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A-135

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AKA: 51T6, 53T6. Status: Active. Gross mass: 33,000 kg (72,000 lb). Height: 19.80 m (64.90 ft). Diameter: 2.57 m (8.43 ft). Location: Dubna. Apogee: 350 km (210 mi).

At the end of 1968, a group of specialists under A G Basistov began studying a new-concept anti-ballistic missile, designed to handle provocative attacks by a single warhead on Moscow, limited group attacks from any of three countries equipped with nuclear-tipped ballistic missiles (UK, France, China), or an attack launched by a single rogue ballistic missile submarine. By the end of 1969 an agreement had been reached with the leadership of the PVO for a two-echelon missile system, consisting of a long-range exo-atmospheric interceptor and a short-range, endo-atmospheric missile.

In the spring of 1970 development began of a variant of the existing tracking radar by the RAH Radio-Technical Institute. By 1971 development of a draft project for a new anti-ballistic missile system was completed. After a 1974 test series a decree was issued to convert the existing 'A' complex at Sary Shagan to a new configuration for test of a second generation anti-ballistic missile system. Construction at the site began in 1974 and in June 1975 the state committed to a schedule of implementing the new anti-ballistic missile system for the defense of Moscow. Chief Designer was A G Basistov, with V K Sloka being chief designer for the new Don multi-target radar. A decree in 1975 established the final development schedule. In 1984 launch complexes were completed at Test Area A at Sary Shagan and the system was ready for realistic firing trials. US plans for deployment of Pershing 2 missiles led the Soviet Ministers to order in 1984 that development be completed of an anti-ballistic missile capability against short flight-time ballistic missiles targeted at Moscow as soon as possible.

The Don radar was located near the city of Pushkin, and looked like an enormous truncated pyramid, 45 m tall. On the four faces of the pyramid were phased array radars 16 m in diameter. The radars themselves were developed at the A I Mintsa Radiotechnical Institute of the Academy of Science of the USSR (later RTI RAN). The overall system consisted of:

• Tracking radar, which obtained the target coordinates for the anti-ballistic missile
• KVP 5K80 Command-Computing Point, equipped with the Elbrus-2 computer, which could make billions of operations per second, and the electronic units of the guidance system and command generators. This facility was shielded against direct nuclear explosions in case the enemy attempted to destroy it, as well as the nuclear explosions generated by the anti-ballistic missiles themselves
• Launch units for the anti-ballistic missiles, developed by V P Barmin
• 51T6 long range anti-ballistic missile, designed to intercept targets outside the earth's atmosphere, developed by P D Grushin at MKB Fakel
• 53T6 short-range, high-acceleration, endoatmospheric interceptor missile, capable against a range of target velocities, developed by L Lyulyev and N Kamenev at EMKB Novator
• System for hand-off between systems

Radars: Don-2N Pill Box early warning radar, range 6000 km. Hen House early warning radar, VHF band, range 6000 km. Daryal early warning radar, range 5000 km. Dunai early warning radar, VHF band. Try Add target tracking radar, range 750 km.

Initial Operational Capability: 1995.

• Test launch - . Nation: Russia. Agency: PKO. Apogee: 10 km (6 mi).

• Ejection Test - . Nation: Russia. Type: ABM. Apogee: 0 km (0 mi).

• ABM test - . Nation: Russia. Agency: PKO. Apogee: 100 km (60 mi).

• ABM test - . Nation: Russia. Agency: PKO. Apogee: 100 km (60 mi).

• Test - . Nation: Russia. Type: ABM. Apogee: 40 km (24 mi).

• Test launch - . Nation: Russia. Agency: PKO. Apogee: 40 km (24 mi).

• Test launch - . Nation: Russia. Agency: PKO. Apogee: 100 km (60 mi).

• Test launch - . Nation: Russia. Agency: PKO. Apogee: 40 km (24 mi).

• Test launch - . Nation: Russia. Agency: PKO. Apogee: 40 km (24 mi).

• Test launch - . Nation: Russia. Agency: PKO. Apogee: 40 km (24 mi).

• Test launch - . Nation: Russia. Agency: PKO. Apogee: 40 km (24 mi).

• Test launch - . Nation: Russia. Type: ABM. Apogee: 40 km (24 mi).

• Test - . Nation: Russia. Agency: PRO. Type: ABM. Apogee: 40 km (24 mi).

• Test - . Nation: Russia. Agency: PRO. Type: ABM. Apogee: 40 km (24 mi).

• Test - . Nation: Russia. Agency: PRO. Type: ABM. Apogee: 40 km (24 mi).

• Test - . Nation: Russia. Agency: PRO. Type: ABM. Apogee: 40 km (24 mi).