Nuclear artillery

Historically, the development of atomic artillery was the desire to deliver accurate atomic strikes on the front edge of the enemy in close proximity to their forces. Rocket weapons in the 1950s were still not reliable enough, they were preparing for use for a long time, and most importantly, they lacked accuracy - which, in the situation of using nuclear weapons to directly support troops on the front line, was unacceptable. At the same time, conventional cannon artillery reached an extremely high degree of technical perfection: artillery guns were reliable, relatively easy to operate and had quite sufficient accuracy.

The history of nuclear artillery began in 1953 in the United States from testing the W-9 with a 15-kT 280-mm artillery shell against an M65 cannon based on a uranium cannon charge previously used in the Hiroshima bomb Mk-1 Malysh . A total of 80 shells of this type were produced, the only test was made in the operation Upshot-Knothole with a Grable charge. Later tested the modified charge W-19 in the operation Plumbbob-Priscilla charge power was 37 kilotons.

The atomic artillery system is the weapon of army artillery units. Nuclear artillery in connection with the use of nuclear weapons on the battlefield is integrated into ground military tactics. Artillery weapons, recoilless weapons and missiles capable of using nuclear weapons can act as artillery means of nuclear destruction of the enemy. A nuclear artillery projectile has limited power, since it is limited to the caliber of existing artillery systems.

In September 1991, George Bush launched an initiative to radically reduce tactical nuclear weapons , which meant the elimination of tactical nuclear missiles on surface ships and the complete elimination of artillery capable of using such ammunition. The United States and Russia did not conclude a Treaty on this issue, but Boris Yeltsin issued a decree on January 29, 1992 on Russia's policy on arms limitation and reduction ^{[2] [3]} As Boris Yeltsin noted, the United States and Russia carried out these disarmament actions, although and without a contract, "parallel" and "of free will." However, these intentions were not implemented, as the refusal to develop new cruise missiles announced by Boris Yeltsin did not take place and a whole family of sea-based gauge cruise missiles was created, in turn caused by non-observance of agreements by Washington ^[4] . The fate of nuclear artillery munitions remains unclear. It is known that in 2000, the Russian Government announced the elimination of the "part" of nuclear projectiles. ^[5] However, as experts note, the United States and Russia in treaties such as the Treaty on the Reduction of Strategic Offensive Arms could not find any wording for nuclear artillery. The fact is that the destruction of the nuclear projectiles themselves is not significant, since if there are substantial reserves in the United States and the Russian Federation of weapons-grade plutonium, it is quite simple to re-create them. More important is the destruction of carriers of weapons as in their time were destroyed missiles of medium and short range . However, in the case of artillery, this would mean the elimination of field artillery and the United States and Russia, which is completely absurd. Therefore, the threat of artillery systems capable of firing nuclear weapons in the course of a possible armed conflict remains. ^[five]

Some experts believe that they are even developing new 152 mm nuclear artillery ammunition for artillery systems on the Armata platform. ^[6] Another part of the experts states that part of the Soviet 152 mm nuclear projectiles as 3BV3, which were not eliminated in 2000, can be used in the 152 mm self - propelled artillery systems as “Msta-S” ^[7] .

The concept of nuclear artillery involves the use of nuclear projectiles in the immediate vicinity of the front line, in the presence of their troops. Nuclear cannons are used for:

• Breaking the front line by delivering atomic strikes directly to enemy positions and then introducing their own troops into the resulting gaps.
• Disruption of the enemy’s attack by striking atomic strikes against the advancing troops, tactical concentration areas in the front line
• Counterbattery struggle by effectively covering the enemy’s artillery batteries with nuclear strikes or coercing those to silence by threatening to disclose their positions for a nuclear strike
• Defeats of the enemy’s rear rear, its reserves, warehouses, transportation facilities

The main advantage of nuclear artillery is the possibility of a radical increase in the firepower of gun systems without significant logistical difficulties. One nuclear missile fired from a single cannon is equivalent in destructive power to many hours of concentrated shelling from hundreds or even thousands of guns. The use of tactical nuclear weapons makes it possible to radically strengthen the firepower of the troops secretly and unpredictably for the enemy - atomic projectiles, and even atomic artillery systems are much easier to redeploy than divisions and artillery batteries, and less noticeable to the enemy.

