The Ministry of Defense will receive a lightsaber. How the secret laser tank of the USSR works Armored hull and turret
SELF-PROPELLED LASER COMPLEX 1K17 "COMPRESSION"
SELF-PROPELLED LASER COMPLEX 1К17 «SGATIE»
18.12.2013
NEW - WELL FORGOTTEN OLD
In addition to the A-60, many other interesting programs were conducted in Russia. In the early 90s, a prototype of a mobile laser gun based on the Msta-S self-propelled howitzer was created. The project called 1K17 "Compression" used a multi-channel solid-state laser. According to unconfirmed reports, an artificial cylindrical ruby crystal weighing 30 kilograms was grown specifically for the "Compression". There is also a version that the body of the laser was yttrium aluminum garnet with neodymium additives.
In 1993 the project was stopped. Given the now increased interest of the Ministry of Defense in promising developments, many ground and air laser systems may well receive a second life. For similar purposes, in October 2012, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin initiated the creation of the Advanced Research Fund. Apparently, he will not spare money for high-risk research and development.
Vasily Sychev, Military Industrial Courier No. 49 (517) of December 18, 2013
Self-propelled laser complex 1K17 "Compression" is designed to counter enemy optoelectronic devices. Not serially produced. The first working sample of the laser was created in 1960, and already in 1963, a group of specialists from the Vympel design bureau began to develop an experimental laser locator LE-1. It was then that the main backbone of scientists of the future NPO Astrophysics was formed. In the early 1970s, the specialized laser design bureau finally took shape as a separate enterprise, received its own production facilities and a bench test base. An interdepartmental research center of the Raduga Design Bureau was created, hiding from prying eyes and ears in the numbered city of Vladimir-30.
When creating the 1K17 "Compression" complex, the self-propelled howitzer 2S19 "Msta-S" was used as a base. The turret of the machine compared to 2S19 was significantly increased in order to accommodate optoelectronic equipment. In addition, an autonomous auxiliary power unit was located at the rear of the tower to power powerful generators. In front of the turret, instead of a gun, an optical unit was installed, consisting of 15 lenses. On the march, the lenses were closed with armored covers. In the middle part of the tower, there were operator jobs. A commander's turret with a 12.7 mm NSVT anti-aircraft machine gun was installed on the roof.
1K17 "Compression" was a new generation complex with automatic search and aiming at a glare object of radiation from a multichannel laser (a solid-state laser based on aluminum oxide Al2O3) in which a small part of the aluminum atoms was replaced by trivalent chromium ions, or simply - on a ruby crystal. To create an inverse population, optical pumping is used, that is, illumination of a ruby crystal with a powerful flash of light.
The body of the combat vehicle ("object 322") was assembled at Uraltransmash in December 1990. In 1991, the complex, which received the military index 1K17, was put to the test. SLK 1K17 "Compression" was put into service in 1992 and was much more advanced than the similar Stiletto complex.
The first difference that catches the eye is the use of a multichannel laser. Each of the 12 optical channels (upper and lower row of lenses) had an individual guidance system. The multichannel scheme made it possible to make the laser installation multirange. As a countermeasure to such systems, the enemy could protect his optics with light filters that block radiation of a certain frequency. But against simultaneous damage by rays with different wavelengths, the light filter is powerless.
Powerful generators and an auxiliary power unit occupied most of the enlarged cabin of the 2S19 Msta-S self-propelled artillery mount (already rather big), on the basis of which the Compression SLK was built. Generators charge a bank of capacitors, which, in turn, gives a powerful pulsed discharge to the lamps.
CHARACTERISTICS
Combat weight, t 41
Case length, mm 6040
Hull width, mm 3584
Clearance, mm 435
Engine - V-84A supercharged diesel, max. power: 618 kW (840 hp)
Highway speed, km/h 60
Suspension type independent with long torsion bars
Overcome obstacles:
- rise, hail. thirty
- wall, m 0.85
- ditch, m 2.8
- ford, m 1.2
Type of armor homogeneous steel
WEAPONS:
Laser machine with 12 optical channels
Machine guns 1 x 12.7 mm NSVT
Sources: www.dogswar.ru, www.popmech.ru, www.otvaga2004.narod.ru, www.militarists.ru, etc.
1K17 "Compression" is a laser self-propelled system designed to reflect enemy optoelectronic devices, production belongs to the Russian Federation and the USSR. Did not enter the series.
1. Photos
2. Video
3. History of creation
"Compression" was developed by the research and production association "Astrophysics". The development of the chassis and the installation of the onboard special complex were entrusted to Uraltransmash.
