weight, t	49,9
Engine thrust, t	67,5
Engine operating time, s	150
Maximum firing range, km	2700–3100
Maximum flight altitude, km	720
Maximum flight speed, m/s	about 4440
KVO, m	3600
Rocket cost, thousand dollars	480

The first launch of the Jupiter rocket took place on September 20, 1956 from Cape Canaveral. It turned out to be unsuccessful. The rocket flew about 1000 m. The second launch also ended in failure. Only during the third launch, on May 31, 1957, did the rocket reach a range of 2,780 km. In total, until July 1958, 38 test launches were carried out for various purposes, of which 29 were considered successful or partially successful. There were especially many failures during the first series of tests. At first, representatives of the customer even had serious concerns about the fate of the project. But a year after the first launch, the designers mostly managed to overcome the technical difficulties.

Even before the decision to adopt the Jupiter missile into service (it was adopted in the summer of 1958), on January 15, 1958, the formation of the 864th squadron of strategic missiles began, and a little later another one, the 865th squadron. After thorough preparation, which included conducting a combat training launch from standard equipment at the test site, the squadrons were transferred to Italy (Gioia base, 30 missiles) and Turkey (Tigli base, 15 missiles). The Jupiter missiles were aimed at the most important objects in the European part of the USSR.

The story of the Cuban Missile Crisis is beyond the scope of our work. Nevertheless, one cannot help but be indignant at the statements made after 1990, of course, by our politicians about Khrushchev’s adventurist behavior. Meanwhile, the delivery to Turkey of not only medium-range missiles, but even just troops by a major European power would automatically become a “casus belli” for any Russian emperor from Catherine the Great to Nicholas II.

As a result of the agreement between Khrushchev and Kennedy, in exchange for the withdrawal of Soviet ballistic missiles and Il-28 bombers from Cuba, the Americans officially promised not to attack Cuba. And at the request of Kennedy, who passionately wanted to “save face” before the next presidential election, the withdrawal of Jupiter and Thor missiles from Europe and Turkey took place in the first half of 1963 without much publicity.

Jupiter rockets were stored in warehouses in the United States until 1975 inclusive.

On the basis of the Jupiter rocket, Chrysler created the four-stage Juno-2 launch vehicle. The Jupiter rocket was the first stage. Three more upper stages were equipped with powder engines and installed on the instrument compartment of the Jupiter rocket under a special fairing.

Juno-2 was used to launch the Explorer artificial satellite into orbit and to send the Pioneer spacecraft to the Moon and other celestial bodies. The first launch of the Juno-2 launch vehicle with a payload was made on December 6, 1958. In total, in 1958–1961. 10 Juno-2 rockets were launched from Cape Canaveral, of which 4 launches were considered completely successful.

Thor rocket. The medium-range (theater of war) ballistic missile "Thor" SM-75 had approximately the same tactical and technical characteristics as the "Jupiter" missile. The fundamental difference was that it was made for the Air Force, and not for the army, like Jupiter. In the United States, each branch of the military has its own ministry, its own budget, and for their own selfish purposes, bureaucrats often resort to duplication when creating similar systems.

On December 27, 1955, the US Air Force Research and Development Command's ballistic missile department entered into a contract with Douglas Aircraft to develop the Thor missile. Under the leadership of the ballistic missile department, Douglas Aircraft, together with other firms, developed not only the Thor missile itself, but the entire missile system. Tight deadlines have been set for the design and manufacture of ground support equipment to ensure that it is available by the time the Thor missile is operational. In order to speed up the delivery of combat missiles, the Air Force decided to manufacture the Thor missile in mass production, thereby eliminating the usual stage of manufacturing a prototype missile. The first Thor rocket was manufactured by Douglas Aircraft in Santa Monica in October 1956.

Dr. Bromberg was appointed chief designer for the Thor missile system, and Colonel Edward Hall was appointed head of the entire program.

Having started work, the Douglas Aircraft company made a preliminary design of the rocket within a month. It took 7 months to produce working drawings.

The first Thor rocket was launched on January 25, 1957, just 13 months after the rocket's blueprints were approved and production consent was given. The first test was unsuccessful: the rocket exploded on the launch pad.

Three more tests took place in April, May and August 1957, all of which were unsuccessful. (The second Thor missile was actually destroyed by mistake, due to a malfunction of the safety system at the test site.)

As a result of the tests, new information was obtained about the operation of the engines and control system and the flight range. Based on this information, the defects were eliminated and changes were made to the rocket design.

On September 20, 1957, the Thor rocket without a guidance system successfully rose from the launch pad and flew the specified distance of 1,400 km. The following month, with a new successful launch, a range of 4,250 km was achieved. The first launch of the Thor rocket with a guidance system was carried out on December 19, 1957. The rocket, flying along a given course, fell very close to the target.

In February 1958, tests began to separate the warhead, and in June of the same year, the warhead with test equipment was salvaged after a flight of over 2,400 km.

From Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, the Thor rocket was launched for the first time on December 16, 1958. The test was carried out by a combat crew and was successful. The rocket launched 20 minutes after the launch command.

Of the 31 Thor rocket launches that took place there before January 28, 1959, 15 were completely successful, 12 were partially successful, and 4 ended in complete failure. These four unsuccessful launches refer to the first samples of the rocket. By the end of November 1959, 77 Thor missiles had been launched.

The Thor rocket was equipped with an inertial control system from General Motors.

For ease of manufacture, the Thor rocket was divided into several parts. The power plant compartment contained a Rocketdyne LR-79 liquid rocket engine, a turbopump unit and controls. Two LR-101 auxiliary engines were attached to the rear bulkhead, which controlled the missile's roll and were used to regulate the missile's flight speed. Pitch and yaw control of the rocket was ensured by turning the main engine. The engine compartment was connected to a liquid oxygen tank, which in turn was connected to the central part of the rocket. Then came the fuel tank and, finally, the guidance and control system compartment. The head of the rocket was attached to the guidance and control systems compartment. (Ch. 12)

The book tells the story of the creation and today strategic missiles nuclear forces nuclear powers. The designs of intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarine-launched ballistic missiles, medium-range missiles, and launch complexes are considered.

The publication was prepared by the supplement department of the RF Ministry of Defense magazine “Army Collection” together with the National Center for Nuclear Hazard Reduction and the Arsenal-Press publishing house.

Tables with pictures.

Sections of this page:

The accumulated experience in creating the first military ballistic missiles allowed designers to begin designing missiles with an increased range. Soviet rocket scientists were the first to begin this work. Immediately after the completion of work on the R-2 rocket, the government in 1952 received an order to design a rocket with a flight range of more than 1000 km. The task was assigned to TsKB-1. Already in 1953, the rocket, designated R-5, was presented for flight tests, which were carried out at the Kapustin Yar test site.

The tests were carried out with varying degrees of success. Despite all the difficulties, the development of the rocket continued. The R-5 was a single-stage rocket engine powered by liquid oxygen (oxidizer) and 92 percent ethyl alcohol (fuel). An improved rocket engine from the R-2 rocket, designated RD-103, was used as a propulsion engine. It was made single-chamber, with a TNA driven by products of the catalytic decomposition of concentrated hydrogen peroxide in a gas generator. The engine had an improved cooling system for the combustion chamber heads and nozzles. Bellows pipelines for the oxidizer and elastic ones for fuel were introduced, a centrifugal pump was installed to supply hydrogen peroxide, and the overall layout was improved. All systems and elements of the rocket engine have undergone changes. All this made it possible to increase the engine thrust on the ground to 41 tons, while the overall height of the engine decreased by 0.5 m, and its weight decreased by 50 kg.

Improvements in the design of the rocket have yielded positive results. During flight tests, the flight range reached 1200 km.

The missile was equipped with a warhead filled with a conventional explosive, which did not suit the military much. At their request, the designers were looking for ways to increase combat capabilities. An unusual solution was found. In addition to the standard warhead, it was proposed to attach two, and a little later, four additional warheads to the R-5. This would make it possible to fire at area targets. Flight tests confirmed the viability of the idea, but at the same time the flight range was reduced to 820 and 600 km, respectively.

The creation in 1953 by Soviet nuclear scientists of a small-sized nuclear charge suitable for placement on missiles opened the way to a sharp increase in the combat capabilities of missiles. This was especially important for the Soviet Union, which, unlike the United States, did not have powerful strategic aviation. On April 10, 1954, a government decree was issued on the creation of a rocket equipped with a nuclear warhead based on the tested R-5.

Less than a year later, on January 20, 1955, the first test launch of the R-5M rocket took place at the Kapustin Yar test site. This is the index they decided to assign to the new product. On February 2, 1956, the first launch of the R-5M, equipped with a warhead with a nuclear charge, was carried out. Despite the general excitement and the inevitable excitement in such cases, aggravated by the presence of high authorities, the combat crew worked with high professionalism. The missile launched safely and reached the target area. The automatic detonation of the nuclear charge worked reliably. By the beginning of the summer of 1956, the flight test program for the R-5M missile was completed, and on July 21, by government decree, it was adopted by the engineering brigades of the RVGK, where it remained until 1961.

The R-5M rocket had the same propulsion system with an automatic thrust control system. The control system is autonomous, with a lateral radio correction system. To increase its reliability, redundancy of the main units was provided: automatic stabilization, on-board power sources, cable network in certain areas.

The warhead with a 300 kt nuclear charge was separated from the rocket body in flight. The circular probabilistic deviation (CPD) of the point of impact of the warhead from the calculated aiming point was 3.7 km.

