The crematorium suitcase of the president. Nuclear briefcase of the President of Russia

On the day of the inauguration, the Russian President not only takes the oath, but also receives a nuclear suitcase at his disposal. After that, the suitcase is constantly next to the head of state.

Contrary to popular belief, there is no single red button inside the black suitcase, by pressing which the President can launch nuclear missiles. The device of a nuclear suitcase is much more complicated, it even comes with a rather weighty instruction. So what does he have inside?

Why was the President of Russia's nuclear suitcase created?

It is more correct to call the nuclear suitcase the Cheget subscriber terminal of the Kazbek automated control system for nuclear forces. The need for such a system arose in the seventies, between the USSR and the USA. Authorities Soviet Union seriously feared a nuclear strike from America. In those years, the leadership of our country had the right to order the launch of nuclear missiles only personally. And for this it was necessary to arrive at the headquarters of the Strategic Missile Forces. There was only one catch: the flight time of Pershing-2 ballistic missiles stationed in Europe and aimed at the USSR was only seven minutes. And the road from the Kremlin to the command post took much longer ... It was then that the decision was made on the need for a mobile communication point with the Strategic Missile Forces.

The development of the nuclear suitcase was taken up at the Soviet NIIAA under the leadership of Vladimir Semenikhin. The chief designer of the entire system was Nikolai Andreevich Devyanin. And, so to speak, the instruction for operation and use was written by designer Valentin Golubkov. In a small book, they prescribed the procedure for working with a nuclear suitcase, its equipment, the procedure for access and the number of people with this access. It is worth noting that the suitcase for controlling Russia's nuclear forces was not made in a single copy.

The principle of operation of the nuclear suitcase

The ceremony of handing over the "nuclear suitcase" to Acting President of Russia Vladimir Putin. 1999

Today in Russia there are three nuclear suitcases. One is with the President of the country, the second is with the Minister of Defense, and the third is with the Chief of the General Staff. They are all the same and made by Samsonite. The principle of operation of the suitcase is such that when sending a signal from one copy, confirmation from at least one more owner is required. Only in this case, the launch of missiles of the Russian nuclear forces will be carried out. Of course, not only these three suitcases exist, there are also backup ones, kept in strict secrecy. Only the Commander-in-Chief and the officers of the Strategic Missile Forces responsible for storage know about their location. By the way, they accompany the President everywhere.

Officers wearing a nuclear briefcase are in fact signalmen and should be wearing the appropriate uniform. But no. The officers responsible for the safety of Russia's nuclear briefcase are always dressed in the uniform of the navy. This happened because Raisa Maksimovna Gorbacheva, the wife of Mikhail Gorbachev, during one of her visits to the United States, saw the dress uniform of the American military. She insisted that our officers, wearing a nuclear briefcase, also look more respectable. After all, they are next to the President or in the room next to him around the clock.

So what's inside the nuclear suitcase? In simple terms, inside it is a transmitter and a few buttons. Yes, yes, there is also the notorious red button in the nuclear suitcase. It is she who is responsible for transmitting the codes to the command post of the Strategic Missile Forces. It is impossible to interrupt the transmission of the code from the President's nuclear briefcase, it takes place over an encrypted channel. In addition, along with the suitcase, the officer accompanying him always carries a bag in which the Agat operational communications radio station is located. There is also a fallback option in case the President, the Minister of Defense and the Chief of the General Staff fail to press the button on the nuclear suitcase. In this case, there is the Perimeter system, which strikes with nuclear missiles in response to the launch of enemy ones. It is activated without human intervention. However, so far there have been no cases of activation of the "Perimeter", in contrast to the activation of the nuclear suitcase of the President of Russia.

One and only time

In Russia, the nuclear briefcase was used only once. It happened in January 1995. Then, from one Norwegian island, the largest meteorological rocket at that time was launched. Since the development was new, almost nothing was known about it. The Russian military mistook the flight path of a meteorological missile for the flight path of an American Trident fired from a submarine. It is worth noting that the Norwegians warned about the launch of their rocket, but their message was lost.

