How the secret laser tank of the USSR works. The Ministry of Defense will receive a lightsaber Self-propelled laser systems
The Ministry of Defense will soon receive a mobile laser complex (MLS), which will blind the optics of airplanes, helicopters, homing heads of missiles and bombs at a distance of several tens of kilometers. Also, the system developed by the Astrophysics research and production association (part of the Shvabe holding) can cope with optical-electronic systems (OES) of tanks, armored vehicles and even anti-tank sights missile systems. MLK is small in size and therefore easily mounted on combat vehicles and armored cars.
As several informed sources in the military-industrial complex told Izvestia, the MLK is currently being tested. The operating principle of the mobile laser complex is quite simple. It directs a multi-channel laser beam at the detected optical system and blinds it. The product contains several laser emitters combined into one unit. Therefore, MLK can simultaneously jam a large number of targets or concentrate all laser beams on one object.
Currently, the complex is in a high degree of readiness,” one of the publication’s interlocutors told Izvestia. - True, I cannot give the exact completion date of the work and the characteristics of the machine.
MLK is a development of the 1K11 “Stiletto” and 1K17 “Compression” systems. The latter was developed and put into service in the early 1990s. But due to the high cost, the Compression system did not become a mass production machine.
The 1K17 laser complex with 15 laser emitters was installed on the chassis of the 2S19 Msta self-propelled howitzer. The “Compression” complex detected and classified enemy optical-electronic systems based on their reflections. After this, the system itself chose how many laser beams and what power were needed to blind the enemy.
One 1K17 vehicle could protect several tank or motorized rifle company. Currently, the only surviving complex “Compression” is on display at the Military Technical Museum in the village of Ivanovskoye near Moscow.
Until recently, it was believed that only two “Compression” were released,” military historian Alexei Khlopotov tells Izvestia. - But, according to the latest data, more than a dozen such machines were produced. And some of them entered the army. The only drawback of the 1K17 is its large dimensions and lower mobility compared to the tanks and combat vehicles that the “Compression” was supposed to cover.
Unlike its progenitor, MLK is a more compact product. Thanks to this, the complex installed on the chassis of a tank, infantry fighting vehicle or armored personnel carrier is highly mobile. Therefore, acting in order of battle motorized rifle or tank units, the mobile laser complex will be able to continuously protect equipment from aircraft and enemy precision weapons.
Mobile laser complexes“This is a modern, promising and very technological direction in the development of weapons systems,” says Alexey Khlopotov. - But a laser is not a lethal weapon. He doesn't kill anyone, he doesn't physically destroy anything. Although it very effectively “jams” optical-electronic surveillance stations, sights and homing heads cruise missiles and precision-guided ammunition.
The 1K11 laser system was mounted on the GMZ (tracked minelayer) chassis of the Sverdlovsk Uraltransmash plant. Only two machines were manufactured, differing from each other: during the testing process, the laser part of the complex was refined and changed.
Formally, the Stiletto SLK is still in service to this day. Russian army and, as the historical brochure of the NPO Astrophysics says, answers modern requirements conducting defensive-tactical operations. But sources at Uraltransmash claim that 1K11 copies, except for two prototypes, were not assembled at the plant. A couple of decades later, both machines were discovered disassembled, with the laser part removed. One is being disposed of in the sump of the 61st BTRZ near St. Petersburg, the second is at a tank repair plant in Kharkov.
"Sanguin": at its zenith
Development laser weapons at NPO “Astrophysics” progressed at a Stakhanov pace, and already in 1983 the SLK “Sangvin” was put into service. Its main difference from the Stiletto was that the combat laser was aimed at the target without the use of large mirrors. Simplification of the optical design had a positive effect on the lethality of the weapon. But the most important improvement was the increased mobility of the laser in the vertical plane. "Sangguin" was intended to destroy optical-electronic systems of air targets.
