In 1963, work was completed in our country to determine the ways of developing tactical missile systems. According to the results of the special research work "Kholm", two main variants of such systems were formed. Using the research results, it was decided to develop two new projects. One of the promising missile systems received the designation "Hawk", the second - "Tochka".
According to the available data, the research work "Kholm" showed that the most promising missile systems with missiles using autonomous inertial guidance or radio control. At the same time, experts preferred weapons with their own guidance systems that do not require additional control from the outside. It was proposed to test new ideas in the framework of two projects. The radio command control of the missile was to be implemented within the framework of the project with the code "Yastreb", and the inertial guidance system was to be used by the missile of the "Tochka" complex.
It should be noted that the Tochka project, the development of which began in the first half of the sixties, is indirectly related to the missile complex of the same name, created by the early seventies. The older project influenced the development of the newer one, but there is no reason to consider the 9K79 Tochka system as a direct development of the previously created complex.
The alleged appearance of the self-propelled launcher of the Tochka complex. Figure Militaryrussia.ru
The development of the projects "Tochka" and "Yastreb" was entrusted to OKB-2 (now MKB "Fakel"), headed by P. D. Grushin. Also, several other research and design organizations were involved in the work. Their task was to develop various radio-electronic systems, launchers, etc. In particular, OKB-221 of the Barrikady plant (Volgograd) and the Bryansk Automobile Plant were responsible for the creation of a self-propelled launcher, and KB-11 was supposed to submit a draft of a special warhead with the required parameters.
Preliminary study of the two missile systems began in accordance with the decision of the Supreme Council of the National Economy Commission on military-industrial issues of March 11, 1963. In February 1965, the USSR Council of Ministers decided to begin preliminary design. The first versions of the projects should have been completed by the third quarter of the same year. In the future, it was supposed to prepare full-fledged projects and bring new complexes to the stage of field tests.
In the Tochka project, it was proposed to use a fairly economical approach to the creation of individual elements of the rocket complex. All of its components had to be based on existing products. So, it was proposed to build a self-propelled launcher based on one of the new chassis, and the rocket with the designation B-614 was supposed to be the development of the anti-aircraft B-611 from the M-11 Shtorm complex. At the same time, for use as part of the Tochka complex, the existing products needed certain modifications.
As part of the Tochka project, it was decided to abandon the development of a completely new rocket carrier vehicle. It was planned to build a self-propelled launcher for this system on the basis of an already developed chassis, and when developing special equipment, use existing units of other missile systems. In the future, this approach made it possible to simplify the production of serial equipment, as well as facilitate its operation in the army.
As the basis for the self-propelled launcher, a special ZIL-135LM chassis was chosen, the production of which at that time was being prepared at the Bryansk Automobile Plant. Unlike the base model of its family, this chassis did not have the ability to swim across water obstacles, but could carry a rocket and other special equipment. The characteristics of the ZIL-135LM machine fully met the requirements.
The ZIL-135LM chassis had an original design with a non-standard architecture of the power plant and chassis. On the frame of the vehicle, a cabover body with a forward-facing crew cab and an engine compartment placed behind it was attached. The engine compartment housed two ZIL-375Ya diesel engines with a power of 180 hp each. each. Each of the engines was mated with its own transmission system, which transmitted torque to the wheels of its side. Due to this, the main characteristics of mobility and carrying capacity were increased.
The undercarriage of the special vehicle was also distinguished by its unusual design and appearance. Four bridges were used, the distance between which was different: the two central bridges were placed as close to each other as possible, while the front and rear were removed from them. The central axles did not have an elastic suspension, and the steering wheels of the front and rear axles received a torsion bar suspension with independent hydraulic shock absorbers.
With its own weight of 10, 5 tons, the ZIL-135LM car could carry up to 9 tons of various cargoes. It was also possible to tow heavier trailers. The maximum speed on the highway reached 65 km / h, the cruising range was 520 km.
The self-propelled launcher project provided for equipping the existing chassis with a number of special equipment. So, for leveling during firing, the chassis should have been equipped with jack supports. In addition, the launcher was supposed to have equipment for topography and preparation of the rocket for firing. Finally, a swinging rail for the rocket was to be placed in the rear of the chassis.
Launch of the V-611 rocket of the Shtorm complex. Photo Flot.sevastopol.info
For the new rocket, a beam guide of a fairly simple design was developed. It was a beam of sufficient length with fastenings for installing a rocket. Due to the grooves and other equipment of the upper surface, the guide was supposed to hold the rocket in the required position, as well as ensure its correct movement during the initial acceleration. For lifting to the required elevation angle, the guide received hydraulic drives.
The Tochka missile system could include a transport-loading vehicle. Information about the existence of such a project has not been preserved. As a consequence, the proposed features of such a machine are also unknown. Probably, it could be built on the same chassis as the self-propelled launcher, and receive an appropriate set of equipment in the form of mounts for transporting missiles and a crane for reloading them onto the launcher.
