The military department of the university, where I studied, trained the commanders of the S-300 anti-aircraft missile system. We studied the electronics of the command post on a working mock-up simulator, and in order to demonstrate a real air defense system, we were taken on an excursion to a military unit. The real command post of the S-300 turned out to be very similar to the layout and did not arouse much interest, so the future reserve lieutenants soon got bored. Then the officer accompanying the group launched a win-win argument: he led the group to a position where there were transport vehicles - MAZ tractors with trailers on which anti-aircraft missile launchers were located. After a proud demonstration of the sound of a running engine, no one could resist the charm of a giant machine, and the flattered officer began to answer questions from interested students.
- How much does it weigh?
- More than thirty tons.
- Does he eat a lot of fuel?
- Hundred [liters] per hundred [kilometers] (listeners were respectfully silent).
- And what speed does it develop?
- On the road 80 km / h, in the forest - 40.
- But what about the trees?
- And this is taking into account the trees.
And now, 25 years after this answer, which became a catch phrase in our group, I finally had the opportunity to ride a transport vehicle, albeit a newer S-400 Triumph complex - a tractor of the Bryansk Automobile Plant BAZ-6402.
In the cockpit, you immediately realize that this is a military vehicle. The boring black plastic and army-gray painted body of the radio evoke longing. But the chair is much more comfortable than you expect - adjustable and cushioned. And any driver who stood in a traffic jam next to a smoking KamAZ will envy the air purification system: the BAZ is equipped with a FVUA-100A filter ventilation unit, which protects the crew in conditions of chemical, radioactive or bacteriological contamination and creates a slight excess pressure in the cockpit. And there is also a hatch. True, not glass and not rectangular, but round.
On the torpedo there is a gear shift diagram. There are nine of them - five in the lower range (1-5), four in the highest (6-9) and reverse. I check that the lever is in neutral, start the engine. It quickly becomes warm in the cabin, which is not at all superfluous with a light frost outside. On the right seat was the instructor - senior lieutenant Ivan Zavarzin, platoon commander of the starting battery of the S-400 air defense missile system: "Do not keep the clutch pressed for a long time." I follow the advice, quickly let go of the clutch - and the car starts off, thanks to the high-torque diesel engine, almost without pressing the gas pedal.
Approaching the turn, I manage to switch to the third. “Don't forget that the front wheels are a couple of meters behind your back,” my instructor says. “And there’s a launcher in the back.” When the cockpit has already passed the apex, I begin to turn the steering wheel and neatly fit into the dimensions of the track. "Gas, gas!" - Ivan commands: in the turn, I slightly loosened the pressure on the accelerator pedal, and the car slowed down. Strange, it seemed to me that the inertia of a 35-ton tractor would be hefty. Everything becomes clear when I, having completed the circle and braking too hard (the brakes are very sharp), finally drive up to the parking lot and inspect the car from the outside. It turns out that the wheels of the semi-trailer are lowered. “When driving on sandy terrain, the pressure in the tires was lowered for better cross-country ability,” explains Ivan."The wheels of the tractor are equipped with an auto-inflation system, and the tire pressure can be quickly adjusted."
Combat vehicle crew
The crew of the transport vehicle consists of two people: the driver-mechanic and the driver-operator of the launcher. The driver's job ends when the machine reaches the place of deployment, and then the main role passes to the operator. “His workplace is outside, where the control panels for hydraulic jacks-supports and hydraulic cylinders of the launcher are located,” explains Senior Lieutenant Kirill Gartseev, acting commander of the launch battery. A generator powered by a tractor diesel engine is used to power these systems in the field. But the functioning of the launcher after deployment is provided by another power system - a gas turbine unit installed on a GTA trailer. After bringing the installation to the working (vertical) position, it is required to connect the connection with the command post of the air defense missile system (by cable or by radio). The total time to deploy the launcher "on the fly" is a few minutes (this time increases if it is also required to tie the system to the terrain).