The upper and lower rows of SLK “Compression” lenses are emitters of a multi-channel combat laser with an individual guidance system. In the middle row are the lenses of the guidance systems.
A shot resolution system specially developed for the complex allowed it to successfully shoot at moving targets. During testing, the Sanguin SLK demonstrated the ability to reliably detect and engage helicopter optical systems at ranges of more than 10 km. At close distances (up to 8 km), the device completely disables enemy sights, and at extreme ranges it blinds them for tens of minutes.
The Sanguina laser complex was installed on the chassis of the Shilka self-propelled anti-aircraft gun. In addition to the combat laser, a low-power probing laser and a guidance system receiving device were mounted on the turret, which recorded reflections of the probe beam from a glare object.
Three years after the Sanguin, the arsenal of the Soviet army was replenished with the Aquilon shipborne laser complex with a principle of operation similar to the ground-based SLC. Sea based has an important advantage over ground-based: the energy system of a warship can provide significantly more electricity to pump the laser. This means you can increase the power and rate of fire of the gun. The Aquilon complex was intended to destroy the optical-electronic systems of the enemy coast guard.
"Squeeze": Laser Rainbow
SLK 1K17 “Compression” was put into service in 1992 and was much more advanced than the “Stiletto”. The first difference that catches your eye is the use of a multi-channel laser. Each of the 12 optical channels (upper and lower rows of lenses) had an individual guidance system. The multi-channel scheme made it possible to make the laser installation multi-band. To counter such systems, the enemy could protect their optics with light filters that block radiation of a certain frequency. But the filter is powerless against simultaneous damage by rays of different wavelengths.
The lenses in the middle row are aimed systems. The small and large lenses on the right are the probing laser and the receiving channel of the automatic guidance system. The same pair of lenses on the left is optical sights: small daytime and large nighttime. The night sight was equipped with two laser rangefinders. In the stowed position, both the optics of the guidance systems and the emitters were covered with armored shields.
SLK "Sangvin" is actually a laser anti-aircraft installation and serves to destroy optical-electronic devices of air targets. The SLK 1K11 “Stiletto” turret housed a combat laser guidance system based on large mirrors.
The Compression SLK used a solid-state laser with fluorescent pump lamps. Such lasers are compact and reliable enough for use in self-propelled units. This is evidenced by Foreign experience: V American system ZEUS, mounted on a Humvee all-terrain vehicle and designed to “set fire” to enemy mines from a distance, primarily used a laser with a solid working fluid.
In amateur circles there is a story about a 30-kilogram ruby crystal grown specifically for “Squeeze”. In fact, ruby lasers became obsolete almost immediately after their birth. Nowadays, they are used only to create holograms and tattoos. The working fluid in 1Q17 could well have been yttrium aluminum garnet with neodymium additives. So-called YAG lasers in pulsed mode are capable of developing impressive power.
Generation in YAG occurs at a wavelength of 1064 nm. This is infrared radiation, which in complex weather conditions less susceptible to scattering than visible light. Thanks to the high power of a YAG laser on a nonlinear crystal, it is possible to obtain harmonics—pulses with a wavelength two, three, four times shorter than the original one. In this way, multi-band radiation is formed.
The main problem of any laser is its extremely low efficiency. Even in the most modern and complex gas lasers, the ratio of radiation energy to pump energy does not exceed 20%. Pump lamps require a lot of electricity. Powerful generators and auxiliary power units took up most of the enlarged cabin of the 2S19 Msta-S self-propelled artillery mount (already quite large), on the basis of which the Szhatiye SLK was built. The generators charge a battery of capacitors, which, in turn, gives a powerful pulse discharge to the lamps. It takes time to “refuel” the capacitors. The rate of fire of the Compression SLK is perhaps one of its most mysterious parameters and, perhaps, one of its main tactical shortcomings.