US Nuclear Artillery

The US Army began developing nuclear artillery shells and artillery systems capable of using them, in the late 1940s. This was facilitated by the American nuclear laboratories' experience in working on nuclear “bomb” bombs; Although this scheme was expensive and ineffective, it made it possible to create a relatively miniature nuclear projectile of small diameter.

The first nuclear projectile in service with the US Army was the W9 , a caliber of 280 millimeters, which was put into service in 1952. It was intended for use from the M65 large-caliber cannon, which became the first model of nuclear artillery adopted for service. The projectile had a TNT equivalent of about 15–20 Kt and could be launched up to a distance of 32 kilometers. In 1955, the W9 was replaced by the equivalent of the more modern projectile W19 , which, in turn, was removed from service in 1963.

Despite its wide capabilities, the M65’s specialized “nuclear cannons” did not quite suit the military. These bulky implements were expensive, difficult to operate, and experienced problems moving over rough terrain. From the point of view of field deployment, atomic projectiles for conventional army artillery — 155 to 203 mm in caliber — would be a much more convenient weapon. The first such projectile - W33 , caliber of 203 millimeters - was adopted in 1957. The projectile had an unusual titanium case to reduce weight while maintaining the strength of the walls; it was still based on the “gun” scheme, but according to the available data, it was used in it. double gun scheme, when the uranium "bullet" and "target" were fired towards each other from different ends of the projectile. As a result, it was possible at the same assembly speed to significantly reduce the dimensions of the projectile, the equivalent of which could vary from 1 to 40 kilotons. More than 2,000 shells of this type were in service from 1957 to 1992.

The problem of the shells of the “gun” scheme was their low relative efficiency and high cost, caused by the use of expensive enriched uranium in them. However, the more efficient and cheap plutonium bombs on the implosion scheme could not be made compact enough to fit into a gun barrel for a long time. It was only in the 1960s, with the development of linear implosion technology, that it became possible to create an artillery projectile based on implosion - W48 with a standard caliber of 155 millimeters. Due to the small TNT equivalent (no more than 70-100 tons), the main striking factor of this projectile was a powerful flux of neutron radiation. More than 1,000 such shells were in service until 1992.

In 1961, a unique battalion-level nuclear weapon was created by American engineers - the recoilless Davy Crockett gun, firing a sub-kiloton over-caliber nuclear warhead with a W54 nuclear charge. This compact portable weapon was intended for the qualitative reinforcement of infantry at the battalion level, de facto giving each battalion the firing equivalent of a divisional artillery fleet. The small-sized over-caliber warhead, equivalent to 10 to 20 tons, was, first of all, a radiation weapon, the main striking factor of which was not a shock wave, but a powerful emission of neutrons. The Davy Crocket nuclear systems were deployed in the advanced American units in West Germany as well as in some parachute units, and were decommissioned in 1971.

With the improvement of missile weapons, the development of artillery nuclear systems in the US army was pushed into the background. In the late 1960s, two new types of projectiles were developed - the W-74 under the caliber of 155 mm and the W-75 under the caliber of 203 mm - but in 1971 their development was canceled. These shells were supposed to become neutron munitions with a TNT equivalent of about 100 tons.

The latest nuclear missile of the US Army was the W79 , developed in 1976. Created under a caliber of 203 millimeters, this projectile used a deuterium-tritium mixture to increase the power of the nuclear reaction and was produced in two versions; Mod 0 had a controlled power from 100 tons to 1.1 kilotons, and Mod 1 had a fixed power of 0.8 kilotons. There was also an optional injection function for additional deuterium sweep, which increased the neutron yield and turned the ammunition into a neutron weapon. More than 550 shells of this type were in service until 1992. The planned development of a similar in construction projectile W-82 for a 155-mm caliber was suspended several times and was canceled in 1990.

In the early 1950s, the US Navy adopted the W23 406-mm nuclear missile. By design, this shell was a version of the army 280-mm shell W19, placed in a larger building. The projectile was intended for use from guns of Iowa type battleships , whose cellars were reequipped for the storage of nuclear ammunition. However, on board the battleships, these shells never deployed, and in 1962 were written off. The fleet did not show much interest in nuclear artillery, considering that rocket weapons - including anti-aircraft missiles with nuclear warheads that were in service with all US missile cruisers - would be more effective if tactical nuclear strikes were needed.

In 1992, the US Army retired its nuclear artillery ammunition. Currently, the development of such is not planned, although potentially modern nuclear technologies allow the creation of much more compact and effective nuclear artillery ammunition than in the 20th century.

