Nuclear weapons of the first models, which were distinguished by their large dimensions, could only be used by aviation. In the future, progress in the field of nuclear technology made it possible to reduce the size of special ammunition, which led to a significant expansion of the list of potential carriers. In addition, progress in this area has contributed to the emergence of new classes of military equipment. One of the direct consequences of the existing achievements was the emergence of tactical missile systems capable of carrying unguided rockets with a special warhead. One of the first domestic systems of this class was the 2K1 "Mars" complex.
Work on the creation of a promising self-propelled vehicle capable of transporting and launching a ballistic missile with a nuclear warhead began even before the appearance of usable ammunition. The first work on the new project started in 1948 and was carried out by specialists from the Research Institute-1 of the Ministry of General Machine Building (now the Moscow Institute of Heat Engineering). Initially, the purpose of the work was to study the possibility of creating the required equipment, as well as to determine its main features. In case of obtaining positive results, the work could go to the stage of designing real samples of equipment.
The study of the problems of creating a tactical missile system continued until 1951. The work showed the fundamental possibility of creating such a system, which soon led to the emergence of new orders from the customer. In 1953, NII-1 received a technical assignment for the development of a tactical missile with a firing range of up to 50 km. In addition to the flight range, the terms of reference stipulated the weight and overall parameters of the product, as well as the requirements for the use of a small-sized special warhead. In accordance with the new order, NII-1 began developing the required rocket. The chief designer was N. P. Mazurov.
Museum sample of a 2P2 launcher with a 3P1 rocket mockup. Photo Wikimedia Commons
In the first days of 1956, by a decree of the Council of Ministers of the USSR, SKB-3 TsNII-56, headed by V. G. Grabin. This organization was supposed to develop a self-propelled launcher for a rocket created by NII-1. A few months after the resolution of the Council of Ministers, the main enterprises involved in the work presented ready-made documentation, which made it possible to start preparing for the tests.
In the future, a tactical missile system of a new type received the symbol 2K1 and the code "Mars". The missile of the complex was designated as 3P1, the 2P2 index was used for the launcher, and 2P3 for the transport-loading vehicle. In some sources, the rocket is also referred to as "Owl", but the correctness of this designation raises some questions. In relation to various components of the complex at certain stages of development, some other designations were used.
Initially, the composition of the tactical missile system was proposed, which did not receive the approval of the customer. The first design version of the Mars complex had the designation C-122 and was supposed to include several different vehicles built on the same chassis. A self-propelled launcher with the symbol S-119 was proposed, capable of carrying a missile without a warhead, an S-120 transport-loading vehicle with three cradles for missiles, and an S-121 transport vehicle capable of transporting a special container with four warheads. As a base for the machines of the "Mars" complex, it was proposed to use the tracked chassis of the PT-76 light amphibious tank, which was put into service in the early fifties.
The starboard side of the launcher. Photo Wikimedia Commons
The variant of the C-122 complex did not suit the customer for a number of reasons. For example, the military did not approve of the need to connect the missile and the warhead directly on the launcher. Due to the refusal of the customer, the design work was continued. Based on the existing developments, taking into account the wishes of the military, a new version of the C-122A complex was developed. In the updated project, it was decided to abandon some components and operating principles. For example, the missiles now had to be transported assembled, which made it possible not to use a separate warhead transporter vehicle. Now the complex included only two self-propelled vehicles: the S-119A or 2P2 launcher, as well as the C-120A or 2P3 transport-loading vehicle.
In the C-122A project, it was proposed to retain the previously proposed approach to the creation of technology. All new models of equipment were supposed to have the maximum possible unification. They were again proposed to be built on the basis of the PT-76 amphibious tank. In the course of creating new self-propelled vehicles, it was necessary to remove all unnecessary equipment from the existing chassis, instead of which it was planned to mount new components and assemblies, primarily a launcher or other means of transporting missiles.
The chassis of the PT-76 tank had bulletproof protection in the form of armor plates up to 10 mm thick, placed at different angles to the vertical. The classic hull layout was used, modified in accordance with specific requirements. In front of the hull there was a control compartment, behind which was the tower. The feed was given to the engine and transmission, connected both with tracks and with water jets.