Secretly around the world
The most important advantage of laser weapons is direct fire. Independence from the vagaries of the wind and a simple aiming scheme without ballistic corrections means shooting accuracy inaccessible to conventional artillery. If you believe the official brochure of the NPO Astrophysics, which claims that the Sanguine could hit targets at a distance of over 10 km, the Compression range is at least twice the firing range of, say, modern tank. This means that if a hypothetical tank approaches 1K17 in an open area, it will be disabled before it opens fire. Sounds tempting.
However, direct fire is both the main advantage and the main disadvantage of laser weapons. It requires direct line of sight to operate. Even if you fight in the desert, the 10-kilometer mark will disappear beyond the horizon. To greet guests with blinding light, a self-propelled laser must be placed on the mountain for everyone to see. In real conditions, such tactics are contraindicated. In addition, the vast majority of theaters of military operations have at least some relief.
And when the same hypothetical tanks come within shooting distance of the SLC, they immediately gain advantages in the form of rate of fire. “Compression” can neutralize one tank, but while the capacitors are charged again, the second one will be able to avenge its blinded comrade. In addition, there are weapons that have much longer range than artillery. For example, a Maverick missile with a radar (non-dazzle) guidance system is launched from a distance of 25 km, and the SLC on the mountain overlooking the surrounding area is an excellent target for it.
In the late 70s and early 80s of the 20th century, the entire world “democratic” community was dreaming under the euphoria of Hollywood “Star Wars”. At the same time, behind the Iron Curtain, under the canopy of the strictest secrecy, the Soviet “evil empire” was little by little turning Hollywood dreams into reality. Soviet cosmonauts flew into space armed with laser pistols - “blasters”, battle stations and space fighters were designed, and Soviet “ laser tanks».
One of the organizations involved in the development of combat laser systems was NPO Astrophysics. General Director“Astrophysicists” was Igor Viktorovich Ptitsyn, and the General Designer was Nikolai Dmitrievich Ustinov, the son of that same all-powerful member of the Politburo of the CPSU Central Committee and, concurrently, the Minister of Defense - Dmitry Fedorovich Ustinov. Having such a powerful patron, Astrophysics experienced virtually no problems with resources: financial, material, personnel. This did not take long to affect itself - already in 1982, almost four years after the reorganization of the Central Clinical Hospital into an NGO and the appointment of N.D. Ustinov's general designer (before that he headed the laser ranging department at the Central Design Bureau) was
SLK 1K11 "Stiletto"
The task of the laser complex was to provide countermeasures to optical-electronic systems for monitoring and controlling battlefield weapons in the harsh climatic and operational conditions imposed on armored vehicles. The co-executor of the chassis theme was the Uraltransmash design bureau from Sverdlovsk (now Yekaterinburg), the leading developer of almost all (with rare exceptions) Soviet self-propelled artillery.
Under the leadership of the General Designer of Uraltransmash, Yuri Vasilievich Tomashov (the director of the plant was then Gennady Andreevich Studenok), the laser system was mounted on a well-tested GMZ chassis - product 118, which traces its “pedigree” to the chassis of product 123 (Krug air defense missile system) and product 105 (self-propelled gun SU-100P). Uraltransmash produced two slightly different machines. The differences were due to the fact that in the order of experience and experiments, the laser systems were not the same. Combat characteristics complex were outstanding at that time, and they still meet the requirements for conducting defensive-tactical operations. For the creation of the complex, the developers were awarded the Lenin and State Prizes.
As mentioned above, the Stiletto complex was put into service, but for a number of reasons was not mass-produced. Two prototypes remained in single copies. Nevertheless, their appearance, even in conditions of terrible, total Soviet secrecy, did not go unnoticed by American intelligence. In a series of drawings depicting the latest designs technology Soviet army, presented to Congress to “knock out” additional funds for the US Department of Defense, there was also a very recognizable “Stiletto”.
