Death will descend on the wings
The reader has the right to ask a question about why he needs to know the past, present and future equipped with nuclear weapons strategic bomber aviation (SBA) USA. And here it will be necessary to recall that under the 2010 treaty on the reduction and limitation of strategic offensive weapons for each deployed nuclear bomber, only one nuclear warhead (YaBZ) is counted, although such a “reusable” American bomber is capable of carrying 16–20 in each combat mission nuclear bombs and rockets. Even in the very recent past, the United States Security Council was able to turn the USSR into a pile of "smoking radioactive ruins," so it makes sense to consider its current capabilities.
NEW COMMAND
March 21 The Strategic Aviation Command (SAC) was created in the US Army ground forces to concentrate the US long-range nuclear power to conduct an air offensive in order to destroy a country with such a social structure that itself threatened the United States.
The following year, the Strategic Aviation Command occupied a dominant position in the Air Force, which by that time separated from the Ground Forces and became an independent type of American Armed Forces.
1 June 1992 The Strategic Aviation Command ceased to exist, merging its nuclear backbone into a new Joint Strategic Command (USC).
The latter incorporated all B-52, B-1 bombers capable of carrying nuclear weapons and later B-2 bombers (in the form of an 204 operational link), an intercontinental ballistic missile wing (214-e OS MBR), nuclear-powered submarines with ballistic missiles (SSBN) deployed in the Pacific, Atlantic, and Europe (134-e, 144-e and 164-e OS, respectively), refueling aircraft (294 OS), as well as air command posts (124-E OS) VKP) and relay aircraft (CP). As of the end of 2015, all the B-52 and B-2 nuclear bombers and the conventional B-1 were part of the 8 Air Force of the Air Force’s global strike command on the administrative organization and in the 204 OS of the operational organization.
At first, only the UAB was in the SAC, then reconnaissance (RA) and refueling (FOR) aviation appeared, and from the 1959 of the year the ICBM settled. Let us see how its aviation component developed, and above all the SBA.
More than 4200 long-range aircraft capable of striking strategic objects of our country with conventional and nuclear weapons were assigned to SAC: over 400 B-29 medium piston bombers (in SAC in 1946 – 1954), 370 B-50 (1948 – 1955), 385 heavy B-36 (1948 – 1959), 2049 Medium Reactive B-47 (1951 – 1966), 116 B-58 (1960 – 1970), 76 FB-111 (1969 – 1991), 744 (52 – 1955), 100 FB-1 (1985 – 1997), 21 (2 – 1993), XNUMX-FN-XNUMX (XNUMX – XNUMX), XNUMX – XNUMX – XNUMX (XNUMX – XNUMX), XNUMX – XNUMX – XNUMX (XNUMX – XNUMX), XNUMX (XNUMX – XNUMX) ), XNUMX B-XNUMXB (in XNUMX – XNUMX with nuclear, then only with conventional weapons), XNUMX B-XNUMX (in USC with XNUMX year).
However, not all of these aircraft took place as carriers of weapons. At least one fifth of them were destined to become scouts, tankers, jammers, training and test aircraft.
BOMBARDERS, DEPLOYERS, DISTRIBUTORS
The SBA fleet first grew from 148 bombers when creating the NAO to almost 1900 at the end of 50, but then the golden age of the SBA began to come to an end, and by the middle of 60, the number of bombers due to the arrival of ground-based intercontinental ballistic missiles ( ICBM) and maritime (SLBM) basing decreased significantly. By the end of the 1979, the SBA represented the 619 heavy and 68 medium bomber, in the 1990 year - the 583 heavy and 32 medium bomber. The SBA fleet, which included both mothballed and stored aircraft, in 2015 in the year counted about X-BUMN X-BUM, 80 B-1 and 21 B-2 bomber (90 B-52 and 20 B-2 were considered to be carriers of 88 B-52 and XNUMX B-XNUMX bomber ).
The composition of the SBA on 2015 year was defined in 61 B-1, 20 B-2 and 74 B-52. It included both current-strength bombers (combat bombers for training and testing) and bombers designed to make up for losses and replace repaired and malfunctioning aircraft. Combat personnel (combat-coded) traditionally represented 36 B-1, 16 B-2 and 44 B-52. Thus, from 20 B-2 and 88 B-52, 60 bombers could always be used to carry out plans for a nuclear war (16 B-2 and 44 B-52).
