RS 26 Rubezh (Avangard) rocket: specifications and photos

The actual adoption of the RS 26 missile Rubezh (Avangard) into service with the Russian Army caused serious concern in the West. It would seem, quite an ordinary event. The new strategic carrier enters the troops, the tests have passed, the leaders of the interested countries have been informed of them, American officers are even present at the shooting. However, claims were immediately filed, which in general terms can be reduced to the fact that this type of weapons belongs to the class of medium or short-range carriers, which violates the terms of the 1987 agreement on the DMDC.

International treaties on nuclear disarmament

International treaties on limiting the number of nuclear weapons carriers have been concluded many times. During the reign of Leonid Brezhnev, the first attempts were made to reduce the intensity of confrontation between the two superpowers, each of which is capable of destroying all life on the planet many times. Then, during a short period of rapid change of the secretary general, the Soviet foreign policy line fluctuated, which could not be said about the American. Serious concessions from the USSR were achieved only when the young leader Mikhail Gorbachev came to power. In 1987, an agreement was signed on the mutual destruction of intermediate-range and short-range missile carriers. The situation in the country for the second year of the declared Perestroika was difficult. There was a shortage of very many ordinary goods today, the arms race exhausted the already poor budget, and the revision of the significance of many historical facts led to a large-scale moral and ethical crisis of Soviet society. It can not be said that the above-mentioned treaty was advantageous to the USSR in geopolitical or strategic terms, it significantly undermined the defense potential of the country, but, in fact, the new head of state had no other option. And he signed it, perhaps not fully understanding what kind of document he was offered. Today we can deal with this issue objectively and calmly.

RMDC

The problem existed for a long time, and was that the nuclear potentials of the USSR and the US depend not only on the number of carriers, but also on one important parameter, namely, flying time. If you look at the usual geographical map with the missile bases of the NATO countries and the USA put on it, then it is quite natural to question the expediency of their existence in such quantity, and even near our borders. If, as a result of some foreign policy crisis, a decision is made to strike on the modern territory of Russia, there will be very little time left for response actions. Countermeasures may theoretically be counter missile launches at bases that have launchers. These goals are quite close. To successfully defeat them, small or medium-range missiles are required, which are prohibited by the 1987 agreement on the RMDC. But where are the ballistic strategic RS 26? The border that they create on our borders is due to a wide range of their range of damage.

To what class is "Rubezh"?

A person who is far from the issues of strategy, it may seem that the farther a ballistic missile can fly , the better. This is not quite true. The statement is just as incorrect as the declaration of a sledgehammer is good, and an ordinary hammer is bad. The launch of an intercontinental BR on a target that is two hundred to three hundred or even 1,500 kilometers is technically impossible. She simply will not be able to go to the right course of action. ICBMs include ballistic carriers of range over 5000 km. The whole range from 150 to 5,5 thousand km is considered the average radius. The question arises as to which class to include the RS 26 missile "Rubezh"? Its characteristics are limited to the maximum (6 thousand km), and at a minimum (2 thousand km). It is able to hit launchers located near Russian borders, and at the same time can reach objects in the territory of the United States or other countries that will show a desire to attack the Russian Federation. Such universality is very disliked by the proponents of American nuclear domination, and they appeal to the 1987 treaty.

Other information about the rocket

Not only the unique range of radii of combat use puzzles strategists of the Pentagon. The main problem they see in the ability of the RS 26 "Frontier" to overcome the ABM system. The warhead of the missile is divided into four warheads, guided individually and each having its own shunting engine. All the details are not disclosed by the competent authorities, although certain "diversions" are still being organized. The RS 26 Rubezh missile is primarily designed not for direct use as intended, it mainly has a psychological effect on the headquarters of the likely adversaries, and if they do not know about their own vulnerability, all efforts spent to create it will be in vain.

Design

The data on the device of the ICB RS 26 "Rubezh" are covered in the press extremely sparingly. It is known that the total power of the four elements of the warhead is 1.2 megatons (4 x 300 kt). The architecture of the three-stage projectile repeats the structure of the "Topoles" and "Yars", but its weight is less due to the use of polymer high-strength materials. Announced also about a fundamentally new control and guidance system, working on a unique algorithm that allows you to evade dangerous objects (anti-missiles) and enter the combat course with a high probability of hitting the target. Individual systems create aperiodic fluctuations in speed and direction that prevent the warhead from being damaged in flight. This algorithm allows it to maintain its combat capability, even if 35 anti-missiles are to be intercepted. The energy generated by the engine at the start, guarantees the access to the battlefield, even through a cloud of a nuclear explosion. It's impressive.

Materials of manufacture

The increase in the weight of the payload and the high power density of the ballistic missile RS 26 "Rubezh" are due to two factors: a new type of fuel and a special material for the manufacture of hulls and fairings. A special technology developed on the "Spetsmash" and called "whole-body" was used. It is technologically complex, and polymer threads, from which, like cocoons, parts are woven, is a product of a unique organo-chemical production, but in a simplified form it can still be described. A special composite cylinder or other required body of rotation is precision wound around the composite polymer thread (aramid fiber). Then these tow-strands are impregnated with an astringent agent. After curing, a body is obtained that can withstand a temperature of 850 degrees and powerful mechanical effects. The specific density of this composite polymer is much lower than that of the metal.

Fuel

If something is a state secret, so is the fuel composition, which is filled with RS 26 "Rubezh". The characteristics of the rocket are such that it would be very difficult to intercept it, even if the warheads did not have the ability to maneuver so hard. The main quality of any fuel is determined by the energy that is released when burning a unit of its mass. In addition, the stability of the combustion process is important, regardless of the temperature, barometric or humidity characteristics of the environment. Inside the stages of the RS-26 "Rubezh" there are solid-fuel energy-releasing elements based on the octogen. They ensure a stable flight of the projectile at very high speeds. More to the general public, nothing is known. As it should be.

Chassis

The RS 26 Rubezh rocket can be based in mines, but its main purpose is to use it in mobile complexes. Initially, it was intended to use the chassis MZKT-79291, built using the formula 12 x 12 for its transportation. This multi-wheeled vehicle is manufactured in the Republic of Belarus. In favor of this assumption is the fact of the participation of cars in the parade dedicated to the celebration of the 68th anniversary of the Victory. Observers noted new tractors, presented in the framework of the celebrations, on which it is quite possible to carry the RS-26 "Rubezh". The photos taken in Minsk, however, contradicted the information that the KamAZ-7850 chassis or Belarusian MZKT-79292 can be used to transport new missiles.

The most likely version is considered by experts to be the MZKT-79291 multi-wheeler presented at the parade, since the capacity of MZKT-79292 is not sufficient, and KamAZ, on the contrary, has excess capacity.

Causes of Western concern

The active objections of representatives of Western countries were also caused by the RS 24 rocket "Yars", for approximately the same reasons as RS 26 "Rubezh". What is dangerous for NATO defense systems this type of ballistic carriers of nuclear charges? For the past three decades, according to US congressmen, their country has not experienced such a threat to national security. And it's not just a shortened field of guidance, during which it is practically impossible to take measures to neutralize the warhead. The accuracy of hit of all four units is very high, it is provided by the system of space astrocorrection. Combined with the unrestricted ability to overcome the missile defenses of countries-likely adversaries-we can conclude that the costly anti-missile defense is completely useless, which our Western "friends" seek to place as close as possible to the borders of Russia. The Rubezh RS 26 missile complex became an asymmetric response to attempts to neutralize Russia's nuclear potential by means of intercepting ICBMs.