At the end of 1990, a prototype of the complex was ready, in 1991-92 it passed state tests, after which it was recommended to take it into service. But due to such conditions as the revision of state funding for defense programs, the collapse of the Soviet Union and the high cost of "Compression" forced the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation to express doubts about the need for the Armed Forces in these complexes, and therefore they were not put into production.
4. Tactical and technical characteristics
4.1 Key Features
- Classification: laser self-propelled complex
- Combat weight, kg: 41000.
4.2 Dimensions
- Case length, cm: 604
- Hull width, cm: 358.4
- Ground clearance, cm: 43.5
4.3 Booking
- Armor type: homogeneous steel
4.4 Armament
- Machine guns: NSVT, caliber 12.7 mm
- Other weapons: laser emitter.
4.5 Mobility
- Engine type: V-84A
- Engine power, l. p.: 840
- Highway speed, km/h: 60
- Power reserve on the highway, km: 500
- Suspension type: independent with long torsion bars
- Climbability, degrees: 30
- Overcoming wall, cm: 85
- Crossable ditch, cm: 280
- Crossable ford, cm: 120
5. Construction
1K17 had such advantages as the ability to aim at objects that give a glare due to the radiation of a ruby multichannel solid-state laser, as well as the ability to automatically search. For this complex, an artificial ruby crystal was made, weighing 30 kg in the form of a cylinder. Its silvered and polished ends served as mirrors for the laser. Pulsed xenon gas-discharge flares coiled around a ruby spiral rod, illuminating the crystal. But according to another source, not a ruby crystal, but an yttrium aluminum garnet with neodymium particles, which made it possible to increase power in a pulsed mode, could serve as the working body of the laser.
5.1 Armored hull and turret
The self-propelled howitzer 2S19 "Msta-S" was chosen as the base for the complex. But in comparison with it, the complex has a much larger tower so that it can accommodate optoelectronic equipment. At the rear of the tower was an autonomous power auxiliary unit designed to power powerful generators. In front was, replacing the gun, an optical unit of 15 lenses. In the conditions of the march, they were covered by armored covers. And in the middle were the workplaces of the operators. On the roof was the commander's turret, equipped with an NSVT anti-aircraft machine gun, 12.7 mm caliber.
5.2 Chassis
The undercarriage is the same as that of the 2S19 Msta-S self-propelled howitzer.
Most people, when they hear about a laser tank, will immediately remember the many fantastic action movies that tell about wars on other planets. And only a few experts will remember about 1K17 "Compression". But he really existed. While people in the United States were enthusiastically watching Star Wars films, discussing the possibility of using blasters and explosions in a vacuum, Soviet engineers were creating real laser tanks that were supposed to protect a great power. Alas, the state 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 really 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 stamp "Top Secret" was only recently removed, but also equipment that survived the terrible 90s.
History of creation
Many people call the Soviet Union the country of romantics. And indeed, who, if not a romantic designer, would come up with the idea of creating a real laser tank? While some design bureaus struggled 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 the NGO "Astrophysics". The project manager was Nikolai Ustinov, the son of the Soviet Marshal Dmitry Ustinov. No resources were spared for such a promising development. And as a result of several years of work, the desired results were obtained.
First, the laser tank 1K11 "Stiletto" was created - in 1982 two copies were produced. However, rather quickly, experts came to the conclusion that it could be significantly improved. The designers immediately set 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 great. The mass also met the standards - 41 tons.
Homogeneous steel was used as protection, which during the tests showed very good performance for its time.
A clearance of 435 millimeters increased the cross-country ability - which is understandable, this technique was to be used not only during parades, but also during military operations on a variety of landscapes.
Chassis
Developing the 1K17 "Compression" complex, the specialists took the proven Msta-S self-propelled howitzer as a base. Of course, it has undergone some refinement to meet the new requirements.
For example, its turret was significantly enlarged - it was necessary to place a large amount of powerful optoelectronic equipment to ensure the operability of the main gun.
To ensure that the equipment received enough power, the rear of the tower was dedicated to an auxiliary autonomous power plant that feeds powerful generators.
The howitzer gun in front of the turret was removed - its place was taken by an optical unit consisting of 15 lenses. To reduce the risk of damage, during marches, the lenses were closed with special armored covers.
The chassis itself remained unchanged - it had all the necessary qualities. The power of 840 horsepower 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 1K17 Compression laser tank to travel up to 500 kilometers without refueling.
