On November 27, Russian sailors held successful test unmanned nuclear submarine "Status-6", capable of carrying a multi-megaton nuclear warhead. Washington Free Beacon columnist Bill Hertz reports. A submarine took part in the tests special purpose B-90 "Sarov".

Hertz calls Status-6 a revolutionary device. Since the designers of the USA and other technologically advanced countries of the world have not yet approached this idea.

Official Representative Pentagon Jeff Davis refused to comment on the information about the tests, saying: “We are closely monitoring the development of Russian underwater technologies, but we will not comment on this.” At the same time, the military department does not doubt the reality of the existence of “Status”; it was even assigned the NATO index - “Canyon”.

This weapon became known a year ago, when during a television broadcast of a meeting Vladimir Putin there was a “leak of top-secret information,” which was undoubtedly planned. Thus, a signal was sent to American strategists that the new weapon was capable of guaranteed to make a hole in the massive defense of the North American continent and cause destruction on a scale that exceeded the attack of several known intercontinental ballistic missiles. That is, this is not just an asymmetrical response to the treacherous construction of the European missile defense system, but a solution that repeatedly covers the missile defense system, NATO battalions in Poland and the Baltic states, and other potentially aggressive actions of Washington towards Russia.

The transcript by Western experts of the slide, “leaked” to two central Russian television channels, provided enough information to understand what the uninhabited underwater vehicle (UUV) “Status-6”, developed at the Rubin Central Design Bureau, is. The following words were read: “The purpose is to defeat important enemy economic facilities in the coastal area and cause guaranteed unacceptable damage to the country’s territory by creating zones of extensive radioactive contamination, unsuitable for carrying out military, economic and other activities in these zones for a long time.”

It must be said that a similar project existed in the early 60s. The T-15 torpedo was developed, which had a length of 24 meters and a weight of 40 tons. It was supposed to be equipped with a 100-megaton thermonuclear charge. But at that time there were no compact nuclear reactors for the power plant, and battery-powered electric motors ensured that the torpedo moved only 30 kilometers.

But after half a century, the problem with the reactor was solved. At the same time, significant progress has occurred not only in nuclear energy, but also in electronic components, control systems, materials, and other components torpedo weapons. In addition, the strategy and tactics of the Navy have changed. Therefore, NPA “Status-6” is absolutely new development, which has in common with the T-15 only a 100-megaton charge power.

Moreover, the new development is not a torpedo, but an underwater robot that has elements of artificial intelligence and is capable of operating independently at a distance of several thousand kilometers from its carrier - a special-purpose submarine.

Technical Parameters, which circulate in open access, are, of course, not based on the top secret documents of the Rubin Central Design Bureau of Medical Technologies. They are the result of deciphering a slide from the Ministry of Defense that appeared on television screens, an analysis of experts, both domestic and foreign, taking into account the scientific, technical and technological potential of the Russian military-industrial complex.

First of all, it is necessary to say not about the quantitative, but about the qualitative side of the warhead. In order to realize the goals set for “Status”, the warhead must have a cobalt section. This should lead to maximum and long-term radioactive contamination of a vast territory. It is estimated that with a wind speed of 26 km/h radioactive cloud will poison a rectangle of coast measuring 1700x300 km.

The Rubin device is capable of destroying naval bases, carrier strike groups, and ground air bases. All this has been experimentally tested by the Americans themselves. In 1946, the US Navy tested an underwater explosion with a yield of 23 kilotons. As a result, the completely new aircraft carrier Independence, launched in 1942, was lost. After four years of unsuccessful decontamination attempts, it was scuttled. But the Status warhead contains several orders of magnitude more radioactive cobalt fission products.

Presumably the speed of the UUV ranges from 100 km/h to 185 km/h. It is provided by water-jet propulsors powered by a reactor with a power of 8 MW. The reactor has a liquid metal coolant, which makes it possible to increase efficiency and significantly reduce noise. What makes Status-6 practically invisible underwater. Among other things, the reactor has an excellent cost-to-power ratio. It could cost about $12 million to produce effective weapon containment, such costs are insignificant.

When analyzing the strength of the Status-6 hull, it was found that it has a working depth of 1000 meters. All of the above qualities indicate that UUVs are extremely difficult to detect even at maximum speed. For the SOSSUS sonar anti-submarine system, which monitors the US coast, new device much less noticeable than the quietest submarine in the world, Varshavyanka. It is estimated that Status-6 at a cruising speed of 55 km/h can be detected no further than at a distance of 2-3 km. If detected, it will easily escape any NATO torpedo at maximum speed. In addition, the UUV, possessing intelligence, is capable of performing complex maneuvers.

Indeed, the chances of destroying Status-6 even if it is detected are minimal. The fastest US torpedo, the Mark 54, has a speed of 74 km/h, that is, according to minimal estimates, 26 km/h less. The deepest-sea European torpedo with the formidable name MU90 Hard Kill, launched in pursuit, at a maximum speed of 90 km/h is capable of traveling no more than 10 km.

When assessing the capabilities of “Status-6”, one should take into account the “intelligence” of this NPA. As a deterrent weapon, it can arrive at its destination and lie low, waiting for a signal to detonate the warhead. The signal can be sent through an ultra-long wave channel, since ultra-long waves penetrate the water column. In this case, we will have a deterrent weapon ready to work instantly. Without wasting time on approaching and “swimming”.

It can be assumed that the tasks of this system also include solving other problems. Using such a powerful platform, capable of acting independently for a long time, including making tactical decisions, Status-6 can also obtain invaluable intelligence information.

And finally, about the carriers of “Status-6”. The Project 20120 diesel-electric submarine Sarov, built in a single copy, is designed to test the latest deep-sea technology. Therefore, she is not a carrier. However, at Sevmash, in secrecy, two special-purpose boats are being built - Belgorod and Khabarovsk, which, judging by a number of indirect data, will serve Status-6. Presumably, they will be commissioned this decade.

