Russian Barguzin armored vehicle with hypersonic missiles. Armored train of the XXI century

Russia, “Beat of Life!”, - Dmitry Zherebtsov.

History of creation

This story dates back to the distant 60s. During this period, two powerful powers hostile to each other, the USA and the USSR, drove each other into the abyss of an arms race. The Americans tried, violating parity, to create a weapon capable of bringing the USSR to its knees. The Soviet leadership did not want to put up with this and thought about how this could be avoided and guarantee their country the possibility of a guaranteed missile strike nuclear arsenal in the country of a potential enemy.

The first and most obvious option for ensuring a retaliatory strike was associated with strengthening the security of nuclear launchers, which provided the ability to strike back in the event of a nuclear attack by the aggressive NATO bloc, as it was called then (and, admittedly, this was the most accurate description of it, containing the essence of this organization).

But it soon became clear that the coordinates of our launchers were well known to the United States. In 1961, the USSR shocked the whole world with its message that a new superweapon, the Hydrogen bomb, was tested on Novaya Zemlya, with a power of 50 million tons. The Soviet leadership was well aware that such a superweapon would soon appear in the United States. One hit of such a bomb at the location of the Strategic Missile Forces launch silos ( Rocket Troops Strategic Designation), did not leave a single chance for a retaliatory strike.

In addition, the United States was armed with Trident-2 missiles, capable of penetrating deep into the ground and destroying the infrastructure of a grounded missile complex. And the missile systems located in Europe, equipped with Pershing-2 missiles, when launched, reached us in 6-8 minutes. This time was enough to deploy the launcher and open the mine hatch. But nothing more.

Thus, the Soviet Union was deprived of the opportunity to launch a guaranteed retaliatory missile nuclear attack according to the countries of the aggressors. It became clear to everyone that parity needed to be restored as soon as possible. But, if it is impossible to reliably cover the launchers, then they can be made undetectable. This is how the idea of making them mobile was born.

On January 13, 1969, the order “On the creation of a mobile combat railway missile system (BZHRK) with the RT-23 missile” was signed. The Yuzhnoye design bureau was appointed as the lead developer. According to the developers, the BZHRK was supposed to form the basis of the retaliatory strike group, since it had increased survivability and could most likely survive after the enemy delivered the first strike.

It should be noted that this complex was a component of a guaranteed retaliatory strike Soviet Union, along with the 15P696 mobile missile system with the RT-15 missile, also known as object 815 from 1965. And, the R-11FM SLBM created on the basis of the R-11 ground-based operational-tactical missile.

Thus gave birth to one of the most powerful and elusive military nuclear launchers on a railway platform.

It was created by teams led by brothers Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Vladimir Fedorovich Utkin and Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Alexey Fedorovich Utkin.

The Kremlin understood: fundamentally new technical solutions. In 1979, the USSR Minister of General Mechanical Engineering Sergei Aleksandrovich Afanasyev set a fantastic task for the Utkins designers. This is what Vladimir Fedorovich Utkin said shortly before his death: “The task that the Soviet government set before us was striking in its enormity. In domestic and world practice, no one has ever encountered so many problems. We had to place an intercontinental ballistic missile in a railway car, but the missile with its launcher weighs more than 150 tons. How to do it? After all, a train with such a huge load must travel along the national tracks of the Ministry of Railways. How to transport a strategic missile with a nuclear warhead in general, how to ensure absolute safety on the way, because we were given an estimated train speed of up to 120 km/h. Will the bridges hold up, will the track and the launch itself not collapse, how can the load be transferred to the railway track when the rocket is launched, will the train stand on the rails during the launch, how can the rocket be raised to a vertical position as quickly as possible after the train stops?”

Yes, there were many questions, but they had to be resolved. Alexey Utkin took over the launch train, and the elder Utkin took over the rocket itself and the rocket complex as a whole. Returning to Dnepropetrovsk, he thought painfully: “Is this task feasible? Weight up to 150 tons, almost instantaneous launch, 10 nuclear warheads, a system for overcoming missile defense, how can it fit into the dimensions of a regular carriage, and there are three missiles in each train?!” But as often happens, complex tasks always find brilliant performers. So in the late 70s, Vladimir and Alexey Utkin found themselves at the very epicenter of " cold war“, and not only turned out to be, but became its commanders in chief. In Dnepropetrovsk, at the Yuzhnoye Design Bureau, Vladimir Utkin forced himself to forget about his doubts: such a rocket can and should be built!