Formally, this complex is in service to this day. However, for a long time nothing was known about the fate of the experimental machines. At the end of the tests, they turned out to be virtually useless to anyone. The whirlwind of the collapse of the USSR scattered them across the post-Soviet space and reduced them to the state of scrap metal. Thus, one of the vehicles in the late 1990s - early 2000s was identified by amateur historians of BTTs for disposal in the sump of the 61st BTRZ near St. Petersburg. The second, a decade later, was also discovered by connoisseurs of BTT history at a tank repair plant in Kharkov. In both cases, the laser systems from the machines had long since been removed. The “St. Petersburg” car only retained its body; the “Kharkov” “cart” is in better condition. At present, enthusiasts, in agreement with the management of the plant, are attempting to preserve it with the goal of subsequent “museumification.” Unfortunately, the “St. Petersburg” car has apparently been disposed of by now: “We don’t keep what we have, but when we lose it we cry...”
This is how the Soviet laser complex was imagined in the West. Drawing from the magazine “Soviet Military Power”
The best share fell to another, undoubtedly unique device, jointly produced by Astrophysics and Uraltrasmash. As a development of the “Stiletto” ideas, the new SLK 1K17 “Compression” was designed and built. It was a new generation complex with automatic search and targeting of a multichannel laser (solid-state laser on aluminum oxide Al2O3) at a glare object, in which a small part of aluminum atoms is replaced by trivalent chromium ions, or simply on a ruby crystal. To create population inversion, optical pumping is used, that is, illuminating a ruby crystal with a powerful flash of light. The ruby is shaped into a cylindrical rod, the ends of which are carefully polished, silvered, and serve as mirrors for the laser. To illuminate the ruby rod, pulsed xenon gas-discharge flash lamps are used, through which batteries of high-voltage capacitors are discharged. The flash lamp is shaped like a spiral tube that wraps around a ruby rod. Under the influence of a powerful pulse of light, an inverse population is created in the ruby rod and, thanks to the presence of mirrors, laser generation is excited, the duration of which is slightly less than the flash duration of the pump lamp. An artificial crystal weighing about 30 kg was grown especially for “Compression” - a “laser gun” in this sense cost a pretty penny. The new installation also required a lot of energy. To power it, powerful generators were used, driven by an autonomous auxiliary power unit (APU).
As a base for the heavier complex, the chassis of the latest at that time self-propelled gun 2S19 "Msta-S" (product 316). To accommodate a large amount of power and electron-optical equipment, the Msta conning tower was significantly increased in length. The APU is located in its stern. In front, instead of the barrel, an optical unit was placed, including 15 lenses. System of precision lenses and mirrors in hiking
conditions, it was closed with protective armor covers. This unit had the ability to point vertically. In the middle part of the cabin there were workplaces for operators. For self-defense, an anti-aircraft machine gun mount with a 12.7 mm NSVT machine gun was installed on the roof.
The vehicle body was assembled at Uraltransmash in December 1990. In 1991, the complex, which received the military index 1K17, entered testing and was put into service the following year, 1992. As before, the work on creating the Compression complex was highly appreciated by the Government of the country: a group of Astrophysics employees and co-executors were awarded the State Prize. In the field of lasers, we were then ahead of the whole world by at least 10 years.
However, at this point Nikolai Dmitrievich Ustinov’s “star” began to decline. The collapse of the USSR and the fall of the CPSU overthrew the former authorities. In the context of a collapsed economy, many defense programs have undergone serious revision. “Compression” did not escape this fate either - the prohibitive cost of the complex, despite advanced, breakthrough technologies and good results, forced the leadership of the Ministry of Defense to doubt its effectiveness. The super-secret “laser gun” remained unclaimed. The only copy was hidden behind high fences for a long time, until, unexpectedly for everyone, in 2010 it miraculously ended up in the exhibition of the Military Technical Museum, which is located in the village of Ivanovskoye near Moscow. We must pay tribute and thank the people who managed to pull this most valuable exhibit out of top secrecy and made this unique machine public knowledge - a clear example advanced Soviet science and engineering, witness to our forgotten victories.
