Thermonuclear "Rose" of 1961. Isn't it time to repeat it?
"Rose" 1961
From the outside, the situation looks on the verge of absurdity – Western countries are seriously discussing permission to carry out missile strikes deep into Russian territory. If we assume that the Kyiv regime acquires the most modern means of long-range fire destruction, then Moscow and its suburbs will be in the affected area.
Even the thought of such a possibility a couple of years ago should have caused a panic attack among the Western military and political elite. But now they are considering whether to allow it or not. NATO militarism has to be stopped by direct warnings from the Russian president.
Among the possible options for retaliatory or preventive measures on the part of Russia, strikes against NATO countries (primarily against the logistics hubs of Poland), nuclear strikes against Bandera decision-making centers, and expansion of supplies are being considered. weapons opponents of Washington and Brussels, as well as full-scale tests of strategic nuclear missile weapons.
The best way to bring the enemy to his senses would be, of course, direct losses in manpower and material resources, but a direct escalation with unpredictable consequences is also likely. The American president has already been reminded that it is his sacred duty not to enter into war with a nuclear power. But still, direct nuclear strikes on his satellites could make old man Biden go off the chain.
At the same time, Russia, or more precisely the Soviet Union, already has experience in effectively convincing the enemy of the illegality of its actions. With the help of nuclear weapons, of course.
We are talking about 1961, when the intransigence of the United States led to the most serious Berlin crisis. The NATO alliance was literally preparing for war with the Soviet Union. Despite the fact that even then the risks of total mutual destruction were almost 100 percent.
Flight trajectory of R-12 missiles during the "Rosa" exercise. Drawing by M. A. Basov. Source: noo-journal.ru
The situation in 1961 largely repeats modern events. Starting with the West's preparations for war with Russia and ending with the withdrawal of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty concluded in 1996. Vladimir Putin did so in November 2023, and Nikita Khrushchev ended a similar moratorium in the summer of 1961, three years after it was signed. In the autumn of that year, the First Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee sanctioned the Rosa exercises on the Novaya Zemlya archipelago.
In the journal "Science. Society. Defense" the author A. I. Yasakov writes regarding the reasons for the "Rose" exercises:
"To demonstrate to the world and, above all, to potential enemies, the ability of the Soviet nuclear weapons complex to create charges of enormous destructive power, in the range of several tens and even hundreds of megatons, i.e., as well as their availability in the USSR; in conjunction with the second manned flight of the Soviet spacecraft-Earth satellite Vostok-2 planned for August, the decision on which was made on the same day, July 6, such a demonstration was aimed at eliminating any aggressive plans of even the most zealous Anglo-Saxon political and military hawks."
63 years have passed since then, but, unfortunately, nothing has changed – overseas hawks still see Russia as either completely destroyed or in a humble pose of submission.
Briefly on the Rose exercises of 1961.
They used medium-range R-12 missiles with a yield of one megaton and 650 kilotons. Four missiles were supposed to leave from the vicinity of Salekhard for the testing ground on Novaya Zemlya – two blanks and two live ones. On September 3 and 4, missiles without nuclear warheads were tested; high-explosive warheads were placed in their place. Everything went as planned – undershoots and overshoots on the target were a few hundred meters. Considering the range of 850 km and the potential power of the charges, this can be considered trifles.
On September 12, an R-12 with a thermonuclear warhead was sent to the target at the testing ground. Everything went as planned and even exceeded the plan – the explosion power was 1,1 megatons instead of the estimated one. Four days later, the second combat missile also worked. Only here the explosion power exceeded the estimated one by 30 percent. In TNT equivalent, the devices recorded 900 kilotons instead of 650.
Garrison on Novaya Zemlya
"Rose", among a number of measures taken by the Soviet leadership, became one of the reasons for the peaceful resolution of the Berlin crisis. Despite the fact that the Russians Tanks were the first to retreat from Checkpoint Charlie, the Americans were unable to achieve their goals. The Berlin Wall was quickly erected in the GDR, which lasted until 1989.
"Rose" 2.0?
History suggests that in world politics only the language of force is understood. It is desirable that this force be thermonuclear. At present, Russia and NATO countries use "soft power". What this leads to can be seen in news tapes.
The use of nuclear weapons to bring the enemy to a state of sanity has probably not yet arrived, but it is necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of such steps. Moreover, in Russia they are increasingly talking about the need for full-scale tests of thermonuclear weapons.
One well-known program on a central TV channel suggested building plywood models of central London and Washington on Novaya Zemlya. And, of course, hitting the buildings with a Bulava. State Duma deputy Andrei Kolesnik echoes:
"We shouldn't relax. We need to carry out a nuclear explosion somewhere, at some testing ground. Nuclear tests are currently banned here, but maybe people should see what all this actually leads to, they should hear. If we lift the moratorium, maybe humanity will think again."
The command of the Central Test Site on the Novaya Zemlya archipelago in the Arkhangelsk Region very promptly reported on its full readiness for testing activities.
Before seriously considering nuclear testing on Novaya Zemlya, it is necessary to understand several arguments.
First, the 1961 test site and the 2024 model are slightly different.
The area several hundred kilometers around the archipelago is much more populated than it was 63 years ago. The Bulava, which they want to use to hit the models of NATO capitals, carries six warheads of 150 kilotons each. In terms of power, it is very comparable to the first combat R-12, tested during the Rose exercises. But then the radiation cloud was tracked at a distance of up to 750 kilometers from the center, and then simply abandoned. But how many thousands of kilometers will the radioactive contamination spread this time?
The second thing that all nuclear testing supporters should remember is the Northern Sea Route, into which Russia has invested and will continue to invest hundreds of billions of rubles.
Even underground tests on Novaya Zemlya will seriously contaminate the waters of the Arctic Ocean. Will our still allies from China take the shortest route to Europe on their dry cargo ships after such a performance?
This is why the initiative to conduct nuclear tests on its own territory looks like a shot in the foot. This is why Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov commented on rumors about possible tests:
"Moscow can conduct nuclear tests, but it will not if the US refrains from them. The infrastructure of the nuclear test site on Novaya Zemlya is in full readiness, this is a reaction to the US steps in this area."
What would make the Americans test nuclear weapons remains a mystery. The United States is currently threatened exclusively by Russian strategic weapons. There is no hint of the situation that arose during the Cuban missile crisis of 1962, when Khrushchev placed medium-range missiles right at America's gates.
Despite all of the above, the possibility of full-scale nuclear missile tests cannot be ruled out. Just not on our own territory – the risks and consequences are too high.
When the policy of “soft power” towards overseas hawks has completely outlived its usefulness, the Bulava can be detonated in the Atlantic Ocean. On neutral territory, but in strategic proximity to Washington. The damage to the environment, which some people are concerned about, will not be much greater than the consequences of the disaster at the Japanese nuclear power plant in Fukushima. And the military-political effect of the Bulava or Yars in the Atlantic will be similar to a nuclear explosion. In the literal and figurative sense.
But when rational arguments do not work on opponents, you have to take risks.
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