The device of the BZHRK "Molodets"

The BZHRK includes: three DM62 diesel locomotives, a command post consisting of 7 cars, a tank car with supplies fuels and lubricants and three launchers (PU) with missiles. The rolling stock for the BZHRK was assembled at the Kalinin Freight Car Building Plant.

The BZHRK looks like an ordinary train consisting of refrigerated, mail, luggage and passenger cars. Fourteen cars have eight wheel pairs, and three have four. Three cars are disguised as passenger fleet cars, the rest, eight-axle, are “refrigerated” cars. Thanks to the available supplies on board, the complex could operate autonomously for up to 28 days.

The launch car is equipped with an opening roof and a device for discharging the contact network. The weight of the missile was about 104 tons, with a launch container - 126 tons. Firing range - 10,100 km, missile length - 23.0 m, launch container length - 21 m, maximum missile body diameter - 2.4 m. To solve the problem of launcher overload Each carriage uses special unloading devices that redistribute part of the weight to adjacent carriages.

The rocket has an original folding fairing of the head section. This solution was used to reduce the length of the rocket and place it in the carriage. The length of the rocket is 22.6 meters.

The missiles could be launched from any point along the route. The launch algorithm is as follows: the train stops, a special device moves to the side and short-circuits the contact network to the ground, the launch container assumes a vertical position. After this, a mortar launch of the rocket can be carried out. Already in the air, the rocket is deflected with the help of a powder accelerator and only after that the main engine is started. Deflecting the rocket made it possible to divert the propulsion engine jet away from the launch complex and the railway track, avoiding their damage. The time for all these operations, from receiving a command from the General Staff to launching the rocket, was up to three minutes.

The cost of one RT-23 UTTH “Molodets” missile in 1985 prices was about 22 million rubles. In total, about 100 products were produced at the Pavlograd Mechanical Plant.

The complex was adopted for service on November 28, 1989. A total of 56 missiles of this type were deployed in positional areas on the territory of the Ukrainian SSR and the RSFSR. However, due to changes in the defense doctrine of the USSR and political and economic difficulties, further deployment of missiles was stopped. After the collapse of the USSR, the missiles located on the territory of Ukraine were removed from combat duty and disposed of (including a backlog of at least 8 missiles) in the period 1993-2002. The launchers were blown up. In Russia, the missiles were removed from duty and sent for disposal after the expiration of the guaranteed storage period in 2001. The launchers were modernized to use RT-2PM2 Topol-M missiles.

The 15Zh61 rocket is exhibited at the branch of the Central Museum of the Strategic Missile Forces in Training center Military Academy of the Strategic Missile Forces named after. Peter the Great in Balabanovo, Kaluga region.

New ghost train

The Russian military-political leadership also did not remain indifferent to the idea of a missile train. Discussions about the need to create a replacement for the “Molodets” that was scrapped and sent to museums began almost from the day the last BZHRK was removed from combat duty.

The development of a new complex, called “Barguzin”, began in Russia in 2012, although back in June 2010 a patent issued by the Federal State Unitary Enterprise “Central Design Bureau “Titan” for an invention designated as “Launcher for transporting and launching a rocket” was published from a transport and launch container placed in a railway car or on a platform.” The lead contractor for the new BZHRK was the Moscow Institute of Thermal Engineering, the creator of Topol, Yars and Bulava.

In December 2015, the commander of the Strategic Missile Forces, Colonel General Sergei Karakaev, said that “the preliminary design has now been completed, and working design documentation for the units and systems of the complex is being developed.” “Of course, when reviving the BZHRK, all the latest developments in the field of combat missiles will be taken into account,” emphasized Sergei Karakaev. – The Barguzin complex will significantly exceed its predecessor in accuracy, missile flight range and other characteristics, which will allow long years, at least until 2040, this complex will be in combat strength Strategic Missile Forces."

“Thus, a grouping will be recreated in the Strategic Missile Forces based on missile systems three types of basing: mine, mobile ground and railway, which in Soviet years“has proven its high efficiency,” the Interfax agency quoted the commander of the Strategic Missile Forces as saying.

