Today JSC "State Missile Center named after Academician V. P. Makeev" (JSC "GRTs Makeev") is the leading developer of solid-fuel and liquid-propellant missile systems for strategic purposes with ballistic missiles intended for installation on submarines. And also one of the largest Russian research and development centers for the development of rocket and space technology. On the basis of the GRC, a large strategic holding was created, which included the leading enterprises of the industry: JSC Krasnoyarsk Machine-Building Plant, JSC Miass Machine-Building Plant, JSC NII Germes, JSC Zlatoust Machine-Building Plant. The work of this holding is of strategic importance for our country.
In the Russian military-industrial complex, the Makeeva SRC occupies a special place throughout the history of its existence, engaged in the development of outstanding samples of rocket technology. Over the more than 65-year history of its existence, the designers of the SRC have designed and commissioned the Navy three generations of missile systems, as well as 8 basic missiles and 16 of their modernized versions at once. These missiles were and continue to form the basis of the naval strategic nuclear forces of the Soviet Union, and then Russia. In total, the specialists of the GRC collected about 4 thousand serial sea missiles, more than 1200 missiles were fired, the launch success was more than 96%. In each of the missile weapon systems being created, the designers solved fundamental tasks that ensured the formation of naval rocketry in our country, the achievement of high-quality results surpassing world analogues, contributing to the deployment of an effective naval component of the strategic nuclear forces of our state. The developments of the GRTs Makeev are still an integral part of modern rocketry.
However, this was not always the case, the missile center and its team had to go a long way, which contained competition with such a giant of the American aviation industry as Lockheed, this company was engaged in the development and production of UGM-27 "Polaris" and UGM-73 "Poseidon" SLBMs. … Thanks to the selfless work of the designers of the Makeev SRC, the missile systems they created, which were installed on all Soviet strategic submarines, by the mid-1970s, caught up in their effectiveness with American counterparts manufactured by Lockheed. True, before that they had to go a long way.
The first launch of the R-11FM rocket on September 16, 1955 from the experimental submarine B-67
Already in the first post-war years in the USSR, a new rocket industry developed at a rapid pace and its parent enterprise, OKB-1, headed by Korolev, began to expand the production base. On December 16, 1947, by a government decision, a Special Design Bureau with laboratories and an experimental workshop was formed. Since 1948, it became known as SKB-385 (Special Design Bureau No. 385). This bureau, the main purpose of which was the development of long-range missiles, was formed on the basis of the Ural plant number 66, located in Zlatoust. The first task for the new design bureau was to support the production of the R-1 rocket at Plant No. 66, this rocket was assembled in the image of the famous German V-2 rocket.
Truly SKB was able to turn around after it was headed by Viktor Petrovich Makeev (1924-1985). He was appointed chief designer at the suggestion of Sergei Pavlovich Korolev himself and came to SKB from Korolev's OKB-1, where he was the lead designer. Korolev was able to discern the creative potential that Makeyev had, sending him on an independent voyage. Makeev became the chief designer of SKB-385 in 1955, at his suggestion, the construction of a new production site began, located on the northern outskirts of the city of Miass in the Chelyabinsk region, at the same time the design bureau moved to a new location. Together with the new chief designer, new developments went to Miass - short-range ballistic missiles R-11 and R-11FM. Thus, the design bureau, which until 1956 was engaged in the development of serial production of missiles developed by OKB-1, began to independently create ballistic missiles intended for installation on submarines.
On September 16, 1955, the first in the world R-11FM ballistic missile was launched from a submarine in the USSR. The rocket, developed at OKB-1 by the chief designer Korolev, was deployed on submarines of projects 611AV and 629, the technical leader of the tests was Viktor Makeev. Successful tests of this missile marked the beginning of the creation of the Soviet naval nuclear forces. The rocket was brought to mind by 1959, after which it was put into service. It was withdrawn from service only in 1967, although already in the early 1960s it was obvious that this rocket very quickly became morally and technically obsolete. With a firing range of only 150 km, a circular probable deviation of 3 km and a relatively small charge with a capacity of 10 kt, this rocket provided the possibility of only surface launch in sea waves up to 4-5 points. The surface launch of the missile significantly complicated the possibility of its covert launch from the board of Soviet diesel-electric submarines.