) 1956

The combat missile system with the R-5M missile was more advanced than its predecessors. The rocket launch was fully automated. During the pre-launch preparation process, all launch operations were monitored. The launch was carried out from ground launcher(launch pad). When installing the rocket on the launch pad, it was not necessary to first load it onto the installer. But the missile system also had disadvantages. Pre-launch checks, refueling and aiming operations for the R-5M were carried out without automation equipment, which significantly increased the preparation time for launch. The use of rapidly evaporating liquid oxygen as one of the components of rocket fuel did not allow keeping the rocket fueled for more than 30 days. To produce a supply of oxygen, it was necessary to have powerful oxygen plants in the areas where the missile units were based. All this made the missile system inactive and vulnerable, which limited its use in the armed forces.

R-5 and R-5M missiles were also used for peaceful purposes as geophysical missiles. In 1956–1957, a series of missiles were created, designated R-5A, R-5B, R-5V for research upper layers atmosphere, Earth's magnetic field, radiation from the Sun and stars, cosmic rays. Along with the study of phenomena associated with geophysical processes, these rockets were used to conduct medical and biological research using animals. The missiles had a launchable warhead. The launch was carried out at altitudes of up to 515 km.

R-5A in flight

At the same time, geophysical rockets differed from combat ones not only in their head part, but also in size. Thus, the R-5A and R-5B missiles had a length of 20.75 m and a launch weight of 28.6 tons. The R-5B missile had a length of 23 m. In 1958–1977, 20 missiles of this series were successfully launched.

During the period of work on the R-5M, a split occurred in the Korolev Design Bureau. The fact is that Korolev was a supporter of the use of low-boiling rocket fuel components. But liquid oxygen, used as an oxidizer, did not allow combat missiles to achieve high combat readiness, since it was impossible to keep it in the missile tanks without loss for a long time, estimated in tens of months. However, its use on launch vehicles for space objects promised certain benefits. And Sergei Pavlovich always remembered his long-standing dream of flying into space. But he had opponents, led by the talented designer Mikhail Kuzmich Yangel. They believed that combat missiles using high-boiling fuel components were more promising. The conflict at the beginning of 1955 took on rather acute forms, which was not conducive to productive work. Since Yangel was a prominent figure in the world of rocket designers and the conflict clearly interfered with business, a wise decision was made. By government decision, a new Special Design Bureau No. 586 was created, headed by M. Yangel, which was located in Dnepropetrovsk. He was entrusted with the development of combat missiles using high-boiling rocket fuel components. So the Soviet rocket scientists had internal competition, which later played a positive role. On August 13, 1955, a government decree assigned the new design bureau the task of developing a medium-range missile equipped with a warhead with a nuclear charge.

Just at the same time, overseas they began designing ballistic missiles capable of hitting targets 3,000 km away from the launch site. In the US there was no need to create artificial competition. Everything was completely fine there. However, it was precisely this circumstance that forced American taxpayers to fork out extra cash. Financing of military orders in the US Department of Defense is carried out by branch of the armed forces (each branch has its own ministry, which is the customer of weapons models). It so happened that the Ministry of the Army and the Ministry of the Air Force issued technical specifications with almost identical characteristics for the development of MRBMs independently of each other to different companies, which ultimately led to duplication of work.

The army command entrusted the development of its missile to the Redstone arsenal. By this time, Wernher von Braun had largely completed work on the previous rocket and was able to concentrate his main efforts on the new one. The work promised to be interesting not only from a military point of view. He understood perfectly well that a rocket of this class could launch an artificial satellite into space. Thus, the dream of von Braun’s youth could come true, because in the late 20s he began working on rockets with the goal of conquering outer space.

Design work progressed successfully and already in the early autumn of 1956 the rocket was transferred for testing. This was largely facilitated by the fact that when designing the rocket, designated SM-78, and even later - Jupiter, many solutions and design elements tested on the Redstone rocket were used.

IRBM "Jupiter" (USA) 1958

On September 20, 1956, a Jupiter rocket was launched from the Eastern Test Site (Metro Canaveral) to a range of 1098 km. The first launch at maximum range took place on May 31, 1957. A total of 38 launches were carried out until July 1958, of which 29 were considered successful or partially successful. There were especially many failures during the first starts.

Even before the decision to accept the missile for service (adopted in the summer of 1958), on January 15, 1958, the formation of the 864th squadron of strategic missiles began, and a little later another one, the 865th. Each squadron was armed with 30 missiles. After appropriate preparation, they were transferred to Italy and Turkey. Their missiles were aimed at targets located in the European part of the Soviet Union. Several missiles were transferred to the Royal Air Force of Great Britain. The Jupiter missiles were in service until 1963, when they were eliminated in accordance with the terms of the agreement between the USSR and the USA on the settlement of the Cuban Missile Crisis.

The single-stage Jupiter ballistic missile had load-bearing integral fuel tanks welded from large panels of a special alloy. Liquid oxygen and TR-1 kerosene were used as fuel components. The main engine was single-chamber with turbopump fuel supply. To obtain control forces, the combustion chamber was made deflectable.

In flight, the rocket was controlled by an inertial control system. To increase the accuracy of gyroscopes, special air suspensions were developed for them. The issue of controlling the rocket by its roll angle was interestingly resolved. For this purpose, a movable (fixed in a gimbal) exhaust pipe of the turbopump unit was used.

The missile was equipped with a nuclear warhead with a capacity of 1 Mt. To protect the warhead from overheating when entering the dense layers of the atmosphere in the passive part of the trajectory, it was covered with a special coating. To give the necessary speed to achieve maximum flight range, the warhead was equipped with an additional powder engine. The missile system was considered mobile. The rocket was transported on a wheeled conveyor and launched after being installed on a launch device, which had an original system of support on the ground in the form of folding petals.

The medium-range ballistic missile, developed for the US Air Force by Douglas Aircraft, received the designation SM-75. Bromberg was appointed chief designer of the missile system, and Colonel Edward Hall was appointed head of the entire program.

The first rocket was submitted for static testing in October 1956, earlier than the Jupiter rocket. The first launch of the product, which by this time was given the name “Thor,” took place on January 25, 1957, a year after the start of design. The designers were in a hurry, which affected the flight characteristics of the rocket. Immediately after detachment from the launcher, it exploded. During the first half of 1957, there were four more rocket explosions and many failures during preparation for launch. These failures cost Colonel Hall his job.

The designers had to put in a lot of effort to make the rocket fly. Only in September 1957 the test launch was successful. The rocket flew 2170 km. Subsequent test launches were also successful. In the summer of 1958, a test launch took place from a mobile launcher designed for military units. In the same year, the Thor was adopted by the US Air Force.

The rocket was single-stage. Two-thirds of the body was made up of the fuel compartment, welded from large sheets of a special aluminum alloy. Liquid oxygen and kerosene were used as rocket fuel components. The rocket was equipped with a deflectable sustainer liquid rocket engine LR-79, developed by Rocketdyne, which developed a thrust on the ground of 68 tons. Its operating time was 160 seconds. The liquid rocket engine had a height of 3.9 m.

To supply fuel components, a turbopump unit with parallel shafts was used, on one of which axial-centrifugal oxidizer and fuel pumps were installed, and on the other, an axial two-stage active turbine. At the turbine outlet, a heat exchanger was installed - a liquid oxygen evaporator. The resulting gas was used to pressurize the oxidizer tank. The ignition of the fuel components in the combustion chamber occurred from the starting fuel (triethylaluminum) contained in the sleeve, which is destroyed by the pressure of the main fuel coming from a special starting tank. To create control forces on the roll angle, low-thrust LR-101 steering liquid-propellant rocket engines were used, the fuel of which was supplied from the fuel pump of the main engine.

The rocket was equipped with an inertial control system from General Motors. The head of the rocket contained a nuclear charge with a power of 1.5 Mt. The maximum flight range was 3180 km.

The Thor MRBM squadrons, armed with 15 missiles each, were based in Italy, Turkey and England. The rocket was convenient for transportation by transport aircraft. Some of the missiles were transferred to Great Britain in 1961, where they were placed at missile bases in Yorkshire and Suffolk. The Thor and Jupiter rockets were built in a small series. Their total number in the US Air Force and Army reached 105 units.

The Americans actively used the Thor rocket as the first stage of a whole family of launch vehicles (referred to as LB-2). It was constantly improved. Thus, the latest modification of the LB-2, used on the Tor-Delta launch vehicle, had a length of 22.9 m, a launch weight of 84.8 tons (including fuel - 79.7 tons). It was equipped with a liquid propellant engine with a thrust of 88 tons on the ground and an operating duration of 228 seconds. On the basis of the Thor rocket, the first stage of Torad was developed, which differed from the basic one in the presence of mounted launch solid propellant rocket engines.

Around the same time that work on the creation of the American Thor and Jupiter MRBMs was being completed, flight tests were completed in the USSR new rocket medium-range R-12, created at OKB-586 by the design team under the leadership of M. Yangel.

The first test launch of the R-12 rocket took place on June 22, 1957, almost two years after the start of design work. Flight tests took place until December 27, 1958 at the Kapustin Yar training ground. The combat missile system with the ground-based R-12 missile was put into service on March 4, 1959. R-12 became the first Soviet combat ballistic missile with a nuclear warhead, which was produced in large series. It was these missiles that became the main missile weapons created in December 1959, a new branch of the USSR Armed Forces - the Strategic Missile Forces.

The R-12 missile (industry designation 8K63) is single-stage, with load-bearing tanks and a liquid-fueled rocket engine. Nitric acid oxidizer and hydrocarbon fuel were used as rocket fuel components. To ignite the main fuel, special starting fuel TG-02 was used.