Of course, thanks to the powerful and successful undercarriage, the tank easily overcame slopes up to 30 degrees and walls up to 85 centimeters. Ditches up to 280 centimeters and fords 120 centimeters deep also did not present problems to the technique.
Main purpose
Of course, the most obvious use for such a technique is to burn enemy vehicles. However, neither in the 80s, nor now, there are sufficiently powerful mobile energy sources to create such a laser.
In fact, his purpose was quite different. Already in the eighties, tanks were actively using not ordinary periscopes, as during the Great Patriotic War, but more advanced optoelectronic devices. With their help, guidance became much more effective, and the human factor began to play a much less important role. However, such equipment was used not only on tanks, but also on self-propelled artillery mounts, 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 optoelectronic devices by glare at a great distance. After automatic guidance, the laser hit precisely this technique, reliably disabling it. And if at that moment the observer used a weapon, a ray of terrible power could well burn his retina.
That is, the function of the "Compression" tank did not include the destruction of enemy techniques. Instead, he was entrusted with the task of supporting. 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 well destroy an enemy group of 10-15 tanks, while not even being particularly endangered. Therefore, we can say that although the development turned out to be rather highly specialized, but with the proper approach, it was very effective.
Combat characteristics
The power of the main weapon was 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 disabled temporarily, for about 10 minutes. However, in the fast-paced modern combat, this is more than enough to destroy the enemy.
An important advantage was the ability not to take corrections when shooting at moving targets, even at such a great 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, greatly simplifying the guidance process.
On the other hand, it was also a disadvantage. After all, it is quite difficult to find an open place for battle, around which there were no landscape details (hills, trees, shrubs) or buildings within a radius of 8-10 kilometers that would not worsen the view.
In addition, atmospheric phenomena such as rain, fog, snow, or even ordinary dust raised by a gust of wind could cause unnecessary problems - they scattered the laser beam, sharply reducing its effectiveness.
Additional armament
Any tank sometimes has to fight not against enemy armored vehicles, but against ordinary vehicles or even infantry.
Of course, using a laser that has enormous power, but at the same time slowly recharges, for this would be completely inefficient. That is why the Compression 1K17 laser complex was additionally equipped with a 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, pierced any equipment at a distance of up to 2 kilometers, including lightly armored ones, and when it hit the human body, it simply tore it apart.
Operating principle
But there is still fierce debate about the principle of operation of the laser tank. Some experts say that he worked thanks to a huge ruby. Especially for the innovative development, a crystal weighing about 30 kilograms was artificially grown. It was given an appropriate shape, the ends were covered with silver mirrors, and then saturated with energy using pulsed gas-discharge flash lamps. When a sufficient charge was accumulated, the ruby threw out a powerful stream of light, which was a laser.
However, there are many opponents of such a theory. In their opinion, they became obsolete soon after their appearance - back in the sixties of the last century. At the moment, they are used only to remove tattoos. 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 efficient than the visible one, which allowed the laser installation to work in difficult weather conditions - the scattering coefficient was much 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 length of the original wave. Such multi-band radiation is considered more effective - if special light filters that can protect electronic sights help against ordinary radiation, then here they would be useless.
The fate of the laser tank
After field tests, the Compression laser tank was found to be effective and was recommended for adoption. Alas, the year 1991 broke out, the great empire with the most powerful army collapsed. The new authorities drastically reduced the budget for the army and army research, so the "Compression" was successfully forgotten.
Fortunately, the only developed sample was not scrapped and taken abroad, like many other advanced developments. Today it can be seen in the village of Ivanovsky, 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 can reasonably talk about a real laser tank.
The passion for burning from an ordinary citizen of the USSR, as a rule, was limited to a soldering iron and a couple of boards. But for the Soviet military, this hobby has resulted in a number of fantastic machines that will "give a light" anywhere and to anyone. We will talk about the amazing self-propelled laser systems created by the joint efforts of Moscow and Ural scientists.
1K11 "Stiletto"
In the mid-60s of the last century, the minds of the designers of the country of the Soviets were seized by a new idea - combat lasers, namely mobile systems that could be simultaneously used to aim ballistic missiles and to blind the electronic "eyes" of enemy equipment.
Several design bureaus puzzled over the development of such technologies at once, but the competition was won by the Moscow research and production association Astrophysics. The Ural Transport Engineering Plant was responsible for installing the chassis and the airborne complex, where one of the founding fathers of the country's self-propelled artillery, Yuri Tomashov, worked at that time. The choice of "Uraltransmash" was not accidental, by that time this Ural plant was already a recognized authority in the production of self-propelled artillery.