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Putin showed "Kuzka's mother"

“Status-6”: The General Staff scares the West with an apocalypse

The media “accidentally” filmed a new development capable of eliminating America from the depths.

Without exaggeration, a stunning document was captured by two federal media channels at a meeting on the development of the defense industry in Sochi, which was chaired by Vladimir Putin on November 9, 2015. Let us recall that then the president said that Russia would develop strike systems capable of overcoming any systems missile defense.

“NTV” and “Channel One” showed stories (now deleted), where allegedly by accident, through the back of, presumably, the head of the Main Operations Directorate of the General Staff of the RF Armed Forces, Colonel General Andrei Kartapolov, the concept and timing of the implementation of the development, which, in theory, bears the stamp, was filmed “Top Secret”, namely, the ocean multi-purpose system “Status-6”.

As can be seen from the screenshot, its developer is OJSC Central Design Bureau MT Rubin. This is one of the leading Soviet and Russian enterprises in the field of design submarines, both diesel-electric and nuclear, for example, the Borei SSBN.

The purpose of the system is “to destroy important enemy economic facilities in the coastal area and cause guaranteed unacceptable damage to the country’s territory by creating zones of extensive radioactive contamination that are unsuitable for carrying out military, economic and other activities in these zones for a long time.”

Two nuclear submarines are depicted as the intended carriers: the special-purpose nuclear submarine Belgorod, which is under construction, is an unfinished Antey-class cruiser, relaid on December 20, 2012 under special project 09852, and also a special-purpose submarine laid down on July 27, 2014 at Sevmash. "Khabarovsk" project 09851.

First, we should talk about special-purpose submarines. On August 1, in Severodvinsk, a ceremony was held to remove the special-purpose nuclear submarine BS-64 Podmoskovye from the shed of workshop No. 15. The submarine was converted from the K-64 missile carrier of Project 667BDRM into a boat designed to work with nuclear deep-sea stations (AGS) and uninhabited underwater vehicles in the interests of the top-secret Main Directorate of Deep-Sea Research (GUGI) of the Russian Ministry of Defense. This boat still has to undergo mooring and then factory sea trials, after which the BS-64 Podmoskovye will replace the Orenburg boat in the fleet, which was also converted from a Project 667BDR missile carrier in 1996-2002.

During trips to sea for sea trials and state trials, the BS-64 will presumably interact with the AGS of the Sperm Whale, Halibut and Losharik projects. Or more precisely, to be the carrier (mother boat) of one or another “baby,” as the AGS is also called. The carrier secretly delivers a mini-submarine (AGS), which has a low speed, to the desired area, after which it disconnects it for autonomous operation.

"Orenburg" and AGS are part of the mysterious 29th separate brigade submarines of the Northern Fleet, which performs tasks in the interests of GUGI. For reference: until 1986, the “kids” were not included in the Navy, but were part of a General Staff unit associated with the GRU. We also note that the former commander of the 29th Brigade Submarine Northern Fleet, Rear Admiral Vladimir Dronov, and more than ten officers bear the rank of Heroes Russian Federation(read about what tasks special-purpose nuclear submarines and AGS can perform in the material - nuclear submarine "Podmoskovye": an underwater reconnaissance submarine is preparing for a hunt).

Now regarding the “Status-6” system. In early September of this year, the American publication The Washington Free Beacon reported that Russia was allegedly creating an “underwater drone” codenamed “Canyon”, capable of carrying nuclear weapons with a yield of tens of megatons and threatening US ports and coastal cities.

Then naval analyst Norman Polmar suggested that the Canyon system was based on the Soviet T-15 linear nuclear torpedo with a capacity of 100 megatons (the idea of ​​​​Academician Sakharov), which was designed in the 50s specifically for striking coastal targets in the territory USA.

In his memoirs, Andrei Dmitrievich Sakharov said the following about this: “One of the first with whom I discussed this project was Rear Admiral Fomin... He was shocked by the “cannibalistic nature” of the project and noticed in a conversation with me that military sailors were accustomed to fighting armed enemy in open battle and that the very thought of such mass murder is disgusting to him.”

Interestingly, for security reasons, as well as taking into account other factors, the T-15 torpedo was developed without the participation of Navy. The Navy learned about it only through the project of the first nuclear submarine.

Let us note that at one time it was precisely for such a large torpedo that the first Soviet nuclear submarine of Project 627 was specially created, which was supposed to have not eight torpedo tubes, but one - with a caliber of 1.55 meters and a length of up to 23.5 meters. It was assumed that the T-15 would be able to approach the American naval base and with a super-powerful charge of several tens of megatons, destroy all living things. But then this idea was abandoned in favor of a submarine with eight torpedoes, which could solve a whole range of tasks. And as a result, Project 627A nuclear submarines were created.

Military historians claim that Soviet admirals, having familiarized themselves with the project in 1954, confidently declared that the submarine would certainly be destroyed on the approach to the American base. Moreover, the entrances to all American bases are covered many kilometers away by the winding shores of bays, islands, shoals, as well as booms and steel nets. They say that the T-15 torpedo cannot overcome such obstacles on the way to the object.

However, as military expert and historian Alexander Shirokorad said, in 1961 the idea of ​​the T-15 was again revived at the suggestion of academician Andrei Sakharov.

“The fact is that in fact the tactics of using such a super-torpedo could have been completely different. The nuclear submarine was supposed to secretly fire a torpedo at a distance from the coast much greater than 40 km. Having used up all the energy of the batteries, the T-15 would lie on the ground, that is, it would become an intelligent bottom mine. The torpedo fuse could remain in the waiting mode for a long time for a signal from an aircraft or ship, through which the charge could be detonated. The point is that damage to naval bases, ports and other coastal facilities, including cities, would be caused by a powerful shock wave - a tsunami - caused by nuclear explosion…

That is, based on the document leaked to the media, Russia decided to revive the idea of ​​Academician Sakharov?