The Russian warning system worked quickly, and the General Staff received a signal about a nuclear threat. The then President Boris Yeltsin, using a nuclear briefcase, contacted the Minister of Defense and the Chief of the General Staff and held a quick meeting. After him, Yeltsin, by pressing the "nuclear" button of the President, sent activation codes. The Strategic Missile Forces systems came to full combat readiness, but did not have time to work. Fortunately for the whole world, a message was immediately received that the rocket was rapidly moving away from the territory of Russia. "Kazbek" was immediately deactivated, the Third World War did not happen. By the way, there were many incidents with the Russian nuclear suitcase.

So, in 1991, during the coup, President Mikhail Gorbachev, along with his nuclear suitcase, was in the Crimea in Foros. And the second suitcase, which belonged to the then Minister of Defense Yazov, disappeared somewhere. The unfortunate minister tore his hair, but could not remember where he had left it. It is still not known whether this nuclear suitcase was found. And in the same 1991, there was another incident with a suitcase, but not sad, but very funny.

President Yeltsin hosted an important foreign guest. Together with him, he went on a boat for a walk on the lake. Everything was going well until the guest noticed a small black suitcase at the bottom of the boat. After that, the man moved only along the edge, cautiously looking at the suitcase, thinking that this was the nuclear suitcase. And what was his surprise when, after disembarking, Boris Yeltsin took a couple of bottles of vodka and a snack from his suitcase! Connected with President Yeltsin and the nuclear suitcase and another funny episode. After the election, the President, of course, was given a "nuclear button". But the number “51” flaunted on the suitcase - after all, there were not three suitcases themselves, but more. Boris Nikolaevich was outraged and offended by such a figure. Therefore, the next day he was delivered another nuclear suitcase, but with the number "1". But not only our Russian presidents can boast of antics associated with a nuclear briefcase.

And what's in the suitcase of American presidents?

In the US, the nuclear suitcase appeared several years earlier than in Russia. Inside the bag, shaped like an American football ball, is stored an ordinary-looking plastic card. It is an "authorization plate" containing the President's activation code for America's nuclear forces. In addition, inside the American nuclear briefcase is an instruction in case nuclear war and a list of secret bunkers. The officers to carry the nuclear suitcase, or as it is also called "nuclear football", are selected very carefully. The suitcase is handcuffed to their arm so that they cannot lose it. And if the officers treat their service with enviable accuracy, then the same cannot be said about American presidents.

For example, President Jim Carter left his personal ID in his jacket pocket to use the nuclear briefcase. And in the evening I sent the jacket to the dry cleaners. Fortunately, the access codes to nuclear missiles were quickly changed. Curiosities also occurred with Presidents Reagan, Ford and Bush Sr. With them, the suitcase was either lost altogether, or left unguarded for a while. But most of all, Bill Clinton distinguished himself in the nineties. Once he was in such a hurry from one meeting to another that he did not notice an officer lagging behind him with a nuclear briefcase. Tom had to go back to White House on foot as instructed.

In times of aggravation of the political situation, many people remember the nuclear suitcase of the President of Russia. These briefcases are threatened by a potential adversary, and their presence symbolizes the strength and power of the president. Sometimes the “red button” is mentioned at the same time, and many citizens do not really understand what a nuclear briefcase is, and what it looks like, and where is its button?
The question of whether Putin has a nuclear briefcase can be left unanswered. Every president of the Russian Federation has this suitcase starting from.

Who is carrying Putin's nuclear briefcase?

For security reasons, the portable nuclear briefcase must always be within direct line of sight of the President. It is worn by a communications officer, with a rank no lower than lieutenant colonel. Some are surprised by the uniform of the officer who carries the briefcase behind the president, and the discussion of what the officer wearing the Russian president's nuclear briefcase often comes to a standstill.

Why does a communications officer wear a Navy uniform? This is the merit of Raisa Maksimovna Gorbacheva. During a visit to America, she saw the uniform of the naval officers of the American army, and she really liked it.

The uniform of the naval officers, of course, is brighter and more beautiful than that of the signalmen, and Raisa Maksimovna ordered the signalmen to change into a naval uniform. After Gorbachev's departure, the uniform was no longer changed, and now the officer wearing the nuclear briefcase always wears the uniform of the Navy.