- The general designer of this system was the son of the Minister of Defense of the USSR, Nikolai Dmitrievich Ustinov. The machine was intended to destroy, but not everything that gets into the sight: the laser beam suppresses the optoelectronic systems of the enemy’s military equipment. Imagine glass that breaks apart from the inside in small cracks: you can’t see anything, it’s impossible to aim. The weapon becomes "blind" and turns into a pile of metal. It is clear that a very accurate aiming mechanism is needed here, which would not go astray when the car moves. The task of our design bureau was to create an armor carrier capable of carrying a laser installation carefully, like a glass ball. And we managed to do it, - said Yuri Tomashov in an interview with RG.
Stiletto prototypes appeared in 1982. The range of its use in combat was even wider than originally thought. None of the optoelectronic guidance systems that existed at that time could withstand his "look". In combat, it would look something like this: a helicopter, tank or any other military equipment is trying to aim, and at that moment the Stiletto is already sending a blinding beam that burns out the light-sensitive elements of the enemy's gun guidance.
Field studies have also shown that the retina of the human eye literally burns out from being hit by a "projectile" of the latest laser self-propelled guns. But what about slow enemy tanks or planes: "Stiletto" is able to disable even ballistic missiles that fly at a speed of 5-6 kilometers per second. Aiming and guidance of the "laser tank" is carried out either by turning the turret horizontally, or with the help of special large-sized mirrors, the position of which can be changed.
A total of two prototypes were built. They were not allowed into mass production, but their fate is not as sad as it could be. Despite the exclusivity of the "series", both complexes are still in service with the Russian army, and even now their combat characteristics would make any possible enemy admire and be horrified.
SLK 1K17 "Compression"
NPO Astrophysics and Uraltransmash also owe their birth to Compression. As before, the Muscovites were responsible for the technical component and "smart stuffing" of the complex, and the Sverdlovsk residents - for its driving performance and competent installation of structures.
The first and only car was released in 1990 and outwardly resembled the Stiletto, but only outwardly. In the 10 years that have passed between the release of these two machines, the Astrophysics association has surpassed itself and completely modernized the laser system. Now it consisted of 12 optical channels, each of which had an individual and independent guidance system. This innovation was made to reduce the chances of the enemy to protect himself from a laser attack using light filters. Yes, if the radiation in "Compression" came from one or two channels, then the conditional helicopter pilot and his car could be saved from "blindness", but 12 laser beams of different wavelengths reduced their chances to zero.
There is a beautiful legend according to which a synthetic ruby crystal weighing 30 kilograms was grown especially for this machine. This ruby, topped with a thin layer of silver, acted as a mirror for the laser. This seems unlikely to experts - even at the time of the appearance of a single laser machine, this ruby laser would already be obsolete. Most likely, yttrium aluminum garnet with neodymium additives was used in the Compression self-propelled complex. This technology is called YAG and lasers based on it are much more powerful.
In addition to its main task - to disable the electronic optics of enemy vehicles - "Compression" could be used to target allied vehicles in poor visibility and difficult climatic conditions. For example, during fog, the installation can find a target and designate it for other cars.
KDHR-1N "Dal", SLK 1K11 "Stiletto", SLK "Sangvin"
The only produced car is in the museum of technology in the village of Ivanovskoye in the Moscow region. Alas, there was never a mass production of these two laser self-propelled guns: the collapse of the USSR and the short-sightedness of the military leadership of those years, and then absolute lack of money, cut down these brilliant technical projects in the bud.
The tests went through two options at once: "Stiletto" and more powerful "Compression". For this work, the group was awarded the Lenin Prize. The laser self-propelled gun was put into service, but, unfortunately, it never entered the series. In the nineties, the complex was considered too expensive, - recalls Yuri Tomashov.
In the late 70s and early 80s of the 20th century, the entire world “democratic” community dreamed under the euphoria of Hollywood Star Wars. At the same time, behind the Iron Curtain, under the guise of the strictest secrecy, the Soviet "Evil Empire" slowly turned 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” crawled across Mother Earth.
One of the organizations involved in the development of combat laser systems was the NPO Astrophysics. The General Director of Astrophysics 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 Central Committee of the CPSU and, concurrently, the Minister of Defense - Dmitry Fedorovich Ustinov. Having such a powerful patron, "Astrophysics" practically did not experience any problems with resources: financial, material, personnel. This was not long in affecting - already in 1982, almost four years after the reorganization of the Central Clinical Hospital into an NGO and the appointment of N.D. Ustinov as the general designer (before that, he headed the direction of laser location 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 the battlefield in harsh climatic and operational conditions imposed on armored vehicles. The co-executor of the topic on the chassis was the Uraltransmash design bureau from Sverdlovsk (now Yekaterinburg), the leading developer of almost all (with rare exceptions) Soviet self-propelled artillery.
