Tula says goodbye to an outstanding weapons designer, author of the famous Grad and Smerch MLRS, Gennady Alekseevich Denezhkin. Yesterday, all day from the very morning, the Tula people went to honor the memory of the person they knew, loved, and were proud of. The flow of people was not interrupted for a minute. In the guard of honor - the top officials of the regional authorities, the directors of the Tula defense enterprises.
It is significant that the farewell takes place in the Tula Museum of Weapons, in the same room where samples of modern works of Tula gunsmiths are exhibited. Somehow it happened that practically right behind the big photo of Gennady Denezhkin, models of his products were placed on the stands. And the working samples "Grad" and "Smerch", developed by FSUE "GNPP" Splav ", were installed in front of the museum entrance.
- I worked with him for 30 years. We had a very good tandem of schools - he has a MLRS school, I have a different one, - Nikolai Makarovets, general director - general designer of FSUE GNPP Splav, shared with RG. - And this tandem helped Splav a lot. First of all, we worked for Russia, but we managed to make ourselves known abroad. Gennady Alekseevich was a very principled, responsible person, he could be entrusted with any question. An excellent family man. He worked until the last day. He is an exceptionally decent person and a man of his word. He always showed patience. He was loved. Tomorrow the entire defense community of the country will be here at the funeral.
- He never raised his voice, the worst thing was when he said quietly: "Do I need to order you?" And this phrase, spoken in a calm voice, acted worse than any shout, - recalls the deputy chief designer of "Alloy" Boris Belobragin, who worked with Gennady Alekseevich for almost 30 years. - His instructions were carried out unquestioningly, because everyone knew that he was heartbroken for the cause. And he demanded the same from others. He knew how to say so that it immediately became clear: this is necessary.
And he was responsible for everything he did. They say that Gennady Denezhkin went to all the emergency situations that arose for various reasons. It is no secret that other weapons developers, in the event of any inconsistencies, are trying to shift the responsibility onto others, they say, the military "screwed up" or the subcontractors did the wrong thing. "Until I figure it out, we will not draw conclusions," he said and went to the test site. Moreover, he climbed everywhere, despite the danger: "Grad" is my cross, I will be responsible for it, "he told colleagues who were trying to stop. So it is with new technology. So, in August last year, 83-year-old Gennady Denezhkin, as deputy chairman of the state commission for delivery, went on a business trip to test a new product. He himself got behind the wheel of a car and drove to Kapustin Yar 1,500 kilometers away. And he looked at everything in detail: what, where and how it got. Then he immediately returned to Tula.
They say about Gennady Denezhkin that he knew all his products thoroughly. So, at one of the allied enterprises, when putting it into mass production, local designers indicated to him, they say, they found such a chamfer - it is not needed, let's abolish it. "What do you mean, I worked on it for three years!" - Denezhkin was indignant, having understood what he was talking about on the phone.
Denezhkin had little rest - he took a vacation for ten days and went fishing. I went with friends to the Volga. Moreover, they chose an uninhabited island, so that there were no people or signs of civilization. He also loved hunting. In a word, he actively lived and worked until the very last days. And the reason for the death is ridiculous: two months ago he fell down the stairs, was injured.
About Gennady Denezhkin, they say that he liberated Vietnam - his unit "Partizan" was operating there. He really solved problems in Afghanistan, in the counter-terrorist campaign in the North Caucasus. More books will be written about him. According to the current general designer of Alloy, a new modernization of the Grad system was commissioned last year. Now "Splav" is developing a new product - "we are not only loaded with current production, but we are also developing new products" - and this is a continuation of the work of an outstanding weapons designer.
Infographics WG / Anton Perepletchikov / Leonid Kuleshov
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Denezhkin Gennady Alekseevich was born on 1932-28-01 in the city of Karabanovo, Vladimir region. Designer and organizer of work on the creation of multiple launch rocket systems. Hero of Socialist Labor (1989). Lenin Prize Laureate (1966). Laureate of the State Prize of the Russian Federation (1997). He was awarded two Orders of Lenin, Orders of Merit to the Fatherland, II and III degrees, and many medals. Honored Designer of the Russian Federation. Doctor of Technical Sciences, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Honorary Citizen of Tula. Honorary Doctor of Tula State University.
After graduating from the Tula Mechanical Institute in 1954, he was sent to work at NII-147 (now the Federal State Unitary Enterprise "State Research and Production Enterprise" Splav ", Tula). He made a great creative contribution to the development of the famous" Grad "system, created in 1963. All his subsequent activities are associated with the development of artillery casings and MLRS, with the creation of the systems "Grad-1", "Prima", "Uragan", etc. In 1983 he was appointed chief designer and first deputy general director of FSUE "GNPP" Splav ". At this time, the successful development of MLRS continues and the possibility of using missile flight correction with a significant decrease in dispersion in long-range MLRS is finally confirmed. In 1987, the Smerch MLRS with an angular stabilization system was put into service. Various types of MLRS and their combat equipment are being improved, including self-aiming elements to combat armored vehicles.
In 1992, he proposed a concept for the development of a unified weapons system in the interests of the Ground Forces, the Navy and the Air Force on the basis of a 122-caliber rocket instead of the previously created and obsolete Grad, Grad-M, C13 products. The new design of the projectile made it possible to increase the firing range from 20 to 40 km and significantly increase the weight of the warhead. In terms of efficiency, these products are superior to world analogues. He is the author of more than 300 scientific papers and inventions.