Most people, having heard about a laser tank, will immediately remember many science-fiction action films telling about wars on other planets. And only a few experts will remember about 1Q17 “Compression”. But he really existed. While in the USA people enthusiastically watched films about " star Wars", discussed the possibility of using blasters and explosions in a vacuum, Soviet engineers created real laser tanks that were supposed to protect the great power. Alas, the power collapsed, and innovative developments, ahead of their time, were forgotten as unnecessary.
What it is?
Despite the fact that most people find it difficult to believe in the very possibility of the existence of laser tanks, they did exist. Although it would be more correct to call it a self-propelled laser complex.
1K17 "Compression" was not an ordinary tank in the usual sense of the word. However, no one disputes the fact of its existence - there are not only many documents from which the “Top Secret” stamp was only recently removed, but also equipment that survived the terrible 90s.
History of creation
Soviet Union Many people call it the country of romantics. And indeed, who else but a romantic designer would think of creating a real laser tank? While some design bureaus were struggling with the task of creating more powerful armor, long-range guns and guidance systems for tanks, others were developing fundamentally new weapons.
The creation of innovative weapons was entrusted to NPO Astrophysics. The project manager was Nikolai Ustinov, the son of Soviet Marshal Dmitry Ustinov. Resources for so promising development no regrets. And as a result of several years of work, the desired results were obtained.
First, the 1K11 Stiletto laser tank was created - two copies were produced in 1982. However, quite quickly experts came to the conclusion that it could be significantly improved. The designers immediately got to work, and by the end of the 80s, the 1K17 “Compression” laser tank, widely known in narrow circles, was created.
Specifications
The dimensions of the new car were impressive - with a length of 6 meters, it had a width of 3.5 meters. However, for a tank these dimensions are not so large. The weight also met the standards - 41 tons.
Homogeneous steel was used as protection, which during testing demonstrated very good performance for its time.
The ground clearance of 435 millimeters increased cross-country ability - which is understandable, this technique was to be used not only during parades, but also during military operations on a wide variety of landscapes.
Chassis
When developing the 1K17 “Compression” complex, specialists took the proven self-propelled howitzer"Msta-S". Of course, it has undergone some modifications to meet the new requirements.
For example, its turret was significantly enlarged - it was necessary to place a large amount of powerful optical-electronic equipment to ensure the functionality of the main weapon.
To ensure that the equipment received enough energy, the rear of the tower was allocated for auxiliary autonomous power plant, powering powerful generators.
The howitzer gun in the front of the turret was removed and its place was taken by an optical unit consisting of 15 lenses. To reduce the risk of damage, the lenses were covered with special armored covers during marches.
The very same chassis remained unchanged - it had all the necessary qualities. Power 840 Horse power provided not only high cross-country ability, but also good speed - up to 60 kilometers when driving on the highway. Moreover, the fuel supply was enough for the Soviet laser tank 1K17 “Compression” to travel up to 500 kilometers without refueling.
Of course, thanks to the powerful and successful chassis, the tank easily climbed slopes of up to 30 degrees and walls of up to 85 centimeters. Ditches up to 280 centimeters and fords 120 centimeters deep also did not pose any problems for the equipment.
Main purpose
Of course, the most obvious use for such a technique is to burn enemy equipment. However, neither in the 80s, nor now, there were sufficiently powerful mobile energy sources to create such a laser.
In fact, its purpose was completely different. Already in the eighties, non-ordinary periscopes were actively used in tanks, as during the Great Patriotic War. Patriotic War, but more advanced optical-electronic devices. With their help, guidance became much more effective, and the human factor began to play much less important role. However, such equipment was used not only on tanks, but also on self-propelled artillery installations, helicopters and even some sights for sniper rifles.
It was they who became the target for SLK 1K17 “Compression”. Using a powerful laser as his main weapon, he effectively detected the lenses of optical-electronic devices by glinting at great distances. After automatic targeting, the laser hit precisely this technique, reliably disabling it. And if at that moment the observer was using a weapon, a beam of terrible power could easily burn his retina.