The nuclear suitcase is handed over to the incumbent president at his inauguration, preceded by a 30-minute lecture on how to use it.

For the first time, V.V. Putin received a “red button” from the hands of Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin on December 31, 1999, when he resigned and appointed Putin acting head. about. the President of the Russian Federation.

At a time when the president cannot control the "red button", he delegates authority to his authorized representative. This happened in 1996, when B. N. Yeltsin underwent heart surgery. Officially, Viktor Chernomyrdin received control over the country's nuclear potential, but this is only official. In fact, during the operation, an officer with a suitcase was sitting in the lobby of the hospital, and after Yeltsin was transferred to the ward, he moved closer to the president, right on the next bed.

How does a nuclear briefcase work?

In Russia, they began to develop a nuclear suitcase back in the USSR, for Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev, but they did not have time. Andropov and Chernenko, who replaced him, also did not have time to get acquainted with a fully working system, although it is believed that it was put into operation in 1983. The portable complex in the USSR was the first to receive Konstantin Chernenko, but the system was unfinished. There were big problems with signal reception in the Kremlin, where there were “jammers” everywhere from enemy wiretapping. Thus, Mikhail Sergeevich Gorbachev became the first president to receive a full-fledged nuclear suitcase.

But thanks to Brezhnev, such a simplified system turned out. The elderly general secretary could not figure out the codes, and especially for him in the suitcase there was only one big red button. Later, when Russian presidents began to actively travel abroad, keys, passwords, and so on appeared, excluding accidental pressing or sabotage. Just pressing the red button will not do anything, and the missiles will not fly anywhere.

Some are afraid that the president is in charge of nuclear weapons, and they fear that he might suddenly start a war. The creators of the suitcase took this into account, and in Russia today three suitcases control the nuclear potential. The first suitcase is with the President of the country, the second with the Minister of Defense, and the third with the Chief of the General Staff. The launch of missiles will take place only if the signal to the Strategic Missile Forces is received from all three devices, and the correct code is entered on all three devices.

The principle of operation of a nuclear briefcase is quite complicated. If you exaggerate to the utmost, then inside the nuclear suitcase there is a device for communicating the president with the Strategic Missile Forces (RVSN), but you cannot call this device a telephone. For communication, a special subscriber complex is used, called "Cheget", and the nuclear suitcase itself is also called "Cheget". The information in it is transmitted not by words or voice, but by a special cipher that can be transmitted and deciphered only by people with access to state secrets.

What does a nuclear suitcase look like?

The term "nuclear suitcase" was coined by Soviet journalists, and they talked about the American suitcase.

At one time, US President John F. Kennedy decided to take control of the country's nuclear potential. At times Caribbean Crisis he was not sure that the military would obey the decrees of the president, and instructed to create portable device for direct communication with the US military. The device itself does not launch rockets, but only ensures that the launch order is transmitted if the president decides to give it. Previously, the "nuclear briefcase" of the President of the United States looked like soccer ball, and was called President's Emergency Satchel, or Nuclear Football.

Difficulties in translating American articles into Russian forced us to look for other names for this device. To write that Kennedy has a "disturbing pack" or "nuclear soccer ball" was ridiculous. Over time, this "soccer ball" transformed into something more like a bag or suitcase.

The suitcase of the American president contains a kind of terminal, which is activated by a titanium or gold card, on which a secret code is indicated. The card is worn separately, and American presidents often lose it. In the same place in the suitcase there is an instruction for activating the nuclear suitcase on 30 pages (in pictures), an appeal to the people, and full list all the secret bunkers where you can sit out in the event of a nuclear war.

It is said that during the terrorist attack on the Twin Towers in New York, George W. Bush even opened Nuclear Football, but got stuck on the instructions and changed his mind about using this dangerous weapon.

Nuclear briefcase of the President of Russia photo

This is how the nuclear briefcase of Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin looks like, which he once handed over to V.V. Putin. It is on display at the Yeltsin Center for all to see, and, of course, it is without filling. But it is not exactly. After all, there were a lot of suitcases, and Yeltsin initially got a suitcase with the number 51, which he was very offended by. The number was outweighed and the president was handed the same suitcase, but with the number 1.