In November of the following year, 2016, the first throwing tests of ICBMs for a promising missile train were successfully completed. “The first throw tests took place at the Plesetsk cosmodrome two weeks ago. They were considered completely successful, which opens the way for the start of flight development tests,” the Interfax agency quoted the interlocutor as saying. Representatives of the Ministry of Defense and the military-industrial complex of the Russian Federation were very optimistic; they reported that a report to Russian President Vladimir Putin on the prospects for deploying the Barguzin complex and the start of flight tests of a missile intended for it were planned for 2017.

Myth or reality?

Not long ago, information appeared about the suspension of further tests of the Barguzin BZHRK. What's the matter? Is it a simple lack of funds or something else? Let's figure it out.

Initially, when creating “Well done,” the emphasis was placed on the elusiveness and increased survivability of the object. According to the plan, it should be indistinguishable from compounds for general economic use. But was he really invisible? The BZHRK train standing on the sidings could not be distinguished from general utility trains except by the average person. Any specialist could easily establish his affiliation with the Strategic Missile Forces. This includes an increased number of wheel pairs and a built-in locomotive, used only in mountainous areas or when transporting BZHRK. In general, there were enough differences that any specialist could easily notice them.

The new "Barguzin", despite its maximum camouflage, also had its own distinctive features. Therefore, it is very difficult to talk about the elusiveness of these compounds. IN this moment, information has appeared about the latest developments in the military-industrial complex, capable of overcoming enemy air defense and missile defense and guaranteeing the delivery of the warhead to its destination. And their speed does not give the enemy a chance to intercept them. The modern military doctrine of Russia is based on qualitatively different principles. Such developments, which are faster than enemy air defense and missile defense interceptor missiles and their relative independence in overcoming air defense and missile defense, provide qualitatively new opportunities not only for delivering a retaliatory strike, but also for permanently suppressing the possibility of a primary strike by a potential enemy.

Maybe in the future Russian military-industrial complex We will return to this issue again, having a lot of modern military developments behind us. And, the issue of reviving the Barguzin project will be resolved at a qualitatively different scientific and technical level.

At the moment, modern military developments are capable of cooling even the hottest heads of the aggressive NATO bloc. They will have to think many times before getting involved in a new military adventure against our country. Modern military developments in Russia are capable of neutralizing any aggression against our country and guaranteeing our peaceful and sweet sleep.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The BZHRK was supposed to remain combat ready even in the event of impact shock wave that occurs during a nuclear explosion. This requirement was tested at the test site in Plesetsk, when in 1991, not far from Molodets, a 20-meter-high pyramid made of anti-tank mines taken from East Germany was blown up. The power of the explosion was 1000 tons of TNT. A funnel with a diameter of 80 meters and a depth of 10 meters was formed. Immediately after the explosion, the launcher of the complex worked normally.

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

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

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

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

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

The Barguzin uses the same principle of missile placement and necessary equipment in railway cars. However, the designers did not have to solve the problem of compensation overweight rockets. This complex uses a ready-made Yars rocket. The weight of the rocket does not exceed 50 tons.

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

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

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

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

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NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, speaking on Thursday at the Romanian military base in Deveselu (Olt county in the south of the country, 180 kilometers from Bucharest), officially announced the operational readiness of the deployed American complex missile defense Aegis.

In turn, the press secretary of the American embassy in Russia, William Stevens, said that “the purpose of the missile defense system NATO is to fully protect Europe from the growing threat posed by ballistic missiles. The commissioning of a new anti-missile system base in Romania will significantly increase our defense capability and protect the territory of NATO countries,” he said, TASS reports.

At the same time, the diplomat noted that “everything more countries produce or acquire ballistic missiles... The agreement reached on Iran's nuclear program does not change this fact, he said. “The agreement does not eliminate the danger posed by Iranian ballistic missiles...”

Iranian missiles, Karl!

Well... "European Gypsies" were the first to go. Even the Psheks and spratniks were ahead of them. They had long been glad to be the first (especially the Poles), and in Smolensk all their political Russophobes unexpectedly kissed the Russian birch tree.

Will there finally be a response from the Russian bear, whom NATO is still trying to anger? I think that our military and diplomats are definitely fine with their imagination.

