MILITARY PARADE MAY-JUNE

ot long ago, Finland's Minister of Defense said that from now on the skies of his country will be reliably protected by the state-of-the-art Buk-M1 air defense missile system purchased from Russia.

Buk-M1 is a mobile and highly efficient medium-range missile system developed on the basis of the Kub system, which displayed high fire capabilities during the Middle East military conflicts of 1971-1976.

Kub and Buk were designed at the Tikhomirov Instrument-Making Research Institute. The Chief Designer of the Buk and Buk-M1 air defense missile systems and of the Kub air defense missile system's radar was Ardalion A. Rastov, who for his achievements was awarded the title of Hero of Socialist Labor, and the Lenin and State Prizes.

Rastov was born in 1926 in Moscow. In 1949, he graduated from the Moscow Energy Institute, where he studied at the Radio Engineering Department, and was assigned to work at the Research Institute #17 (NII-17) of the Ministry of the Aircraft Industry, which developed aircraft radars.

In 1951, Rastov was transferred to a department which was headed by Victor Tikhomirov, the designer of the first aircraft radars. Later Tikhomirov became the General Designer, Doctor of Science in Technology, and a Corresponding Member of the USSR Academy of Sciences, and was three times awarded the Stalin Prize.

Among Rastov's aircraft radar developments, a special place belongs to the Izumrud radar, which he designed for the MiG-17 fighter aircraft. During the work on this radar, a serious technical problem arose. On several planes, during flight, errors in determining a target's coordinates sharply increased. It took a month to find out what caused the errors, to explain this phenomenon theoretically, and complete work on the radar. Later Rastov wrote a thesis of Candidate of Science, devoting its main section to the solution of this problem.

Tikhomirov was a good teacher. Each of his assistants knew that if he or she received an assignment that was more difficult than the previous one, then their chief was satisfied with their work. In late 1953, Tikhomirov received approval to appoint Rastov Deputy Chief Designer to develop the Izumrud-2 radar for the Soviet Union's first air-to-air guided missile, which was designated K-5. The assignment marked a new stage in Rastov's life.

In the fall of 1954, it became evident that NII-17, overloaded with work, was unable to cope with it. It was decided to open a branch of the institute at Zhukovsky, an aviation research center near Moscow, for work on Tikhomirov's projects.

In 1955, the K-5 missile system was commissioned into service for the MiG-17 fighter with the Izumrud-2 radar. Two years later, it was followed by the K-5M system with the Izumrud-2M radar, designed for the MiG-19 fighter. Tikhomirov named Rastov to head their testing. For this work Rastov was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labor.

In late 1956, Tikhomirov was given the title General Designer of Aviation Equipment. His deputies F. Volkov, Y. Vekhov and A. Rastov were appointed chief designers in their fields of work.

In 1958, the line of work of the Zhukovsky branch, which by that time had been reorganized into Experimental Design Bureau #15, drastically changed. The bureau began to develop the Kub air defense missile system for the army on the basis of aircraft radars. Rastov was named Chief Designer of all radars of the system that ensured the detection and tracking of air targets and the provision of information on missiles.

The very beginning of the work on the radars showed that the designers would have to solve a set of mutually related design and technological problems. The most difficult task was the discrimination of a pin-point low-flying target signal in conditions of ground effect and active or passive interference. Another challenging task was the development of a missile radio control system that would ensure the required guidance accuracy under the above-mentioned conditions. By the end of 1961, the basic problems of the development of the air defense missile system was solved. However, the work on the project fell behind schedule. The designers began to speak of "insurmountable technical difficulties." Terminating work on the project was even proposed. Tikhomirov was relieved of his duties, but his followers, Grishin, Rastov, Matyashev, Akopyan, Balayev and others, remained. They said: "We will make it!" No one denied there were difficulties. Ultimately, the actual amount of work already done and technical decisions made, convinced members of numerous technical commissions that the work on the missile system should be continued. The first success came on February 14, 1964, when the system downed an Ilyushin Il-28 target aircraft.

