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MILITARY THOUGHT (inri Hill MlTI: "The Organization ofby Colonel V. Savko and Colonel N. Makslmov.
1 Documentary
A reliable source
Fcllowisgerbatim translation^ an article entitled 'The Organization of Antimissiley Colonel v. Savko and Colonel K. Maksimov.
SECRET by
tfcs Scviets. 2 First xssue went tc press on
Headquarters Combat: Military Thought is published by th* USSR Ministryin three versions, classified RESTRICTED, SECRET and TOP SECRET. STRI*.TED version has been issued monthly
er two versions are issued irregularly. Th* TOP SECRET version was initiated iny the end1 issues of the SECRET version hsa been published,f thera
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The Organization of(According to foreign views) by
Colonel V, Savko Colonel N, Maksimov
Under modern conditions, a wide variety of means can be used for the delivery of nuclear strikes against troopsheater of military operations and against the objectivesountry's military potential: piloted aircraft, ballistic and cruise missiles, artificial earth satellites and spacecraft. This variety of attack weapons, whichreat range of speeds, and flight altitudes, and an enormous range of operation makes it necessary to examine the question of com batting themew way.
The ability of modern attack weapons tofrom low levels, from the stratospherethe near future, from space, has produced athe broadening of the scope of antiairdefense is developing into antiair and
By contrast to the atmosphere,which has limitsertain (kosmicheskoye prostranstvo) islimitless range of modern aerospace attackfreedom of maneuver (their strikes can befrom any direction) and the possibilitycombined use both against troops andmilitary objectivesountry, make ittoingle system for antiair
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The tremendous progress in the development of aerospace attack weapons has madeevision of views on defense.
It is known- that during the past few years the USA has spent aboutillion dollars on the creationystem of antiair defense for the North American continent. The "Sage" semiautomatic control system has been set up, depending upon three radar lines constructed in the northern part of the Americanand possessing the necessary means of communication and electronic computers. Active defense has been based on the employment of antiaircraft missiles and offighters armed with guided "air-to-air" missiles.
The development of strategic missile weapons has thrown doubt upon the expediency of these huge The USA has stopped the development offighters and significantly reduced work on the creation of new classes of ground-to-air and air- -to-air guided missiles, and has reviewed and reduced the original plans for the formation of squadrons of "Bomarc" antiaircraft missiles for the antiair defense of areas of the country.
At the same time, having proclaimed a doctrine of ^terror"he USA and its NATO allies had to ensure that there would be no possibility of the destruction of their own strategic aerospace weapons, which could occuresult of the first enemy strike.
With the appearance of nuclear/missile weapons, the means of attack immediately and abruptly determined the means of defense. It has become necessary to create weapons and systems for defense against ballistic missiles, and ln the near future against space weapons as well. Passive methodscor.cealment underground of the: launching mounts of one's own missiles, constant retention in the air bf units of ones own bomber aviation) have not eliminated the need to establish effective systems
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of antimissile defense, despiteof the problems which this has caused and their obviously enormous cost.
Work in the field of antimissile defense is being conducted in the USA, Great Britain, Canada and other countries. The leading role belongs to the USA.
The Americans have already been working for more thanears on the solution of the problem ofdefense (protivo-raketnaya oborona-PRO). The best scientific resourcesonsiderable number of the largest American industrial companies have been brought into work in this field.
The detection, recognition, interception andof long-range missiles arc problems that are hard to solve, because of the great speeds and altitudes at which missiles fly, and because of the smallof the target (the nose cone of theoreover, the enemy can take various steps to make the detection and interception of the missile's warhead difficult,or measures to confuse the PRO system.
Three phasesissile's flight trajectory are examined during theoretical investigations into the possibilities of combat with missiles. The first is the active phase, during which the engines and the equipment of the guidance mechanism of the missile are in operation. The missile moves through this phase in a comparatively short time, not moreinutes.