IRBM "Thor" (USA) 1958

MRBM R-12 at the launch position

The rocket's propulsion system consisted of a four-chamber rocket engine RD-214 with a thrust on the ground of 60 tons. Its mass was 645 kg, height 2.38 m, operating time 140 seconds. RD-214 had four chambers, a fuel pump, a gas generator, control units and other elements. Liquid rocket engine chambers - with connected shells, with regenerative and curtain fuel cooling, with corrugated spacers between the walls. The chambers are made of steel and fastened into a rigid block, to which the TNA is attached on top on a special frame. It contains three centrifugal single-stage pumps and an axial two-stage active turbine, which are located on two coaxial shafts. An oxidizer pump and a turbine are installed on one shaft, and fuel and 80 percent hydrogen peroxide pumps to power the gas generator are installed on the other. Ignition of the fuel in the chamber is chemical, using starting fuel, poured into the line up to the main fuel valve. Engine thrust is regulated by changing the flow rate of the working fluid through the gas generator. The rocket engine is attached to the rocket using supports located in the upper part of the chambers.

The rocket was equipped with an autonomous control system, the executive elements of which were gas-jet rudders. In order to improve the stabilization of the rocket in flight, for the first time in domestic rocket science, the oxidizer tank was divided into two parts. Additionally, the rocket was equipped with four aerodynamic fixed stabilizers. The control system included devices for normal and lateral stabilization of the center of mass, an apparent speed control system, and an automatic range control with duplication of switching channels. The control system provided a CEP of 2.3 km for the warhead impact points when flying to a maximum range of 2000 km.

The R-12 missile was launched from a ground launcher, where it was installed in an unfueled state in preparation for launch. After refueling operations and aiming, the missile was ready for launch. The total preparation time for launch reached three hours and largely depended on the level of training of combat crews. In addition, the ground complex had low survivability. Therefore, the designers of the Yangel Design Bureau were given the task of creating a ballistic missile system based on R-12 missiles in specially designed silos.

On December 30, 1961, the first launch of the modernized missile, designated R-12U, took place. Tests were carried out until October 1963 at the Kapustin Yar training ground, where special silo launchers were built, and on January 5, 1964, the BRK with the R-12U missile was put into service. The launch position of the R-12U missiles consisted of four silos and a command post.

The flight test program of the R-12 missile has not yet been completed, but it has already become clear that this missile will not be able to achieve a long flight range. In order to cover the entire medium-range range within the continental theaters of war, a new missile was needed. On July 2, 1958, the Yangel Design Bureau received a government task to design a missile with a flight range of 3,600 km and higher performance characteristics than the R-12.

The design team, which had accumulated sufficient experience by this time, was able to successfully solve the problem within two years. On July 6, 1960, the first test launch of a new missile, designated R-14, took place. Although it was considered a success, in reality not everything was smooth sailing. The first series of test launches showed that the new rocket was successful, however, the phenomenon of cavitation was noted. The designers dealt with this problem quite quickly. Flight tests were carried out at the Kapustin Yar test site until February 15, 1961, and after their successful completion, on April 24 of the same year, the BRK with the R-14 missile was adopted by the Strategic Missile Forces.

BRSD R-12 (USSR) 1958

MRBM R-14 at the launch position

The R-14 missile is single-stage with load-bearing fuel tanks. Nitric acid (oxidizer) and unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine (fuel) were used for the first time as components of rocket fuel, which ignited upon mutual contact. For the first time, membrane valves were also installed in the lines of each of the rocket fuel components, separating the rocket engine from the fuel tanks, which made it possible to keep the rocket fueled for a long time.

The rocket was equipped with an RD-216 main engine, which consisted of two identical engine blocks, united by a mounting frame with a body and having a common launch system, each of which had two combustion chambers, a fuel pump, a gas generator and an automation system. For the first time, the TNA worked on the main components of the fuel, which made it possible to abandon the use of hydrogen peroxide and simplify the operation of the rocket. The liquid-propellant rocket engine developed a thrust on the ground of 138 tons, had a dry weight of 1325 kg and a height of 3.49 m. Its operating time was about 170 seconds.

Installation of the R-14 MRSD at the launch position

The combustion chambers of the liquid-propellant rocket engine are of brazed-welded design with internal and regenerative cooling. The camera body is formed by two shells - a bronze fire wall and a steel jacket, which are connected through corrugated spacers. The TNA contained two centrifugal fuel screw pumps with double-sided inputs and an axial two-stage active turbine located on two shafts. The gas for the TPU drive was produced in a gas generator by burning a small part of the fuel with an excess of fuel. The exhaust gas was ejected by the turbopump unit through a special nozzle. The automation units were triggered by electrical and pyro commands, as well as by the control pressure of nitrogen, which was supplied to the gearbox from the on-board cylinders. The liquid-propellant rocket engine was regulated in terms of thrust by changing the fuel consumption through the gas generator, and in terms of the ratio of fuel components - by changing the consumption of the oxidizer. Thrust vector control was carried out using gas rudders.

The R-14 rocket had an autonomous inertial control system. For the first time, a gyro-stabilized platform with air suspension of gyroscopes, as well as a program pulse generator, was used. Gas-jet rudders were used as controls. The control system provided a range of about 1.9 km.

The rocket was equipped with a monoblock nuclear warhead with a power of 1 Mt, which was separated in flight. In order to prevent the rocket body from colliding with the warhead in the first seconds after separation, three powder braking rocket engines were used, which were turned on at the moment the sustainer rocket engine ended operation. The missile had systems for emergency detonation of the warhead and shutdown of the remote control in the event of a significant deviation of the missile from the specified flight path. The missile was launched from a ground launcher. The rocket was refueled and aimed after it was installed on the launch pad.

The designers managed to achieve a higher launch readiness of the rocket compared to previously adopted rocket models. The new missile system was more reliable in operation, but work to improve it continued. The desire to increase survivability led to the development of a silo-based version of the R-14 missile. The first launch of the modernized R-14U rocket took place on February 11, 1962. The tests were carried out at the Kapustin Yar test site, where a special silo launcher was built. In October of the following year, they were successfully completed and the new DBK was adopted by the Strategic Missile Forces and was used until the mid-80s. The last R-14U missile was eliminated in accordance with the provisions of the INF Treaty.

BRSD R-14 (USSR) 1961

The modified missile was more advanced than the R-14. It was equipped with a remote control system for refueling and compressed gases. Silo launchers had significant advantages over ground launches in terms of protection from damaging factors nuclear explosion, and also ensured long-term maintenance of missiles in readiness for launch.

The R-14 rocket was used for space purposes. On its basis, the geophysical rocket “Vertical” was created, used to carry out the international program of cooperation of socialist countries in the field of research and use of outer space (Intercosmos). At the top of the rocket was a high-altitude probe with scientific equipment and service systems. The missiles were launched to altitudes of 500-1500 km. After the completion of the program, the probe with scientific equipment descended to Earth using a parachute system. The first launch of the Vertical rocket under the Intercosmos program took place on November 28, 1970.

In 1962 the world was on the brink nuclear war. A crisis erupted as a result of the negative development of the military-political situation in the Caribbean after the Cuban revolution, which dealt a significant blow to the economic interests of North American companies. There was a real threat of American intervention in Cuba. Under these conditions, the USSR decided to provide assistance, including military assistance, to the government of Cuba. Considering that American Jupiter missiles from Turkey could reach the vital centers of the Soviet Union in just 10 minutes, and Soviet ICBMs needed at least 25 minutes to retaliate on American territory, Khrushchev ordered the deployment of Soviet IRBMs in Cuba with Soviet military personnel.

In accordance with the plan for Operation Anadyr, it was planned to deploy three regiments of R-12 missiles (24 launchers) and two regiments of R-14 missiles (16 launchers) on Cuban territory, which were ordered to be ready on a signal from Moscow to strike the most important facilities in the United States.

Under conditions of strict secrecy, the R-12 missiles were delivered to Cuba, where launch pads were built for them by Soviet military personnel. American intelligence was unable to detect them in a timely manner. Only a month after the arrival of three missile regiments on the island, the American U-2 aerial reconnaissance aircraft was able to photograph the launch pads and missiles, which caused great concern in the Pentagon, and then in President John Kennedy.

By the end of October, approximately half of the 36 R-12 missiles delivered to the island were ready to be filled with fuel, oxidizer, and docked with nuclear warheads. Due to the naval blockade of the coast of Cuba, the R-14 missiles did not arrive on the island. It was at this time that the leaders of the USSR and the USA came to the conclusion that the conflict must be resolved peacefully. During the negotiations, the parties agreed to remove Soviet MRBMs from Cuba, and American ones from Turkey and Europe. And yet, one P-12 remained on the island of freedom, but as a monument. Missiles of this type were the only ones of all the missiles ever in service with the Strategic Missile Forces that were destined to travel outside the Soviet Union.

Geophysical rocket "Vertical" (USSR)

The Cuban missile crisis had a significant impact on the development of strategic weapons, including MRBMs. For the Soviet Union and the United States, there was a significant break in the creation of new models of this class of missiles for other reasons. Thus, the USSR possessed two medium-range missile systems that were perfect for that time, which since 1964 were transferred to the silo-based method. And the United States, having lost the basing areas for medium-range missiles in Europe and Turkey, lost interest in IRBMs for more than 10 years, concentrating its main efforts on the development of submarine-launched ballistic missiles capable of replacing them.

In the first half of the 60s, China took up the development of its own missile forces. Mao Zedong put forward the concept of creating a great China, which was supposed to become the leader of the entire Asian world. To support such aspirations, a powerful rocket fist was needed. Even during the period when good neighborly, including military, ties existed between the Soviet Union and China, the latter received some technical information on the R-12 missile. But after the breakdown of relations, all military assistance to China ceased. Chinese designers had no choice but to try, using the Soviet rocket as a basis, to create their own analogue. It took seven long years before the Chinese were able to bring their rocket into mass production. It should be noted that China has surpassed even the Soviet Union in classifying information about missile technology. This explains the paucity of information about Chinese rocket technology that appears in the public press.