Deputy Director of the Institute of Political and Military Analysis Alexander Khramchikhin is convinced that such a scenario of an unplanned leak of information about developments classified as “Top Secret” in the media cannot exist in principle.

“There is no doubt that this is a deliberate hoax.” The goal is to make a known adversary think about his actions. But, to be honest, I highly doubt that the development under discussion will be implemented in hardware. That is, this leak is most likely clean water disinformation. If only because no additional development is required to create “zones of extensive radioactive contamination.” Existing intercontinental missiles can already do this, the expert concludes.

Thus, the purpose of showing the document in front of cameras with a top-secret system is to frighten and puzzle Western “partners.”

However, if we assume that the development of such a system is really being carried out by the Rubin Central Design Bureau for MT? What does this mean?

Corresponding member of RARAN, reserve captain 1st rank Konstantin Sivkov, commenting on this “leak” in the media, suggests that, apparently, we are talking about the fact that special-purpose submarines will solve combat missions in the future.

- If ocean multi-purpose system“Status-6” is indeed being developed, then this, in my opinion, can only indicate one thing - our leadership is aware of the likelihood of a military clash with the West and is taking measures to counter the American threat of a military-technical nature - the concept of “Fast global impact", etc. Moreover, apparently, the threat is quite serious, since we are talking about this option of guaranteed deterrence.

At one time, I put forward the idea (I voiced it at the international military-technical forum “Army-2015”) that Russia needs to develop asymmetrical mega-weapons that would eliminate any threat of a large-scale war against Russia, even in conditions of the enemy’s absolute superiority in traditional systems defeats. Apparently, this development is in the same paradigm.

The fact is that from a geophysical point of view, the United States is a very vulnerable country. A guaranteed source of catastrophic geophysical processes there could be, first of all, an attack on the Yellowstone supervolcano to initiate a powerful eruption, as well as the detonation of powerful ammunition in the area of ​​the San Andreas, San Gabriel or San Jocinto faults.

Exposure to a sufficiently powerful nuclear weapon could trigger catastrophic events that could completely destroy US infrastructure on the Pacific coast with a large-scale tsunami. Initiating giant tsunamis is the idea of ​​Academician Sakharov. When several munitions are detonated at design points along the Atlantic and Pacific transform faults, according to scientists, a wave will be formed that will reach a height of 400-500 meters or more off the US coast...

It is quite possible to initiate such large-scale geophysical processes. Because today it is possible to “fit” high-power ammunition into the weight and size characteristics of, for example, the same ICBM.

To strike targets on the US coast: the oceanic multi-purpose system "Status-6"

Presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov confirmed that in the stories of a number of Russian television channels dedicated to the meeting with the president on defense issues that took place the day before, hitherto classified weapons systems were demonstrated. “We hope that this will not happen again,” Peskov said, Interfax reports. In a TV report from the NTV channel about a meeting chaired by Russian President Vladimir Putin on the development of the defense industry, visual materials on the ocean multi-purpose system “Status-6” were shown.

The purpose is “to destroy important enemy economic facilities in the coastal area and cause guaranteed unacceptable damage to the country’s territory by creating zones of extensive radioactive contamination that are unsuitable for carrying out military, economic and other activities in these zones for a long time.” As the proposed carriers, the project 09852 special-purpose nuclear submarine "Belgorod" under construction is shown at the top left, and the special-purpose nuclear submarine "Khabarovsk" project 09851, which is under construction, is shown on the right.

Let us remind you that the top-secret Main Directorate of Deep-Sea Research (GUGI) operates within the Ministry of Defense. It trains specialists in the field of deep-sea activities, conducts scientific research in the field of scuba diving, monitors the World Ocean, and searches and rescues sunken objects. These submarines are under his jurisdiction.

The editor-in-chief of the National Defense magazine, Igor Korotchenko, in an interview with the newspaper VZGLYAD, refused to discuss whether the information was declassified on purpose. Many Russian publications made this assumption on Wednesday evening.

“The important fact is that the United States received an absolutely clear signal that Russia is developing new strike weapons that make the American missile defense concept meaningless. The Russian military-industrial complex will find military-technical solutions to neutralize any potentially dangerous American military programs for our country,” Korotchenko told the VZGLYAD newspaper. He recalled that leaks about Russia’s creation of similar weapons systems had been in the Western press before, but were not of a specific nature. In particular, some time ago the American press reported on the development in Russia of a top-secret underwater drone.

“The fact that such a system is being created is, to a certain extent, news for all of us, since it is, as it were, legalized. We proceed from the fact that there are opportunities for a potential aggressor to receive a blow even if he uses the concept of a so-called lightning-fast global strike,” the expert is confident.

Korotchenko is confident that the published information was immediately reported to the US leadership and “American intelligence agencies will now carefully analyze and predict further development events." “Russia has shown that America’s attempts to cover itself with a missile defense umbrella are absolutely meaningless; there are opportunities for other unconventional solutions for strategic parity between our countries,” he said.

“In this regard, Russia is a self-sufficient military power, which once again demonstrates to the whole world that attempts at forceful dictatorship, attempts to implement plans for a surprise attack on our country with the hope of depriving it of its nuclear status are an absolutely senseless undertaking,” concluded Igor Korotchenko.

Academician Sakharov's tsunami

In light of yesterday's ummmm... leak, it will be useful to remember how it all began in the USSR and how it could all end for the USA...

In the 1950s, the USSR planned to unleash a giant tsunami on America.

Few people know that in the 1950s, the Soviet Union planned to flood the coastal cities of America using an artificial tsunami.