According to previous plans, it was planned to have a 2018 B-21 SBA in 2 (19 deployed and one non-deployed nuclear weapon carrier, one test), 78 B-52 (41 deployed and five non-deployed nuclear weapons, 30 conventional weapon, two testers ), near 60 B-1 with conventional weapons. The USC first in the series of 100 new unobtrusive "penetrating" dual-purpose bomber B-3 (or B-4) is expected to arrive in 2025 year. Until 2040, the B-1 and B-52 aircraft will be removed from service, and only the B-2 and B-3 dual-use aircraft capable of using both nuclear and conventional weapons will remain in the SBA.
Refueling aviation began its formation in the SAC with 1948 year. With the arrival of the 1954 tanker KS-500 in 97, air refueling began to be considered fully mastered, and the SBA and ZAK turned into Siamese twins. Refueling in the air gave the American bombers a global range. In the Air Force (mainly in SAC) 1948 – 1966 served over 210 piston KV-29, 160 KV-50 and 888 KS-97, for the Air Force (mainly for SAC) 1956 – 1965 KS was built 732 and in 135 – 1981's - 1990 КС-60. The lion's share of more than 10 thousand tanker aircraft served as part of the SAC, providing the SBA. The replacement of a part from more than 2 of the KS-400 airplanes currently operating on the 135 of the new KS-179A refueling trucks was scheduled for 46 – 2017 years. Moreover, the SBA – ZA tandem is constantly being improved. The creation of 2027 new bombers armed with new high-precision nuclear and conventional ALCMs, as well as with new high-precision nuclear bombs and provided with 100 new tankers, significantly increases the ability of the SBA to deliver massed conventional and nuclear weapons to selected targets of potential adversaries.
Navy BAC reconnaissance aircraft were in the past years, more than 700 vehicles, including more than 70 RB-50, 143 RB-36, 314 RB-47, at least 27 RB-52, about 150 U-2, SR-71 and RC-135 (Now there are about fifty RC-135 and U-2 left). The reconnaissance-driven reconnaissance drone aircraft, which already has several dozen RQ-4, is crowding the manned one. Next in line is the creation of a new subsonic reconnaissance scout for the replacement of the U-2025 by 2 and a supersonic SR-2030 supersonic reconnaissance / shock 72 year. AT stories the memory of the USSR airspace violations in 1952 – 1962 by the aircraft RВ-47 and U-2, including the demonstrative flight of six RВ-47 in the ranks over the north-eastern part of the USSR in 1956, is preserved.
CARRIERS OF WINGED MISSILES
For all the time, the aircraft of the SBA for delivering nuclear weapons were about 4500 guided missiles (UR) and air-based cruise missiles (ALCMs): 722 AGM-77 (in service with 1960 – 1978), 1541 AGM-69 (1972 – 1990), 460 AGM-129 (1991 – 2007), 1715 AGM-86В (from 1981 year).
It is noteworthy that the beginning of the transformation of the “bombarding” SBA into a “missile-bomb” was unsuccessful. Trying to Air Force leadership in 1957-1958 years to get hold of armed 134 the DB-47 aircraft, including in the SAC, 136 whimsical supersonic SD AGM-63 with a range of delivery YABZ megaton class 185 km collapsed due to difficulties in the missile control system and in the operation itself Ur The subsequent UR and ALCMs, which poured fresh blood into the SBA, made the missile aircraft aviation, postponing the aging of the B-85 bomber fleet in 52 for years.
Aviation required, first of all, long-range missiles, in order to launch them as far as possible from the zone of action of anti-aircraft missiles and enemy interceptor fighters and thereby reduce their own expected losses. The equipment of the SBA with long-range missiles prevented the withering due to competition from fast ICBMs and SLBMs, and the higher accuracy of aircraft missiles provided the SBA with certain advantages over the ICBMs and SLBMs. In addition, improving the accuracy of aviation nuclear missiles with a QUO about 1,8 km with a range of 1000 km to a QUO in 30 – 60 m with a range of 2500 km reduced the required power of YABZ on a rocket from 1 Mt to 200 and less than kilotons of TNT equivalent.
