At the very end of 1965, the 9K76 Temp-S extended-range operational-tactical complex was adopted by the strategic missile forces. Soon, the country's leadership decided to continue the development of existing projects in order to create promising missile systems. Based on the developments on the Temp-S project, as well as using some new ideas, it was proposed to create a promising complex, which received the designation "Uranus".
Having completed work on the Temp-S project, the Soviet industry did not stop work in the field of operational-tactical missile systems. The study of new ideas and solutions was carried out, as well as the prospects for the further development of such systems were studied. By the fall of 1967, some new ideas were formed that could be used to create promising projects. On October 17 of the same year, the USSR Council of Ministers issued a decree, according to which the industry had to translate new ideas into a finished project. A promising army missile system (operational-tactical missile system in the modern classification) was designated "Uranus". Later it was assigned the index 9K711.
The development of the Uranus project was entrusted to the Moscow Institute of Heat Engineering. The chief designer was A. K. Kuznetsov. It was also proposed to involve the design bureau of the Votkinsk Machine-Building Plant in the design work, and OKB-221 of the Barrikady plant was to prepare a project for a self-propelled launcher. After the completion of the development of the Uranus complex, various enterprises could be involved in the project, whose task would be to manufacture the required products. However, the list of manufacturers of new technology, according to available data, has not been determined.
Model of self-propelled launcher complex 9K711 "Uranus"
The project of the operational-tactical missile system 9K711 "Uranus" should have been developed taking into account the unusual technical assignment. The complex proposed to include a self-propelled launcher based on a special wheeled chassis. This machine was supposed to be able to transport and launch one guided missile. Also in the terms of reference there were points about the air transportability of the launcher and the possibility of independently overcoming water obstacles by swimming.
It was proposed to develop two versions of ballistic missiles at once, differing from each other in a number of main features and characteristics. One of these products, designated "Uranus", was supposed to be a solid-propellant guided missile launched using a transport and launch container. Rocket "Uran-P" (in some sources referred to as "Uran-II"), in turn, had to have a liquid engine and did not need a launch container, instead of which a launch pad was required. The development of the Uran liquid-propellant rocket was carried out by the Moscow Institute of Thermal Engineering independently, and the Uran-P project was planned to be created together with the designers of the Votkinsk Machine-Building Plant.
Initially, the missiles of the promising complex were to be built according to a two-stage scheme. In 1970, the terms of reference were revised. Now it was necessary to develop two options for single-stage guided missiles. Such improvements had a significant impact on the project, but a number of ready-made ideas and solutions had to move from the original version of the project to the new one.
According to reports, the designers of the Barrikady plant developed a new version of a self-propelled launcher specially for the Uran missile complex. The design of such a machine started in 1968. On one of the existing (or prospective) special chassis with the required characteristics, it was proposed to mount a set of all the necessary units, from the means of transportation and rocket launch to control equipment. Apparently, vehicles designed to use missiles of two types should have had some differences. However, there is no information on the technical features of the Uranus missile launcher. In the case of a product using a liquid engine, photographs of the layout of the launcher are known, allowing you to view its design.
It was proposed to use a chassis with an 8x8 wheel arrangement, which has some similarities with existing products. In particular, the architecture of the chassis of the model of the launcher resembles the design of the chassis of a special vehicle ZIL-135, characterized by a reduced gap between the central axles and increased distances between other bridges. In front of the chassis, a relatively large cabin with jobs for all crew members was supposed to fit. Behind the cab there was room for the engine and some transmission units. The entire central and aft part of the hull was given over to accommodate the rocket and associated units.
To ensure the required mobility on various landscapes, a four-axle all-wheel drive chassis with large diameter wheels was proposed. In addition, in the central part of the stern of the machine, it was proposed to place a water jet or a propeller for moving through the water. Due to the sealed design of the hull and the auxiliary propulsion unit, the self-propelled launcher could float at a sufficiently high speed.
The rocket was supposed to fit in the central compartment of the hull. To withdraw the product outside the hull, it was proposed to use a large skylight. In the transport position, according to available data, it had to be closed by a curtain-curtain, moved forward using the winding mechanism. The opening in the aft part of the hull was closed by a swinging cover. Before lifting the rocket, the cover and curtain were supposed to open access to the inside of the vehicle's cargo compartment.