A giant wave more than 300 m high comes from the Atlantic and hits New York, Philadelphia, Washington, Annapolis. The wave reaches the roofs of skyscrapers. It is much higher than in the movie “The Day After Tomorrow”. Another wave hits the west coast in the Charleston area. Two more waves hit San Francisco and Los Angeles. Just one wave is enough for low-lying Houston, New Orleans, and Pensacola to be washed away to the Gulf Coast.

All these giant tsunamis should have been caused not by an underwater earthquake or the fall of huge meteorites, but by a series of deep-sea thermonuclear explosions with a capacity of 100 Mt each. In 1952, 30-year-old doctor of science Andrei Dmitrievich Sakharov suggested that Lavrentiy Pavlovich Beria wash America off the face of the earth. It was the same humanist academician who was exiled to Gorky after speaking out against the entry of Soviet troops into Afghanistan. And he received the title of academician in 1953, not least for this project.

Transport for a nuclear bomb

In August 1949, the first Soviet atomic bomb RDS-1. A few months later, the Soviet military produced several dozen bombs, which the developers called “Tatyana”, since the product index began with the letter “T”. At the same time, only the Tupolev Tu-4 bomber could deliver “Tatyana” to the territory of a potential enemy - almost exact copy obsolete American flying fortress B-29.

However, in 1952, this slow-moving, piston-engined Tu-4 was easy prey for American F-86 jet fighters. And most importantly, the Tu-4 could fly to US territory only by making an intermediate landing at an ice airfield on one of the northern islands, or even on an ice floe near North Pole. However, the bomber crew did not have a return ticket. If there was enough fuel, they were supposed to fly to the border with Mexico and parachute out.

True, Tupolev and Myasishchev worked on the creation of high-speed jet bombers Tu-16 and MZ, but they could only reach the target in the same way as the Tu-4. Tupolev had never even dreamed of the Tu-95 ultra-long-range strategic bomber. It turned out that a nuclear bomb had been invented and successfully tested, but they had little idea of ​​how to use it if necessary.

Meanwhile" cold war“was in full swing. American newspapers regularly published plans for destruction nuclear bombs tens and hundreds of Soviet cities. The war could start at any minute. Hundreds of American strategic bombers B-36, B-50 and B-29 were stationed at air bases in countries Western Europe, in Turkey, Pakistan and Japan. Dozens of them patrolled around the borders of the Union with nuclear bombs on board around the clock.

And now a young physicist, a participant in the creation of nuclear and thermonuclear bombs, proposes a super-original method of delivering a thermonuclear charge to the territory of a potential enemy.

City killer

Andrei Sakharov proposed arming the first Soviet nuclear submarine (NPS) of Project 627 with a huge 1550 mm caliber device for the T-15 super torpedo with a thermonuclear charge. And for self-defense, it should also be equipped with two torpedo tubes of “normal” caliber 533 mm. According to the plan, the super torpedo was supposed to carry a thermonuclear warhead with a power of up to 100 Mt! The explosion of such a bomb would lead to the formation of a gigantic tsunami and would instantly destroy not only the enemy’s coastal naval bases, but also everything that was located not far from the coast.

The project for this formidable weapon, apparently, was born in Sakharov’s head shortly after July 14, 1952. On this day, US President Harry Truman took part in a grandiose show - the ceremonial laying of the world's first nuclear submarine "Nautilus". Externally, the Nautilus repeated the contours of conventional diesel-battery American submarines of the Second World War. Its armament consisted of six 533-mm torpedo tubes.

Seven weeks after the Nautilus was laid down, on September 9, 1952, Stalin signed a Resolution of the USSR Council of Ministers on the start of work on “Object 627”. An interesting point: the work was carried out in secret from the command of our Navy! The fact is that after the war, Stalin had a very low opinion of moral character our military leaders, knew about their talkativeness and penchant for Bacchus. But unlike 1937-1938, the leader did not imprison them, but simply blocked their access to the development of the latest types of weapons. Thus, our military learned about the creation of atomic and hydrogen bomb, ballistic missiles R-1, R-2 and R-5, the Comet cruise missile, the Moscow air defense complex Berkut only a few years after the start of work on them.

In June 1954, construction of the first nuclear submarine began at plant No. 402 in the city of Molotovsk (since 1957 - Severodvinsk). The construction of the ship, subject to secrecy, was carried out at a specially created autonomous shipyard, which occupied the premises of a workshop built before the war to assemble turret installations for Project 23 battleships. At the same time, a ground-based prototype of a ship's nuclear power plant was created in Obninsk.

At the same time, a 1550 mm torpedo tube was designed and even manufactured. The mass of the torpedo warhead (not to be confused with the power of the bomb) was 4 tons, and the length reached 8 meters. The entire torpedo was 40 tons and 24 meters long, occupying a quarter (!) of the length of the submarine being created. Powerful batteries provided the torpedo with a speed of up to 29 knots and a range of up to 40 kilometers. At the same time electric motor torpedoes, unlike a conventional steam-gas torpedo, provided significantly less noise.

Torpedo that became a mine

Information about this top secret development Sakharov himself divulged at the dawn of perestroika. However, speaking about the tactics of using a super torpedo, the academician was lying. According to his version, the submarine was supposed to approach 40 km to the enemy naval base and fire a torpedo at it, which was supposed to enter the inner bay of the base and explode. But after talking with the admirals, the project leaders realized that with such tactics, the submarine most likely would have been destroyed on the approach to the American base. The US Navy's anti-submarine defenses of the mid-to-late 1950s were unlikely to allow an enemy submarine into the 50-kilometer zone around its base. In addition, the entrances to most American naval bases were hidden many kilometers away by the winding shores of bays, islands, and shoals. Even in peacetime The entrance to the base is covered by booms. So, even without the enemy’s anti-aircraft defense system, the torpedo had no chance of hitting the pier.

