The rapid impact of “Platypus”

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Стремительный удар "Утконоса"

Before the end of the decade, Russia will have a weapon capable of parity with any opponent

With speeds of tens of kilometers per second, a new controlled aircraft will be able in minutes to hit targets anywhere in the world. According to the head of the Corporation “Tactical missiles” Boris Obnosov, the country came close to the missile, capable of speeds in 5 – 10 swings – from 6150 to 12 300 km/h.

The Mach number, or M, determines the ratio of local flow speed to the speed of sound is 331 m/sec. To exceed the speed of sound in six, eight, ten times – one of the global tasks of development of modern aviation and rocketry. From a military point of view hypersonic aircraft – a very effective striking tool. Hypersonic flight is invisible to modern radar. There is not even expected to provide means to intercept such missiles.

Blink of an eye

USA associated with hypersonic implement the program of “Fast global blow” (Prompt Global Strike (PGS) is also translated as “prompt Global strike”), which will allow the us military to inflict pinpoint strikes on any region of the world within 60 minutes. In the framework of the PGS variety of U.S. government agencies developed several promising projects: X-43A (NASA), the X-51A (air force), AHW (army), ArcLight (DARPA, Navy), Falcon HTV-2 (DARPA, air force). Their implementation, according to experts, will allow to create a hypersonic aircraft, cruise missiles, long-range: sea cruise missile in anti-ship version and the options against ground targets by 2018 – 2020, reconnaissance aircraft – by 2030.

To detect the attack target, get a missile and to make a counter-volley, our missile defense system is a few tens of minutes, – says Vladimir Dvorkin, until 2001 head of the 4th Central research Institute of the Ministry of defense (Institute engaged in problems of development and use of nuclear weapons). American naval strategic missile, “Trident” flies to us for 15 – 20 minutes, land “Minuteman-3” – 25 – 35 minutes. This is enough time to react.

In the case of hypersonic vehicles time the reaction simply will not. So, there will always be a temptation to start and win a nuclear war. In America, this theory is very popular. Discussed in the scientific community. And as seen by the Russian experts, in case of hypersonic missiles they can from the theory to go into the area of military strategy. The spacecraft X-37 has already passed a series of flight tests and today, in principle, allow us to deliver to target up to three nuclear warheads.

The desired and actual

However, the race of hypersonic technologies is not as simple as warn the us military. US is still quite far from creating vehicles that are able to maintain hypersonic speed. In August 2014, Americans spent start hypersonic missile X-43A with polygon Kodiak, Alaska. It was assumed that in the course of the missile tests, typing speed of about 6.5 thousand km/h will hit the training target in the Pacific Atoll of Kwajalein. The device worked for about 7 seconds and burned up in the atmosphere before reaching the Atoll. However in the US called the flight a success – the machine has demonstrated the ability to recruit the required acceleration.

What is being done in this field in Russia can be judged solely on circumstantial evidence. For example, last year Western media, citing the Washington Free Beacon reported the successful test of a hypersonic glide of the aircraft, u-71 (Yu-71). Without going into details, the Washington Times reported that Russia intends in the 2020 – 2025 be placed on the ground near the village of Dombarovsky 24 hypersonic aircraft with nuclear warheads. Hypersonic system provides both strategic and ordinary modification, the newspaper said.

This stingy on the facts of the communication, we can conclude that we have passed another test promising combat equipment for a new strategic missile. The conclusion that this follows from the fact that in the village of Dombarovsky Orenburg deployed division of the strategic Missile forces, armed which is the most powerful missile complex R-36M2 “Voevoda” (SS-18 Satan). Its weapons program should replace the missiles “Sarmat”. In this context, u-71 (Yu-71) is not unique. It works similar to the description of the action maneuvering warheads of ballistic missiles “Topol-M”, “YARS” and the new RS-26. Of the Ministry of defense have repeatedly cited them as an example of overcoming any missile defense system. Maneuvering unit at speeds close to 10 M, any second can wag, unpredictably changing direction of flight, which guarantees defeat the purpose. No missile defense system is not able to calculate a trajectory and bring on an attacking missile unit.