The technical characteristics of the rocket, and the entire complex as a whole, turned out to be low. By the time it entered combat units in 1970, it was already obsolete. Low production technology, as well as an insufficient level of mechanical engineering, determined the low probability of delivering warheads to the target - 0.5.

The Dun-1 missile (China has a different classification for ballistic missiles, different from the European one) is single-stage, made according to the usual layout and is very similar in appearance to the Soviet R-12. It consisted of a head part, an adapter, oxidizer and fuel tanks, an instrument compartment located in the intertank space and a tail compartment.

MRBM S-2 (France) 1971

The propulsion system included a four-chamber liquid propellant engine with one common turbopump unit. Kerosene and inhibited nitric acid were used as fuel components.

An inertial control system was installed on the rocket, which ensured a hit accuracy of about 3 km with a maximum flight range of 2000 km. The executive bodies were gas-dynamic rudders.

The Chinese had significant difficulties creating a nuclear charge for the missile. Until 1973, Dun-1 was equipped with a warhead with a power of 20 kt, which was very modest for a ballistic strategic missile with such accuracy. And only then was it possible to increase the charge power to 700 kt.

The missile was stationary. The security of the complex was weak - only 0.3 kg/cm?. To prevent the defeat of several group launches by one combat unit, from the mid-70s they began to create separate ground launches spaced a short distance apart. But this could not improve the overall picture. Even the Chinese military leaders, who were not spoiled by the high combat characteristics of the weapons, complained about the very significant shortcomings of this missile system.

During these same years, in another part of the world, France (the only country Western Europe) began developing its own military ballistic missile. After leaving the NATO military organization, the French leadership set a course for pursuing its own nuclear policy. Such independence also had negative aspects. We had to start development from scratch. A number of companies were attracted to create the first medium-range missile. Later, the leading companies “Aerospatial”, “Nord Aviation”, “Sud Aviation” joined forces. A French laboratory for ballistic and aerodynamic research was created.

At the beginning of the 60s, the theoretical development program was completed. Flight tests of prototype missiles were carried out at a test site located in Algeria. In 1963, designers began creating a rocket that was supposed to go into service. According to the terms of the technical specifications, it had to be carried out with solid fuel engines. Basing and launching - from the mine.

In 1966, the S-112 two-stage ballistic missile was transferred for flight testing. It became the first French rocket to be launched from a silo. It was followed by the experimental S-01 and, finally, in May 1969, testing began on the first prototype medium-range ballistic missile, designated S-02. They lasted two years and ended in complete success. In the summer of 1971, serial production of the S-2 MRBM began and the formation of two missile groups for the operation of the missile system among the troops. The groups were deployed on the Albion plateau in the province of Provence.

The two-stage S-2 rocket was made according to the “tandem” design with a sequential arrangement of stages. The first of them was equipped with a solid fuel rocket engine, which had four rotating nozzles. It developed a ground thrust of 55 tons and could operate for 76 seconds. The stage body was made of steel.

The second stage was smaller and lighter than the first. A solid propellant rocket engine with four rotating nozzles was used as a propulsion engine, developing a thrust of 45 tons. Its operating time was 50 seconds. Mixed fuel, the same for both engines.

The inertial control system, located in a special instrument compartment, provided control of the missile’s flight in the active part of the trajectory and the launch of the warhead to the target with an accuracy of 1 km when firing at a maximum range of 3000 km. To give the rocket additional stability, aerodynamic stabilizers were attached to the rear skirt of the first stage. The rocket was equipped with a monoblock nuclear warhead with a power of 150 kt, detachable in flight.

IRBM S-3 in silo

The missile system with the S-2 MRBM had a high degree of readiness for launch. The rocket was launched from a silo launcher due to the working remote control of the first stage. Pre-launch operations took place automatically after receiving a command from the missile group command post.

By the time all 18 missiles were fully deployed, the French military leadership came to the conclusion that the missile should be modernized, since it no longer met the requirements for an IRBM. Therefore, already in 1973, work began on its modernization and modifications to the entire DBK.

In December 1976, a new French medium-range missile, designated S-3, made its first flight. It was created in such a way as to replace its predecessor with minimal modifications to the silo. To fulfill this requirement, the first stage from the S-2 had to be left on the new rocket. But the second stage was thoroughly redesigned. The solid propellant engine now had only one rotating nozzle. An increase in the energy characteristics of the mixed fuel made it possible to reduce the length of the body and the mass of the stage while simultaneously increasing the maximum flight range to 3,700 km. The missile was equipped with an upgraded inertial control system, providing a hit accuracy of 700 m.

IRBM "Dong-2" (China) 1975

Combat equipment has also changed. Now the power of the head part was 1.2 Mt. In addition, the missile carried a set of means to overcome enemy missile defenses (before that, only one state in Europe had such a system - the Soviet Union). Technical readiness for the start was 30 seconds.

Some of the equipment of the command posts of the missile groups was also replaced. Has been installed new system automated combat control, increased reliability of transmitting the launch order from the command post to the silo. The latter have increased protection, especially from the neutron flux resulting from the explosion of a nuclear charge. The new DBK with the S-3 missile was put into service in 1980 and is in operation to this day.

But let's go back to the end of the 60s, to China. There, at this time, rocket designers began creating a new, more advanced medium-range missile. Limited range flight tests of the Dun-2 missile began in 1971. The entire testing program was completed only in 1975, after which this missile began to be delivered to military units.

The Dun-2 rocket is single-stage, with engines running on liquid fuel (fuel - asymmetrical dimethylhydrazine, oxidizer - inhibited nitric acid). The propulsion system consists of two identical two-chamber engines, each of which has its own turbopump unit.

The inertial control system provided control of the missile's flight in the active part of the trajectory and a hit accuracy of 2.5 km when firing at a maximum range of 4000 km. The executive elements of the system were gas-dynamic rudders. Stabilizers were attached to the tail skirt to give the rocket additional stability when passing through dense layers of the atmosphere.

"Dun-2" carried the same warhead as its predecessor. The developers of the complex managed to slightly improve the performance characteristics. The pre-launch preparation time decreased and amounted to 2–2.5 hours. If the rocket was pre-filled with fuel components, then this time was reduced to 15–30 minutes. Dun-2 could be launched from a ground-based or silo launcher, where it was installed before launch. Typically, missiles were stored in underground secure storage.

Two years later, the new Dong-2-1 MRBM (according to the Chinese classification - an intermediate-range missile) was put on combat duty. It was two-stage. The first stage was taken from Dun-2 without any changes. The second stage, docked using a connecting compartment of a truss structure with the first, had a single-chamber liquid propellant engine with a rotating nozzle as a propulsion system.

The Chinese failed to improve the inertial control system. When firing at a maximum range of 6000 km, the probable miss increased to 3.5 km. True, the power of the nuclear warhead increased to 2 Mt, which somewhat compensated for the rather large deviation from the calculated aiming point. But the missile was still not capable of hitting highly protected point targets, which limited the choice of targets. The operational performance of Dun-2-1 remained at the level of its predecessor. The technical reliability of the missiles also remained low.

Of course, it is difficult to call all Chinese MRBMs of this period perfect, but it was still necessary to take them into account. The Soviet Union's relations with China took on a conflictual form by the end of the 60s, and after armed Chinese provocations on the Far Eastern border of the USSR they completely deteriorated. Under these conditions, the appearance of a nuclear-armed MRBM in an aggressive neighbor required retaliatory steps.

SPU DBK "Pioneer"

IRBM "Dong-2-1" (China) 1977

IRBM "Pioneer"

IRBM "Pioneer" (USSR) 1976

1 - warhead fairing; 2 - combat stage engine fairing; 3 - cable box; 4 - support belt; 5 - brake motor fairing; 6 - cable box; 7 - places where the aerodynamic rudder is attached; 8 - aerodynamic rudders; 9 - second stage brake motor; 10 - top cover of the solid propellant rocket engine; 12 - fuel charge; 13 - thermal protection; 14 - bottom cover of the solid propellant rocket engine; 15 - gas injection device into the nozzle; 16 - first stage brake motor; 17 - rocket body; 18 - upper cover of the first stage solid propellant rocket motor; 19 - rear cover of the first stage solid propellant rocket engine; 20 - gas-dynamic steering wheel; 21 - steering gears; 22 - mechanical connection of aerodynamic and gas-dynamic rudders; 23 - protective nozzle cover.

The question arose - what to do? Build new positions for missiles like R-12 and R-14, or come up with something new. This is where the developments of the Moscow Design Bureau under the leadership of Academician A.D. Nadiradze came in handy. It was developing a medium-range missile using mixed solid fuel. The great advantage of a new missile system with such a missile should have been the use of a mobile basing method, which promised increased survivability due to the uncertainty about the location of the launcher. If necessary, the prospect of relocating mobile launchers from one theater of operations to another opened up, which is impossible with stationary basing of missiles.

In the early 70s, the work was given additional acceleration. After practical testing of various technical solutions for the new rocket and ground-based units of the missile system, the designers were able to begin the final stage. On September 21, 1974, flight tests of the Pioneer rocket (factory designation 15Zh45) began at the Kapustin Yar test site. It took almost a year and a half to complete the development of the rocket and complete the planned test program. On March 11, 1976, the State Commission signed an act on the acceptance of the DBK with the 15Zh45 missile (another designation RSD-10) into service with the Strategic Missile Forces. The complex was also given the name “Pioneer”. But this DBK was not the first mobile complex. Back in the mid-60s, a mobile missile system was tested in the USSR, in which a rocket with a liquid-propellant rocket engine was installed on a tracked chassis. But due to the large mass of the structure and other shortcomings, they did not bring it to mass production.