Soviet Atomic Artillery

The first Soviet nuclear projectile "Capacitor" for the 406 mm SM-54 (2A3) cannon was launched in 1956. Also in 1957, a mortar shot was made for a 420-mm smooth-bore mortar 2B1 “Oka” - “Transformer”. The systems created turned out to be too expensive. They were produced in a limited series and transferred to the arsenal of the 2nd Artillery of the Königsberg Regiment RVGK (Luga). ^[8] The regiment was formed on the basis of the 2nd Cannon Artillery Regiment of the Koenigsberg Regiment of the OM (2 popes of the OM RVGK) and the 316th Separate Artillery of the Koenigsberg Division of the OM (316 oadn OM of the RVGK). In accordance with the directives of the Commander-in-Chief of the Ground Forces No. OSH / 2/244587 dated July 19, 1957 and the commander of artillery of the Soviet Army No. 777329-ss dated July 31 of the same year, the 2nd Artillery Kenigsberg Regiment of the RVGK was to be formed on the basis of these units by November 1957 , which should have been armed with new atomic artillery systems. By order of the commander of the Leningrad Military District (Leningrad Military District), the formation of the regiment was entrusted to the commander of 2 papal OM RVGK Colonel M.A. Terekhina, directly supervised the formation of the regiment by the commander of the LenVO artillery, Lieutenant General Artillery M.A. Parsegov. By the beginning of the organizational-staff activities, 2 popes OM RVGK included six batteries, armed with 12 guns OM (in each 152-mm guns Br-2M and 210-mm guns Br-17). It was necessary to bring the batteries into two divisions of a three-battery, to take in the regiment 316 oad OM, armed with 280-mm mortars Br-5, and on its base create the third division. The regiment was formed from August 25 to November 2, 1957 in the city of Luga and in accordance with the state of 8/765 dated July 4, 1957, consisted of the regiment command, three artillery divisions, a communications platoon, a regimental sergeant school, technical and logistic units. Each division included two two-gun artillery batteries and a control battery. In total, the regiment was armed with 12 nuclear artillery systems.

In the course of check-up tests, a number of flaws were found in these atomic artillery systems, which required further development, so they were not in service by the beginning of the formation of the regiment. But with the beginning of the 1957/58 school year, the regiment began training in combat training.

They, as the head of the political department of the 2nd Artillery Regiment of the RVGK in 1958-1960, the now-known historian and retired colonel M.I. Frolov, recalled, were carried out on the existing armament taking into account the specifics of the combat use of atomic artillery. During the three years and eight months of the regiment’s existence, its units took part in 10 large pilot, command and staff exercises and maneuvers of troops conducted by higher headquarters. Twice the regiment was subjected to sudden combat readiness checks with the withdrawal of units in the area of ​​concentration. Inspections of combat and political training of regimental units were carried out 14 times. The regiment spent eight divisional tactical exercises with live firing. The officers performed 86 combat artillery firing, including 72 with reconnaissance-adjusting helicopter (RKV) as the primary means of reconnaissance, twice participated in and won prizes in artillery and rifle competitions held by the district artillery headquarters. The school of sergeants produced three graduates, training 212 junior specialists.

At the beginning of April 1960, the commander, 10 officers, 25 sergeants and soldiers of the 2nd Artillery Regiment of the RVGK departed for Moscow to prepare for participation in the May Day military parade and received for this four self-propelled 2B1 Oka mortars. After the parade, two self-propelled mortars No. 59B101 and No. 59B103, as well as two self-propelled transport vehicles STM-2T-1 for the transport of shots No. 2T159B101 and No. 2T159103, were put into service with the regiment. From September 7 to December 1 of the same year, the regiment received three SAU 2A3 "Capacitor" and two SMU 2B1 "Oka" from 551 central motor transport base of the Central Automobile and Tractor Office (TsAVTU) of the USSR Ministry of Defense. From that day, the regiment's classes were held only in the new weapons in a closed military town with strict observance of the secrecy regime. New weapons and mortars were brought to the test site only at night. In the course of the battery tactical exercises, there were revealed defects in the undercarriage of the machines. Due to the heavy weight, the tracked belts of the base chassis quickly deteriorated and failed. “There was enough trucks for 20-25 km, then I had to change. Imagine how to replace the caterpillar at the sixty-ton machine, ”MI Frolov recalled,“ but they didn’t scare the difficulties, the personnel understood the weapon of which destructive power was entrusted to it. ”