In the engine compartment of the PT-76 tank and the vehicles built on its base, a V-6 diesel engine with a capacity of 240 hp was placed. With the help of a mechanical transmission, the engine torque was transmitted to the drive wheels of the tracks or to the drive of a water jet. There were six road wheels with individual torsion bar suspension on each side. With the help of the existing power plant and chassis, the amphibious tank could reach speeds of up to 44-45 km / h on the highway and up to 10 km / h on the water.
Supporting device of the launcher. Photo Russianarms.ru
The 2P2 project meant removing all unnecessary components and assemblies from the existing chassis, instead of which it was required to mount new devices, primarily the launcher. The main element of the launcher was a turntable installed on the existing chase of the tower roof. A hinge was to be placed on it to install a rail 6.7 m long. In the aft part of the platform there were outrigger supports, which, when the rail was lifted, had to be lowered to the ground and ensure a stable position of the launcher.
The beam guide had grooves to hold the rocket in the desired position before leaving the installation. Interestingly, at the preliminary design stage, two options were proposed for guides: straight and with a slight deviation from the axis to give the rocket rotation. The missile guide was equipped with a set of additional equipment. So, there were hydraulic drives to raise the guide to the required angle. To protect the rocket and prevent its displacement when the launcher was moved, there were frame holders on the side parts of the guide. Their design ensured the retention of the rocket, but at the same time did not interfere with the movement of its tail.
In the transport position, the front part of the guide, located at a certain inclination, was fixed on the front support frame mounted on the frontal sheet of the body. This frame also held the cables used by some systems.
The design of the launcher made it possible to change the horizontal guidance when firing within 5 ° to the right and left of the neutral position. Vertical guidance varied from + 15 ° to + 60 °. In particular, to launch the rocket at the minimum range, it was necessary to set the elevation of the guide to 24 °.
Rail support frame. Photo Russianarms.ru
The total length of the 2P2 self-propelled launcher was 9.4 m with a width of 3, 18 m and a height of 3.05 m. The combat weight of the vehicle changed several times. The technical assignment required maintaining this parameter at the level of 15.5 tons, but the prototype weighed 17 tons. In the series, the mass was brought to 16.4 tons. The total weight of the launcher mounted on the chassis, together with the rocket, exceeded 5.1 tons. Without missiles, the 2P2 machine could reach speeds of up to 40 km / h. After installing the rocket, the speed was limited to 20 km / h. The power reserve was 250 km. A crew of three was responsible for driving the car.
The 2P3 transport and loading vehicle differed from the launcher in a set of special equipment. On the roof of this sample, two sets of mounts were installed for transporting missiles, as well as a crane for reloading them onto the launcher. The chassis of the two vehicles of the "Mars" complex had the maximum degree of unification, which simplified the joint operation and maintenance of equipment. The characteristics of the 2P2 and 2P3 machines differed slightly.
Within the framework of the 2K1 "Mars" project, the employees of the NII-1 developed a new ballistic missile 3R1, in some sources designated by the code "Sova". The rocket received a cylindrical body of large elongation, containing a solid propellant engine. Provided for the use of over-caliber warhead, containing a relatively large warhead. A four-plane stabilizer was located in the rear of the hull. The total length of the 3P1 product was 9 m with a body diameter of 324 mm and a head diameter of 600 mm. The scope of the stabilizers was 975 mm. The launch weight of the rocket is 1760 kg.
A special ammunition was placed in the enlarged head of the 3P1 rocket. This product was developed at KB-11 under the leadership of Yu. B. Khariton and S. G. Kocharyants. It is noteworthy that the creation of a warhead for the Mars complex began only in 1955, when the bulk of the design work on the rocket was completed. The warhead weight was 565 kg.
Rear view of the port side. Photo Wikimedia Commons
After the abandonment of the C-122 project, which implied a separate carrier of warheads, measures were taken to ensure the required conditions for special charges. When transported on a TZM and a launcher, the head of the rocket was covered with a special cover with a heating system. Electric and water heating were offered. In both cases, the cover systems were powered by the standard generator of the armored vehicle.