New complexes were deployed not only in the east, but also in the west of the Soviet Union. Some of the obsolete medium-range missiles, primarily the R-14, were removed from service, and their place was taken by the Pioneers. The appearance of the latter caused a great stir in NATO countries, and very quickly the new Soviet missile became known as the SS-20 - “The Thunderstorm of Europe”.

The Pioneer rocket had two sustainer stages and an instrumentation unit, which were connected to each other using connecting compartments. The first stage propulsion system was a structure consisting of a fiberglass body with a solid propellant charge attached to it, made of high-energy mixed fuel, a steel front bottom and nozzle cover, and a nozzle block. The tail section of the stage housed brake motors and steering drives. The control forces were created by four gas-dynamic and four aerodynamic rudders (the latter are made in the form of gratings).

The second stage propulsion system had a similar design, but other methods were used to obtain control inputs. Thus, control of pitch and yaw angles was carried out by blowing gas from a gas generator into the supercritical part of the nozzle, and control of roll was carried out by bypassing gas through a special device. Both engines had a thrust cut-off system (at the first stage - emergency) and an operating time of about 63 seconds.

An inertial control system based on an on-board digital computer complex was installed on the rocket. To increase operational reliability, all channels had redundancy. Almost all elements of the control system were located in a sealed instrument compartment. The designers managed to ensure a fairly high hit accuracy (HPA) - 550 m when firing at a maximum range of 5000 km.

Elimination of Pioneer MRBMs and their containers

The instrumentation unit ensured the deployment of three warheads with a yield of 150 kt each for their own purposes. Flight tests of the rocket were also carried out with a monoblock warhead with a power of 1 Mt. Due to the lack of probable targets of the missile defense system in the areas of choice, the missile did not have a complex to overcome it.

The six-axle wheeled vehicle MAZ-547 was chosen as the chassis for the mobile launcher. The rocket, placed in a sealed transport and launch container, in which the required temperature and humidity conditions were constantly maintained, was in a horizontal position before launch. In preparation for launch, the TPK was raised to a vertical position. In order not to destroy the launcher, the designers used the “mortar” launch method. Pre-launch preparation and launch operations took place automatically after receiving a special command from the control point.

On August 10, 1979, the 15Zh53 rocket, which had higher combat characteristics. Tests were carried out at the Kapustin Yar training ground until August 14, 1980, and on December 17 of the same year, the new DBK, designated “Pioneer UTTH” (improved tactical and technical characteristics), was adopted by the Strategic Missile Forces.

The Pioneer UTTH rocket had the same first and second stages as the Pioneer rocket. The changes affected the control system and the instrumentation unit. By improving the command instruments and operating algorithms of the BTsVK, it was possible to increase the firing accuracy to 450 m. The installation of new engines with increased energy on the aggregate-instrument block made it possible to increase the disengagement area for warheads, which had great importance when planning targets for destruction.

Both complexes were in operation until 1991 and were liquidated in accordance with the terms of the INF Treaty. Some of the missiles were eliminated by launch, which made it possible to check their reliability and confirm the intended characteristics. Of particular interest were the Pioneer rockets, which had been in operation for over 10 years. The launches were completed successfully. In total, over 700 deployed and stored RSD-10 missiles were cut.

IRBM "Pioneer" at the moment of launch

In the early 70s, the United States returned to the creation of MRBMs, which was a consequence of a change in the military-political balance with the USSR. The real possibility of receiving a powerful retaliatory strike on their territory forced American strategists and politicians to look for an acceptable way out. When they look hard enough, they almost always find it. American strategists developed the concept of “limited nuclear war.” Its main highlight was the idea of ​​​​transferring the nuclear conflict to the vastness of Europe, naturally, with the seizure of the territory of the Soviet Union. To implement new ideas, new means were needed. In 1972, theoretical studies began on this problem, which made it possible to develop a set of tactical and technical requirements for the future missile system. Since the mid-70s, a number of rocket manufacturing companies have been carrying out development work to create a prototype MRBM capable of satisfying the customer.

The victory was won by Martin-Marietta (the parent company), with which the contract for the full-scale development of a combat missile system was signed in 1979. At the same time, politicians began actively working with their European allies in the North Atlantic bloc in order to achieve permission to deploy new American missiles. As always, a proven trump card was used - the “Soviet missile danger”, and above all, from the SS-20 missiles. Consent to the basing of the MRBM was obtained from the German government.

In the meantime, design work was completed, and in April 1982 the rocket, which by that time had received the name “Pershing-2”, entered flight tests. It was planned to carry out 14 control launches and 14 so-called military launches, i.e., by regular crews.

The first two launches, on June 22 and November 19, ended unsuccessfully. The designers quickly figured out the reasons and the subsequent 7 test launches in January-April next year at a distance of 100 to 1650 km were considered successful. A total of 18 test launches were carried out, after which it was decided to accept the complex with the Pershing-2 missile into service with the 56th brigade ground forces The United States in Europe, the rearmament of which began at the end of 1983.

To be fair, it should be noted that American strategists never planned to use the 120 Pershing-2 MRBMs stationed on the territory of West Germany against Soviet SS-20 missiles. This conclusion is easy to draw by comparing at least the number of both missiles: 120 for the Americans and over 400 for the Soviet Union in the territory up to the Urals. The purpose of the Pershings was completely different. Possessing high hit accuracy and short approach time to targets, which neither ICBMs nor SLBMs could provide, they were “first strike” weapons. Their main purpose is to defeat strategically important targets and, above all, command posts The Armed Forces and Strategic Missile Forces of the USSR, in order to weaken the retaliatory nuclear strike as much as possible, if not disrupt it completely.

According to its layout scheme, the Pershing-2 MRBM was a two-stage rocket with a sequential arrangement of stages connected to the warhead through transition compartments. A characteristic feature of the rocket is the placement of its control system in the head part, as well as the presence of a thrust cut-off system on both solid fuel stages, which was previously not the case American missiles never met.

The design of the solid propellant rocket engines of the sustainer stages was the same and consisted of the following main elements: a body made of a composite material based on Kevlar-49 fiber with a thermal insulating coating, a nozzle block rigidly attached to the body of the solid propellant charge, an igniter, a thrust vector control drive and a thrust cut-off system. The designers used nozzles with an increased degree of expansion, which were deflected using an electrically controlled hydraulic drive. The engine operating time until the fuel is completely burnt out is 55 and 40 seconds for the first and second stages, respectively. The use of a thrust cut-off system made it possible to obtain a wide range of flight ranges.

The warhead consisted of three compartments: the front (it housed the explosion sensors and elements of the guidance system), the middle (warhead) and the rear (the inertial control system and its actuators).

The rocket flight control in the active part of the trajectory in pitch and yaw angles was carried out by deflecting the solid propellant rocket motor nozzles. Roll control during the operation of the first stage engine was carried out by two aerodynamic rudders installed on the tail section of this stage. Two other rudders, located in the same place, were fixed rigidly and served as stabilizers. During operation of the second stage solid propellant rocket engine, roll control was carried out by four aerodynamic rudders of the head section.

The control system was supplemented by a guidance system for the warhead at the final part of the trajectory using a radar map of the area (RADAG system). Such a system has not previously been used on ballistic missiles. The Kearfott command instrument complex was located on a stabilized platform placed in a cylindrical housing and had its own electronic control unit. The operation of the control system was ensured by an on-board digital computer complex from Bendix, housed in 12 removable modules and protected by an aluminum case.

The RADAG system consisted of an airborne radar station and a correlator. The radar was shielded and had two antenna units. One of them was intended to obtain a radar brightness image of the area. The other is for determining flight altitude. The ring-type image under the head was obtained by scanning around the vertical axis at an angular velocity of 2 rps. Four reference images of the target area for different altitudes were stored in the digital computer memory in the form of a matrix, each cell of which represented the radar brightness of the corresponding terrain area, written in a two-digit binary number. The actual image of the terrain received from the radar was reduced to a similar matrix; by comparing it with the reference image, the error of the inertial system could be determined.

The flight of the warhead was corrected by executive elements - jet nozzles powered by a cylinder of compressed gas outside the atmosphere, and aerodynamic rudders with a hydraulic drive upon entry into the atmosphere.

As combat equipment, the missile carried a nuclear monoblock with a variable TNT equivalent. Before the launch, the launch control crew could choose one of four possible powers: 0.3, 2, 10, 80 kt. To destroy highly protected objects, a nuclear charge penetrating 50–70 m deep into the earth was developed.

The Pershing 2 missile was placed on a launcher mounted on a wheeled semi-trailer and raised to a vertical position before launch. Unlike the Soviet RSD-10, it did not have a transport and launch container. To protect the rocket from precipitation, dust and dirt during the march, special covers were used.

All 108 Pershing 2 missiles put on combat duty were based in West Germany until 1990, until they were eliminated in accordance with the provisions of the INF Treaty. Despite the fact that this missile was designed in the second half of the 70s, it still remains the most advanced MRBM in the world.

In the 1980s, France and China were developing medium-range ballistic missiles. And if the first country does not show much activity, the Asian giant spends a lot of money on it. Chinese rocket specialists, taking advantage of positive changes in the country's economy, created the Dong-4 missile with a flight range of up to 6000 km in the second half of the 80s. Its launch mass reaches 90 tons. Significant progress has been achieved in the field of guidance systems. The new inertial control system ensures delivery of a 2Mt warhead to the target with an accuracy of 700 m. The silo placement of missiles filled with liquid fuel components ensures pre-launch preparation and launch within 3–5 minutes. Since 1988, Dun-4 missiles have been supplied to replace outdated systems.

The Chinese are also developing rockets with solid fuel engines. It will have two sustainer stages, a monoblock warhead with a power of 350 kt, a maximum flight range of about 3000 km, and a firing accuracy of 500 m. In order to increase survivability, the missile was chosen mobile method basing. It is expected that it will enter service with the PLA nuclear forces in the late 90s. If successful, this missile could become the most advanced of all Chinese ballistic missiles and bring China’s strategic nuclear forces to a new qualitative level.

