One of the main achievements of the Soviet defense industry is deservedly considered the combat railway missile system (BZHRK) "Molodets". A special train could run along the country's railway network and, having received an order, launch several ICBMs. For some reason, the full-fledged operation of Molodets did not last long, and in the 2000s, all complexes of this type were decommissioned. Nevertheless, the BZHRK "Molodets" remained in the history of Russian military affairs as one of the most interesting and daring projects.
It should be noted that the Molodets complex was the world's first serial representative of its class. The very idea of transporting and launching missiles from specially equipped trains appeared in the late fifties. Moreover, the idea of the BZHRK was not only formed, but also worked out within the framework of experiments. The first BZHRK in the world could have been the American system with the Minuteman I missile.
Mobile minuteman
The first test launch of the LGM-30A Minuteman I intercontinental missile took place on February 1, 1961. About two years before this event, specialists from the Strategic Command of the United States Air Force, Boeing and a number of other related organizations began research on the survivability of strategic missiles. Already in the mid-fifties, it became clear that in the event of a nuclear war, the silo launchers would become the target for the first strike, as a result of which some of the missiles would be disabled. The loss of some of the "land" missiles could be compensated for with the help of submarine weapons. Nevertheless, it was required to ensure the guaranteed preservation of the maximum possible part of land-based missiles.
The layout of the Mobile Minuteman complex in a configuration with 5 launchers
In the course of brainstorming and elaboration of several original ideas, American engineers came to the conclusion that there are great prospects for missile systems based on railway trains. At that time, several rail networks were operating in the United States, with a total track length of tens of thousands of miles. This would allow missile systems to constantly change their position, avoiding a possible strike, and to a certain extent could increase their range by launching missiles from various regions of the country.
The choice of a rocket for a promising complex did not take long. At that time, the development of the LGM-30A rocket continued, which had acceptable dimensions and weight. The total length of this product was 16.4 m, the launch weight was 29.7 tons. With such parameters, a rocket with a launching device could be transported in a special railway carriage. Despite the relatively small size, the rocket had to have a fairly high range characteristics. Three stages with solid fuel engines promised a range of up to 9000-9200 km. The combat equipment of the missile was proposed to be performed in the form of a thermonuclear charge. For use with a mobile railway platform, the rocket required a new guidance system, which was supposed to be developed in the near future.
Photo of the layout of the BZHRK Mobile Minuteman in the press
On February 12, 1959, the official start of the project, which received the name Mobile Minuteman (mobile "Minuteman"), took place. The military, given the geopolitical situation, demanded that all work be carried out as soon as possible. The new "rocket train" was to be commissioned no later than January 1963. Thus, in less than three years, it was required to carry out the entire complex of research, develop the units of the launcher and the train as a whole, and then test the new weapon system and set up its production.
According to reports, the Mobile Minuteman BZHRK should have included 10 carriages, half of which were given for living quarters and work places. For example, the command post of the complex was to be equipped with two workplaces for officers responsible for launching missiles. For safety reasons, it was proposed to divide the place of calculation with bulletproof glass. The rest of the cars were supposed to accommodate three missile launchers and special equipment.
The preliminary version of the Mobile Minuteman project envisaged the use of a launcher wagon disguised as a standard refrigerator. According to calculations, the total weight of such a car with a rocket should have reached 127 tons, which required the use of additional wheelsets, which reduce the load on the track. It was planned to place a set of special equipment inside the carriage to ensure the transportation and launch of the rocket. To damp vibrations during movement, the car had to carry a system of hydraulic dampers. With the help of hydraulic jacks, it was proposed to raise the rocket to a vertical position before launching and install it on a small launch pad, placed directly in the car. Due to the absence of a transport and launch container, it was required to provide for the protection of the internal units of the car from the flame of the rocket engine.
Preparation for launch, drawing. Prescott Evening Courier Newspaper
The plans of the American military department were a full-scale serial construction of railway missile systems. The 4062th Strategic Missile Wing (regiment), formed by order of December 1, 1960, was supposed to operate such equipment. This unit was to be stationed at Hill Air Force Base (Ogden, Utah). The 4062th wing consisted of three squadrons, each of which was planned to transfer 10 Mobile Minuteman BZHRKs. Thus, at a time it was possible to deploy up to 90 ICBMs "Minuteman-1" in the railway version. According to some reports, over time, it was planned to increase their number to 150, leaving 450 missiles of the same type in silo launchers.
Operation Big Star
The creation of a promising combat railway missile system was associated with a number of specific problems and tasks that needed to be solved as soon as possible. To test the proposed ideas in 1960, the Air Force Strategic Command and Boeing began a series of tests called "Operation Big Star" (according to other sources, Bright Star). As part of this work, it was planned to build several prototype trains and conduct their sea trials on US railways.
In total, it was planned to carry out six stages of testing using trains of various types. In addition, prototype trains were run on various railways in the United States. Thus, in a few months it was possible to carry out the entire range of necessary studies, check the existing proposals and make adjustments to the preliminary draft. An interesting fact is that they did not make a special secret of Operation Big Star. All tested trains traveled around the country without any disguise, and the provincial press constantly reported on the visit of the "rocket train" to this or that city.
