A-135 "Cupid"
In 1972, the USSR and the United States signed an agreement on the limitation of anti-missile defense systems. In accordance with this document, the countries had the right to build only two missile defense systems: to protect the capital and the positions of strategic missiles. In 1974, an additional protocol was signed, according to which the Soviet Union and the United States could have only one missile defense system. In accordance with this protocol, the USSR continued building its defense systems for Moscow, and the United States surrounded the Grand Forks base with anti-missiles. The agreements made it possible to simultaneously hold up to 100 interceptor missiles at stationary positions.
Monument with an electric-weight model of a 51T6 rocket in the settlement of Sofrino-1 near Moscow, 28.12.2011 (Dmitry, The signing of the treaty on the limitation of missile defense systems affected the further development of such systems in the two countries. It should be noted that this document had minimal impact on the plans of the Soviet leadership. The complexity and high cost did not allow the construction of several anti-missile systems except for the Moscow one, and the treaty completely prohibited their creation. At the same time, since the beginning of the seventies, Soviet scientists and designers have been actively working to modernize the Moscow A-35 missile defense system.
The preliminary design of the new missile defense system A-135 "Amur" was ready at the end of 1971. The project developed at the Vympel Central Research and Production Association under the leadership of A. G. Basistova, meant the construction of three Amur firing complexes, equipped with anti-missiles and a set of radar stations. The complexes were supposed to be located at a distance of more than 600 km from Moscow, which would make it possible to intercept ballistic targets in a timely manner. In addition, it was proposed to place S-225 missile systems near the capital, designed to become the second echelon of the missile defense system.
Transport vehicle TM-112 with TPK 81R6 of the 51T6 missile of the A-135 missile defense system - installed as a monument to the settlement of Sofrino-1 near Moscow, 28.12.2011 (https://4044415.livejournal.com)
The terms of the agreement on the limitation of missile defense systems affected the appearance of the new project. Now it was required to place all the components of the system in a circle with a radius of 50 km with the center in Moscow. By the end of 1973, the Vympel Central Scientific and Production Association prepared a new version of the project with the corresponding changes. For example, in the updated project, it was proposed to abandon the S-225 missiles, and assign all tasks to defeat targets to other interceptors. A year later, Vympel employees had to rework the project in connection with an additional protocol to the contract.
As a result of all the modifications, the A-135 project acquired its final form. The future missile defense system includes the following components:
- Command and computer post 5K80, which combines computing facilities and control systems of the anti-missile complex. The computer systems were based on four Elbrus-1 computers (later upgraded to Elbrus-2);
- radar "Don-2N", designed for detection and tracking of targets, as well as for missile guidance;
- firing complexes with silo launchers for interceptor missiles;
- Rockets 51T6 and 53T6.
Perhaps the most famous component of all Moscow's missile defense systems is the Don-2N radar. The structure in the form of a truncated pyramid houses part of the main electronic components of the missile defense system. On each of the four sides of the building are rectangular transmitting and circular receiving antennas. The design of the antennas provides an all-round azimuth view. Radiation power up to 250 MW allows detecting ballistic targets at a range (according to various sources) from 1500 to 3500 kilometers. The maximum space target detection altitude is up to 900-1000 km. According to some reports, the Don-2N radar can track more than a hundred complex ballistic targets, the detection of which is hindered by false targets. The radar is also used to guide missiles. According to various sources, the number of simultaneously guided interceptor missiles ranges from several dozen to 100-120.
Radar "Don-2N" / PILL BOX missile defense system A-135, settlement Sofrino-1, 28.12.2011 (photo by Leonid Varlamov, The 5K80 command and control center was originally based on the Elbrus-1 computer. This system made it possible to process information from the Don-2 radar, track ballistic and space targets, and determine their priority. The command and control center is capable of performing all operations in an automatic mode, incl. launch interceptor missiles and control their guidance.
As a means of destruction of targets in the A-135 "Amur" complex, two types of missiles were used: 51T6 and 53T6. The first of them was built on a two-stage scheme and was equipped with engines of various types. The first stage used a solid propellant engine, the second - a liquid one. According to some reports, the second stage of the 51T6 rocket used the same engine as the A-350 rocket of the A-35 complex. The 51T6 anti-missile missile had a total length of about 20 meters and a launch weight of 30-40 tons (different sources give different numbers). The missile's range is estimated at 350-600 kilometers. For reliable target destruction, the 51T6 missile was equipped with a nuclear warhead. The mission of this interceptor missile was to destroy ballistic targets at high altitudes.
The 53T6 missile is designed to engage ballistic targets after they enter the atmosphere. The 53T6 high-speed rocket has an original design: its body is made in the form of an elongated cone. The rocket is equipped with a solid-propellant engine that provides a flight speed of 3500-4000 m / s (according to other sources, at least 5 km / s). The launch weight of the 53T6 rocket exceeds 9.6 tons. The total length is about 12 meters. According to various sources, the anti-missile is capable of destroying targets at ranges of up to 100 km and an altitude of up to several tens of kilometers. Warhead - high-explosive fragmentation or nuclear.
Missiles of both types were equipped with a transport and launch container, together with which they were placed in the launch silo. A radio command system is used to control missiles in flight. At the same time, the onboard equipment of the products allows you to continue the flight with the loss of the control signal, although in this case the effectiveness of the target attack is noticeably reduced.