“Of course, this is a completely extreme measure, and I hope it won’t come to that, but it is no coincidence that the Russian parliament, when ratifying the New START, made a reservation that the deployment of missile defense elements could become one of the reasons for Russia’s withdrawal from the treaty,” – he said, RIA Novosti reports.

Russia is reviving ghost trains to retaliate in a nuclear war. “Barguzin” will replace the Soviet “Molodets”.

In the next five years, Russia will have a new “weapon of retaliation” - the Barguzin railway combat missile systems. Appearing out of “nowhere”, these missile trains will be capable of delivering a crushing retaliatory strike on the territory of any enemy.

On last week The first International Military-Technical Forum “Army-2015” took place in Kubinka (Moscow region). The event turned out to be colorful, useful and rich in food for thought. Russian President Vladimir Putin, opening the forum, in particular, mentioned that our country will continue to actively develop and improve its strategic nuclear weapons. “This year, the nuclear forces will be replenished with more than 40 new intercontinental ballistic missiles, which will be capable of penetrating any, even the most technically advanced, missile defense systems,” the Russian head of state emphasized.

This statement, of course, caused a storm of emotions among Western politicians. “This bellicose rhetoric from Russia is unjustified, dangerous and has a destabilizing role,” said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. “No one should hear such statements from a leader strong country and worry about possible consequences“- US Secretary of State John Kerry also spoke on this matter.

And our most likely enemy really has something to “worry” about. Russia in last years not only is it intensively restoring its nuclear missile shield, but is also regaining those types of strategic defensive weapons that the United States, with all its technological and financial power, was unable to create, no matter how hard it tried.

We are talking, first of all, about combat railway missile systems (BZHRK), which were created in the Soviet Union by the Utkin brothers - general designer of the Yuzhnoye Design Bureau, academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Vladimir Fedorovich Utkin(Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine) and general designer of the Special Engineering Design Bureau (St. Petersburg, Russia) Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Alexey Fedorovich Utkin in the mid-80s of the last century. Under the leadership of his older brother, the RT-23 intercontinental ballistic missile and its railway version, the RT-23UTTH (15ZH61, “Scalpel” according to NATO classification), were created, under the leadership younger brother- myself "cosmodrome on wheels", capable of carrying three “Scalpels” and launching them from any point in the Soviet Union with which there is a railway connection.

This weapon turned out to be absolutely lethal. BZHRK "Molodets" in appearance were practically no different from ordinary freight trains. Therefore, calculate their location visually or by means of space observation among the thousands of trains that scurry across the expanses every day huge country, for the American military was an impossible task. And take measures to intercept it too.

Because from the moment of receiving the order to carry out the combat mission until the launch of the first rocket, “Molodets” took less than three minutes. Having received the order, the train stopped at any point on its route, a special device was used to move the contact suspension to the side, the roof of one of the refrigerator cars was opened, and from there a ballistic missile carrying 10 nuclear warheads over a distance of 10 thousand km...

Appearing practically out of nowhere, 12 Soviet BZHRKs carrying 36 intercontinental ballistic missiles, in response to a nuclear strike, could literally wipe off the face of the earth any European country that is a member of NATO, or several large US states.

American engineers and the military were unable to create anything like this, although they tried. Therefore, Western politicians got involved, and, at the insistence of the United States and Great Britain, from 1992 to 2003, all Soviet BZHRKs were removed from combat duty and destroyed. Appearance two of them can now be viewed only in the Museum of Railway Equipment at the Warsaw Station in St. Petersburg and in the AvtoVAZ Technical Museum.

However, over the past 20 years the problem of effective "retaliatory strike" Russia, in the event of aggression, not only did not decrease, but only intensified.

The new strategy of a “global non-nuclear strike”, which guides the current American authorities, assumes that the territory probable enemy It will not be a nuclear strike, but a massive strike with high-precision missiles. Thousands of such missiles, launched from American submarines, surface ships and ground installations, should cover the most important industrial, energy centers the enemy, the location of his nuclear potential and, ultimately, leaving him without “teeth” and the will to resist….

And one of the guarantees that this scenario will not be implemented on Russian territory is the revival in our country of the development and production of military railway missile systems. Which, by the mere fact of their existence, can “cool the ardor” of potential opponents of our country.