In fact, the tactics for using a super torpedo should have been completely different. The submarine had to secretly fire a torpedo at a distance from the coast much greater than 40 km. And not at the entrance to the base, but preferably away from it. The super torpedo had to use up all the energy from the batteries and lie on the ground. In wartime, the time fuse was then switched on, firing only when the boat could be guaranteed to move to a safe distance. And in the pre-war period, the torpedo fuse could remain in the waiting mode for a long time (days, weeks) for a radio signal and hydroacoustic signal, according to which the charge was detonated.

Thus, the super torpedo, having reached a predetermined point, became a bottom mine. Thanks to this system, several Project 627 nuclear submarines could, in the pre-war period, secretly place thermonuclear charges in neutral waters near the enemy’s most important targets.

The brutality that struck the military

In July 1954, military sailors - a group of specialists led by Rear Admiral A.E. - were allowed to familiarize themselves with the T-15 torpedo project for the first time. Orla. Having learned about the essence of the idea, the sailors reared up. Many arguments have been put forward against the T-15 torpedo. And, in the end, they managed to convince N.S. Khrushchev to refuse to continue work on such a fantastic weapon. The main argument was the opinion of hydrographers and oceanologists. They concluded that the bottom topography east coast The US will significantly weaken the wave energy. The Gulf Coast, as well as the Pacific Coast, were not considered at all.

The tragedy in New Orleans showed that our scientists were greatly mistaken or, most likely, gave in to pressure from the Navy command. After all, in Soviet era both hydrographers and oceanographers were very financially dependent on military sailors. Apparently, the “humaneness” of the Soviet military played an important role in making the final decision. They remarked to Academician Sakharov that they were used to fighting the enemy in open battle and that the idea of ​​such a mass murder was disgusting to them. After all, in addition to the military, many would inevitably suffer from a bomb explosion of such power peaceful people. So the T-15 torpedo of monstrous size, stored on the site of one of the workshops of the plant in Molotovsk, was forgotten for a long time.

And instead of equipping the submarine with this colossus, they proposed two alternative projects. According to the first, the Project 627 nuclear submarine was to be re-equipped with eight bow torpedo tubes of 533 mm caliber, but a T-5 steam-gas torpedo with a nuclear warhead should be created for it. Moreover, later submarines of all other projects could be equipped with T-5 torpedoes.

According to the second project (nuclear submarine P-627A based on project 627), the boat was to be equipped with one powerful P-20 cruise missile, which was designed at OKB-240 under the leadership of SV. Ilyushin. The P-20 flew three times faster than sound and could deliver the special unit “item 46” to a range of 3000 km. How work on the P-20 went, and why it was not adopted for service is a topic for another discussion.

As for the T-5 nuclear torpedo, it combat unit It was first exploded on September 21, 1955 on Novaya Zemlya. On October 10, 1957, at the same training ground, the submarine S-144 (project 613) fired a T-5 torpedo at a group of target ships from a distance of 10 km. The boat immediately went behind a rocky cape for reinsurance. The explosion occurred at a depth of 35 m, the deviation from the aiming point was 130 m. However, six target ships were sunk by the nuclear explosion: two destroyers, two minesweepers and two submarines.

Final fireworks

In conclusion, it is worth mentioning the fate of the 100-megaton warhead for the T-15 torpedo. This warhead, which later received the code "item 202", was manufactured in the second half of the 1950s. At first, an attempt was made to use the Tu-95 turbojet bomber as a means of delivery. But, alas, nothing came of it. As a result, the bomb lay peacefully in a warehouse in Arzamas-16, and the T-95 bomber, adapted to carry it, was written off as unnecessary and stood on the outskirts of the airfield in the city of Engels, awaiting disposal.

But then the tireless N.S. intervened. Khrushchev, who was eager to make a gift to the XXII Congress and at the same time show “Kuzka’s mother” to a potential enemy. As a result, the bomb was taken out of storage and modernized, reducing its power from 100 to 50 megatons (the power of a bomb is a rather arbitrary thing, it all depends on the method of calculation). And on October 30, 1961, a Tu-95 bomber dropped a 50-megaton bomb from an altitude of 11.5 km in the area of ​​the Matochkin Shar Strait on Novaya Zemlya. The famous “Kuzka’s mother” became the most powerful explosion in the history of mankind and at the same time the last chord of academician Sakharov’s failed tsunami project.

Alexander Shirokorad

The Pentagon has officially recognized that Russia is developing a fundamentally new type of deterrent weapon, which significantly exceeds the capabilities of traditional intercontinental nuclear missiles both in power and in the stealthiness of preparing a strike. We are talking about a nuclear torpedo with a range of 10,000 km and a charge power of up to 100 megatons.

This was reported by Defense News magazine, citing a preliminary draft of the new “Nuclear Posture Review” - a document defining the role of nuclear weapons in strategy national security USA. He is currently preparing for the President Donald Trump. The review contains a diagram that illustrates the development of the Status-6 intercontinental unmanned nuclear torpedo, called Kanyon in the United States.

American intelligence became convinced of the reality of the existence of this development back in November 2016, when tests of Status-6 were carried out with the participation of the special purpose submarine B-90 Sarov.

It is quite understandable that the American media responded strongly to this news. The overwhelming majority of them took the prospect of the appearance of fundamentally new nuclear weapons in Russia more than seriously. And this is quite understandable and explainable.

True, “optimistic” statements were also made. Thus, senior researcher at the American James Martin Center for the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons Nikolay Sokov on the pages The National Interest expressed doubts about the effectiveness of Status-6, calling it a “relic of the Soviet era.”

“This concept is very old, going back to the days when intercontinental ballistic missiles and submarine-launched ballistic missiles were few in number, unreliable and vulnerable,” Sokov said. “It’s hard to see much value in a 100-megaton slow vehicle these days.”