The second is the middle or free-flighthe beginning of this phase of the trajectory is marked by the point in space at which the missile engines are cut off and its nose cone is released automatically. From this moment the nose cone of the missile moves along the trajectoryi-eely thrown body (in the first approach to an ellipse).
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The third phase is the final phasefdurinE which the nose cone of tho missile enters the dense layers of the atmosphere. Its duration is determined by the altitude of the active layer of the atmosphere, which ism. Methods for combatting missiles are being worked out in the USA in accordance with these features of the flight of missiles.
The detection of missiles in flight* Timely detectionin flight is one of the most important elementsRO system. Forurprise attack using missiles, means for the early detection of the latter were required first of all. Using the newest achievements in the field of electronics. the Americans devised powerful radar setsange of operation of several thousand kilometers,
The increase ln the range of operation of radar sets was achieved by increasing the power of the transmitters and the sensitivity of the receivers, by setting up improved antennas^and by using the technical and scientific achievements attained in the field of radar in the last few years. Great successes were achieved in this respect, thanks particularly tp the application of methodsewhe theory of information.
Experimental models of the American PRO radar sets had a power ofegawatts (theet) toegawatts (theet). The vacuum tubes which are being developed at present allow the power of the transmitters to be increased tooegawatts. Thanks to the use ofamplifiers, the sensitivity of the receivers is Increased tenfoldundredfold . This also permitted an increase in the range of action of the sets.
The use of huge directional adtennas and of new methods for the separation of reflected signals
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made it possible to increase the range of actionet without significantly increasing its power, both by concentrating the energy emitted in the required direction and by improving conditions for the recep*-tion by the antenna of reflected signals. Based on the use of new antenna devices, thendadar sets were devised in the USA,ange of action of up0 kmarget as small as that which is represented by the nose cone of an intercontinental ballistic missile.
Besides such sets, whose range of operation is
still limited by the zone of line-of-sight (zona
pryamoy vldimosti) the possibility of using "Tepee"
sets employing theback-scatter probing
(vozvratno-naklonnoye zondirovaniye) method. In
principle, this method permits the detection of missiles
while they are still in the active phase of their
trajectory. But such sets can only determine the
azimuth and, with little accuracy, the distance to
the target. It is therefore proposed to use the
.^eJ'$e" set todetection systems usingndets.
As well as radar sets, infrared equipment may be used to detect missiles. By locating such equipment on the ground it is very hard to provide the great- range required. it is located in space the situation changes fundamentally. First of all, the great obstacle of atmospheric absorption of the infrared radiation disappears. Secondly, thecan be detected In the active phase of its trajectory, when itowerful source of infrared radiation.
Already7 experiments were conducted in Canada which showed the possibility of detecting missiles with infrared equipment,ange of up0 km. 8 the Americans were able to track the flight of the third Soviet artificial earth satellite
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flying at an altitude ofrt above the earth, with an infrared tracking device of the firmater, models of infrared devices with even greater ranges of operation were produced, For example, the range of operationultipurpose gyroscopic head, built by theirms estimated as several thousand kilometers when the launch of ais detected from space and several hundred kilometers when using the head to aim ath,
In this way, thanks to the enormous progress in the field of radio-electronics, the problem of detecting missiles in flight is being successfully resolved.
Recognition of missiles. In the developmentystem of antimissilereat deal of attention is devoted to solution of the problem of recognition of the missile's nose cone from among the various types of interference and of dummy targets.
There are many methods which make it possible to hamper the destruction of the missile in flight and to disorganize the PRO system. These methods include: covering the missile nose conesrotective layer which sharply reduces the reflection ofuse of dummy targets whichthe flight of the actual noseuse of active Jamming of the radar sets of the antimissile: defense system.
One of the simplest ways of creating dummy targets is to break up the missile airframe as soon as the nose cone is separated in the middle section of its flight trajectory. All of this presents complex problems for the PRO in finding methods of combatting equipment which creates radio-electronic interference and in developing methods of identifyingf determining their true nature. The general problem of recognition of dummy targets in the middle phaserajectory has not yet been solved by the Americans, even theoretically.