Experienced train on trials, June 20, 1960
The first test staff was formed at Hill AFB in mid-June 1960. A train of 14 cars for various purposes, including a car with a prototype launcher, set off on 21 June. Until June 27, the train covered about 1,100 miles on the railways of the Union Pacific, Western Pacific and Denver & Rio Grande networks.
The second train with a changed composition set off in early July of the same year. This trip lasted about 10 days, during which 2300 miles were covered. The exact route is unknown, but there is information about the composition of the crew of this "rocket train". In the second stage of testing, 31 military and 11 civilian specialists took part.
On July 26, the third test train (13 cars) departed from the Hill base, which included an updated prototype car of the launcher. To test the vibration damping system, a mass and size simulator of a LGM-30A rocket, made of metal and filled with sand, was loaded into the car. In addition, a platform with a container in which a solid-propellant rocket engine was located was hooked up to the train. In this way, it was planned to check the effect of vibration and other loads on rocket fuel. In two weeks, the third train covered about 3000 miles on the roads of seven networks. The train's crew consisted of 35 military and 13 civilian specialists.
In August, the last test drive to the country's railway network took place. In terms of train duration and composition, the fourth trials were similar to the third. In them, as a few days earlier, they checked the vibration damping system and the effect of the resulting loads on the solid fuel charge, as well as the operation of various communication and control systems.
The route of one of the last test flights. Prescott Evening Courier newspaper layout
On August 27, 1960, the Mobile Minuteman prototype train BZHRK returned to the Hill base. During four flights, it was possible to complete the entire test program, as a result of which, instead of conducting two additional visits, the specialists were able to focus on other research and development work.
End of the project
On December 13, 1960, Boeing completed the assembly of a full-size mock-up of a promising "rocket train". The layout was supposed to be shown to the military and get approval for the construction of a full-fledged prototype with all the necessary systems. Thus, already in 1961, the Mobile Minuteman project could go into the stage of full-fledged sea trials and test launches. The technical appearance of the promising BZHRK by this time had undergone some changes in comparison with the earlier versions, but it was based on the previous ideas concerning the general architecture of the complex, weapons and application techniques.
Calculation of the complex at work. Photo of the Spokane Daily Chronicle newspaper
However, on December 14, an order was received to suspend all work. During the tests, it became clear that in the proposed form, the new missile system has both pros and cons. In addition, the active development of missile technology and nuclear forces in general affected the progress of promising projects. The official reason for stopping the project was its high cost. For almost two years, the Mobile Minuteman project "ate" several tens of millions of dollars, and further work should have led to additional expenses. As a result, the project was considered too expensive and was stopped.
The second blow to the development of the American BZHRK was the order of US President John F. Kennedy of March 28, 1961. In accordance with this document, the strategic nuclear forces were required to be reinforced not with a new wing armed with "rocket trains", but with a unit with silo-based missiles.
The final document in the fate of the Mobile Minuteman project was an order from Defense Secretary Robert McNamara. On December 7, 1961, the head of the military department ordered to finally stop all work on a combat railway missile system with a special version of the LGM-30A Minuteman I rocket. Later, these weapons were used only with silo launchers.
The development of a preliminary design, testing and subsequent work made it possible to establish the positive and negative features of the original proposal. The advantages of the Mobile Minuteman complex were attributed to the highest mobility of launchers capable of moving along many existing railways, and a high probability of survival in the event of a nuclear conflict. In addition, the absence of the need to develop a completely new rocket was considered a plus. As part of the new BZHRK, it was supposed to use a modification of the LGM-30A product with an updated guidance system capable of launching a missile at a specified target from anywhere in the United States.
Nevertheless, there were also enough disadvantages. The main one is the high cost of development and construction of the complexes. It was this shortcoming that ultimately led to the closure of the project. Great difficulties were associated with the preparation of the rocket for launch. After reaching the starting position, it was required to begin a complex and lengthy preparation procedure. In particular, it was necessary to determine the coordinates of the train with high accuracy and introduce an updated flight program into the electronics of the rocket, which seriously impeded combat work in a real conflict.
A prototype rocket train has arrived in Spokane, Washington. Photo of the newspaper Spokane Daily Chronicles
The operation of serial "rocket trains" could be associated with some logistical and legal difficulties. The relatively large weight (127 tons) of the car with the launcher imposed certain restrictions on the choice of the route, which had to be made taking into account the state of the railway tracks. In addition, due to the lack of a single company that maintains and operates all the railways of the country, certain difficulties could arise with the access of the BZHRK to some networks or the transition from one network to another.
As a result of comparison, the advantages of a promising missile system could not outweigh the existing disadvantages. The military considered the Mobile Minuteman BZHRK too expensive and therefore lacking advantages over existing mine systems. The project was closed, but the idea was not lost in the archives. At the end of the sixties, they began to make their own BZHRK in the Soviet Union, and in the mid-eighties, a second similar project of American development appeared.