A two-chamber solid-propellant engine was placed inside the 3P1 rocket body. The head chamber of the engine, located in the front of the housing, had several nozzles, diverted to the side to remove gases in order to avoid damage to the structure. The tail chamber of the engine used a set of nozzles at the end of the body. The engine nozzles were placed at an angle to the rocket axis, which made it possible to give the product rotation during flight. The rocket engine used ballistic powder of the NMF-2 type.
The thrust of a solid fuel engine depended on several parameters, primarily on the temperature of the fuel charge. At a temperature of + 40 ° C, the engine could develop thrust up to 17.4 tons. A decrease in temperature led to some reduction in thrust. The available charge of fuel weighing 496 kg was enough for 7 seconds of engine operation. During this time, the rocket could fly about 2 km. By the end of the active section, the rocket speed reached 530 m / s.
Rocket model 3P1. Photo Russianarms.ru
The missile of the 2K1 Mars complex did not have any control systems. During start-up, the fuel supply should have been completely consumed. The separation of the missile with the release of the warhead was not provided. Guidance was to be carried out by installing the launch guide in the required position. For some increase in accuracy during flight, the rocket had to rotate around the longitudinal axis. This method of launch and engine parameters made it possible to attack targets at a minimum range of 8-10 km. The maximum firing range reached 17.5 km. The calculated circular probable deviation was hundreds of meters, and had to be compensated for by the power of the warhead.
In the spring of 1958, the creation of a complex of auxiliary equipment began, which should have been used to work with 3P1 missiles. The mobile repair and technical base PRTB-1 "Step" was intended for servicing missiles and special warheads. The main task of the means of the mobile base was the transportation of warheads in special containers and their installation on missiles. The complex "Step" consisted of several vehicles for various purposes on unified wheeled chassis. There were carriers of warheads, service vehicles, a truck crane, etc.
In March 1957, prototypes of the promising 3P1 rocket were delivered to the Kapustin Yar test site, which were planned to be used in tests. Due to the lack of a ready-to-use self-propelled launcher, a simplified stationary system was tested during the first stages of testing. The C-121 product (not to be confused with the transporter from the early C-122 project) was a launcher similar to that proposed for use on 2P2 machines. The stationary launcher was used in tests until mid-1958, including after the appearance of the 2P2 machine.
Joint work of TZM 2P3 and 2P2 launcher. Photo Militaryrussia.ru
A little earlier than the start of the missile tests, self-propelled armored vehicles used in the Mars complex were built. Already the first field tests showed that the existing prototypes 2P2 and 2P3 do not fully meet the existing requirements. First of all, the reason for the claims was the excessive weight of the structure: the self-propelled gun with a launcher was one and a half tons heavier than the required one. In addition, the stability of the launcher left much to be desired at the start of the rocket. In total, the customer noted about two hundred shortcomings of the presented equipment. It was required to start work on their elimination, and in some cases it was about the completion of both the launcher and the unguided missile.
Since June 1957, at the Kapustin Yar test site, tests of the 2K1 "Mars" complex in full configuration have been carried out. During this stage of checks, the missiles were launched not only from the S-121 installation, but also from the 2P2 vehicle. Similar checks with missile launches, divided into several series of launches, continued until the middle of the summer of next year. During the shooting at the ranges, the main characteristics of the missile system were confirmed, and some of its parameters were also clarified.
The calculated parameters of the preparation of the complex for firing were confirmed. After arriving at the firing position, the calculation of the missile system took 15-30 minutes to prepare all systems and launch the rocket. It took about an hour to place the new rocket on the launcher using the transport-loading vehicle.
During the tests, it turned out that when firing at the minimum range, the "Mars" complex shows the least accuracy. KVO in this case reached 770 m. The best accuracy with KVO at the level of 200 m was obtained when firing at a maximum range of 17, 5 km. The rest of the complex fully met the requirements of the customer and could be put into service.
Mobile repair and technical base PRTB-1 "Step". Photo Militaryrussia.ru
Even before the completion of all tests, it was decided to accept the missile system into service. The corresponding resolution of the Council of Ministers was issued on March 20, 1958. Shortly thereafter, in April, a meeting was held with the participation of the management of the enterprises involved in the project. The purpose of this event was to form a schedule for serial production of equipment and determine the main terms. The customer demanded to deliver by the middle of 1959 25 complexes of a new type as part of a self-propelled launcher and a transport-loading vehicle. Thus, preparations for serial production began before the completion of the tests.