Behind the President of the Russian Federation they carry two suitcases, plus a bag. Which of these is Cheget and which is just a telephone, only senior security officers know.

What happens if all three responsible persons in Russia enter the correct code and press the "red button"? Of course, I would not want to see it with my own eyes, but it would be desirable to know how the nuclear suitcase is used, and what are the rules of war today?

First of all, the developers of Cheget ruled out accidents. After all, an officer can be killed, a suitcase stolen, or there are a million more reasons why someone will press the “red button”?

Nothing will happen even if you press the button. The Kazbek nuclear potential system, which is controlled by Cheget, is not offensive, but defensive. The system will not get on a combat platoon just like that. A signal is needed that "the enemy is attacking", and this signal is received by the operator on duty in Solnechnogorsk. He checks this warning, and only then passes the information on to the Cheget carriers. Having received information about the threat, the President, the Minister of Defense and the Chief of the General Staff must make a collective decision whether to launch a retaliatory strike or not.

If for some reason the Chegets do not work, the automatic protection "Perimeter" is activated. "Perimeter" does not require the participation of the operator and in the West this system is called Dead Hand.

In fact, since the commissioning of briefcase nuclear weapons, the world has twice been on the brink of war. "Kazbek" stood on a combat platoon, and waited for the president's signal to attack.

The first time in the early 1990s, the Norwegian meteorologists frightened the military. They launched a large meteorological probe, and, of course, alerted the air defenses of neighboring countries. But the duty officers at the Strategic Missile Forces changed, and they forgot to convey this warning to the new shift. When the duty officer on the radar saw a "rocket" flying from Norway, he immediately raised the alarm. They didn’t flog the fever and quickly established what was what.

The second time the system was disturbed by a flock of wild geese, which was mistaken for a massive US missile attack. At that time, the military also managed to quickly figure it out. There were attempts to adjust the system for such "interference", but President Putin forbade it. He believes that regular training is needed for duty officers and the military, and personally (together with Shoigu) sometimes arranges “dress rehearsals” for launching nuclear missiles.

I hope now you can sleep peacefully, knowing that no one will accidentally press the “red button”, and Russian air defense is always ready to repel an attack, even American missiles, even flocks of wild geese.

In the first stories, the famous "nuclear suitcase" got on video. One of the most important and at the same time mysterious devices was shown, among other things, on the federal channels of Russia. At first glance, it is hard to believe that such a simple and at first glance nondescript device is a tool that can determine the fate of the whole world and the further history of mankind (or rather its absence).

"Nuclear briefcase" is a device that stores the codes for managing Russia's nuclear arsenal. In fact, the device is called "Kazbek" and is automated system control with the subscriber terminal. The "Nuclear Suitcase" was designed back in the days of the Soviet Union on the basis of NIIAA under the leadership of N.A. Devyatin and V.S. Semenikhin. The Kazbek system was put into operation in 1983.

In fact, there are always several nuclear briefcases in the country. All of them are at different people. The first one belongs to the Supreme Commander of the Russian Armed Forces, currently President Vladimir Putin. The second (reserve) suitcase is kept by the Minister of Defense of the country. The third is with the Chief of the General Staff. In addition, there are several more backup cases with the Kazbek system, which are stored throughout the country in different places. Only those who are in the know know about them.

Each ball is carried by a high-ranking officer in a closed state. The key to Kazbek is carried by another officer, who is also the system operator. Both servicemen belong to the communications troops (in most cases), but at the same time they wear the uniform of the Russian Navy. Outwardly, the briefcase with "Kazbek" looks like an ordinary briefcase-diplomat and is unremarkable.

It is noteworthy that for the first time in an open form, Russia's nuclear briefcase was shown on television and on the Internet only recently. For the past 50 years, this thing has been extremely secret. No details about YCH, of course, were not told. The system is secret. Interestingly, the “Start” button of “Kazbek” is white, not red, as many mistakenly used to believe.

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