It would be impossible to disagree with this if we consider Status-6 a torpedo. Yes, indeed, if you launch it at hour “H”, then it will arrive on the shores of America when everything is already finished. However, functionally this weapon is a mine.

“Status-6” is sent on an autonomous voyage in advance. And it, possessing a certain artificial intelligence, approaches the mainland at the distance necessary for effective operation. After which it goes into standby mode, which can last as long as desired. At hour "H" "Status-6" will work almost instantly - with a delay for the passage of the radio signal from Europe to America.

This weapon became known in November 2015, when, during a meeting in Sochi on the development of the defense industry, which was chaired by the President Vladimir Putin, two federal television channels, as if by mistake, showed a slide labeled “Top Secret.” It contained the concept of the Status-6 ocean multi-purpose strike system. They highlighted both the developer, the Rubin Central Design Bureau, and the purpose of the system being developed. The purpose is as follows: “to defeat important enemy economic facilities in the coastal area and cause guaranteed unacceptable damage to the country’s territory by creating zones of extensive radioactive contamination that are unsuitable for carrying out military, economic and other activities in these zones for a long time.”

It must be said that Nikolai Sokov, who declared the “antiquity” of the “Status-6” concept, is absolutely right. In the early 60s, the T-15 torpedo was developed in the Soviet Union, which had the same purpose. It was not difficult to place a 100-megaton warhead in a body that was 24 meters long. It was much more difficult to achieve a long range, since at that time there were no compact nuclear reactors for a power plant. And engines using other energy sources could provide a torpedo weighing 40 tons with a travel distance of no more than 50 kilometers.

Half a century later, the problem with the compact reactor was solved, and therefore Russian designers remembered the “ancient” concept. At the same time, a significant technological breakthrough occurred not only in nuclear energy, but also in electronic components, control systems, and materials. “Status-6” is a completely different development; it has only the concept and the power of a nuclear charge in common with the T-15.

Enough is known about Status-6 to assess its real capabilities to deter an attempt to use weapons against Russia mass destruction. Its probable characteristics were the result of a transcript of a Ministry of Defense slide that appeared on television. Experts, both domestic and foreign, conducted an analysis of these weapons, taking into account the scientific, technical and technological potential of the Russian military-industrial complex.

Most experts agreed that the reactor could have a power of 8 MW. It has a liquid metal coolant, which makes it possible to significantly reduce noise, that is, increase the stealth of the torpedo. The combination of such a powerful power system with a water-jet propulsion allows it to reach speeds in the range from 100 km/h to 185 km/h.

When analyzing the strength of the torpedo hull, it was found that its working depth can reach 1000 meters. And this further increases its stealth, since NATO submarines operate at a depth of 200-300 meters. It is extremely difficult to detect even at maximum speed. However, the speed of Status-6 may vary depending on the situation. Since, as stated above, the autonomous execution of a combat mission is entrusted to a computer system that makes the torpedo an underwater robot, “smart electronics” accepts optimal solutions regarding how to penetrate anti-submarine defense zones. And in particular the global SOSUS system, which controls the US coast. Status-6 is much more difficult to detect than the world's quietest submarine, Varshavyanka. According to calculations, at a speed of a promising torpedo of 50 km/h, it is impossible to “see” it at a distance of less than 3 kilometers.

It is quite clear that in order to perform spatial and high-speed maneuvers when overcoming anti-submarine defense zones, Status-6 must have “sense organs”, that is, an effective sonar.

However, even if Status-6 is detected and torpedoed, its interception is practically impossible. The fastest US torpedo, the Mark 54, has a speed of 74 km/h, that is, according to minimal estimates, 26 km/h less. The deepest-sea European torpedo with the formidable name MU90 Hard Kill, launched in pursuit, at a maximum speed of 90 km/h is capable of traveling no more than 10 km.

It is quite clear that deterrent weapons, if used, must cause maximum harm to the enemy who has decided to transfer the conflict to the nuclear phase. Based on these considerations, the Status-6 warhead should have a cobalt section, which should lead to maximum radioactive contamination of vast areas. It is estimated that when using a warhead of such power as that of a promising Russian torpedo, and with such features, at a wind speed of 25 km/h, a rectangle measuring 1700 × 300 km will be subject to long-term contamination.

In conclusion, it must be said that an unmanned underwater robot is a multi-purpose weapon. It can also be used to solve other problems. For example, with a non-nuclear warhead it is capable of destroying the largest enemy ships, which primarily include aircraft carriers. Or conduct reconnaissance operations and return to the base submarine with the information collected. With his participation, it is also possible to disrupt enemy naval communications.

) random, or maybe “accidental” frame from television reports? From the very beginning, I didn’t even pay any attention to this, but then the waves of this information spread so widely across the sea of ​​information media that I myself began to wonder what it could really be.

So, What became known from the “exposed booklet”?

A self-propelled underwater vehicle from the Status-6 ocean multi-purpose system, designed to “defeat important objects of the enemy’s economy,” has become one of the most discussed topics in the world. The drone “accidentally” demonstrated on federal channels has turned into a bone of contention for experts, some of whom consider it a subtle Kremlin “duck,” while others see in it a new embodiment of Professor Sakharov’s ideas.

The “Status-6” system is designed to “defeat important enemy economic facilities in the coastal area and cause guaranteed unacceptable damage to the country’s territory by creating zones of extensive radioactive contamination, unsuitable for carrying out military, economic and other activities in these zones for a long time.” This is what almost all media quoted. What else do we know about her...

The carriers of the system are nuclear submarines of projects 09852 Belgorod and 09851 Khabarovsk, the first of which is being rebuilt into a special-purpose submarine from a carrier of cruise missiles, and the second is being built from scratch. Both ships are on the slipways of the Severodvinsk Sevmash.