Reducing the mass of aircraft missiles allowed a reusable bomber on each sortie, depending on its type and type of missile, to carry 16 – 24 YaBZ, while a single disposable ICBM housed a maximum of 10 and YaNB on an SLBM. In the third decade, the B-8, B-52 and B-2 (B-3) bombers will receive 4 new nuclear ALCMs, although only part of them will be permanently equipped with nuclear warheads. At the end of the second - at the beginning of the third decade, the accumulation of ammunition of new high-precision conventional ALCM with a range of more than 1000 km (possibly 900 – 1 thousand AGM-1,5B) for the B-158, B-2, B-3 bombers and, first of all, for supersonic B-52.
ANCIENT BUT EFFECTIVE
The most ancient means of destruction in the SBA remain bombs. Serial production of nuclear bombs began in the 1947 year, and fusion - in seven years. The first serial nuclear bombs had a capacity of several tens of kilotons of TNT equivalent, the next - more than 100 kilotons and the last - 500 kilograms of TNT equivalent. Thermonuclear bombs initially had a capacity of several Mt of TNT equivalent (from 3 – 4 to 10 – 15 Mt), and later their power range was expanded to hundreds and tens of kilotons.
Since 1956, the fusion bombs of roughly 20 Mt of trotyl equivalent began to come into service with the SBA, from 1960 of the year - approximately of 25 Mt of trotyl equivalent, and three years later it was stated that without further testing, a thermonuclear warhead could be developed for the B-52 bomber in 50 – 60 Mt of TNT equivalent.
Almost all the “nuclear creams” in the form of the most advanced and destructive bombs were destined at that time for the SAC. The media claimed that in 1958, 90% of the country's megatonnage was allegedly in the SAC (at that time the USA had 7345 nuclear warheads with a total power of 17 304 Mt of trotyl equivalent). For SBA, these weapons of destruction were about 2000 thermonuclear bombs Mk36, Mk39 and Mk15 and several hundred nuclear bombs Mk6. In 1958, they were placed at 36 SAC air bases in the US and abroad and at four continental storage bases at 4 SAC air bases. This number of bombs should have been enough for approximately 1600 B-47 and B-52 bombers, a third of which were on combat duty at air bases in 15-minute readiness for departure with nuclear weapons on board.
Initially, nuclear weapons were kept in the repositories of the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), despite repeated demands of those who drafted plans for a nuclear war against the USSR to transfer it "to the troops". The time for making a decision on the transfer of nuclear weapons from the KAE military refers to the 1953 year. The transfer of nuclear weapons to SAK bomber aircraft wings, including those located at the foremost air bases in the UK and Africa, was carried out in 1954 year. According to one of the ministers of defense of the United States, "troops" first received nuclear weapons in 1954. The transfer by the US military of all nuclear weapons, including tactical ones, was completed in 1961.
An important milestone was the 1956 year, when fully equipped bombs began to enter service, which did not require manual or automatic entry of the so-called nuclear capsule in flight.
Over the past 70 years in the arsenals of the SBA, nuclear and thermonuclear bombs of nearly two dozen types have been in various modifications. Mk53 bombs with a power of 9 Mt of TNT equivalent, created in 1962 – 1965, were finally removed from service in 2005 and completely dismantled in 2012. For the SBA, the B83-0 / 1 and B61-7 / 11 bombs are saved with the TNT switchable equivalent. It is believed that the maximum power of the B83 is not less than 1 Mt of TNT, and that of the B61 does not exceed several hundred kilotons. In the future, in 2030-e, a transition to the only type of thermonuclear bomb with variable explosion power, B61-12, can be made.
DESTRUCTIVE POTENTIAL
In ancient times, one B-29 carried one nuclear bomb, B-36 - one or more, B-50 and B-47 - one or two, B-58 - up to five bombs, and FВ-111 had 2 – 6 bombs and rockets. The payload of the B-52 aircraft gradually increased from two bombs to four bombs and SD, and in 70-s grew to 12 nuclear weapons (4 – 6 АБ and 6 – 8 УР). In 80 and in 90, the ability to load nuclear ALCMs into one B-52 20 was demonstrated. Probably, the existing version of the loading of the 12 ALCM bomber on the external load will continue in the future. It should not be forgotten that this aircraft is capable of carrying the B83 nuclear bombs on the internal eight-position launcher. Maximum B-1 combat load is 24 UR or 16 bombs, and B-2 - 16 bombs.