In France, work is underway on the S-4 rocket, the completion of which is planned for the beginning of the next millennium. It is expected that it will be suitable for deployment both in silos and on self-propelled launchers, have a flight range of about 3500 km and a CEP of 300 m.

India is creating its own IRBM. Flight tests of the Agni missile have been carried out at the Chandipur missile test site since May 1989. According to press reports, work is progressing well. The rocket is two-stage. The first stage (solid propellant solid propellant rocket engine) is taken from an Indian launch vehicle used to launch satellites into space. The second stage is a nationally developed Prithvi operational-tactical missile. It is equipped with a two-chamber liquid propellant engine with deflectable combustion chambers.

The rocket's control system is inertial, built on the basis of an on-board computer. A number of variants of warheads are being developed for the Agni: with a conventional explosive weighing 1000 kg, a volumetric explosion, as well as a warhead with a correction system at the end of the flight based on a radar or infrared map of the area in the target area. If the work is successfully completed, the firing accuracy (CAO) may be 30 m. It is quite possible to create a nuclear warhead with a yield of about 20 kt.

IRBM "Pershing-2" (USA) 1985

I - first stage; II - second stage; III - head part; IV - transition compartment; 1 - onboard radar of the RADAG system; 2 - sensor for special automatics of a nuclear charge; 3 - combat unit; 4 - jet nozzle of the warhead flight control system; 7 - solid propellant rocket launcher; 8 - solid propellant rocket motor thrust cut-off device; 9 - thermal protection of the engine; 10 - charge of solid fuel; 11 - nozzle deflection mechanism; 12 - solid propellant nozzle; 13 - cable box; 14 - steering gear; 15 - aerodynamic rudder of the first stage

The Indian MRBM has a launch weight of 14 tons, a length of 19 m, a diameter of about 1 m and a flight range of 2500 km. Its adoption is expected in the late 90s.

Thus, at the beginning of the new century, China, France and India will have MRBMs in service, although it is possible that missiles of this type may also appear in other countries.

The content of the article

ROCKET WEAPONS, guided missiles and missiles are unmanned weapons whose movement trajectories from the starting point to the target are realized using rocket or jet engines and guidance means. Rockets usually have the latest electronic equipment, and the most advanced technologies are used in their manufacture.

Historical reference.

Already in the 14th century. missiles were used in China for military purposes. However, it was only in the 1920s and 1930s that technologies emerged that made it possible to equip a rocket with instruments and controls capable of guiding it from the launch point to the target. This was made possible primarily by gyroscopes and electronic equipment.

The Treaty of Versailles, which ended World War I, deprived Germany of its most important weapons and prohibited it from rearming. However, missiles were not mentioned in this agreement, since their development was considered unpromising. As a result, the German military department showed interest in missiles and guided missiles, which opened up new era in the field of weapons. Ultimately, it turned out that Nazi Germany was developing 138 projects for guided missiles of various types. The most famous of them are two types of “retaliation weapons”: the V-1 cruise missile and the V-2 inertial guidance ballistic missile. They inflicted heavy losses on Britain and the Allied forces during the Second World War.

TECHNICAL FEATURES

There are many different types of military missiles, but each of them is characterized by the use latest technologies in the field of control and guidance, engines, warheads, electronic jamming, etc.

Guidance.

If the rocket is launched and does not lose stability in flight, it is still necessary to bring it to the target. Various types of guidance systems have been developed.

Inertial guidance.

For the first ballistic missiles, it was considered acceptable if the inertial system launched the missile to a point located several kilometers from the target: with a payload in the form of a nuclear charge, destruction of the target in this case is quite possible. However, this forced both sides to further protect the most important objects by placing them in shelters or concrete shafts. In turn, rocket designers have improved inertial guidance systems, ensuring that the rocket's trajectory is corrected by means of celestial navigation and tracking the earth's horizon. Advances in gyroscopy also played a significant role. By the 1980s, the guidance error of intercontinental ballistic missiles was less than 1 km.

Homing.

Most missiles carrying conventional explosives require some form of homing system. With active homing, the missile is equipped with its own radar and electronic equipment, which guides it until it meets the target.

In semi-active homing, the target is irradiated by a radar located at or near the launch pad. The missile is guided by a signal reflected from the target. Semi-active homing saves a lot of expensive equipment on the launch pad, but gives the operator control over target selection.

Laser designators, which came into use in the early 1970s, proved highly effective in the Vietnam War, reducing the amount of time aircrew remained exposed to enemy fire and the number of missiles needed to hit a target. The guidance system of such a missile does not actually perceive any radiation other than that emitted by the laser. Since the scattering of the laser beam is small, it can irradiate an area not exceeding the dimensions of the target.

Passive homing involves detecting radiation emitted or reflected by a target and then calculating a course that will guide the missile to the target. These can be radar signals emitted by enemy air defense systems, light and thermal radiation from the engines of an aircraft or other object.

Wire and fiber optic communications.

The control technique typically used is based on a wired or fiber-optic connection between the rocket and the launch platform. This connection reduces the cost of the rocket, since the most expensive components remain in the launch complex and can be reused. Only a small control unit is retained in the rocket, which is necessary to ensure the stability of the initial movement of the rocket launched from the launch device.

Engines.

The movement of combat missiles is ensured, as a rule, by solid fuel rocket engines (solid propellant rocket motors); Some missiles use liquid fuel, while cruise missiles prefer jet engines. The rocket engine is autonomous, and its operation is not related to the supply of air from the outside (like the operation of piston or jet engines). The fuel and solid fuel oxidizer are crushed to a powder state and mixed with a liquid binder. The mixture is poured into the engine housing and cured. After this, no preparations are needed to operate the engine in combat conditions. Although most tactical guided missiles operate in the atmosphere, they are powered by rocket engines rather than jet engines, since solid rocket motors are quicker to launch, have few moving parts, and are more energy efficient. Jet engines are used in guided missiles with for a long time active flight, when the use of atmospheric air gives a significant gain. Liquid rocket engines (LPRE) were widely used in the 1950s and 1960s.

Improvements in solid fuel manufacturing technology have made it possible to begin production of solid propellant rocket engines with controlled combustion characteristics, eliminating the formation of cracks in the charge, which could lead to an accident. Rocket engines, especially solid propellant engines, age as the substances they contain gradually enter into chemical bonds and change composition, so control fire tests should be periodically carried out. If the accepted shelf life of any of the tested samples is not confirmed, the entire batch is replaced.

Warhead.

When using fragmentation warheads, metal fragments (usually thousands of steel or tungsten cubes) are directed at the target at the moment of explosion. Such shrapnel is most effective in hitting aircraft, communications equipment, air defense radars and people outside shelter. The warhead is driven by a fuse, which detonates when the target is hit or some distance from it. In the latter case, with the so-called non-contact initiation, the fuse is triggered when the signal from the target (reflected radar beam, thermal radiation, or signal from small on-board lasers or light sensors) reaches a certain threshold.

To destroy tanks and armored vehicles covering soldiers, shaped charges are used, ensuring the self-organizing formation of directed movement of warhead fragments.

Advances in the field of guidance systems have allowed designers to create kinetic weapons - missiles, the destructive effect of which is determined by an extremely high speed of movement, which upon impact leads to the release of enormous kinetic energy. Such missiles are usually used for missile defense.

Electronic interference.

The use of combat missiles is closely related to the creation of electronic interference and means of combating it. The purpose of such jamming is to create signals or noise that will "trick" the missile into following a false target. Early methods of creating electronic interference involved throwing out strips of aluminum foil. On locator screens, the presence of ribbons turns into a visual representation of noise. Modern electronic jamming systems analyze received radar signals and transmit false ones to mislead the enemy, or simply generate enough radio frequency interference to jam the enemy system. Computers have become an important part of military electronics. Non-electronic interference includes the creation of flashes, e.g. decoys for enemy heat-seeking missiles, as well as specially designed jet turbines that mix atmospheric air with exhaust gases to reduce the infrared "visibility" of the aircraft.

Anti-electronic interference systems use techniques such as changing operating frequencies and using polarized electromagnetic waves.

Advance assembly and testing.

The requirement for minimal maintenance and high combat readiness of missile weapons led to the development of the so-called. "certified" missiles. Assembled and tested missiles are sealed in a container at the factory and then sent to a warehouse where they are stored until they are requested by military units. In this case, field assembly (as practiced for the first missiles) becomes unnecessary, and electronic equipment does not require testing and troubleshooting.

TYPES OF COMBAT MISSILES

Ballistic missiles.

Ballistic missiles are designed to transport thermonuclear charges to a target. They can be classified as follows: 1) intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) with a flight range of 5600–24,000 km, 2) intermediate-range missiles (above average) – 2400–5600 km, 3) “naval” ballistic missiles (with a range of 1400– 9200 km), launched from submarines, 4) medium-range missiles (800–2400 km). Intercontinental and naval missiles, together with strategic bombers, form the so-called. "nuclear triad".

A ballistic missile spends only a matter of minutes moving its warhead along a parabolic trajectory ending at the target. Most of the warhead's travel time is spent flying and descending through space. Heavy ballistic missiles usually carry multiple individually targetable warheads, directed at the same target or having their own targets (usually within a radius of several hundred kilometers from the main target). To ensure the required aerodynamic characteristics during atmospheric reentry, the warhead is given a lens-shaped or conical shape. The device is equipped with a heat-protective coating, which sublimates, passing from a solid state directly into a gaseous state, and thereby ensures the removal of heat from aerodynamic heating. The warhead is equipped with a small proprietary navigation system to compensate for inevitable trajectory deviations that can change the rendezvous point.