The striking force of “Status” should be a self-propelled underwater vehicle with a range of 10,000 kilometers and a running depth of 1,000 meters.

The Central Design Bureau of Marine Equipment "Rubin" was chosen as the main executor of the system.

Most military experts call the Status-6 project a legacy of developments Academician Andrei Sakharov. His T-15 project, nicknamed the “Sakharov torpedo,” was an underwater self-propelled vehicle that was supposed to carry a thermonuclear charge to the enemy’s shores.

In his memoirs, Sakharov wrote about the T-15: “One of the first with whom I discussed this project was Rear Admiral Fomin... He was shocked by the “cannibalistic nature” of the project and noted in a conversation with me that sailors were accustomed to fighting an armed enemy in open battle and that the very thought of such a mass murder was disgusting to him.”

Sakharov proposed using Project 627 nuclear submarines developed in the 50s as a “vehicle for delivering” a powerful nuclear charge (100 megatons). According to his calculations, as a result of the explosion of such a bomb, a giant tsunami wave would be formed, destroying everything on the coast. The T-15 project remained at the level of drawings and sketches, since at that time submarine fleet The USSR did not have the capability to carry ballistic missiles.

“Here the approach is completely different. It is based on burning out and infecting all ports on the US coast. There are not that many of them - I know of only 17 of them, and not all of them can accommodate large ocean-going ships. This will automatically create insurmountable problems for the United States in logistics when waging war in Europe, and in obtaining resources from the occupied territories,” they are discussing on social networks.

What are the Rubin designers famous for?

Petersburg Design Bureau specializes in the design of submarines and deep-sea special equipment. In the depths of the bureau were born the Russian strategic Borei, the diesel-electric Varshavyanka operating all over the world, and the Lada submarine with an air-independent engine operating on the principle of an electrochemical generator is in the process of development.

According to official data from Sevmash’s annual reports and government contracts, the developer of Belgorod and Khabarovsk is also Rubin.

Igor Vilnit’s subordinates also have experience in creating autonomous underwater vehicles. Back in 2007, the AUV “Harpsichord”, an almost 6-meter, 2.5-ton deep-sea robot for examining bottom objects, saw the light of day. It is capable of plunging into the depths of the sea for 6 km and traveling 300 km without returning to the surface.

Is there evidence of the development of a “self-propelled underwater vehicle”?

There is no doubt that in the depths of Rubin they are indeed creating a promising autonomous uninhabited underwater vehicle. This is evidenced by tenders for carrying out components of development work to create a “promising current source for an AUV”, a high-pressure pumping unit for the buoyancy control system of a promising AUV”, “information and control systems and IO of a promising AUV complex”.

However, more can be gleaned from the procurement documentation detailed information it is not possible to report on the work being carried out at the bureau, so it cannot be reliably stated that the results of all of the above R&D will help Russia create that same “self-propelled underwater vehicle.” We may well be talking about a new incarnation of the already demonstrated Juno drone.

Who does “Status” report to?

If the information demonstrated to the whole world does not turn out to be a specially launched “duck”, then rejoice for the replenishment of the Russian Navy new technology it still won't work. Because the commanders of Belgorod and Khabarovsk will be given orders not by the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy, but by the head of the Main Directorate of Deep-Sea Research of the Ministry of Defense, a structure separate from the fleet within the military department. Nowadays this position is occupied by Vice Admiral, Hero of Russia Alexey Burilichev.

This formation's own fleet, subordinate directly to the Minister of Defense, is very large. In addition to submarines, nuclear deep-sea stations and uninhabited underwater vehicles, the GUGI operates the oceanographic research vessel Yantar, the experimental vessel Seliger, the rescue vessel Zvezdochka, and tugboats. Several more vessels for the department and the Sviyaga covered floating transport dock are under construction.

On amateur sites military equipment it is indicated that since 1988, Russia has been developing a robotic underwater boat-based vehicle “Skif”. There are several versions about what it is. This could be a missile that can wait to be launched at the bottom of the sea, or some kind of underwater projectile that travels part of the way under water and then launches cruise missile against a ground target. The project is being led by the Rubin Central Clinical Hospital for Medical Sciences. The same design bureau is indicated in the document that was broadcast on TV.

To top it off "Putin's favorite journalist" indicates that if there was a leak about a secret Russian torpedo, it was not the first, referring to the publication in the American edition of The Washington Free Beacon on September 8 entitled “Russia is building an armed nuclear weapons drone submarine."

In this article, the author of the publication, Bill Hertz, described the concept of this submarine and said that according to the American classification it was given the code name Kanyon, and all the details of this secret Russian program discussed only within a small circle of American government officials. At the same time, experts interviewed by Free Beacon called Kanyon a threat to US security and pointed to it as an example of “ aggressive behavior Russia." Domestic weapons lovers believe that this is the Skif project.

The name “Status-6” was never mentioned on the Russian Internet before the presentation was shown on television. After information about the secret device appeared, blogs began to discuss whether it was an accident or a deliberate leak. Press Secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov, who usually refutes almost all information coming from unofficial sources, unexpectedly confirmed the fact of an accidental leak of one page from a secret presentation. At the same time, Peskov reacted precisely to blog posts, and not to publications in major media outlets - this story did not receive much resonance before his comment. Moreover, the Kremlin spokesman said he knew nothing about whether anyone had been punished for leaking classified information. He promised to take “preventative measures to ensure this doesn’t happen again,” but stopped short of promising that those responsible would be brought to justice. After Peskov’s speech, a message appeared that journalists were prohibited from filming participants in meetings with Putin, with the exception of the president himself.

Against missile defense?

The meeting with Putin was devoted to the possibility of overcoming the American missile defense system with Russian strategic weapons.

