More than 30 years ago, the automated control system of the country's nuclear forces "Kazbek"took on combat duty. It is known to the General public thanks to the subscriber complex "Cheget" or a nuclear suitcase. We found out how it works and where it has a button.
Atomic phone
Subscriber complex " Cheget "automated control system of strategic nuclear forces" Kazbek " — so correctly called nuclear suitcase — is a tool of retaliatory strike. It is activated only after receiving a signal of a missile attack on Russia.
"First, there is a signal from the missile attack early warning system. It is checked by the General on duty of the command post in Solnechnogorsk and only after that the system "Kazbek" is transferred to the combat mode", — said Victor yessin, chief of the General staff of strategic missile forces in 1994-1996.
In the suitcase is the communication with the General staff and the command of the strategic missile forces. Roughly speaking, the phone-but the information is transmitted not by voice, but by encrypted characters. Communication cannot be blocked.
The decision to create a mobile remote control of the country's nuclear potential was made in the 70s, when the USSR was seriously afraid of a sudden nuclear strike by the United States. At that time, the country's leadership could order the launch of missiles, only arriving at the command post of the FARC, and the time of arrival of ballistic missiles "Pershing-2" from Europe with 400-kiloton warheads was seven minutes…
Where's his button?
Developed "nuclear suitcase" for Leonid Brezhnev, and management of them made as simple as possible to the elderly Secretary General could understand. However, Brezhnev "Cheget" did not get — did not have time to debug the system. And Yuri Andropov, too. Trial operation of the suitcase began in 1983 with defense Minister Dmitriy Ustinov and chief of General staff Nikolay Ogarkov.
A year later, "Cheget" was awarded to Konstantin Chernenko. Full-scale tests of the system in different modes continued for another year. Fully working nuclear briefcase was handed to Mikhail Gorbachev. They say, the last Secretary General of the USSR examined the product with interest, but did not delve into the details — this, they say, there are experts.
Constantly on duty is three "Cheget": the head of state, Minister of defense and chief of General staff. "Home button" in the suitcase there — it passes the command posts of the strategic missile forces code to enable the use of nuclear weapons. But the missile launch will happen only if the teams will come from all three consoles.
Of course, the total number of suitcases is more than three — they are changed, checked, repaired... there is a legend that Boris Yeltsin handed "Cheget" number 51. The President was outraged and a number on the suitcase was changed to the first.
"Cheget" is intended for foot escort of persons authorized to dispose of the nuclear Arsenal of Russia. Usually followed by a car with special communication. Is "Cheget" operator — officer of a rank not below that of Colonel. Despite the fact that he refers to the signal corps, the operator is dressed in naval uniform — it is a tradition.
The first operators were selected personally by the curator of the project "Kazbek", the head of the operational Department of the General staff Ivan Nikolaev. In addition to knowledge of the material, consistency and discipline, the General-the Colonel of Nikolaev presented to the candidates one more requirement: do not be timid in front of the high command. Tested on itself, being in front of the subject at all regalia. "If you're in front of the General struhnul, how do you show the Secretary General? - I sentenced Nikolaev. "You'll faint again."
Come on, show me your suitcase!
The only time the "Cheget" was used on 25 January 1995, after the Islands off the coast of Norway has launched the world's largest meteorological rocket Black Brant XII. The trajectory of its flight resembled the American ICBM Trident, released from a submarine.
The end point of the route could be a high-altitude nuclear explosion, disabling Russian radar warning system about a missile attack. The notification of the Norwegian missile launch was lost in the foreign Ministry and the next day Boris Yeltsin said that he first used his suitcase for emergency communication with military advisers.
In the book "Presidential marathon" Boris Yeltsin described and another case associated with a nuclear briefcase. It was in 1991, while hunting in Zavidovo near Moscow. "When we sailed on a boat on the lake, one foreign guest all looked at the black suitcase at the bottom of the boat. Thought it was nuclear. Tried to stay away from the briefcase, tried to get off the edges of the boat. I didn't say that. And when on the island suitcase opened and pulled out two bottles of vodka and pickles, the guest laughed a long time," — recalled Boris Nikolayevich.