V-2.

The first successful flight of the V-2 took place in October 1942. In total, more than 5,700 of these missiles were manufactured. 85% of them launched successfully, but only 20% hit the target, while the rest exploded upon approach. 1,259 missiles hit London and its environs. However, the Belgian port of Antwerp was hit the hardest.

Ballistic missiles with above average range.

As part of a large-scale research program using German rocket specialists and V-2 rockets captured during the defeat of Germany, US Army specialists designed and tested the short-range Corporal and medium-range Redstone missiles. The Corporal missile was soon replaced by the solid-fuel Sargent, and the Redstone was replaced by the Jupiter, a larger liquid-fuel missile with an above-average range.

ICBM.

ICBM development in the United States began in 1947. Atlas, the first US ICBM, entered service in 1960.

The Soviet Union began developing larger missiles around this time. His Sapwood (SS-6), the world's first intercontinental rocket, became a reality with the launch of the first satellite (1957).

The US Atlas and Titan 1 rockets (the latter entered service in 1962), like the Soviet SS-6, used cryogenic liquid fuel, and therefore their preparation time for launch was measured in hours. “Atlas” and “Titan-1” were initially housed in heavy-duty hangars and were brought into combat condition only before launch. However, after some time, the Titan-2 rocket appeared, located in a concrete shaft and having an underground control center. Titan-2 ran on long-lasting self-igniting liquid fuel. In 1962, the Minuteman, a three-stage solid-fuel ICBM, entered service, delivering a single 1 Mt charge to a target 13,000 km away.

The Jupiter medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM) is a direct descendant of the Redstone missile, which was created under the direction of V. Von Braun at the Ordnance Guided Missile Center. "Redstone" had a maximum flight range of about 240 km. While work on the Redstone missile was just getting underway, the US Army Ordnance Department began developing requirements for a promising missile with a firing range of at least 1,600 km. Already in 1953, encouraged by the successful implementation of the Redstone program, V. von Braun came to the conclusion that the development of an extended-range missile was possible, and turned to the Chief of the Artillery Department for permission to begin developing a new strike weapon. However, the Army leadership initially showed little interest in von Braun's proposal, and the program to develop a new missile was classified as a low-priority research program.

Everything changed in 1955 after the so-called appeal. Killian Committee to President D. Eisenhower. The committee's report stated that, along with the development of ICBMs, the United States should immediately begin developing MRBMs with a range of about 2,400 km. The new class of missiles was to be deployed both on land (at US bases in Europe) and at sea (options were considered for basing new missiles on submarines, as well as on special vessels). The need to develop a new class of missiles was proven by references to intelligence data indicating that the USSR had already begun to develop its own MRBMs. By the end of 1955, the US Army, Air Force and Navy declared their fundamental readiness to begin development of MRBMs. However, the start of concrete action was hampered by uncertainty regarding which department would be responsible for the development of new missiles. In November 1955, Secretary of Defense Charles Wilson announced that the Air Force would be responsible for developing land-based IRBMs, and a joint Army/Navy team would be responsible for developing sea-based IRBMs. In December 1955, President D. Eisenhower ranked the MRBM development program as one of the highest priority programs. Given the Army's extensive experience in missile development, Navy leadership agreed to have prototype development and production conducted at the Army's Redstone Arsenal. To manage the new program, the Army Ballistic Missile Agency was created in February 1956 at Redstone Arsenal.

However, despite a promising start, the program to develop a new MRBM soon ran into difficulties. In September 1956, the US Navy refused to participate in the IRBM development program, preferring the Polaris program to it. In November of that year, Secretary of Defense Wilson decided that all missiles with a range greater than 200 miles would be built and operated only by the Air Force. This sharply reduced the Army's interest in the program to develop its own MRBM. However, in the end, a decision was made to continue the creation of an “army” MRBM at Redstone Arsenal, called “Jupiter” and designated SM-78. Analysts explained this decision by the numerous difficulties that the Air Force encountered in developing the Thor MRBM.

In September 1955, test launches of a prototype IRBM, called "Jupiter A", began from the launch pads of the Atlantic Missile Test Range ("Atlantic Missile Range"). When testing the Jupiter A rocket, the emphasis was on checking the main design solutions, testing the control system and engines. Somewhat later, the Jupiter C rocket entered testing, with the help of which the warhead and separation system were tested. From September 1955 to June 1958, 28 Jupiter A and Jupiter C missiles were launched. The Jupiter rocket, in a configuration close to the standard one, entered testing in 1956. In May 1956 The Jupiter IRBM, launched from the Atlantic Missile Test Site, flew about 1,850 km. By July 1958, 10 Jupiter IRBMs had been launched.

The success of the Jupiter program, coupled with the failures of the Thor program, gave the Army leadership hope that “their” missile would be selected for production and deployment. However, in the wake of the fear caused by the Soviet Union's successful launch of Sputnik One on October 4, 1957, President Eisenhower ordered full-scale production of both MRBMs. To the displeasure of the Army, in accordance with earlier by decision The Secretary of Defense, the Air Force began to gradually subordinate the entire Jupiter program to themselves - already in February 1958, the Air Force opened its permanent representative office at the Redstone Arsenal, and in March of the same year, the Air Force created a special communications department, whose main task was to coordinate all actions between the Army and the relevant Air Force commands. In January 1958, the Air Force activated the 864th Strategic Missile Squadron in Huntsville to train Jupiter IRBM crews. In June of that year, the 865th and 866th Strategic Missile Squadrons were activated in Huntsville.

While the Air Force was training personnel for the new IRBM, the US State Department was actively negotiating with a number of European countries about the deployment of Jupiter missiles on their territory. Initially, it was planned to deploy 45 missiles on French territory, but the negotiations were unsuccessful. In the end, Italy and Turkey agreed to deploy missiles on their territory. Italy was the first to agree - already in March 1958, the country's government agreed in principle to the deployment of two missile squadrons (15 MRBMs each) on Italian territory, the final decision was made in September of the same year, and the main agreement was signed in March 1959. However, in return, the Italians wanted to exercise control over the missiles themselves, within the framework organizational structure their national air force. The Americans did not object (especially since, according to the existing rules, control of thermonuclear warheads had to be carried out by American personnel anyway; MRBMs also remained American property). In May 1959, the first Italian military personnel selected to serve on the Jupiter MRBM arrived at Lackland Air Force Base (Texas) for training. In August of the same year, the resolution of all remaining issues was reflected in a specially signed bilateral agreement. The training of Italian personnel in the United States was completed in October 1960, after which the Italians gradually replaced most of the American personnel at the launch sites of the already partially deployed missiles in Italy. At the end of October 1959, the Turkish government also agreed (under the same conditions as Italy) to station one missile squadron (15 MRBMs) on its territory. As in the case of Italy, the resolution of all remaining issues was reflected in a bilateral agreement signed in May 1960.

The first production IRBM "Jupiter" rolled off the assembly line in August 1958. The following contractors were selected for the production of Jupiter rockets:

• the Ballistic Missile Division of the Chrysler Corporation - production of body components and final assembly of the missile as a whole;
• Rocketdyne Division of North American Aviation Corporation - production of propulsion systems;
• Ford Instrument company - production of control systems;
• General Electric Corporation - production of warheads.

In 1962, when the Air Force designation system changed, the missile received a new designation PGM-19A.

While the production and deployment of the new missile was being resolved (in November 1959, an agreement was signed between the Air Force and the Army, according to which, from 1959, the Air Force became fully responsible for the implementation of the Jupiter program), personnel of the Strategic Air Command were trained using the Redstone missile. . Later, as part of the ISWT (Integrated Weapons System Training) program at Redstone Arsenal, personnel training began directly using Jupiter missiles and equipment for them. The last test launch of the Jupiter MRBM took place in February 1960. The first launch of the Jupiter IRBM in a simulated combat situation by trained Air Force SAC personnel from the Atlantic Missile Test Site was carried out in October 1960. By this time, for several months (since July 1960), missiles began to go on combat duty in Italy, at the Italian Air Force base Gioia delle Colli. Full combat readiness of all 30 “Italian” MRBMs was achieved in June 1961. The base on Italian territory received the code designation NATO I. Full combat readiness of 15 “Turkish” missiles was achieved in April 1962 (the first missiles went on duty in November 1961). The missiles were located at the Turkish Air Force base Tigli, the base was codenamed NATO II. As in the case of Italy, at first the missiles were maintained only by American personnel; Turkish personnel replaced most of the American personnel by May 1962. The first combat training launch of an MRBM by Italian personnel was carried out in April 1961.

The first combat training launch of an MRBM by Turkish personnel was carried out in April 1962.

In December 1960, the last production IRBM, the Jupiter, rolled off the assembly lines.

Naturally, the 45 deployed Jupiter MRBMs (to which should be added another 60 Thor MRBMs deployed in the UK), coupled with the clear superiority of the United States in the number of deployed ICBMs and strategic bombers, could not but cause acute concern among the military-political leadership THE USSR. Taking into account the situation, it was decided to respond by deploying the Soviet R-12 and R-14 MRBMs to the island. Cuba as part of “Operation Anadyr,” which resulted in the famous crisis of October 1962. As part of the agreement concluded by the leadership of the USSR and the USA, Soviet missiles were withdrawn from Cuba in exchange for the deactivation of Jupiter missiles in Italy and Turkey (the decision to deactivate Thor missiles in the UK was made before the crisis, in August 1962). The decision to deactivate the “Italian” and “Turkish” missiles was announced in January 1963; in the same month, the last, sixth, combat training launch of the Jupiter MRBM was carried out by Italian personnel. In February 1963, the Air Force began preparations to remove the IRBM from combat duty as part of Operations Pot Pie I (“Italian” missiles) and Pot Pie II (“Turkish” missiles). By the end of April 1963, all missiles were removed from Italy, and by the end of July of the same year - from Turkey.