Work on their creation has already begun. Shortly before the international military-technical forum "Army-2015", Deputy Minister of Defense of Russia Yuri Borisov told reporters that the preliminary design of a new Russian BZHRK called "Barguzin" I'm ready now. Until 2020, the Russian Armed Forces Up to 5 Barguzin BZHRK should arrive. Their development and construction is carried out at the expense of funds provided for in the state weapons program until 2020.

Information about the beginning practical work the reconstruction of the BZHRK was also confirmed by the Radio-Electronic Technologies (KRET) concern, which is developing electronic warfare systems for new missile trains. “These developments are underway. Now our institutes are engaged in these developments, and these proposals will be transferred to the lead contractor who will be appointed to restore the BZHRK,” an adviser to the deputy head of the concern told TASS at the Army-2015 forum Vladimir Mikheev.

“The train must be protected from reconnaissance and destruction, and the missiles themselves that will be used by it are also objects against which enemy missile defense will operate,” he emphasized.

There is still very little information about what the Barguzins will be like. However, it is already quite clear that these will not be “modernized “Molodets”, but completely new cars. Firstly, because technology has gone far ahead in 30 years (the first “Molodets” was put into service in 1987). Secondly, because all work on Barguzin is carried out in Russia, without the involvement of the Ukrainian Yuzhnoye design bureau and the Yuzhmash plant.

The main weapon of the Barguzinov will not be the 100-ton Scalpels, but the 50-ton RS-24 Yars missiles. This is a completely Russian rocket - developed by the Moscow Institute of Thermal Engineering, produced by the Votkinsk plant. As you have already noticed, the Yars is twice as light as the RT-23UTTH, but at the same time it contains a smaller number of multiple warheads - 4 (according to open sources) instead of 10 (although it flies almost 1 thousand km further than the Scalpel).

It is known that each “Barguzin” will carry 6 "Yars" each. But it is not yet very clear which path the developers of the new rocket train will take - either they will try to place two Yars in each refrigerated car, which serves as a transport container for the rocket, or they will limit themselves to one for each rocket, but twice as much as “Well done,” they will increase the number of container launchers on each train.

At the same time, obviously, in “Barguzin” the main know-how of the creators of “Molodets”, the Utkin brothers, will be preserved - the rocket launch system: withdrawal of the contact network above the train, mortar launch of the rocket, removal of it to the side using a powder accelerator and subsequent launch of the propulsion engine. This technology made it possible to divert the jet of the rocket propulsion engine from the launch complex and thereby ensure the stability of the rocket train, the safety of people and engineering structures, including railway ones.

And it was precisely this that the Americans were unable to implement when developing their BZHRK, which in the early 90s of the last century was tested at the US railway test site and the Western Missile Test Site (Vandenberg Air Force Base, California).

At the same time, "Barguzin" in general - neither wagons, nor diesel locomotives, nor electromagnetic radiation, will not stand out from the total mass of freight trains, thousands of which now scurry along Russian railways every day. Because railway technology has also gone far ahead during this time.

For example, “Molodets” was hauled by three DM62 diesel locomotives (a special modification of the serial M62 diesel locomotive) with a total power of 6 thousand hp. And the power of only one current mainline freight two-section diesel locomotive 2TE25A “Vityaz”, which is mass-produced by Transmashholding, is 6800 hp. The full autonomy of the train is assumed to be the same as that of the “Molodets” – 30 days. Range – up to 1000 thousand km per day. This, according to the developers, is enough to ensure the complete secrecy of the Barguzin and its ability to deliver an unexpected retaliatory strike to the enemy at any time.

P.S. The Soviet BZHRK “Molodets” at one time excited the Pentagon so much that the United States did everything possible to ensure that our country destroyed them with its own hands. However, the Americans did themselves a real disservice. Russian "Barguzins" will become elusive and very powerful missile systems strategic purpose.

And we’ve probably already prepared a surprise for them in Cuba.

I really liked the comment:

Dmitry Denisenko

one train should patrol around Latvia!!! so that not a single sleeping pill will work on Grybauskaite...

No matter how you talk to psychopaths, the Pentagon and NATO understand only the language of force.