In 1976, the construction of a prototype of the A-135 system began at the Sary-Shagan test site. As before, it was proposed to test the operation of the systems using a complex in a reduced configuration. The Amur-P test range includes the Don-2NP radar, the 5K80P command and control center and a firing complex with missiles. Installation of all components of the complex continued until 1978-79. Soon after the end of the work, tests started. Tests of the A-135 system range model continued until 1984, and from the 82nd the work was carried out as part of the factory range tests. In total, several dozen launches of interceptor missiles were carried out. In addition, tests of the Don-2NP radar were carried out, during which the station monitored ballistic targets and artificial earth satellites.
Upon completion of the factory tests at the test site, the installation of new systems began, primarily the Elbrus-2 computer. From the fall of 1987 to the end of the summer of 1988, the Amur-P prototype missile defense system monitored conditional targets and carried out test interceptions of ballistic missiles. This stage of testing confirmed its characteristics.
Installation of 51T6 rocket in TPK 81R6, Moscow region (https://www.ljplus.ru)
The construction of new facilities in the Moscow region began in the mid-eighties. By the end of the decade, all the necessary structures were ready. In 1989, state tests began. According to some reports, state tests of interceptor missiles at the same time were carried out at the Sary-Shagan test site. The A-135 system confirmed all its characteristics and at the very end of the 89th was recommended for adoption. The trial operation of the complex began about a year later.
At the beginning of 1991, the A-135 system took over on experimental combat duty, and a few months later the supplies of the required number of interceptor missiles were completed. Over the next several years, due to the difficult situation in the country, Moscow's missile defense system experienced serious problems of various kinds. The official adoption of the A-135 system took place only in 1996.
The A-135 "Amur" missile defense system is still in operation. For obvious reasons, the details of her work are not covered. It is known that in the middle of the last decade, 51T6 missiles were removed from service, which is why the only means of destruction of the complex are products of the 53T6 type. In recent years, there have been numerous reports of test launches of 53T6 missiles at the Sary-Shagan test site. The purpose of these tests is to test the performance of the weapon. The exact number of missiles in service is unknown. According to various estimates, after the termination of serial production (1993), several hundred interceptors remained at the bases.
A-235
Back in the late seventies, shortly after the completion of the main design work on the A-135 project, the Council of Ministers issued a decree on the creation of a new system for a similar purpose. The document required the development and construction of a promising missile defense system capable of supplementing and then replacing aging complexes. TsNPO Vympel was again appointed the head enterprise of the program, and later this status was transferred to the Research Institute of Radio Instrumentation (NIIRP). Unfortunately, there is very little information about this project. In addition, some of the information is the assumptions of specialists based on the available information. Nevertheless, it is possible to get a rough idea of the A-235 system being created now.
According to some reports, a new missile defense system called A-235 was supposed to be built according to a two- or three-echelon scheme using several types of interceptor missiles. When creating new ammunition, developments from previous projects were to be used. Work on this version of the project, most likely, went on in the first half of the eighties.
Presumably on the frame, either BRUTs-B carrying out field work with a 51T6 missile or, possibly, one of the prototypes of missiles for the long-range missile defense system A-235 / ROC "Samolet-M", October-November 2007 (frame from the film by Vadim Starostin, At the very beginning of the nineties, development work on the "Airplane-M" theme began, the purpose of which was a deep modernization of the newly built A-135 system. According to some reports, in the future, employees of NIIRP and related organizations were engaged in the development of promising systems, and also used the existing facilities at the Sary-Shagan test site. Details of the work are unknown.
From the available information, it follows that the main goal of the "Airplane-M" project is to modernize existing types of anti-missile missiles in order to improve their characteristics. This assumption can be confirmed by a test launch of the 53T6 rocket at the end of 2011. According to media reports, this rocket was equipped with a newly manufactured engine, and the launcher and ground equipment of the Amur-P polygon complex underwent some modifications.
If the assumption of creating an echeloned anti-missile defense system is true, then in the future new types of interceptor missiles may appear (or have already appeared, but this has not yet been announced). In addition to the existing 53T6 interceptor missiles, a product with a large firing range can be created to replace the decommissioned 51T6 missile. In addition, it is possible to develop a short-range missile, the task of which will be to destroy targets that have managed to break through the previous two echelons of defense.
We can confidently talk about the upcoming modernization of the existing ground elements of the A-135 system. Having passed the modernization, the existing Don-2N radar station and the command and computer center will be able to obtain new capabilities corresponding to the updated weapons. One should not exclude the possibility of building new facilities for a similar purpose.
All work on the topic "Airplane-M" / A-235 is carried out in an atmosphere of strict secrecy and until now only a few grains of information have become public knowledge. For this reason, the current status of the project remains unknown. The project may be terminated or is already ready for field testing. It is quite possible that over the next few years or even months, the developers and the military will publish the first information about the newest project, which will make it possible to make fairly fair estimates.
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The development of domestic missile defense systems started in the fifties of the last century and continues to this day. During this time, scientists and engineers have created and built several dozen different components of missile defense systems: electronic systems, interceptor missiles, various structures, etc. In addition, the experimental systems at the Sary-Shagan test site are worthy of special mention. All of these titanic efforts have led to the emergence of a unique missile defense system protecting Moscow.
Since 1971, the Soviet Union, and then Russia, have had a system that allows them to timely detect an enemy ballistic missile and destroy it on its way to the capital of the state and nearby regions. Over the past forty-odd years since then, there were three systems on duty with a different composition of equipment and weapons - A-35, A-35M and A-135. In the future, a new A-235 complex with even higher characteristics should appear. The emergence of this system will make it possible to maintain an effective anti-missile "umbrella" over Moscow for the next several decades.