That is, the functions of the Compression tank did not specifically include the destruction of enemy vehicles. Instead, he was entrusted with the task of support. Blinding enemy tanks and helicopters, he made them defenseless against other tanks, accompanied by which he had to move. Accordingly, a detachment of 5 vehicles could easily destroy an enemy group of 10-15 tanks, without even being particularly exposed to danger. Therefore, we can say that although the development turned out to be quite highly specialized, but with the proper approach it was very effective.
Combat characteristics
The power of the main weapon turned out to be quite high. At a distance of up to 8 kilometers, the laser simply burned out the enemy’s sights, making him practically defenseless. If the distance to the target was large - up to 10 kilometers - the sights were temporarily disabled, for about 10 minutes. However, in the rapid modern combat this is more than enough to destroy the enemy.
An important advantage was the ability not to make adjustments when shooting at moving targets, even at such a long distance. After all, the laser beam hit at the speed of light, and strictly in a straight line, and not along a complex trajectory. This has become an important advantage, significantly simplifying the guidance process.
On the other hand, this was also a minus. After all, it’s quite difficult to find for battle open place, around which within a radius of 8-10 kilometers there were no landscape details (hills, trees, bushes) or buildings that would not impair the view.
In addition, unnecessary problems could be caused by such atmospheric phenomena, like rain, fog, snow or even ordinary dust raised by a gust of wind - they scattered the laser beam, sharply reducing its effectiveness.
Additional weapons
Any tank sometimes has to fight not against enemy armored vehicles, but against ordinary vehicles or even infantry.
Of course, using a laser for this, which has enormous power but is also slow to recharge, would be completely ineffective. That is why the laser complex "Compression" 1K17 was additionally equipped heavy machine gun. Preference was given to the 12.7-mm NSVT, also known as the Utes tank. This machine gun, terrible in terms of combat power, penetrated any equipment, including lightly armored ones, at a distance of up to 2 kilometers, and when it hit a human body, it simply tore it apart.
Operating principle
But there is still fierce debate about the principle of operation of a laser tank. Some experts say that it worked thanks to a huge ruby. A crystal weighing about 30 kilograms was artificially grown especially for this innovative development. It was given the appropriate shape, the ends were covered with silver mirrors, and then it was saturated with energy using pulsed gas-discharge flash lamps. When enough charge accumulated, the ruby emitted a powerful stream of light, which was a laser.
However, there are many opponents of this theory. In their opinion, they became outdated soon after their appearance - back in the sixties of the last century. Currently, they are used only for tattoo removal. They also claim that instead of ruby, another artificial mineral was used - yttrium aluminum garnet, flavored with a small amount of neodymium. As a result, a much more powerful YAG laser was created.
He worked with wavelengths of 1064 nm. The infrared range turned out to be more effective than the visible one, which allowed the laser installation to operate in difficult weather conditions - the dispersion coefficient was significantly lower.
In addition, the YAG laser, using a nonlinear crystal, emitted harmonics - pulses with waves of different lengths. They could be 2-4 times shorter than the original wavelength. Such multi-band radiation is considered more effective - if special light filters that can protect electronic sights will help against regular radiation, then here they too would be useless.
The fate of the laser tank
After field tests The "Compression" laser tank was considered effective and was recommended for adoption. Alas, 1991 struck great empire with a powerful army collapsed. The new authorities sharply reduced the budget of the army and army research, so Compression was successfully forgotten.
Fortunately, the only prototype developed was not scrapped or exported abroad, like many other advanced developments. Today it can be seen in the village of Ivanovskoye, Moscow region, where the Military Technical Museum is located.
Conclusion
This concludes our article. Now you know more about the Soviet and Russian self-propelled laser complex 1K17 "Compression". And in any dispute you will be able to give a reasoned talk about a real laser tank.