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One opportunity for recognition occurs during the flight of the nose cone and of its accompanying complex of dummy targets in the final phase of thein the atmosphere. During reentry into the atmosphere the movements of the dummy targets and of the missile warhead change in different ways, their infraredvaries in intensity and spectral characteristics, and other phenomena appear which simplify the solution of the problem of recognition.
By studying the nature of changes in speed it is possible to distinguish the missile nose cone from the dummy targets. The missile warhead will brake more slowly than the dummy targets and willigher speed. However, since it passes through the dense layers of the atmosphereery short period ofoeconds) this method of recognition is not acceptable. Recognitionarget by this method will occur too late and the defense system will have no time to destroy tbe nose cone which has been picked out.
During entryhe atmosphere; both the nose cone and the dummy targets accompanying it heat up and give off infraredhock wave builds up in front of them, and an ionized gaseous trail behind them. However, the use of these phenomena for recognition of the nose cone is unacceptable for the same reason.
The most effective method for recognition, used by the Americans in the "Nike-Zeus" system, consists of the use of special radar sets with very highcapable of receiving data on the whole group of targets during flight while it is still in the middle phase of its trajectory. Thelying object makes it possible to obtain some idea of the change in its reflecting surface during flight, of Its dimensions, and even of its shape.
If signals from flying nose copes and 'from various dummy targets are studied in advance, the knowledge of their signatures* can be used to solve
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the problems of recognition.
In order to put this method to practical use, the Americans registered the signals reflected from the nose cones of their own missiles while these were being tested at firing ranges. Signals from the nose cones of Soviet missiles launched into the central part of the Pacific Ocean were also registered. 1 launchings of "Titan'1 missiles with devices forreation of interference andmraybe^an
A recognition radar set is used in conjunction with an electronic computer, into whoso memory are fed the characteristic signals which correspond to the flight of actual nose cones. This same machine receives data on the signals of all objectives observed from the recognition set. Comparison of these data in the machine permits recognition of the missile nose coneroup of dummy targets.
Means of detection and recognition. At the present time the basic means for the detection of missiles in flight are ground radar postsra-long-range detection sets, which make up the Ballistic Ulsslle Early Warning System.
The BMEWS system includes three radar posts, located inlearnd Fy lingdales Moor (Britain). The range of operation of the radar sets installed at these posts0 km.
In addition to the detection of missiles ln flight, the BMEWS system permits the approximate determination of tho probable objective of an attack. The performance of the second task is simplified by the fact that, after the engines stop working, the warheadissile follows allistic trajectory, to determine which it is enough to make several fixes and to determine the impact point of the missile by extrapolation of the trajectory.
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The total warningthe time free tne moment the alar= Is given until the cissiles strike their targets--provided by the BMEWS system Is froeolnutes.
The shortcomings of the BMEWS are that it does not cove-all the probable missile launching areas and that It can be neutralized vith the aid of special equipment or disorganized by the creation of dummy targets. In addition, the system is expensive, cumbersome, stationary, and coulddestroyed before missiles are launched against objectives or. the territory of the USA.
The realistic way toward ar. increase in warning time lies in the use of special earth satellites with infrared or radar equipment which permit detection of missiles in the active phase of their trajectory.
Satellites with infrared equipment for the detection of missile launchings are being developed in the USA under the "Midas" project. As is known, inhesatellite recorded the launch of anTitan" ballistic missile from Cape Cs_-iaveral. The satellite passed over Florida at an altitude of moreO km- The launching was detected withineconds of the launch of tne missile, but the datmetlM signal was transmitted withinlnutes, when the satellite passed over California, where theretation for the reception of= such satellite*.
In the*experimental satellites, detection signals are to be recorded, together with time details, and transmitted to the earth on the commands of the tracking stations which have so far been built. uture satellite operational system, the signals must be transmitted immediately as the launchings are detected. etwork of interconnected earth satellites will be used for this purpose.