To work with the Uran-P rocket, it was proposed to equip the self-propelled launcher with a swinging launch pad. In the transport position, it had to be placed vertically and retracted with the rocket inside the cargo compartment. When deploying the complex on the launch pad, hydraulic or other drives were supposed to bring the table with the rocket out and set them in an upright position. A curious feature of such a launcher was the absence of a "traditional" boom or ramp for lifting the rocket. The entire weight of the rocket during lifting was to be transferred to the support ring of the launch pad. In addition, the design of the launcher made it possible to load the rocket without using a separate crane.
In the 9K711 project, separate transportation of the rocket and its warhead was proposed. For the transportation of the latter, in the front of the cargo compartment, special fasteners with shock absorbers, thermostatting systems, etc. were provided. In the course of preparing the complex for firing, the crew had to dock the products, after which the rocket could rise to a vertical position. The solid-propellant rocket in the TPK, apparently, did not need such means and could be transported assembled.
In the case of a solid-propellant rocket, the self-propelled vehicle was supposed to receive a set of equipment necessary to hold the transport and launch container in the required position and rise before firing. Accordingly, a different design of fasteners and a launching device was required, taking into account the peculiarities of the structure of the container.
The front cockpit of the launcher was supposed to accommodate the workplaces of the crew of four, as well as a set of the necessary control equipment. Provided for the placement of a control post with a driver's workplace, as well as the commander's workplaces and two operators with the necessary consoles necessary to control the various equipment of the machine.
The total length of the self-propelled launcher was supposed to reach 12, 75 m. Width - 2, 7 m, height in transport position - about 2.5 m. The combat weight of the vehicle is unknown. Based on the requirements for the transfer of military transport aircraft and the characteristics of the aircraft of the late sixties, some assumptions can be made.
The Uranus ballistic missile project involved the creation of a product equipped with a solid-propellant engine. Until 1970, a two-stage rocket was developed, after which it was decided to use a single-stage architecture. After such a revision, the rocket had to get different characteristics and change its appearance. So, a single-stage version of a solid-propellant rocket was supposed to have a cylindrical body of large elongation with a conical nose fairing. Aerodynamic stabilizers or rudders could also be used.
Model of the propulsion system of the Uranus rocket
It was proposed to transport and launch a solid-propellant rocket using a transport and launch container. This product was supposed to be a cylindrical unit with end caps and a set of internal devices to hold the rocket in the required position. The design of the TPK provided for windows designed to remove some of the gases during launch.
According to reports, the product "Uranus" was to receive a solid-fuel engine with a controlled nozzle. In addition, at various stages of the design, the possibility of using gas rudders was considered. It is known that the design of an engine with the required characteristics was developed at the Moscow Institute of Heat Engineering. Solid fuel for such a power plant was created by NII-125 specialists.
An autonomous inertial control system was to be located in the instrument compartment of the rocket. With the help of a set of gyroscopes, this equipment was supposed to track the movement of the rocket and develop corrections for the operation of the steering machines. In the final version of the project, it was proposed to equip the rocket only with a controlled nozzle of the main engine, without using any rudders of a different design.
The project "Uranus" in the 1969 version proposed the construction of a rocket with a length of 2, 8 m and a diameter of 880 mm. The launch weight of the product was 4, 27 tons. The estimated flight range reached 355 km. Circular probable deviation - no more than 800 m.
An alternative to the solid-propellant rocket was the liquid-propellant Uran-P. As in the case of solid fuel, initially it was required to create a two-stage product, but later this idea was abandoned. Apparently, in the new version, both projects should have had a similar layout, differing in the type of engine used. The main difference in the design of the two missiles was associated with the power plant.
The central and tail sections of the Uran-P rocket were allocated for the placement of the fuel and oxidizer tanks, as well as the engine. It was proposed to equip the engine with a swinging nozzle with drives for thrust vector control used by control systems. In addition, for control, it was proposed to use an additional nozzle on the exhaust pipe of the turbo pump unit. According to some reports, the possibility of long-term storage of the rocket in a fueled state was envisaged. Such storage periods could be up to 10 years.
The control system of the Uran-P product was supposed to use the same principles as the Uranus equipment. An autonomous control system based on inertial navigation was proposed. A similar technique had already been worked out and had the required characteristics, which made it possible to use it in a new project.