It was proposed to develop a ballistic missile under the designation B-614 on the basis of the B-611 anti-aircraft missile, which was being created at that time. The V-611 or 4K60 was originally developed for use as part of the M-11 Shtorm shipborne anti-aircraft missile system. A characteristic feature of this product was a relatively long firing range at 55 km and a relatively heavy 125-kg warhead. After analyzing the possibilities, it was found that a number of improvements would make it possible to turn the anti-aircraft missile for ships into a ground-to-ground ballistic missile suitable for use as part of a land-based complex.
In the initial version, the V-611 rocket had a body with a length of 6, 1 m and a maximum diameter of 655 mm, which consisted of several main sections. The head fairing was tapered and mated with a cylindrical central compartment. There was a tapered taper in the tail section of the hull. The anti-aircraft missile had a set of X-shaped wings at the rear of the cylindrical section of the hull. In the tail was a set of rudders. In the B-614 project, the hull structure had to be slightly modified. Due to the other parameters of the warhead, which was distinguished by its large weight, the rocket head fairing had to be equipped with additional small aerodynamic destabilizers.
The ballistic missile could retain the base product's solid-propellant engine. In the B-611 project, a dual-mode engine was used, which ensured the initial acceleration of the rocket with a derailment, and then maintained the required flight speed. The anti-aircraft missile could accelerate to 1200 m / s and fly at a cruising speed of 800 m / s. The flight range of the V-611 product was 55 km. Interestingly, the available fuel supply provided a long active section equal to the maximum firing range. These engine parameters were of great interest from the point of view of ballistic missile development.
It was proposed to equip the V-611 missiles of the Shtorm anti-aircraft complex and the V-612 of the Yastreb tactical system with a radio command control system. The V-614 product, in turn, was supposed to receive autonomous control devices based on an inertial system. With their help, the rocket was able to independently track the flight parameters and maintain the required trajectory throughout the active phase of the flight. Further, an uncontrolled flight was to be carried out to the point of impact.
The armament of promising missile systems was planned to be equipped with special combat units. These products were noticeably heavier than the standard high-explosive warhead of the B-611 missile, which led to improvements in the hull design. The power of the special warhead developed for the B-614 product is unknown.
According to the customer's requirements, the Tochka missile system was supposed to ensure the destruction of targets at ranges from 8 to 70 km. At the expense of control systems, it was planned to bring the accuracy of hitting targets to the required level. A special warhead of sufficient power could compensate for the deviation from the aiming point.
Due to the presence of its own missile control systems, the "Tochka" complex should not differ from other systems of its class. Arriving at the position, the crew had to carry out a topographic survey, and then calculate the flight program of the rocket and enter it into the control system. At the same time, the combat vehicle was suspended on supports, followed by raising the launch rail to the required elevation angle. After completing all the necessary procedures, the calculation could launch the rocket. Then, immediately after launch, it was possible to transfer the complex to the stowed position and leave the firing position.
The 9K52 Luna-M missile system is in position: the Tochka system was supposed to look similar. Photo Rbase.new-factoria.ru
Approximately in 1965, a draft version of the Tochka project was developed, after which the work was stopped. The exact reasons for this are unknown. Probably, the fate of the development was affected by the same factors that led to the stoppage of the creation of the Yastreb complex. The chosen method of creating a promising ballistic missile with the maximum possible use of the units of the V-611 product did not justify itself. Despite all the improvements, the anti-aircraft missile could not become a suitable basis for an air-to-air system. For this reason, further work on the Tochka project in its current form was canceled.
As far as is known, the project OKB-2 / MKB "Fakel" with the code "Tochka" was closed in the mid-sixties. The development was in its early stages, due to which the assembly and testing of individual elements of the rocket complex was not carried out. Thus, all conclusions about the prospects of the project were made only on the basis of the results of the theoretical assessment of the project, without experience and verification in practice.
It is interesting that the project "Tochka" was not forgotten and nevertheless led to the emergence of certain positive results. Soon after the completion of the work, OKB-2 transferred all the available documentation for this project to the Kolomna Machine Building Design Bureau. The specialists of this organization, headed by S. P. Invincible, having analyzed the documents, studied other people's experience and best practices. Soon, KBM began developing a new project for a promising tactical missile system. It was planned to use certain ideas of the old Tochka project, which were revised and refined taking into account the customer's requirements and the Kolomna designers' own experience.
By 1970, the design of the complex from KBM was brought to the testing of experimental equipment. Earlier this development received the designation "Point" and the GRAU 9K79 index. A few years later, the 9K79 Tochka complex was put into service and entered mass production. The operation of such complexes of several modifications, using guided ballistic missiles of the 9M79 family, continues to this day. Even now, they remain the main systems of their class in the Russian missile forces and artillery.
The project of the Tochka tactical missile system was created with the aim of implementing new original ideas concerning the approach to the development of missiles and their control systems. In its original form, the project had a lot of shortcomings that did not allow it to get out of the early stages. Nevertheless, just a few years after the cessation of work, this development contributed to the emergence of a new missile system, which was successfully brought to mass production and operation in the army.