Besides detecting.launchings of missiles, "Midas" satellites can probably determine, at least approximately,
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the direction of their flight, in order to provide plots for the seTs of theBMEWS system,
An operational system ofllites should be set up by
Satellites with radar sets are still in the stage of scientific and experimental development, and their establishment, probably as multipurpose spacecraft, is possible Thus, one of the projects,by the "Ryan" firm, envisages the creationpace, system early warning with satellites, onhole system of radar sets for the detection and tracking of the ballistic missiles and spacecraft of the enemy is installed.
The employment of artificialRO system increases the possibility of detecting missiles. With the help ofissile can be detectedinutes of its launch.
Interception and destruction of cjssiles. The task of intercepting and destroying missiles consists of preventing them from exploding in the area of de-ifend/r1 objectives. The interception and destructionissile is considered most effective during the active phase of its flight trajectory (during the accelerationhen the missilearge target and is flyingomparatively low speed. Interception during the middle phase of the trajectory may lead to the destruction of the missilereat distance from the defended objective. However, in both the first and second cases, means of Interceptionreat range of operation and highly accurate guidance are required* The development of such means involves great technical difficulties. In the USA means for intercepting the nose coneissile In* the final phaso of its trajectory, when it eaters the atmosphere, have boen brought, in practice, to the stage of flight tests. Interception at this phase of the trajectory
permits the use of weaponsomparatively short range of operation.
Because of their great approach speeds, theof missiles is only considered possible on collision or collision-intersection courses. uclear warhead is used to destroy the nose cone of the missile*
Taking into consideration the comparatively small radius of destruction ofuclear warhead when it explodes outside the dense layers of the atmosphere, other probable methods of destruction are being studied in the USA. Special project^'GU-pa^ was devoted to this question, having as its goal the study of the possibilities of destroying missiles or of rendering them harmless, including those which, at todayfs level of technology, appear highly problematical( but which may prove effective in the future, when our knowledge of these questions has increased considerably.
The "Glipar" project studied the possibility of destroying missile nose cones with small fragments or particles of hard substances, with gases, plasmas, electrical charges, radiation and with the action of various fields. The use of hard particles, which, when theyose cone which is moving at high speed, may inflict considerable damage upon it, proved to be the most effective means.
One of the experiments to study the impacts of hard bodies, flying at great speeds was conducted1 in the ballistics laboratory at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds, and in this, metalm in diameter brought about the almost complete destruction of the wallm artillery shell.
Evidently in connection with this, the Advanced Research Projects Agency of the U. S. Defense Department advertised for bids for the developmentRO system (Project ARPAT) in which the warheadissile would be destroyed with "shrapnel" shells when it enters the atmosphere
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As for the other methods of destruction studied, their realization at the existing level of technology was found to be in practice impossible, although research in this direction is still continuing. As an example, one can mention the method based on the use of so-called "lasers"sources of monochromatic infrared or light radiation. Such lasers already make it possible toarrow beam of radiation which has an impulse power of tens of megawatts, although it is true that this is of very short duration, measured in microseconds.
The use of similar means from the ground is hardly possible, even taking into account their future developmentuture manifold increase in the energy of their destructive impulse. The basic obstacle here is theof energy by the atmosphere. This obstacle can only be overcome by installing improved lasers on spacecraftigh coefficient of effectiveness and great power. While impulses of modern lasers can lead to the heating of materialurface temperature of several thousand degrees, in the future one can foresee the possibility of burning through the structure of the nose coneissile or satellite, which can prevent the explosion of the missile's charge or can lead to its destruction during reentry into the atmosphere.
Means for the interception and destruction of missiles in the active and middle phases of tneir flignt trajectory are in the stage of theoretical development. Earth satellites are considered the most promising means for the performance of these tasks.