UGM-27C Polaris A-3 launch from the USS Robert E. Lee nuclear submarine, November 20, 1978
In 1960, a more advanced single-stage ballistic missile R-13 (D-2 complex) was adopted by the Soviet fleet; Makeev himself was its general designer. The new missile partially solved the problem of its predecessor, which, due to its short range, did not allow striking targets located in the depths of the enemy's defense, which had a developed anti-submarine defense. The maximum flight range of the R-13 rocket has increased to 600 km, and the power of the warhead installed on it has increased to 1 Mt. True, like its predecessor, this rocket provided only the possibility of a surface launch. This missile was already installed on diesel and the first Soviet nuclear submarines, remaining in service until 1972.
A real breakthrough in Soviet rocketry was the creation of the R-21 single-stage ballistic missile (D-4 complex), which became the first Soviet missile with an underwater launch. The increased characteristics of the missile made it possible to improve the balance in the strategic nuclear forces, which developed in the 1960s. The R-21 rocket was put into service in 1963, remaining in service for almost 20 years. But even this missile could not compete with the UGM-27 "Polaris" missile adopted in service in the United States in 1960.
Unlike Soviet liquid-fueled single-stage missiles, the American Polaris ballistic missile was solid-fueled and two-stage. The Polaris A1, which entered service in November 1960, was superior in many respects to the P-21, which entered service in May 1963. The American missile could cover 2200 km, while the maximum launch range of the R-21 was 1420 km, while the circular probable deviation of the American missile was 1800 meters versus 2800 meters for the R-21. The only advantage of the R-21 was the high power of the charge - 0.8-1 Mt versus 0.6 Mt of the American UGM-27 "Polaris" rocket.
R-27 ballistic missile with multiple warhead
In the pursuit race between the two countries, SKB-385 still had room to grow, especially given the fact that in 1962 the United States adopted the Lockheed Polaris A2 missile with a flight range increased to 2,800 km and a more powerful warhead 1, 2 Mt. The rocket, which could compete on equal terms with the American "Polar Star", was created in the USSR in the period from 1962 to 1968. It was on March 13, 1968 that a new single-stage Makeev R-27 ballistic missile (D-5 complex) was adopted.
When developing a new rocket, a number of innovative solutions were used, which for many years determined the appearance of the SKB-385 missiles:
1) Maximum use of the entire internal volume of the rocket to accommodate the propellant components in it, the location of the propulsion engine in the fuel tank (a recessed scheme was used), the use of a common bottom of the fuel tank and oxidizer, the location of the instrument compartment in the front bottom of the rocket.
2) A sealed all-welded body made of shells obtained by chemical milling of plates, the material for these plates was an aluminum-magnesium alloy AMg6.
3) Reducing the volume of the air bell due to sequential start-up at the time of starting the steering engines first, and then the main engine.
4) Joint development of elements of the rocket launch system and the rocket, abandonment of aerodynamic stabilizers, the use of rubber-metal shock absorbers.
5) Factory refueling of ballistic missiles.
All these measures made it possible to significantly increase the average density of the rocket layout, which had a positive effect on its dimensions, as well as a decrease in the required volume of the shaft and tanks of the annular gap. Compared with the previous Makeev R-21 rocket, the firing range of the new R-27 has doubled, the length and mass of the rocket itself has decreased by a third, the mass of the launcher has decreased more than 10 times, the volume of the annular gap has decreased 5 times. The load on the submarine per missile (the mass of the missiles themselves, launchers for them, missile silos, and annular gap tanks) has decreased by 3 times.