“Over the past three years, enterprises of the military-industrial complex have created and successfully tested a number of promising weapons systems that are capable of solving combat missions in the context of a layered missile defense system. Such systems have already begun to enter troops this year. And today we’ll talk about how the development of new types of weapons is going,” Putin said, opening the meeting.

According to experts, Status-6 is considered as a weapon that can potentially bypass missile defense, since this system is designed to intercept ballistic missiles and cannot attack targets in the depths of the ocean.

The American missile defense system is a strong irritant for the Russian leadership. In Moscow, despite American assurances that by deploying missile defense facilities in Europe, Washington only wants to protect its allies from attacks from rogue countries, they believe that this system is directed against Russia and is intended exclusively for the destruction of Russian ballistic missiles.

Many experts contacted by the BBC for comment said they believe the emergence of information about the new weapon is a deliberate hoax, the purpose of which is to demonstrate the West's readiness for confrontation.

A BBC source related to the military-industrial complex said that, in his opinion, the demonstration of secret documents in front of television cameras at a meeting with the president could not be an accident, and most likely this was done in order to demonstrate Russia’s readiness to resist the Western system PRO.

"Damage to objects"

The tactical and technical characteristics of the future nuclear torpedo are unknown. The document only contains the main indicators - depth up to 1000 meters, speed - up to 185 km per hour (the document includes kilometers per hour, and not the nodes in which the speed of marine vehicles is most often measured), range - up to 10 thousand kilometers, caliber - 1.6 meters.

The proposed carriers on the page are the special-purpose nuclear submarines “Belgorod” of project 09852 and “Khabarovsk” of project 09851 that are under construction.

The document shown contains the name “Ocean multi-purpose system “Status-6”, but only one method of its application is mentioned there.

“Destruction of important enemy economic facilities in the coastal area and causing guaranteed unacceptable damage to the country’s territory by creating zones of extensive radioactive contamination that are unsuitable for carrying out military, economic and other activities in these zones for a long time,” it says.

Konstantin Sivkov, commenting on the appearance of information about System-6, said that a torpedo of such a project will most likely be quite large and will be able to carry a high-power nuclear charge up to 100 megatons.

"IN design point explosion, and the wave will rise 400-500 meters high and wash away all living things one and a half thousand kilometers deep into the territory of the United States. Moreover, explosions of such monstrous force initiate volcanic activity,” he said.

However, according to another expert, Lenta.Ru military observer Konstantin Bogdanov, it is actually too early to talk about the purpose of this torpedo. According to him, the presence of the word “multipurpose” in the name of the project suggests that its nuclear status is not necessarily the main thing.

“The combat module presented in this super torpedo can easily be intended for other purposes, including the delivery of special equipment, placement of reconnaissance equipment, and so on. We can easily get a situation where similar development work is carried out, but the actual purpose of the system may differ from what is demonstrated. But perhaps it will include this too,” he said.

Underwater arms race

As military expert Viktor Murakhovsky told the BBC, both Russia and the United States have been working in the field of military or dual-use deep-sea vehicles for many years and monitor each other’s work as much as possible. Therefore, the new development, he believes, is unlikely to become a big sensation for the military.

“This is not a secret for the United States. They also work in this area - in the field of automatic underwater vehicles for searching and destroying submarines and uninhabited underwater vehicles,” he said.

A little more about Russian weapons: for example, and here is the opinion that The original article is on the website InfoGlaz.rf Link to the article from which this copy was made -

Pentagon sources have confirmed that Russia is testing a new type of weapon - a giant torpedo with a terrifyingly powerful thermonuclear warhead, known as Status-6, writes Popular Mechanics. "It's very bad news", the US military said.

According to US intelligence, the tests took place on November 27. The torpedo was fired from the special purpose submarine B-90 Sarov, details are unknown. The author of a material published in The Washington Free Beacon on this topic calls the Russian underwater vehicle revolutionary: a torpedo with a nuclear power plant capable of moving at a speed of 90 knots at a depth of up to a kilometer. The range of the "Status" is 10 thousand kilometers, the size of the warhead is 6.5 meters. According to the Americans, a thermonuclear charge with a power of up to 100 megatons can be placed there. Detonated off the coast of the United States, it would cause a giant tsunami that would wipe out coastal states along with naval bases, airfields and military factories.

According to experts, Status-6 is Russia's new asymmetric response to the US deployment of a global missile defense system. The creation of a giant torpedo was first discussed a year ago, when at a government meeting on military issues a tablet with a description of the new weapon was caught on television cameras. The Kremlin called the “exposure” of classified information an “accident.” However, a number of political scientists consider it a deliberate “leak” and disinformation: according to the deadlines indicated in the tablet, the “Tsar Torpedo” was planned to be created in 2019.

Special-purpose submarines will be used as a carrier of the “Status” - in addition to the Sarov, these are the Belgorod project 09852 Antey and the Khabarovsk project 09851, which are currently being modernized. Officially, the submarines are called carriers of deep-sea vehicles and have a docking unit in the bottom, which makes them the burden cannot be detected either from land or from satellite.

The description of the system says that it is intended, among other things, to cause guaranteed unacceptable damage to the enemy by creating zones of extensive radioactive contamination on the coast, unsuitable for human life for a long time. A cobalt bomb, a thermonuclear weapon described by one of the creators of American atomic weapons, Leo Szilard, fits this description. The outer shell of such ammunition consists of cobalt-59, and its explosion guarantees the destruction of all living things.

Tests of a cobalt bomb have never been carried out due to the unsuitability of the affected areas for development and the risk of destroying the entire biosphere of the Earth - according to calculations, this would require only 510 tons of cobalt. However, such a bomb giant torpedo as a means of delivery, they can be used as a deterrent weapon - together with a system on alert that guarantees a retaliatory strike with the full power of Russia's nuclear forces even if destroyed command posts and personnel of the Strategic Missile Forces.