Compound

The Jupiter IRBM (see diagram) consisted of two parts, the assembly of which was carried out in the field:

• assembly compartment with liquid propellant engine and fuel component tanks;
• instrument/engine compartment with a docked warhead.

The MRBM propulsion system was developed at Redstone Arsenal. The main engine is S3D. Fuel components: fuel - RP-1 rocket kerosene, oxidizer - liquid oxygen. The main engine nozzle is controlled, deflected in the suspension unit to control the rocket along the pitch and yaw channels. Aerodynamic control surfaces and stabilizers were missing. The engine combustion chamber was separated from other remote control components by a special heat-resistant wall. The skin of the rocket's tail, where the control unit was located, had corrugated skin to improve strength characteristics. The fuel component tank compartment was located on top of the remote control compartment and was separated from the latter by a special bulkhead. In turn, the oxidizer (bottom) and fuel tanks (top) were also separated by a special bulkhead. A special bulkhead separated the fuel tank from the instrument compartment. The Jupiter rocket had a supporting tank structure. The body was welded from aluminum panels. The fuel supply pipeline passed through the oxidizer tank, and the control system cables also ran there. The fuel components were supplied to the combustion chamber using pumps that were driven by a turbine operating on combustion products of the main fuel components. The exhaust gas was used to control the rocket along the roll channel. The tanks were pressurized before launch using nitrogen from a special tank (see layout diagram).

The warhead, which had the military designation Mk3, was equipped with ablative (burning) thermal protection made of organic materials and contained a W-49 thermonuclear warhead with a power of 1.44 Mt, which made it possible to confidently hit area targets. The head section was connected to the instrument/engine compartment, which housed the inertial control system and a block of solid propellant attitude control and stabilization engines. The main (vernier) solid propellant engine fired 2 seconds after separating the MS/instrument compartment assembly from the aggregate compartment (they were connected by 6 pyrobolts) and adjusted the assembly speed with an accuracy of ±0.3 m/s. After the assembly passed the apogee of the trajectory, two low-power solid-fuel engines were fired, spinning the assembly to stabilize it. After which the instrument/engine compartment was separated from the warhead using a detonating cord and then burned in the dense layers of the atmosphere (see trajectory diagram).

The Jupiter rocket was created as a mobile MRBM, the transportation of which was carried out by road transport. The Jupiter MRBM squadron consisted of 15 missiles (5 flights of 3 MRBMs) and approximately 500 officers and soldiers. Each link was located several kilometers from each other in order to reduce vulnerability to a nuclear strike. For the same purpose, missiles of the same link were placed at a distance of several hundred meters from each other. Each unit was directly served at the position by five officers and ten soldiers (see diagram of the starting position).

The equipment and missiles of each link were placed on approximately 20 vehicles:

• two electric power supply machines;
• one power distribution machine;
• two machines with theodolites;
• hydraulic and pneumatic machine;
• oxidizer filling machine;
• fuel tanker;
• three oxidizer tank cars;
• complex control machine;
• liquid nitrogen tank machine;
• vehicles for transporting MRBMs and warheads;
• auxiliary machines.

The rocket was placed on a special launch pad, to which it was docked, after which the entire structure was brought into a vertical position, and the lower third of the rocket was covered with a special lightweight metal shelter, which made it possible to service the rocket in bad weather. The rocket was filled with fuel components in 15 minutes. The missiles of the unit were launched on command from a special vehicle by a crew of an officer and two soldiers. Each squadron carried out maintenance of the equipment at a special base, which had at its disposal all the necessary materials, as well as a plant for the production of liquid oxygen and liquid nitrogen.

The Jupiter medium-range ballistic missile is little known and had a short service life. Despite this, she made a great contribution to the development of rocket technology in the United States.

After the rocket was developed short range Redstone, In 1954, an Army research group at Redstone Arsenal began developing a more powerful rocket that would be capable of delivering a nuclear warhead 1,600 km or launching an artificial satellite into orbit. On February 14, 1955, the Killian report was released, which called for the development of medium-range missiles along with ICBMs. This report, as well as the testing of MRBMs in the USSR, prompted US Secretary of Defense Charles Wilson to approve the development of the Thor missile on November 8, 1955. On the same day, he ordered development of the sea-launched Jupiter IRBM to begin as a secondary alternative to the Thor.

Initially, cooperation with the fleet had a positive impact on the Jupiter program. In order to meet the requirements of the fleet, the length of the rocket was reduced, and instead of control surfaces, an engine with a rotating nozzle was used. However, regardless of these improvements, the liquid-fuel rocket engine was completely inadequate to meet the Navy's requirements. Since the engine had already been tested since November 1955, the Army did not agree to switch to a solid fuel engine. As a result, the Navy began developing its own solid-fuel version of the Jupiter, called the Jupiter S.

Although the Navy had stopped developing the liquid-fuel rocket, it was still involved in the Jupiter program. As a result, work continued and on May 14, 1956, flight tests of rocket components were carried out using a modified version of Redstone called Jupiter "A". Three months later, the Army signed a contract to produce Jupiter missiles with Chrysler Corporation. That same month, the first three engines were delivered to Cape Canaverel for test launches. The big event occurred on September 20, 1956, when the Army launched Jupiter "A" with a special section simulating the payload. This missile, named Jupiter C, reached an altitude of 1,045 km and a range of 5,470 km, setting three records for ballistic missiles developed in Western countries.

This launch of Jupiter C was very important both for the army and for national prestige. It also marked the final chord in the Air Force-Army rivalry. The Air Force, which was responsible for two ICBM programs and the Thor IRBM program, considered the Army's research to be an infringement on its interests. Since this was a matter of jurisdiction, it could only be decided by the Secretary of Defense. On November 28, 1956, Wilson issued his famous "Roles and Mission" directive, which placed all missile development programs with a range greater than 200 miles under Air Force control.

As a result, Jupiter was taken over by the Air Force. However, everything research papers continued to be carried out at Redstone Arsenal, owned by the army. Then, the first rocket launch, in March 1957 from Cape Canaverel, was also carried out by Army personnel. Although it was unsuccessful, the next launch, carried out on May 31, was successful. The range was 2400 km. Since this occurred four months before the first successful launch of Thor, Jupiter became the first US medium-range ballistic missile to be successfully launched.

Although Jupiter surpassed Thor in flight range, the program developed very sluggishly compared to its competitor. For example, Jupiter test launches were carried out with engineering samples, while Thor tests involved commercially produced rockets. Additionally, Thor's launch and maintenance hardware was developed concurrently with the rocket, while its development for Jupiter did not begin until after the rocket's first successful launch. These delays were further compounded by the Air Force's requirement to use modified Thor equipment for the Jupiter. This task turned out to be impossible.

On October 9, 1957, with the appointment of Neil H. McElroy as Secretary of Defense, attitudes toward the Jupiter program changed. It was announced that both Thor and Jupiter would be deployed. As part of the new plan, the first units were to be ready by December 1958.

On January 2, 1958, approval was received for the use of Army-developed equipment to service Jupiter. Two days later, Chrysler received a contract worth $51.8 million to produce the Jupiter. The first Jupiter Squadron (864th) was formed on 15 January 1958. Training began in February, and then two more squadrons were formed (865th and 866th). The first production Jupiter was delivered in August, and the first launch by the Air Force took place on October 15, 1958. However, by this time the first Thor had already been delivered to the UK. Despite the deployment of the Thor, the Air Force realized that the Jupiter was a much more effective medium-range missile. Since it was mobile, this greatly complicated the possibility of the enemy launching a preventive nuclear missile strike. In addition, since the design of the rocket was originally designed for transportation, it was more durable and resistant to conventional weapons.

Unlike the Thor, which launched only from pre-prepared positions, the Jupiter was launched from a mobile launcher. The Jupiter missile battery included three combat missiles and consisted of approximately 20 heavy trucks, including tanks with kerosene and liquid oxygen.

The rocket was transported horizontally on a special vehicle. Having arrived at the deployment site, the battery installed the missiles vertically and erected a “canopy” of aluminum sheets around the base of each missile, which sheltered the personnel working on preparations for the launch and made it possible to service the missiles at any time. weather conditions. Once installed, the rocket required approximately 15 minutes to refuel and was then ready for launch.

Another advantage of the Jupiter was its ablative warhead. Unlike the Mk-II reentry vehicle for Thor, it entered the atmosphere at a higher speed. As a result, it was more difficult to intercept, was also less sensitive to crosswinds, and had significantly greater accuracy as a result. As a result, the Air Force decided to abandon the Mk-II and use ablative warheads on both missiles.

In 1959, an agreement was reached with the Italian government on the deployment of two squadrons in the country - the 865th and 866th, previously based at the Redstone Arsenal military base (Huntsville, USA). The Gioia del Colle airbase in southern Italy was chosen to host the missiles. Two squadrons, each consisting of 15 missiles, were sent to Italy in 1959.

Each squadron consisted of 15 combat missiles, divided into five launch batteries - approximately 500 personnel and 20 equipment vehicles for each missile. Ten batteries were deployed 50 km apart in 1961. The missiles were under the official jurisdiction of the Italian Air Force and were maintained by Italian personnel, although the nuclear warheads were supervised and equipped by American officers. Rocket batteries regularly changed locations. For each of them, fuel and liquid oxygen warehouses were prepared in 10 nearby villages, regularly replenished and maintained.

15 missiles were located at 5 positions around Izmir in Turkey in 1961. As in Italy, Turkish personnel maintained the missiles, but the nuclear charges were controlled and equipped by US officers.

The first combat training launch of an MRBM by Italian personnel was carried out in April 1961. The first combat training launch of an MRBM by Turkish personnel was carried out in April 1962.