Under the guidance of the General Designer of Uraltransmash, Yuri Vasilievich Tomashov (Gennady Andreevich Studenok was then the director of the plant), the laser system was mounted on a well-tested GMZ chassis - product 118, which traces its "pedigree" from the chassis of product 123 (SAM "Krug") and products 105 (SAU SU-100P). At Uraltransmash, two slightly different machines were manufactured. The differences were due to the fact that, in the order of experience and experiments, the laser systems were not the same. The combat characteristics of the complex were outstanding at that time, and they still meet the requirements for conducting defense-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 it was not mass-produced. Two experimental machines remained in single copies. Nevertheless, their appearance, even in the conditions of terrible, total Soviet secrecy, did not go unnoticed by American intelligence. In a series of drawings depicting the latest models of Soviet Army equipment, presented to Congress for "knocking out" additional funds to the US Department of Defense, there was also a very recognizable "Stiletto".
Formally, this complex is in service to this day. However, nothing was known about the fate of the experimental machines for a long time. Upon completion 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 brought them to the state of scrap metal. So, one of the cars in the late 1990s - early 2000s was identified by BTT amateur historians for disposal in the sump of the 61st BTRZ near St. Petersburg. The second, a decade later, was also found by BTT connoisseurs at a tank repair plant in Kharkov (see http://photofile.ru/users/acselcombat/96472135/). In both cases, the laser systems from the machines were dismantled long ago. The "Petersburg" car retained only the hull, the "Kharkov" "cart" is in the best condition. At present, by the forces of enthusiasts, in agreement with the management of the plant, attempts are being made to preserve it with the aim of subsequent "museification". Unfortunately, the “St. Petersburg” car, apparently, has been disposed of by now: “What we have, we don’t store, but we cry when we lose it ...”.
The best share fell to another, no doubt unique apparatus, jointly produced by Astrophysics and Uraltrasmash. As a development of the Stiletto ideas, a new SLK 1K17 "Compression" was designed and built. It was a new generation complex with automatic search and aiming at a glare object of radiation from a multichannel laser (solid-state aluminum oxide laser Al2O3) in which a small part of aluminum atoms is replaced by trivalent chromium ions, or simply - on a ruby crystal. To create an inverse population, optical pumping is used, that is, illumination of a ruby crystal with a powerful flash of light. The ruby is given the shape of 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 has the shape of a spiral tube wrapped around a ruby rod. Under the action of a powerful light pulse, an inverse population is created in the ruby rod, and due to the presence of mirrors, laser generation is excited, the duration of which is slightly less than the duration of the flash of the pumping lamp. An artificial crystal weighing about 30 kg was grown especially for the "Compression" - the "laser gun" in this sense flew "a pretty penny". The new installation also required a large amount of energy. To power it, powerful generators were used, driven by an autonomous auxiliary power unit (APU).
The chassis of the latest 2S19 Msta-S self-propelled gun (item 316) was used as a base for the heavier complex. To accommodate a large number of power and electro-optical equipment, the Msta felling was significantly increased in length. The APU was located in its aft part. In front, instead of the barrel, an optical unit was placed, including 15 lenses. The system of precise lenses and mirrors in field conditions was closed with protective armor covers. This unit had the ability to point vertically. Operators' workplaces were located in the middle part of the felling. For self-defense, an anti-aircraft machine gun mount with a 12.7-mm NSVT machine gun was installed on the roof.
The body of the machine was assembled at Uraltransmash in December 1990. In 1991, the complex, which received the military index 1K17, was tested and the next year, 1992, was put into service. As before, the work on the creation of the Compression complex was highly appreciated by the Government of the country: a group of Astrophysics employees and co-executors was awarded the State Prize. In the field of lasers, we were then ahead of the whole world by at least 10 years.
However, on this, the "star" of Nikolai Dmitrievich Ustinov rolled up. 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 a serious revision. The fate of this and "Compression" did not pass - the exorbitant cost of the complex, despite the advanced, breakthrough technologies and a good result, made the leadership of the Ministry of Defense doubt its effectiveness. The super-secret "laser gun" remained unclaimed. The only copy was hiding behind high fences for a long time, until, unexpectedly for everyone, in 2010 it turned out to be truly miraculous in the exposition 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 the top secrecy and made this unique machine public - a clear example of advanced Soviet science and engineering, a witness to our forgotten victories.