Note that if in the 40-ies the US nuclear ammunition was intended only for the SBA, then in the 50-ies - already for other types of aircraft, and for all types of the armed forces of the country. The SBA nuclear monopolism in strategic nuclear forces (SNF) ended with the arrival of the ICBM in 1959 and the SLBM in 1960. Judging by the statements of the US defense ministers, the SNF had 1968 in 4200, and 1979 deployed YABZ in 9200. According to media estimates, the SBA accounted for 1979 in the year over 2500 YABZ with a capacity of 2300 Mt of TNT equivalent to half the nuclear megatonnage of the SNF. From the materials in the report of the Minister of Defense of 1992, it followed that two years ago the SNF had 13 100 YABZ, including for the SBA around 4550. Judging by the official materials published in connection with the preparation of the START-1 Treaty, in 1990, the US strategic nuclear forces had 10 563 deployed YABZ, of which 2353 were aviation.
The published diagrams of the distribution of YABZ in aviation made it possible to consider that then the number of deployed numbers was over 1000 YABZ for ALCM, to 800 for SD and around 550 YABZ bombs. As can be seen, the ratio of deployed and non-deployed aircraft NAB was 52: 48. In the 2012 year of the 2150 deployed YABZ SNF, the share of aviation was 546 YABZ (240 for ALCM and 306 for bombs). Taking into account the previously existing ratio of deployed and non-deployed YABZ to non-deployed, 504 YABZ (288 for ALCM and 216 for bombs) would have been necessary, that is, the SBA nuclear ammunition would then be represented by 1050 and YBZ. But the true active and inactive nuclear weapons of the SBA were clearly more than this calculated figure.
CONCEPTS OF APPLICATION
SR-71 high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft provided strategic command with target data. Photos from www.nasa.gov
In the 1946 – 1951 years, the United States created many conceptual, general and detailed, short-term, medium-term and long-term plans for the use of nuclear weapons against the USSR and its allies. For example, the EWP SAK plan for 1949 for the year provided for the possibility of using 133 bombs in 70 cities of the USSR (the total power of these bombs hardly exceeded 3,3 Mt of trotyl equivalent). According to the ruling in the first half of the year 1954 plan EWP NAO planned to use with the bombers to 735 750 6 bombs Mk100 of cities and hundreds of other objects of the enemy (with a power bomb Mk6 160 kt total megatonnazh probably would not exceed 120 Mt).
The SIOP-1A 1961 plan of the year provided for guaranteed delivery of nuclear weapons to 937 targets when using SAK bomber with 1239 YABZ, while the total megatonnage of these YABZ would clearly be more than 2400 MT. What is 6600 rm? Translated into trinitrotoluene, this means that for every 6,6 square. m of the territory of the USSR, the PRC and their allies would have per kilogram of explosives.
According to an official statement from 1989, the SBA SAK was aimed at 60% of the facilities of the SIOP Strategic Nuclear Forces plan. Recall that at that time, according to the media, about 10 thousand objects were located in this plan, with an average target pointing at the 2,5 object of one YABZ. Nowadays, for the US strategic nuclear forces, instead of the SIOP plans, there are number operational plans of the type 80XX.
CAPACITY
The combat readiness of the SBA consists of the presence of personnel, the presence of military equipment, the preparedness of personnel, and the serviceability of military equipment. Readiness is determined by the percentage of serviceable vehicles capable of taking to the air at a set time for a combat mission.
For every bomber in the current composition of the regular forces in our age there was a 1,3 – 1,46 crew. Maintaining the strength of the current composition of the bombers in the wing is ensured by the existence of a replacement pool of aircraft and aircraft to make up for losses. In each flight, the crew of the bomber works out refueling in the air and makes at least one approach to the site for the conditional use of weapons. Circle training flights in near regions last on average 5 – 6 hours, in ocean areas last up to 44 hours.
With a planned 10 – 24 raid on the crew per month, the actual annual raid on the bomber in the operating squad fluctuated in our age mainly within 200 – 400 hours. The average raid on one B-52H bomber over 54, its service reached almost 19 thousand hours, that is, more than 350 hours per year. The level of technically sound bombers fluctuated earlier in the range of 58 – 70%, while the fully functional ones were 45 – 57%. According to one estimate, 2015% of bombers were fully operational in 50.
The quality of daily testing of the conditional use of nuclear weapons at test sites was verified by launching ALCMs from B-52 bombers and dropping nuclear bomb simulators from B-2 bombers (for example, six missile launches and nine bombings were conducted in 2012 year). According to the requirements of the end of the first decade of the new century, half of the squadrons of the B-52 and B-2 bombers must at a certain length of time work on the use of nuclear weapons, and the next segment on the conventional ones, while the other half of the squadrons first worked on the use of conventional and then nuclear weapons.