Technology superiority

– Supersonic cruise missile flying at the speed of 2 – 3 mahā – says the candidate of physical and mathematical Sciences Nikolai Grigoriev. – We want our machines fly at a speed of over 6 Mach. The flight should be long. At least 7 – 10 minutes, during which the unit must develop a speed of more than a thousand meters per second.

The first hypersonic apparatus of this type was created in the USSR in the late 70-ies of the last century. In 1997, the designers Dubninskaya “rainbow” first showed it at MAKS. He was presented as a new class system – hypersonic experimental aircraft (GELA), X-90. The rocket flew at a distance of 3 thousand km was Carrying two warheads with individual guidance and were capable of hitting targets at a distance of 100 km from the point of separation. The carrier of the X-90 was supposed to be an elongated version of the strategic bomber Tu-160M.

In the early 90-ies of the last century, the ICD held a joint work with German engineers on the problem of hypersonic, on the basis of their other missiles, Kh-22 “Burya”. This supersonic cruise missile is part of standard weapons range bomber Tu – 22M3. It can fly at 600 km and carry a thermonuclear or conventional warhead weighing 1 ton. In addition, as recalled by Grigor’ev, the USSR had created space reusable spacecraft “Buran”, which when entering the dense layers of the atmosphere could speed up to Mach 25. Today, the challenge is to make such a flight is active, i.e. the machine should not just plan, and independently to develop and maintain such a speed, change the direction of flight

Combat “Platypus”

On current progress in the creation of a hypersonic aircraft “long cycle” no the Ministry was never informed. Although last year the Corporation “Tactical missiles”, the defense Ministry and the Ministry of industry reported that the agreed program of creation of hypersonic missile technologies. In the development of advanced technology has invested more than 2 billion rubles, and the first device planned to receive by no later than 2020. What would it be and for what purpose it is created, of course, no one did not specify. However, that hurt has, can be seen in the exhibition MAKS in Zhukovsky near Moscow.

In 2011, the Central Institute of aviation motors from Moscow Lytkarino demonstrated a number of promising hypersonic vehicles. At the stand of the Institute were displayed models of rockets, more like the classic “cigar”, and the masterpieces of the avant-garde flattened spatulate nose fairing – like Australian animal is the platypus, chopped form of the body. Then the representative of the Institute Vyacheslav Semenov said that in 2012 the Ministry of defence will be represented fully fit flight model of a hypersonic cruise missile. The same was said and Boris Obnosov. What was discussed is unknown. No official reports of new missile has not been in print. But repeatedly slipped the name of the prospective complex “Zircon”.

Circumstantial evidence, based on “Zircon” – rocket developed on the basis of supersonic anti-ship missiles “Yakhont/Oniks” and its Russian-Indian “BrahMos”. Indian BrahMos Aerospace Limited has repeatedly announced work on the creation of a hypersonic version of their products. Demonstrated its layout – in the form of “Platypus.” According to the representative of the company, hypersonic missile exists and is being tested. If so, then there is its counterpart in Russia.

The most interesting thing about this is that “Onyx” today is armed coastal defense troops in the composition of the complex “Bastion”. Is the latest multipurpose nuclear submarines of project 955 type “Ash”. Apparently, will be installed in the framework of the modernization attack submarines of project 949 type “Antey” and heavy nuclear missile cruisers of project 1144 “Orlan” as a replacement for missiles “Granit”. As they say the designers, instead of “Granite” in silos submarine or cruiser includes 3 “Onyx”. In total, “White” 24 launchers. In “antee” the same. In the end, the ships will get not 24, and 72 missiles. Now imagine that it will be upgraded “Onyx”, that is “Zircon”. The first of 4 surface ships – “Admiral Nakhimov” – is already at the docks of Severodvinsk, in anticipation of upgrading.

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