ABM-1 Galosh

A-350
An A-350 anti-ballistic missile launcher
Typeanti-ballistic missile (ABM)
Place of originSoviet Union
Service history
In servicePhase 1: 1972 A-350
Phase 2; 1974 A-350R
(Design 1962)
Phase 3: 1978 A-35M System
Used bySoviet Union
WarsCold War
Production history
ManufacturerTsNPO Vympel and NIIRP
A-35/A-35M Systems
Designer: K. B. Kisunko
A-350/A-350R Missiles
Designer: P. D. Grushin
Unit costunknown
Specifications
Mass32,700 kg
Length19,800 mm
Diameter2,570 mm
Wingspan6,000 mm
Warhead2–3 Megaton
A-350 thermonuclear weapon
Detonation
mechanism
unknown
Enginesolid fuel rocket motor (3)
w/ RD-O15T ramjet
First stage: 4 x solid rocket boosters 5S47[1]
Second stage: 5D22 liquid rocket[2]
Operational
range
320–350 km
Flight ceiling120 km exosphere
Flight altitudeunknown
Maximum speed Mach 4
Guidance
system
Radar Command guidance
Launch
platform
A-35 Aldan[3]

The A-350 GRAU 5V61[4] (NATO reporting name ABM-1 Galosh,[5] formerly SH-01) was a Soviet, nuclear armed surface-to-air anti-ballistic missile.[6] The A-350 was a component of the A-35 anti-ballistic missile system.[7] Its primary mission was to destroy U.S. Minuteman and Titan intercontinental ballistic missiles targeting Moscow.

The A-350 was introduced during the 1960s with mechanically steered semi-active radar guidance. It contained a high-yield nuclear warhead, comparable to the U.S. Nike Zeus.

The A-350R (NATO reporting name ABM-1B) was introduced with the advanced A-35M missile system and became operational during 1978. This system was tested at the Sary Shagan Launch Facility with five test flights during 1971, 1976, and 1977, with two more tests during 1993 and 1999.[8]

The next generation of missiles, introduced with the A-135 ABM System, were the 53T6 (1970s) and the 51T6 (1980s).[5]

Design

A-350 launcher

The A-350 was a three-stage solid-fueled design with a range of over 300 kilometers. It was improved with a restartable liquid-fueled third stage. This gave a much improved post-launch and re-targeting capabilities. The A-350 are launched from above-ground launchers. [9]

The missile design was done by MKB Fakel's Chief Designer Petr Grushin.

The system had multiple radars during the different phases including the Don-2N radar and Dnestr radar early warning systems, and the Dunay radar target acquisition systems. The A-35 with radar was designed by Chief Designer K. B. Kisunko.[7]

Radar systems

The idea for this system was to protect Moscow from nuclear attack by the United States. The Soviet government began studies during 1958 with preliminary designs from General Designer K. B. Kisunko. Further designs and development were moved to TsNPO Vympel. Radar systems were tested with Duna-3 single direction search radar and the Dunay-3U omni-direction 360-degree search radar, designed by V. P. Sosulnikov and A. N. Musatov, respectively. A more advanced system of radars were included, the Don-2N System; consisting of the 6000 km long-range early warning radars Don-2N and Dnestr, (NATO code names Pill Box and Hen House), and the 2800 km short-range target acquisition radars Dunay-3M and Dunay-3U (NATO codenames Dog House and Cat House).[7]

Missile warhead

The A-350 developed through a period of growth and modifications. Configurations included an improved A-350Zh with tests during 1973. Eventually, the design changed again with radiation-hardened cases and became the A-350R for Phase 2 deployment in 1974.

Construction

Declassified UK Ministry of Defence drawing created from Red Square May Day photographs and other intelligence sources.

The construction of the A-35 system began during 1962 with 16 primary sites including command post, radar installations and firing complexes for 8–16 missile launchers. Some of the existing sites of the old S-25 Berkut were modified. Some known locations are: Naro-Fominsk, Olenegorsk, Skrunda, Angarsk, Nikolaeyev, and Sary Shagan.

One of the Dunay radar (NATO Code : Dog House) phased array radar systems was located at Naro-Fominsk. This system is comparable to the US's PAVE PAWS radars of the Sentinel and Safeguard ABM programs.

The construction plan changed a number of times, varying the locations, sectors or quadrants, and number of launchers. The system finalized at 8 sites with total of 64 launchers, with 4 major radar centers completed.[9]

Advanced A-35M system (ABM-1B)

Intelligence photographs from a declassified UK Ministry of Defence folder of a A-350 in the Red Square May Day Parade 1964.

With on-going advancements in the ABM system, radars, missile and warheads, the evolution of the A-35 became the A-35M. The "M" for modernization, was brought on through the advanced developments at 10 different Soviet institutes. One primary upgrade was in the Dunay-3U radar systems enhanced with a dedicated sector search functionality. Along with other upgrades, actual air tests were performed with different configurations between 1976 and 1977. Phase 3 of the A-35M went on-line in 1978.[7]

See also

UK Ministry of Defence data reproduced from a declassified folder in the National Archives, London.
Treaties
Related US missiles

References

  1. ^ Astronautix: 5S47 Solid Rocket Motor Archived 11 November 2011 at the Wayback Machine Accessed: 29 Dec 2011
  2. ^ Astronautix: 5D22 Solid Rocket Motor Archived 11 November 2011 at the Wayback Machine Accessed: 29 Dec 2011
  3. ^ astronautix.com: A-35 Archived 11 November 2011 at the Wayback Machine Accessed: 29 Dec 2011
  4. ^ "Some important Soviet solid fuel missiles". www.b14643.de.
  5. ^ a b "NATO Designation-systems Index: Soviet Anti-ballistic Missiles (ABM)". Retrieved 14 November 2014.
  6. ^ Wonderland.org: ABM-1 Archived 9 February 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ a b c d "A-35". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 18 July 2008. Retrieved 25 August 2008.
  8. ^ "Astronautix: Sary Shagan". Archived from the original on 27 December 2016. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  9. ^ a b "Federation of Scientists: ABM-1". Retrieved 14 November 2014.
Notes