It is noteworthy that in various incidents, less than 10% of B-36, B-47, B-52H and B-1В aircraft were killed in the entire life cycle (the exceptions were more than 22% of B-58 killed) and the B-bomber that suffered a serious accident 2 has been completely restored in a few years. This is an indicator of the high quality of both technology (especially engines), its maintenance and repair, and the preparation of flight technical personnel.
In the SAC at the beginning of its existence, not everything was smooth with combat training. In the spring of 1947, more than half of the B-29 bombers were unable to lift into the air. In the 1948 exercise, none of the new B-50 and B-36 bombers achieved the mission. But already in the middle of 1956, a raid on an 73 urban object with the conditional use of 120 nuclear and five thermonuclear bombs was successfully carried out. And at the end of the same year, the 1000 B-47 bombers fulfill their combat missions with a range of flight routes over North America and over the Arctic to 13 thousand km.
One of the indicators of combat training is the speed of loading a nuclear weapon. It was necessary to spend no more than one hour on the suspension of one nuclear bomb on B-47. Loading 24 aircraft B-1 one wing of the nuclear bombs took 32 hours. The loading of 600 nuclear weapons on the 30 aircraft of the B-52 aircraft of one wing was spent 36 hours.
Great importance was attached to the speed of take-off due to the alarm of duty bomber and tankers from one band of the air base with the minimum interval between aircraft. In 1960, five B-52 took off in 68 seconds, and six KS-97 - in 59 seconds. In 1981, out of about 1, thousands of aircraft dispersed at 70 airfields, reconnaissance aircraft, and CAS 400 refueling aircraft took off during 10 minutes since the alarm was announced with the interval between the 12 – 30 seconds aircraft. And nowadays, on the exercises, according to the plans of the commander of each wing and according to the plans of the “global” and other exercises of the higher command, such a takeoff is practiced with participation from one link to one squadron of bombers from the wing.
At the time of formation of the SAC, only about 16% of bombers could take off in alarm at a relatively short time by the standards of that era. There were heavy losses due to storms and tornadoes, when planes did not have time to take off to avoid bad weather. Soon, the SAK leadership began to develop the idea of the combat duty of bombers with nuclear weapons on board at airfields and in the air. In the 1957 year, with the beginning of successful tests in the Soviet Union ICBM P-7, 33-minute readiness for take-off with nuclear weapons was introduced into the SAC for 15% of bomber and refueling aircraft; this was how the combat duty of the nuclear aviation forces on the ground was organized. In the 1961 year, with the adoption of the Soviet ICBM P-16, the composition of the duty forces (DS) was increased to 50%. Soon the number of DSs was reduced to 40%, and later to 30%. Due to the growing threat from Soviet missile submarines patrolling off the coast of the United States, in the 1969 – 1971 years, regular measures were taken to increase the survivability of the SBA and ZA. The number of bombers and tankers at each airbase was reduced, and the number of airbases for their placement increased. DS from the coastal airfields moved to the air base closer to the center of the country to have more time to exit from the blow. Now, the SB UAV and SAT had to take off during the 5 – 10 period of minutes since the alarm was announced. By the time the combat duty was canceled at the airfields in 1991, it was carried by all 40 of 228 B-1 and B-52 nuclear bombers that were operational.
Part of the SAC bomber with 1948, was deployed at the advanced air bases. By 1957, the rotation system envisaged the entire fleet of aircraft wings in Europe, French Morocco, and the Pacific (B-47 bombers had 45 machines) for three months, followed by replacement with other wings. Since October 1957, the rotation of the wings has been replaced by a temporary deployment program for a group of bombers from the wing for a period of three weeks, with a weekly replacement of a third of the forces deployed in the advanced areas. In the 1962 year, under this program, 200 B-47 bombers were located in the advanced areas. For a while, it was continued by B-52 bombers.
Airborne combat duty with thermonuclear weapons on board was conducted B-52 periodically from 1958 and continuously in 1961 – 1968 on one or more of the eight main patrol routes leading to the USSR through the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, Canada and the Arctic. In the air at the same time were first two, and later 4 – 12 aircraft. During the 1962 crisis, combat duty in the air was carried simultaneously by 72 B-52 (12,5% of combat strength). Patrols with nuclear weapons were discontinued in 1968, after the next crash of the aircraft carrier.