By the middle of 1958, work began on the creation of alternative self-propelled vehicles for the tactical missile system. The tracked chassis borrowed from the PT-76 tank had some negative features. In particular, there was significant shaking of the rocket mounted on the launcher. In this regard, there was a proposal to develop new self-propelled vehicles on wheeled chassis. The four-axle ZIL-135 chassis was proposed as a basis for such a version of Mars. The wheeled launcher received the symbol Br-217, TZM - Br-218.
The projects Br-217 and Br-218 were developed by the end of September 1958 and presented to the customer. Despite some advantages over the existing 2P2 and 2P3 machines, the projects did not receive approval. With the preservation of the existing components, the missile complex could begin service as early as 1960. Replacing tracked chassis with wheeled ones could move the timeline by about a year. The military department considered such a postponement of the start of operation unacceptable. Wheeled vehicles projects were closed.
Preparing the launcher for firing. Photo Militaryrussia.ru
At the end of September 1958, the Barrikady plant (Volgograd) received several PT-76 tank chassis, which should have been used as the basis for the elements of the missile system. By the end of the year, the plant's employees built one SPG and one TPM, which were later used in factory tests. After the completion of factory inspections, an order for additional tests appeared. The existing equipment of the "Mars" and "Luna" complexes should have been sent to the Aginsky artillery range of the Trans-Baikal Military District. The checks were carried out during February 1959 at low temperatures and in appropriate weather conditions.
According to the test results in Transbaikalia, the 2K1 "Mars" complex received only two comments. The military noted the negative effect of the jet of the rocket engine on individual units of the launcher, as well as the insufficient efficiency of heating systems for the warhead of the rocket. Electric heating of a special warhead turned out to be more effective than water heating, but it also did not cope with the load in some temperature ranges.
After completing an additional check in low temperatures, the military gave the go-ahead for the deployment of a full-fledged mass production of a new tactical missile system. The 2P2 and 2P3 machines were serially built during 1959-60. During this time, only fifty products of two types were built, and a certain number of chassis for auxiliary equipment were equipped. As a result, the troops received only 25 Mars complexes, consisting of one self-propelled launcher, one transport-loading vehicle and some other means. In parallel with the construction of armored vehicles, other enterprises were assembling missiles and special warheads for them. Small volumes of production, first of all, were associated with the deployment of production of equipment with higher characteristics. So, the 2K6 "Luna" complex with a more advanced missile could attack targets at distances of 45 km, which made further production of "Mars" senseless.
One of the surviving museum samples of the 2P2 car. Photo Wikimedia Commons
The small number of 2K1 Mars complexes produced did not allow for a full-scale rearmament of missile forces and artillery. Only a few units received new equipment. Military operation of the tactical missile system continued until the early seventies. In 1970, the Mars system was removed from service due to obsolescence. By the middle of the decade, all combat vehicles in the army were decommissioned and decommissioned.
Most of this equipment went for recycling, but some of the samples managed to survive to our time. One of the 2P2 self-propelled launchers is now owned by the Military-Historical Museum of Artillery, Engineering Troops and Signal Corps (St. Petersburg). The launcher is located in one of the halls of the museum and is displayed along with a model of the 3P1 rocket. It is also known about the existence of several more similar exhibits in other museums.
The tactical missile system 2K1 "Mars" became one of the first systems of its class, created in our country. The authors of the project were faced with the task of developing a self-propelled system capable of transporting and launching ballistic missiles with a special warhead. The first studies of such questions began in the late forties, and by the middle of the next decade they gave the first results. By the beginning of the sixties, all work was completed, and the troops received the first production vehicles of the new missile system. The "Mars" complex allowed the warhead to be delivered to a distance of no more than 17.5 km, which was significantly less than the original technical assignment. Nevertheless, in the absence of real alternatives, the armed forces of the Soviet Union began to operate this technology.
After the appearance of more advanced models, the "Mars" system faded into secondary roles and was gradually superseded by them. However, despite not too high characteristics and a small number of built equipment, the 2K1 "Mars" complex retained the honorary title of the first representative of its class of domestic development, which reached serial production and operation in the army.