On the eve of the celebration of the 43rd anniversary of the October Revolution, the regiment was again involved in the parade on Red Square. By that time, eight platforms for the transportation of large-scale weapons were handed over to him. For six of them, three ACS 2A3 and three SMU 2B1 were loaded, disguised as national economic cargo, and sent to the training site. The first regimental doctrine with new weapons was held in February 1961 under the leadership of the chief of the missile forces and artillery of the Leningrad Military District. It was attended by the management and the headquarters of the regiment with the controls, the 1st and 2nd artillery divisions, technical and logistic units. The first stage was held at the Luga artillery range with access to the area of ​​training of regular weapons and military equipment. To conduct the second stage at the Strugokrasnensky range, only the management of the regiment and divisions, 1, 2, 3, 4th artillery batteries with the forces and means of reconnaissance and communications, were involved.

In May 1961, six nuclear artillery systems last participated in a parade on Red Square.

In 1961, the second generation 2K6 “Luna” was adopted for armament by the MTA of the Ground Forces, with the advent of which the decline of nuclear artillery was associated. Systems 2A3 and 2B1, designed as temporary, to be replaced as they improved (reduced in size) of nuclear weapons, proved to be unnecessary. As an alternative, they considered 203-mm systems B-4 (B-4m) and 240-mm mortars M-240, but the rapid development of missile weapons left no chance for them. At the end of July 1961, the 2nd Artillery Regiment of the RVGK was disbanded, at its base three formations were created - the missile brigade, the missile division, and the army artillery regiment.

Thus, a little over three years after the creation of the Soviet atomic artillery ceased to exist. Her experience was in demand a decade later, when barreled systems capable of using nuclear ammunition again entered the MFA forces of the USSR Ground Forces. ^[eight]

In 1965, the USSR adopted the 152-mm nuclear weapons ZBV3 (1 Kt in trotyl equivalent, weight 56 ​​kg). By this time, the United States already had a wide range of various nuclear artillery systems. ^[9] It was caused by the fact that the main focus of the USSR was on rocket technology and the direction of specialized nuclear artillery was considered unpromising. At the same time, the creation of standardized shells for already existing equipment required certain investments and original solutions. In addition, it should be borne in mind that the first US nuclear shells used an inefficient and very expensive "cannon" scheme that required a significant amount of enriched uranium - while the USSR did not deal with bombs of the "cannon" scheme and economically could not afford their mass production.

Subsequently, in the USSR, a 180-mm projectile ZBV1 for a C-23 gun, a 203-mm projectile ZBV2 and a 240-mm mortar shell ZBV4 were developed. All these shells supposedly had an equivalent of about 1 kiloton and were not neutron munitions.

According to official figures, by the year 2000, Russia had removed from armament and dismantled all nuclear artillery ammunition.

Other countries

During the Cold War, a number of NATO countries (including Belgium, Holland, Germany, Greece and Italy), without having their own nuclear artillery, had atomic artillery units armed with American systems as part of their armed forces. At the same time, atomic munitions in those were considered the property of the US armed forces and were under the control of American officers.

Britain considered the possibility of creating its own atomic artillery in the 1950s. In 1956, the atomic projectile project "Yellow Anvil" (from English - "yellow anvil") was considered in several combinations; for 155 mm cannon, for 183 mm howitzer BL 7.2-inch Mk.6 and for American 203 mm cannon. For economic reasons, the project has not been implemented.

In the 1950s, the possibility of creating an artillery nuclear projectile in a 155-mm caliber was considered by Sweden, but the project was not implemented.

Currently, there is no reliable data on the deployment of artillery systems capable of using nuclear ammunition in other nuclear powers. It is assumed that China has similar systems, and it is considered possible that such systems can be (or have already been) developed in India and Pakistan.

• Davy Crockett
• High Altitude Research Project
• Project Babylon

• Kuran, Pete. Trinity and Beyond: The Atomic Bomb Movie. Visual Concept Entertainment, 1995.
• Carey Sublette, "Operation Plumbbob", Nuclear Weapon Archive (accessed December 27, 2006).

• Video clip of Grable nuclear artillery experiment (Eng.)
• Nuclear experiments , DoE , < http://www.nv.doe.gov/library/films/testfilms.aspx >   Archive dated July 21, 2008 on Wayback Machine
• Netherlands dual capable artillery, 1985 (English)