Secret "Mozyr"
By the beginning of the 70-s classical methods of protecting silos (silo launchers) of intercontinental ballistic missiles from enemy attacks using high-precision weapons become ineffective. Counteraction of the enemy's technical means of intelligence, masking of silos, the creation of a multitude of false targets that simulate launching mines with the development of satellite intelligence technologies has become a difficult and sometimes impossible task. By 1970 year, thanks to the developed tracking means, the coordinates of all silos of ICBM Strategic Missile Forces become known to the enemy.
The fortification method of protection, based on an increase in the armor protection of the launcher, due to the rapid increase in the accuracy of nuclear warhead guidance and the appearance of new types of high-precision weapons in the middle of 70, was also ineffective. If in the middle of the twentieth century the pointing accuracy was determined by tens of meters, then by the year of 1970 it was already a few centimeters. It became clear that rocket mines could be put out of action by a sudden pre-emptive strike, not even with a nuclear one, but with conventional weapons with high precision guidance. Even if an accurate hit of the warhead of an enemy guided missile does not lead to the destruction of the shaft or to the penetration of the silo cover, it will at least lead to its jamming, which ultimately will not allow the launch of the missile, that is, it will not allow the combat mission. Therefore, the Soviet engineers were tasked to quickly develop and create a fundamentally new and highly effective system for the protection of silo launchers.
One of the first Soviet projects aimed at creating a KAZ (active protection complex) silo of ICBMs was the KAZ Mozyr project, or “complex 171” (however, it is believed that this designation is incorrect), developed by the design bureau of Kolomna. Work on the project was started in the mid-70s, the main designer of the complex was N.I. Gushchin, the general management was carried out by a talented engineer and designer S.P. Invincible. It was thanks to his initiative and perseverance that the Soviet, and then the Russian army, was armed with a new type of weapon, such as MANPADS "Strela", and created for tanks active defense complex "Arena". The principle of operation of KAZ “Arena” is the same as that of KAZ “Mozyr”. In total, over 250 various enterprises of Soviet industry from almost all the ministries of the USSR worked on the KAZ Mozyr project.
The KAZ design includes a large number of small-caliber trunks assembled in a package (the Mozyr complex, according to various sources, included 80 to 100 trunks), each of which contains a powder charge and a striking core element (projectile?) Of high-strength alloy . When a signal is received about an enemy attack on a guarded object, in a fraction of a second, the KAZ in standby mode seizes an approaching target and shoots hundreds of small striking elements (projectiles) towards it. The shot is made simultaneously from all trunks, one volley. In front of an enemy warhead, a wall or cloud is formed of steel shells, the density of which is such that it is almost impossible to overcome this barrier. As a result, the target, in this case, the enemy warhead, is destroyed (at a distance of 1 000 meters), before reaching the target. With this type of weapon you can protect almost all important objects.
According to unconfirmed reports, the Mozyr complex was created at the beginning of the 1980s, and the first prototype was sent for testing at the Kura Strategic Missile Forces test site, 25522 military unit, located in Kamchatka. Where, again according to unconfirmed data, in the framework of tests conducted, at the end of 1980-ies, a block of a target that simulates an intercontinental ballistic missile launched from Baikonur was intercepted for the first time (however, some sources claim that the launch was made from Plesetsk). However, the changes that occurred in the country influenced the further course of events. At the beginning of 90, the allocation of funds for further work on the project was discontinued, and soon it was closed. At the moment it is difficult to judge how KAZ "Mozyr" was effective and how the future fate of the project would have been if the Soviet Union had not collapsed. Data on this project were not disclosed, and all information is tentative. However, the very idea of creating this fundamentally new weapon gave impetus to the creation of other models (Arena and Drozd complexes), the action of which is based on the principle of self-defense and worked out when creating the first domestic complex of active protection.
The fortification method of protection, based on an increase in the armor protection of the launcher, due to the rapid increase in the accuracy of nuclear warhead guidance and the appearance of new types of high-precision weapons in the middle of 70, was also ineffective. If in the middle of the twentieth century the pointing accuracy was determined by tens of meters, then by the year of 1970 it was already a few centimeters. It became clear that rocket mines could be put out of action by a sudden pre-emptive strike, not even with a nuclear one, but with conventional weapons with high precision guidance. Even if an accurate hit of the warhead of an enemy guided missile does not lead to the destruction of the shaft or to the penetration of the silo cover, it will at least lead to its jamming, which ultimately will not allow the launch of the missile, that is, it will not allow the combat mission. Therefore, the Soviet engineers were tasked to quickly develop and create a fundamentally new and highly effective system for the protection of silo launchers.
One of the first Soviet projects aimed at creating a KAZ (active protection complex) silo of ICBMs was the KAZ Mozyr project, or “complex 171” (however, it is believed that this designation is incorrect), developed by the design bureau of Kolomna. Work on the project was started in the mid-70s, the main designer of the complex was N.I. Gushchin, the general management was carried out by a talented engineer and designer S.P. Invincible. It was thanks to his initiative and perseverance that the Soviet, and then the Russian army, was armed with a new type of weapon, such as MANPADS "Strela", and created for tanks active defense complex "Arena". The principle of operation of KAZ “Arena” is the same as that of KAZ “Mozyr”. In total, over 250 various enterprises of Soviet industry from almost all the ministries of the USSR worked on the KAZ Mozyr project.
The territory of the object DIP at the site Kura, Kamchatka. In 1988, nearby - at the DIP-1 facility - the Mozyr missile defense system of the machine-building design bureau was allegedly tested. Photo - no later than autumn 2010 g
The KAZ design includes a large number of small-caliber trunks assembled in a package (the Mozyr complex, according to various sources, included 80 to 100 trunks), each of which contains a powder charge and a striking core element (projectile?) Of high-strength alloy . When a signal is received about an enemy attack on a guarded object, in a fraction of a second, the KAZ in standby mode seizes an approaching target and shoots hundreds of small striking elements (projectiles) towards it. The shot is made simultaneously from all trunks, one volley. In front of an enemy warhead, a wall or cloud is formed of steel shells, the density of which is such that it is almost impossible to overcome this barrier. As a result, the target, in this case, the enemy warhead, is destroyed (at a distance of 1 000 meters), before reaching the target. With this type of weapon you can protect almost all important objects.
According to unconfirmed reports, the Mozyr complex was created at the beginning of the 1980s, and the first prototype was sent for testing at the Kura Strategic Missile Forces test site, 25522 military unit, located in Kamchatka. Where, again according to unconfirmed data, in the framework of tests conducted, at the end of 1980-ies, a block of a target that simulates an intercontinental ballistic missile launched from Baikonur was intercepted for the first time (however, some sources claim that the launch was made from Plesetsk). However, the changes that occurred in the country influenced the further course of events. At the beginning of 90, the allocation of funds for further work on the project was discontinued, and soon it was closed. At the moment it is difficult to judge how KAZ "Mozyr" was effective and how the future fate of the project would have been if the Soviet Union had not collapsed. Data on this project were not disclosed, and all information is tentative. However, the very idea of creating this fundamentally new weapon gave impetus to the creation of other models (Arena and Drozd complexes), the action of which is based on the principle of self-defense and worked out when creating the first domestic complex of active protection.
Site materials used military.tomsk.ru
Information