In the winter, during the preparation of field firing at low-flying targets in the steppe, the designers faced the problem of mirror reflection of radio waves from the ground. During target tracking, the antenna system suddenly began to jolt, and sometimes instruments read that the antenna was tracking a target flying "underground." However, when the air target's altitude was increased, this effect disappeared. Also, sometimes missiles were guided not at the target but at its mirror reflection on the ground. The designers, led by Rastov, began to work on ways to combat this phenomenon right at the firing range. They developed new blocks which, after numerous tests, solved the problem. Later, when Rastov was writing a dissertation, he devoted one of its chapters to this phenomenon and ways to overcome it.

The Kub air defense missile system successfully passed all kinds of testing and was commissioned into service in 1966. The system's designers were awarded the Lenin Prize.

In 1969, the Phazotron Research and Production Association was established. It was comprised of Moscow's Radio Engineering Research Institute (now the Phazotron-NIIR Corporation) and Zhukovsky's Radio Engineering Design Bureau (formerly Experimental Design Bureau #15). Rastov was appointed Chief Designer of the army's air defense missile systems.

From 1969 to 1971, two modifications of the Kub air defense missile system were commissioned into service. In August 1971, two regiments of these systems were sent to Egypt to defend the Aswan High Dam. Rastov and his assistants went to Egypt, too. Watching the systems working in the mountains, ravines and the Nile Valley, they came to the conclusion that the system's all-round defense potential was not fully used and that it would be better if every launcher had an autonomous radar which would scan a sector of its own. Considering that by that time research had been made into new principles of radar development, this task seemed feasible. It was decided to translate the new ideas into life in a second-generation air defense missile system, designated as Buk.

Buk was intended to excel Kub in all parameters and to simultaneously engage six targets instead of one. These plans met with a mixed reaction. Director General Yuri Figurovsky opposed them because he was afraid his specialists would not cope with the realization of "too many new ideas." However, the Ministry of Defense supported Rastov. As a result, two documents appeared almost simultaneously: a resolution on the development of the Buk system, and a resolution of the Director General in which he gave an official reprimand to Rastov for the organization of that work. Rastov regards this reprimand, the only one in his life, as an award.

The task was really difficult. Nevertheless, work on the new system, which involved more than 40,000 specialists from dozens of enterprises of various ministries and government agencies, was completed on time. In 1979, Buk was commissioned into service. The system was awarded the State Prize. In 1983, a modernized version of the system, Buk-M1, entered service.

For the development of the Buk and Buk-M1 air defense missile systems, Phazotron's General Designer Ardalion Rastov was given the title of Hero of Socialist Labor. In some parameters these systems still have no equals in the world.

Asked what kind of a man Rastov is, people who have worked with him for years mention such qualities as a sense of high personal responsibility, adherence to principle, firmness, attention to detail, independence in judgment and behavior, and particularly his benevolence and sense of justice. Rastov's colleagues also point to two more of his qualities: a keen sense of novelty and constant dissatisfaction with what has been achieved.
When it became known that the Moscow Aviation Institute was conducting research into the development of a digital target discrimination system, Rastov immediately organized a group to develop such a system for Buk. Or, when specialists in Minsk began to work on a system that would identify the target type by analyzing the spectrum of the target's return signal, he organized joint development of this system for the Buk-M1. Phazotron specialists conducted constant research to upgrade the principles of the development of new air defense missile systems, including third-generation systems.

The 64 inventor's certificates given to Rastov say a lot. Most of them have been translated into life, others are still waiting for their turn. Rastov understood that there is no limit to perfection.

On June 11, 1982, Rastov was summoned to the Kremlin. He was told that Israel had invaded Lebanon and that Israeli tank columns were moving along the Beqaa Valley. Israel had destroyed several Kub systems not only in Lebanon, but also in Syria, using unidentified weapons. The direct contact established with the Soviet Union's Chief Military Adviser in Damascus did not clear up the situation. Soviet Minister of Defense Dmitry Ustinov decided that representatives of the Council of Ministers, Ministry of Defense and Phazotron's Chief Designer should immediately leave for Syria and take necessary measures there.