Confirmed in 2010 in the “Nuclear Review” of the US Department of Defense, the refusal to return to full-time combat duty of heavy bombers with nuclear weapons on board (full-time nuclear alert) means that such duty at air bases and in the air can be entered for a certain period during exacerbation of the situation demonstratively and practiced in a normal environment at various scales for educational purposes. Judging by the materials published in the media, testing of the combat duty of bombers with nuclear weapons on board was carried out during exercises and inspections only at air bases without lifting into the air.
The survivability of the SAC operational control system has been provided from the 1961 year by a backup air control system. It was headed by the SAC air command post, which was constantly on duty in the air in 1961 – 1990. The reserve air command and control system (air command posts, repeater planes, and airborne launch control posts for ICBMs - TAPP) was intended to replace the ground one in the event of the destruction of this main system in a nuclear war. In 1963 – 1966, the EB-35L squadrons of four 47 aircraft squadrons operating in four combat squadrons were used to maintain communication between the CAP SAC and the attacking SBA. By 1968, there was a harmonious backup communication system from 30 EC-135 airplanes. One of the six airplanes of the All-Union Communist Party Naval Service was continuously in the air, and at seven air bases in 15-minute readiness for departure there were three of the nine auxiliary zonal CPSUs, three of the nine MUPs and two of the six CPs. In 1997 – 1998, the remaining seven EC-135, which were transferred from SAC to USC in 1992, transferred their duties to E-6 aircraft, which since that time have been performing the functions of the AUCP, SSBM, ICBM and SBA. Each aircraft in the 45 thousand hours of 16 E-6В will fit in the 2040 year.
MEANS OF DOUBLE PURPOSE
The USA SBA has almost always been and remains a dual-purpose aircraft. The draft war against the USSR, developed in 40-s, provided for the use of not only nuclear but also conventional weapons, for example, 250 thousand tons of conventional bombs. In the wars against the North Koreans, the American B-29 dropped 167 100 t, 16 times more used the B-52 in North Vietnamese. After the end of the Cold War, the UBA was involved in military operations and in systematic hostilities in the Middle and Near East and in Europe, and carried out raids on targets in Africa.
Here is an example of achieving a given probability of hitting targets with an appointment to launch a guaranteed number of ALCM from the experience of starting one of the military operations. Eight B-52 take off from the forward airbase, each carrying eight ALCMs. After the first refueling on the flight route, two airplanes with 16 ALCM return to the air base, and the remaining six with 48 missiles follow the launch line. Arriving there, each of the six bombers performs the launch of only six ALCMs, leaving two missiles in reserve. This reserve is created so that, for technical reasons, one or two missile carriers cannot launch all their ALCMs or when several missile carriers have a refusal to launch one or two ALCMs, others or the same aircraft could enter the tasks of all unlucky missiles into their reserve ALCMs and launch these recruited backup missiles, guaranteeing the use of 36 ALCMs in a volley. In the coming years, all the bombers will receive long-range ALCM in non-nuclear equipment, and the UBA will become completely missile-carrying for regional deterrence with non-nuclear weapons.
High-precision nuclear and conventional rocket-bomb weapons increase the capabilities of the SBA for strategic assurance, strategic deterrence with intimidation and global strike. Despite a significant reduction in the capacity of the SBA in our time compared to the highest figures of the Cold War times in megatonnage of ammunition, the number of bombers carrying nuclear weapons and the number of available nuclear weapons, the United States strategic bomber aircraft has the ability to target its deployed and non-deployed nuclear forces and means no less than on 750 large targets.
The US SBA continues to be an equal participant in the strategic nuclear triad, being its flexible component, which, like the SSBN, is able to quickly disperse and become almost invulnerable, faster than the ICBM and SSBN to maximize its nuclear weapons and the number of carriers and means of delivery of nuclear weapons due to the return potential, as well as to use, in contrast to the ICBMs and SSBNs, both nuclear and conventional weapons, to be recalled in flight to perform nuclear tasks and quickly start global actions. Among the participants in the triad of the strategic nuclear forces, the United States SBA has the highest nuclear weapon capacity, the most powerful nuclear warheads, and the best opportunities to neutralize not only strongly protected deep-seated stationary objects, but also moving and relocatable objects, while retaining the ability to hit a significant part of the traditional complex of strategic objects in Russia and China.
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