But what are the gay Europeans thinking about? They have three countries in one square kilometer. Masochists. Damn it, masochists.

Our local pacifists and other gay toleranceists have already perked up: “Crazy quilted jackets! Playing with fire!!! Stop provoking NATO."

This is called provoking:

This is the cry of those who will be the first to run out with a white flag towards the invaders and begin to kiss their boots. Let them howl, since there is no way to shoot them in the modern tolerant world.

The Russian bear yawns and silently does his job... He dries the cartridges. And he worries whether, if something happens, there will be enough for everyone...

BZHRK "Barguzin" is preparing to go on rails

Combat Railway Missile Complex (BZHRK) "Barguzin"

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BZHRK "Barguzin" is a combat railway missile system, developed on the basis of another BZHRK - "Molodets". At the moment, development has been stopped, and the Molodets missile system project has been closed.

What is BZHRK? BZHRK - Barguzin railway-based missile system. That is, this is a train with several missiles on board, disguised as a simple civilian train and running throughout the country. "Barguzin", whose weapons are thermonuclear missiles, could become one of such trains.

The history of the creation of "Barguzin"

In the online encyclopedia Wikipedia about the Barguzin BZHRK it is written:

year 2012- the beginning of work on the creation of the Barguzin combat railway missile system;
December 2014- selection of the combat basis of the complex - it became the RS-24 Yars missile;
End of 2015- Sergei Karakaev, Commander-in-Chief of the Strategic Missile Forces, announced that the design of the preliminary version of the BZHRK has been completed and the development of working drawings for the complex has begun;
May 2016- Colonel General Viktor Esin announced the approximate time frame for the creation and adoption of the Barguzin - 2018–2025;
November 2016- at the Plesetsk cosmodrome, the first stage of testing of the modified RS-24 Yars rocket, developed specifically for the BZHRK, was successfully completed;
December 2017- announcement of the termination of work on the project.

Progenitor of "Barguzin"

The idea of creating a BZHRK as a combat unit is not new and did not belong to Russia or the USSR. The first attempts to do something similar were made by the United States, but the project was never adopted. But the USSR liked the idea of a nuclear train, and already in 1969 the development of a project began - Barguzin rocket trains of a new generation.

The Molodets BZHRK began its first combat duty in 1987.

Currently, most of the “Molodets” complexes have been disposed of under the START-2 agreement; only two museum trains exist.

“Barguzin” was supposed to be a deep modification of “Molodets”, but the project was closed. Let's look at the structure of the BZHRK using the example of "Molodets".

Device

The said BZHRK included three DM62 diesel locomotives, a command post consisting of 7 cars, a tank car with reserves of fuel and lubricants and three launchers with missiles.

The Molodets complex looked like an ordinary train of refrigerated cars.

Mail, luggage and passenger cars. Fourteen cars had eight wheel pairs, and three had four.

Three cars were disguised as passenger cars, the rest, those with eight axles, were disguised as “refrigerated trucks.” Thanks to the available supplies on board, the complex could operate autonomously for up to 28 days.

The weight of the rocket was 104 tons and to solve the problem of overload, special unloading devices were used, redistributing part of the weight to adjacent cars. In addition, the length of the rocket should not exceed the length of standard cars, so the design of the fairing of the head part was redone and became folding.

The missiles could be launched from any point along the route.

The launch algorithm is as follows:

the train stops, a special device moves to the side and short-circuits the contact network to the ground;
The launch container takes a vertical position due to the hydraulic system;
after this, a mortar launch of the rocket can be carried out;
Already in the air, the rocket started its main engine.

The whole operation took about three minutes. Each starting device could work both as part of the train and separately from it.

Tactical and technical characteristics of the complex

Why "Barguzin" was not adopted for service

The Barguzin project was very promising. The news of its creation caused a wave of indignation in the West. And it’s not surprising, because the new “Barguzin” was supposed to be an improved model of another BZHRK “Molodets”. That is, take the best from it and correct the shortcomings.

For example, the Barguzin was supposed to look more like a regular freight train than its predecessor.

Its structure lacked such features as an extended carriage, several additional wheelsets and locomotives, and this is an important camouflage factor. In addition, the BZHRK can change its movement vector at any time, which will make it difficult to strike back at it.

And despite all these advantages, the project is either frozen or completely discontinued. Why? There are several versions.