The developmentpace antimissile system is being conducted in the USA under the "Bambi" program. ystem could provide defenselobal scale, but requires the use of several thousand satellites. In order to bring this system into use it is necessary to reduce significantly the cost ofilogram of payload and to bring this down to several dollars or, at the mpst. tens of dollars. The destruction of missiles can be carried out by homing satellites (the RBS project) or by satellites armed withantimissile
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missiles of the "space-to-space" class (the SPADoth these projects are still in the initial stage of development. In both cases an infrared guidance system is considered to be the most suitable for homing.
Besides automatic interceptor-satellites, forand antispace defense, it is also proposed to use piloted interceptor-satellitesan on board. For the present the development of such satellites is being pioneered by some American firms.
In the USA it is considered possible to create PRO space weapons.
For the interception and destruction of missiles in the final phase of their trajectory (during reentry into thehe Americans, startingave developed several PRO systems. The "Nike-Zeus" system, which permits the interception and destruction of missiles at altitudes of upm and at ranges of upm, has received the greatest development.
Up to the present day, experimental models of the radar set for this system, of the electronic ComputerLand of experimental models of the "Nike-Zeus" antimissile missiles have been constructed.
Although the "Nike-Zeus" PRO system has been under development for many years, and although some of its elements could be put into mass production, adoption of the system as armament is being delayed. In. Defensethere are doubts of the reliability and effectiveness of the system, particularly in its ability to distinguish missile nose cones fromdummy targets.
Moreover, the cost of setting upystem, even for the defense of only the most important cities and objectives on United States territory, is calculated in billions of dollars (according to some data it mayol5 billion dollars).
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Taking these circumstances into consideration, . Defense Department and the President of the USA have reacted to the proposals of the army to beginof the components of the system before theof its comprehensive tests, including firings against "Atlas" type combat missiles,ertain caution.
Flight tests of the experimental model of the missile began9 at the White Sands proving ground.The second step in the tests, including the launchingomplete three-stage missileuidance system, butuclear warhead, is being completed at present at Point Nugu on the west coast of the USA (the state ofhe third step, during which live firings of "Nike-Zeus" missiles will be carried out against "Jupiter" and "Atlas" missiles, is planned for the middle The "Atlas'* missiles will be launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base and the "Nike-Zeus" missiles from Kwajalein Island ln the Marshall Islands in the Pacific Ocean. omplete complex of components for the system is being built on this Island, including underground launching mounts for the missiles, for radar sets (target acquisition, target recognition, and tracking of the target and of thend the necessary computers, launching and auxiliary equipment.
After the speech of the Minister of Defense of tho USSR, Marshal of the Soviet Union Comrade R. Ya. Malinovskiy, who reported to the mi Congress of the CPSU on thesolution in the USSR of the problem of destroying mis*-slles in flight, the American command decided to speed up the tests and the beginning of production of the components of the "Nike-Zeus" system. The time limits for conducting live firings of "Atlas" Intercontinental ballistic missiles for Interception by "Nike-Zeus missiles are connected with the decision of the President of the USA on the resumption of nuclear weapon tests in the atmosphere. The first tests, with the detonation of nuclear warheads onissilesield ofhousand tons are planned for the end of Decemberl or January The first firings against "Atlas" missiles, in which both the "Nike-Zeus" missile and the target missile will be fitted
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with nuclear warheads, are planned forithout waiting for the conclusion of the tests, the Defense Department and the President of the USA decided to ask for appropriations to begin production of components of the "Nike-Zeus" system It is planned to arm the first PRO batteries with them
The organization and conduct of PRO. All meansdelense will be subordinate to the Airof the USA. It is planned to use the units
subunits of the PRO in the first place for coverage of missile bases and strategic aviation bases. The use of the "Nike-Zeus system in combat is carried out in approximately the following manner. argetrossing the fan-like beamMEWS system radar set, reflectsenergy which is picked up by the receiving apparatus of the set.