Arsenal
Thanks to "Grad" it is known all over the world
For a full salvo of 12 shells, the "Tornado" needs no more than 40 seconds, after which the rocket system can collapse and leave the position in three minutes. Photo: RIA Novosti
The Grad system is known all over the world. Sixty-six countries took the 122 mm Gradov missile as the basis for their similar rocket systems. It is recognized as almost a reference. And this is the great merit of the designer Denezhkin.
When in 1954, after graduating from the Tula Mechanical Institute, a very young engineer was assigned to the secret NII-147, he, most likely, could not imagine what he would do. And what will become his life's work. Three years later, at NII-147, under the leadership of the outstanding designer A. N. Ganichev, work began on the creation of a new generation of multiple launch rocket systems.
It would seem, well, what was special about that? After all, analogs of Katyushas were actually created. And the Katyusha had a big drawback - a huge spread of missiles fired. That is why, after the Victory in the Soviet Union, they intended to completely close this direction of rocket artillery. The generals who had gone through the war were sure that multiple launch rocket systems had no prospects, since in battle it was necessary to hit not areas, but specific targets.
The chief designer of NII-147, Alexander Ganichev, had to work hard to defend the idea of developing multiple launch rocket systems before the military. It was Gennady Denezhkin who had to deal with increasing the accuracy and creating the appearance of the new rocket. As a result, it was possible to achieve, until recently it seemed completely impossible. Ballistics of rocket-propelled "Gradin" caliber 122 mm was the same as that of cannon artillery shells. They did not fly anywhere, but hit exactly at the indicated target, blowing it to smithereens.
The BM-21 Grad system was adopted in 1963. For his contribution to its development, Gennady Denezhkin was awarded the Lenin Prize in 1966. The designer was then 34 years old.
And in 1969, the first combat use of the then top secret multiple launch rocket systems took place. This happened during the conflict on Damansky Island. The effect was overwhelming.
It soon became clear that these systems have a huge potential for combat use. For example, with the help of "hailstones" it is possible to mine large areas at a distance of several kilometers. A salvo of 20 missiles mines a kilometer of the front - each missile contains many small antipersonnel mines. There are missiles designed to interfere with enemy radio communications at the tactical level. A set of eight missiles suppresses radio equipment in the frequency range 1.5-120 MHz. The firing range is 4, 5-18, 5 km. The time of continuous operation of the jammer is 60 minutes, the range of jamming is 700 m. The illuminating rocket provides illumination on the terrain of a circle with a diameter of 1000 m from a height of 450-500 m for ninety seconds.
And Denezhkin was directly involved in the creation of all this.
In 1983 he was appointed chief designer and first deputy general director of the State Research and Production Enterprise "Splav", which grew out of a small research institute-147. He received great powers that allowed him to implement the most daring plans. Work continued to improve the Grad's combat characteristics, and even more powerful systems were created. In 1987, the Smerch MLRS was put into service, which caused no less shock among the then military opponents of our country than the Grad once did. By a closed Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR in 1989 G. A. Denezhkin was awarded the title of Hero of Socialist Labor. It was the tornado award.
The characteristics of this reactive system are fully consistent with the name. The firing range of 300 mm Smerch missiles was 90 km, and now it reaches 120 km. The system can be equipped with four, six or 12 rockets guides. For a full salvo of 12 shells, the "Tornado" needs no more than 40 seconds, after which the system can collapse and leave the position in three minutes.
Here is just a short list of what the Tornado is capable of in battle. There are shells that contain 72 combat elements, each of which carries 6912 ready-made heavy fragments, designed to destroy unarmored vehicles, and 25920 ready-made light fragments, designed to destroy enemy manpower.
There are rockets with self-aiming warheads. They are designed to destroy armored vehicles. Combat elements fired over the place of accumulation of enemy equipment find targets themselves and penetrate 70 mm armor.
There are shells for anti-tank mining of the area. Each of them contains 25 anti-tank mines with an electronic proximity fuse.
There are a number of HEAT shells capable of striking all types of armored vehicles.
A rocket with a thermobaric warhead creates a thermal field with a diameter of at least 25 meters. The temperature inside this field is over 1000 Celsius. Neither equipment nor soldiers-aggressors have a chance to survive in this hellish fire.
Already at the end of his life, continuing to work, despite his advanced age, Gennady Denezhkin took an active part in the creation of a completely new multiple launch rocket system - "Tornado". They differ from the "Smerch" with a new chassis, unified with MLRS of other calibers, and improved ammunition.
Now the Russian army is armed with three-caliber rocket systems. These are 122 mm "Grad", 220 mm "Hurricane" and 300 mm "Smerch". The Tornado design allows the installation of various caliber launchers on one wheelbase. In the future, an option is being considered for placing operational-tactical and cruise missiles in containers that can be installed on the Tornado chassis.
Old ammunition can be used in the new system. But completely new rockets have also been created for the Tornado. Their firing range is 90 km. The Tornado missiles have a satellite guidance system, thanks to which the missiles hit the target.
A separate and not yet fully disclosed area of activity of "Alloy" and designer Denezhkin is the creation of multi-barreled rocket systems for the Navy. For example, the "Udav-1M" rocket ship complex. It is capable of effectively repelling torpedo attacks on surface ships, destroying submarine sabotage groups and fighting enemy submarines. It never occurred to anyone to fight submarines and torpedoes with salvo attacks from jet systems. The Tula did it first. And one of the first among the creators of naval weapons - Gennady Alekseevich Denezhkin.