The liquid-propellant rocket differed in slightly smaller dimensions and some other design features, as well as a number of characteristics. In the 1969 project, the Uran-P rocket was supposed to have a length of 8.3 m with a diameter of 880 mm. The launch weight is 4 tons. Due to the lower launch weight and the more powerful engine, the liquid-propellant rocket was supposed to deliver the warhead to a range of up to 430 km. The parameters of the KVO, according to the calculations of the authors of the project, were at the level of the Uranus rocket.
Several variants of warheads intended for use on Uran and Uran-P missiles were being worked out. So, the possibility of creating nuclear warheads weighing 425 and 700 kg, 700-kg high-explosive fragmentation, as well as incendiary and guided warheads was considered. In addition to a warhead of the required type, missiles could carry means of breaking through enemy defenses. First of all, it was proposed to use active sources of jamming for enemy radar systems, which could be used both independently and in combination with passive jamming, decoys, etc.
In 1969, the Moscow Institute of Heat Engineering and the Design Bureau of the Votkinsk Machine-Building Plant completed the development of a draft version of the 9K711 Uranium project. Soon the project was defended, after which the industry could continue the development of the missile system, as well as begin preparations for the construction of experimental equipment. After defending the draft design, it was decided to abandon the two-stage architecture of the missiles, changing and simplifying their design. New versions of the Uran and Uran-P missiles have been developed since 1970.
The design of a new operational-tactical missile system continued until 1972. By this time, the work encountered some difficulties, primarily related to the workload of design organizations. The lead developer of the Uranus project at that time was engaged in the creation of a mobile strategic missile system 15P642 Temp-2S, which is why other promising developments did not receive due attention. As a result, the Minister of Defense Industry S. A. Zverev, seeing the existing situation, proposed to abandon further work on the Uranus project.
In March 1973, the minister's proposal was enshrined in the corresponding resolution of the Council of Ministers. The Moscow Institute of Thermal Engineering now had to focus on a new project of the complex with the Temp-2S intercontinental ballistic missile. Project 9K711 "Uranus" should have been closed. At the same time, the developments on it should not have been wasted. The available documentation on this topic was ordered to be transferred to the Kolomna Machine-Building Design Bureau.
Complex 9K714 "Oka", created on the basis of developments on "Uranus"
At the time of the appearance of the Council of Ministers decree, the Uranus project was still in the early stages of development. At this stage of the work, the creators of the project could not start testing individual components, let alone building and testing full-fledged products. As a result, the project remained in the form of a large volume of drawings and other design documents. In addition, a number of mock-ups of equipment were made, one of which, according to available data, is currently kept in the museum of the Kapustin Yar test site.
Since the end of 1972, specialists from the Moscow Institute of Heat Engineering, together with colleagues from other organizations, have been testing the Temp-2S complex. The termination of work on "Uranus" made it possible to finally free up the forces necessary to fine-tune and deploy the production of a new complex for the Strategic Missile Forces. By the end of 1975, MIT, the Votkinsk Machine-Building Plant and the Barrikady enterprise completed all the necessary work, after which the 15P645 Temp-2S complex was put into service.
The documentation on the Uranus project was transferred to the Mechanical Engineering Design Bureau, which at that time was actively involved in the topic of operational-tactical missile systems. The designers of this organization studied the documents received and, thanks to this, got acquainted with some of the developments of their colleagues. Some ideas and solutions of the Moscow Institute of Heat Engineering and the Design Bureau of the Votkinsk Machine-Building Plant soon found application in new projects of rocket technology. In particular, there is an opinion that some of the ideas from the Uranus project were used already in 1973 to create the 9K714 Oka operational-tactical complex.
It should be noted that the version of the continuity of the two projects has not yet received acceptable confirmation, however, some features of the Uran and Oka systems, as well as the design of self-propelled launchers, clearly indicate that certain developments of MIT specialists have not disappeared and have found application in new developments. In addition, they were brought to serial production and operation in the army, albeit as part of a different missile system.
The project of the army missile system / operational-tactical missile system 9K711 "Uranus" has been developed for several years, but never left the stage of design work. As part of this project, it was proposed to develop two missile options at once with the required characteristics, as well as a new self-propelled launcher with a number of unusual features. Nevertheless, despite all the positive features, the Uranus project faced some problems. Simultaneously with "Uran", the Moscow Institute of Thermal Engineering designed other missile systems that were of greater interest to the customer. As a result, the loading of the organization led to the fact that the Temp-2S project was developed, and Uranus was closed due to a lack of opportunities. Nevertheless, the original ideas and solutions still contributed to the further development of domestic rocket technology, but already within the framework of new projects.