Nuclear submarine project 667B "Murena"
It is also important to understand that at the first stage of its existence, Soviet submarine-launched ballistic missiles were not the weakest link in the strategic submarine fleet. They fully corresponded to the tactical and technical level of the first Soviet nuclear submarines. These submarines also lost to the Americans in a number of parameters: they had a shorter range and speed, and were noisier. Not everything was in order with the accident rate.
The situation began to level out in the early 1970s, when the first boats of the 667B Murena project entered service with the USSR Navy. The boats had a reduced running noise and carried excellent acoustic and navigation equipment on board. The main weapon of the new submarines was the R-29 two-stage liquid-propellant ballistic missile (D-9 complex), created by the engineers of the Mechanical Engineering Design Bureau (since 1968 it has become known as SKB-385) under the leadership of Chief Designer Viktor Petrovich Makeev. The new rocket entered service in 1974.
As part of the D-9 complex, the rocket was placed on board 18 Project 667B Murena submarines, each carrying 12 R-29 missiles, which could be fired in a salvo from a depth of 50 meters and in rough seas up to 6 points. The adoption of this missile made it possible to dramatically increase the combat effectiveness of Soviet missile submarines. The intercontinental range of the new missiles eliminated the need to overcome the advanced anti-submarine defense of the NATO and US fleets. In terms of flight range - 7800 km, this Makeyev rocket surpassed the American development of the Lockheed company UGM-73 Poseidon C3 rocket, which was put into service in 1970. The American missile had a maximum flight range of only 4600 km (with 10 blocks). At the same time, its circular probable deviation still exceeded that of the Soviet R-29 - 800 meters versus 1500 meters. Another feature of the American missile was a separable warhead with individual guidance blocks (10 blocks of 50 kt each), while the R-29 was a monobloc missile with a 1 Mt warhead.
UGM-73 Poseidon C-3 rocket launch
In 1978, the R-29D rocket was put into service, with which 4 boats of the 667BD Murena-M project were armed, which were already carrying 16 missiles on board. At the same time, for the first time in the USSR, the system of azimuthal astrocorrection (correction of the flight plane according to star landmarks) was used to obtain the required firing accuracy on ballistic missiles R-29; an onboard digital computer also appeared on them for the first time. The indicator of the circular probable deviation of the R-29D rocket has reached an indicator comparable to the Poseidon C3 rocket - 900 meters, while the maximum firing range has increased to 9100 km.
At the same time, liquid-propellant ballistic missiles for nuclear submarines, created by the specialists of the Makeev SRC, were brought to the highest degree of perfection after the death of the brilliant designer. Thus, the R-29RMU2 Sineva missile, adopted by the Russian fleet in 2007 and deployed on the third generation 667BDRM Dolphin submarines, surpasses the Trident-2 missiles that have been in service with the US Navy since 1990. According to numerous experts, including foreign ones, Sineva is recognized as the best underwater missile in the world. The most important indicator that makes it possible to judge its combat effectiveness is the ratio of the thrown mass to the mass of the rocket itself. For Sineva, this figure is significantly higher than that of Trident-2: 2.8 tons for 40 tons versus 2.8 tons for 60 tons. 2, 8 tons can hit targets at a distance of 7400 km.
The Russian three-stage liquid-propellant ballistic missile R-29RMU2 "Sineva" has a launch range of 8,300 to 11,500 km, depending on the combat load. The missile can carry up to 10 warheads of individual guidance with a capacity of 100 kt each, or 4 blocks with a capacity of 500 kt each with enhanced means of countering enemy missile defense systems. The circular probable deviation of these missiles is 250 meters. The R-29RMU2 "Sineva" sea rocket and its development R-29RMU2.1 "Liner" surpass all modern missiles of the USA, China, Great Britain and France, without exception, in terms of their energy-weight perfection (technical level), the official website of the Makeev SRC notes. Their use can make it possible to extend the operation of strategic nuclear submarines of Project 667BDRM "Dolphin" until 2030.