The first is a strategic move to disinformation the enemy. A good old trick, let the potential enemy think that Russia has really stopped developing the new generation Barguzin ballistic missile system, and let his guard down.

Secondly, development has actually stopped. And there are several reasons for this. For example, leading weapons developers do not have a common opinion about the BZHRK as a whole. This project, the Barguzin combat railway missile system, has both supporters and opponents.

The economic factor should not be excluded. Perhaps the expenses for the Molodets rocket train would have been too high, and the project might not have justified itself. It is also worth adding that for the army, the creation of a BZHRK - the Barguzin missile train - has never been a priority.

However, according to those responsible for this project, if necessary, the Barguzin railway missile system will be built as soon as possible.

BZHRDK - train "Molodets" in the parking lot

Characteristics of the BZHRK Barguzin complex

Below are the characteristics of the Barguzin BZHRK: missiles and some characteristics of the entire complex as a whole.

Rockets on a railway platform

BZHRK design

Roughly speaking, the Barguzin train never existed as a combat unit. Its entire development and design is on paper marked “SECRET”, so its entire description is speculative.

In appearance, "Barguzin" is an ordinary freight train, of which there are a huge number. And that's it. The developers were strictly limited by the requirements of railway standards.

That is, they must fit into the framework of modern rolling stock, so that the BZHRK appearance no different from an ordinary train. Thus, a missile with a launch container must be placed in a standard refrigerated car, which is 24 meters long.

New generation BZHRK missile during deployment

The new generation Barguzin BZHRK carriages are equipped with Yars intercontinental ballistic missiles with 30 warheads with a yield of 550 kilotons each. Due to the same limitations, it was decided to make the rocket stages foldable.

In addition, inside the locomotive there are command posts, technological and technical systems, communications and personnel. In the event of an enemy attack, the train is stopped and prepared to start. The doors on the roofs of the cars move apart, the mechanisms bring the rockets into a vertical position and the launch is carried out.

What Barguzin BZHRK looks like from the outside, photo

Project Barguzin - advantages and disadvantages

Advantages:

Stealth. Thanks to the disguise as ordinary Russian Railways trains, it will be extremely difficult for a potential enemy to find the BZHRK of the Barguzin project, even with the help of a satellite;
Maneuverability. There are a huge number of railway tracks in Russia and the Barguzin is capable of changing direction at any time, and this will make it difficult to strike back;
Economical. Servicing one unit of a gas-propelled rocket engine is cheaper than servicing any other ground-based complex.

Flaws:

Blade wear. A car with a nuclear missile is much heavier than any freight car. This causes additional stress on the blade and accelerates its wear. And due to extraordinary repairs, a potential enemy may find out the approximate route of the BZHRK;
Frivolity. For some unknown reason, there is no proper attitude towards the BZHRK. Yes, this is a nuclear missile system, but the development of such projects has never been a priority. After all, there are time-tested and battle-tested land, sea and underwater-based systems;
Expensive. Despite the relatively low maintenance costs, the construction of such a complex is very expensive. And at the moment there is no urgent need for it.

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

What is BZHRK

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

History of the creation of combat railway missile systems

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

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

OKB-586 (future Yuzhnoye Design Bureau). It was planned to place RT-12 medium-range missiles on the train;
OKB-301 (now JSC NPO named after S.A. Lavochkin). Most unusual project, which assumed a railway base cruise missile"Storm";
OKB-1 ( modern name– RKO “Energia” named after S.P. Queen). The complex was created with the expectation of using RT-2 missiles capable of reaching the United States.

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

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

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

Principle of design and operation of BZHRK

The combat railway complex includes the following elements:

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

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

The use of missile trains involves their placement at permanent deployment points with the ability to immediately go on duty upon command. Moving along the railways, this “special” train constantly maintains contact with the command, and after receiving an order it must immediately stop, and then, in the shortest possible time, prepare and carry out a launch against the given targets.

Advantages and disadvantages of BZHRK

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

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

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

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

Types of BZHRK

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

BZHRK "Molodets"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

BZHRK "Barguzin"

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

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

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

Performance characteristics of combat railway missile systems

BZHRK "Molodets"

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

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

BZHRK "Barguzin"

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

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

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

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