Information on the target, contained in the reflected signal, enters the target selection system and is then transformed into numerical form and fedomputer.
The selection device enables the missile to be picked out among the numerous reflections which result fromphenomena, the Northern Lights, meteorites, satellites, etc.
The computer calculates the approximate trajectory of the missile's flight and determines the objective which is probably under attack, for target acquisition byelements of the defense system. In addition, the computeressage on the detected target, which is fed into the communications line in numerical (coded) form, and arrives at the US Continental Air Defense Control Center. The report shows the calculated trajectory and the probable impact point of the missile.
A special warning system has been set up to transmit data on the appearance of missllep. At each post of the SHEWS system there are data units (datchik) and means of communication which provide instantaneous transmission 'of dat
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In the antlair defense control center the message whtch has been received Is decoded and evaluated and the data received arecompared with information which has arrived from other sources.
In accordance with the indications received from BMEWS posts or at the command of the antiair defense control center, the antimissile subunits are puttate of combat readiness.
The "Nike-Zeus" system consistseries of centers, which provide protection for particular objectives with tbe aid of several batteries of antimissile missiles. The fire of these batteries is controlled from the defense center, which has an acquisition radar setomputer for processing both the data arriving from BMEWS posts and thosefrom this set, .
The acquisition set has an operating range of0 km and carriesepeat (portornyyj detection of the missiles approaching the defense objective. For this it Is necessary for the nose cone of the approaching missile to be in motion within the operating sector of the set for abouteconds. Information on the targets goes from this set to the computer of the defense center and Is used for target acquisition and for the distribution of targets among the antimissile missile batteries.
The battery is the basic subunit of the system. Itarget recognitionarget tracking set and several sets for tracking the antimissile missiles. attery will consist ofntimissile missiles with the necessary launching and auxiliary equipment. All the equipmentattery is stationary.
The target recognition set picks out the missile nose cone from among the dummy targets. Recognition of the target is basedomparison of the signalreflected from the target.he knownof various objects which have been fed into the memory of the computer. esult ofomparison, .the
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data on the real target ere singled out by the exclusion of false information. Approximatelyeconds is taken for target recognition, after which the missile nose cone is taken over by the target tracking set.
When the target is being tracked, its trajectory is defined witheels iotr and the requisite data are ted into the device for controlling the launch and guidance of the antimissile missiles. The guidancecalculates the flight trajectory of the antimissile missile and determines the point at which it will meet the target. At the necessary moment the command for the launch is given and this ignites the engine of the first stage of the antimissile missile.
After the missile is launched, data on the flight of the target and of the missile continue to be continuously fed into the computer of the tracking system, and on the basis of these, commands are evolved for the guidancehe antimissile missile to its target. This device Is a
digital computer capable ofrithmetical
operations per 'second.
The intercept computer also determines the moment for the detonation of the antimissile missile and generates the command for the explosion,which is then transmitted to the missile by the set which Is tracking it.
It is considered thateconds are needed to prepare the antimissile missile for launching, to launch it, and for it to enter the Interception area. To carry out the series of operations in intercepting andissile warheadpeedin. andec. are.taken by the "Nike-ZeusM system. During this time the missile warhead willm. The interception and destruction of the missile warhead is effected in the final phase of the trajectory at an altitude of about ISO km.#
From all that has been said one can conclude that so far the USA does not have an organized PRO system or
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effective means for combatting missiles. Many problems connected with recognition, interception, and destruction of the missile in flight still must be settled.
The establishment of antimissile defense involves huge expenditures of materiel which can only be afforded by stateseveloped industrial-economic basearge network of scientific-research Institutions, The widest development of work on antimissile defense has therefore been achieved only by the USA. Meanwhile, ln connection with the great expenditure on these tasks and the difficulty of resolving the technical problems of antimissile defense, some American military specialists are calling for the development, above all, of strategic attack weaponslong- and intermediate-range missiles, strategic aviation and an atomiceans of "deterrence".
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