In Syria, Rastov felt sharp pains in the spine. Taking pills every now and then, he managed to complete his work. When he returned to Moscow, he underwent medical treatment, and the pains wore off for a while. However, in August 1983, they sharply increased. Two operations were consecutively made on Rastov's spine. For three months he was poised between life and death. Doctors saved his life but failed to restore the function of his legs.

For a man of action who had spent a considerable part of his life at proving ranges, checking his ideas and calculations in combat testing, it was very difficult to work within four walls all the time. Rastov began to study the history of radio detection and ranging and the logic of its development for offensive and defense purposes. This logic was particularly manifest in the development of aircraft radars. The work, which began with the description of how the Instrument-Making Research Institute and NII-17 developed, fitted in with Phazotron's historical studies.

In 1995, the Russian Academy of Rocket and Artillery Sciences elected Rastov its honorary member. 
Not long ago, we met with Ardalion Rastov.

� What do you think of power as a means to realize one's own plans? Did you have enough power when you worked as the chief designer of the missile system?

� What power are you speaking about? Technical problems cannot be solved by bossing people around. It is easier and more efficient to convince subordinates than to order them around. Tikhomirov organized a wonderful team, where not administrative power, but the power of common sense and reason reigned. Administrative power was required for solving problems with related enterprises and government agencies. We were lucky. In the 1970s-1980s, the Ministries of Radio Engineering and of Defense, the Council of Ministers and the Defense Department of the Communist Party Central Committee, at least their divisions that supervised our work, were headed by intelligent, educated and amiable professionals. I do not remember them ever denying me help when I turned to them for it, and if sometimes they said no, their refusal was well-founded. So I did not need more power than I had.

� You mentioned Tikhomirov. Who else had influence on you?

� I gained a lot from contacts with general and chief aircraft designers and with chief designers of allied enterprises. We have always had wonderful specialists, many brilliant, talented people. Yet I would like to make special mention of Emmanuil Gitis and Nikolai Astrov.

Gitis was a born teacher. For many years he taught at the Moscow Aviation Institute. For several years he was Tikhomirov's deputy and headed some of his projects. Gitis was exceptionally friendly and considerate toward people. One could always count on him. People valued this quality of his very much. If Gitis said something had to be done, we did our level best. He taught us, "Mind you, the good you do to others will return a hundredfold." I have had many proofs of the correctness of his words.

Astrov has always been a legend for me. He was a famous designer of World War II tanks and self-propelled guns, and the chief designer of the Shilka air defense rapid-fire self-propelled gun. Astrov was given the title Hero of Socialist Labor and awarded four Stalin and State prizes. He also was Doctor of Science in Technology and Honored Scientist of the Russian Federation.

Before World War II, Astrov proposed developing a new tank on the basis of light tanks that were already in service with the Soviet Army, which would exceed them in all parameters. Astrov proposed such bold engineering innovations that the People's Commissariat of Defense did not dare to translate them into life. During the first few days after the war began, Astrov wrote a letter to Stalin. On the very next day, the Commissariat received an order to immediately begin work on the new tank. People worked day and night, and by October 1941 the first T-60 tank rolled off the assembly line. When an order came to immediately evacuate the plant to Gorky, Astrov himself drove the never tested tank to that town on the Volga River for 14 hours at night. 

I was lucky to have worked together with Astrov for more than 25 years. He often helped us in difficult situations, offering original solutions or doing some of our work. Every meeting with him left a feeling of confidence in people. One could never imagine him playing his cards wrong. For me he was an embodiment of nobleness and conscience.

� And finally, the last question. Your first name is very rare. What is its origin?

� The name Ardalion is Greek. St. Ardalion lived in the 4th century. This name came to Russia and Bulgaria from Byzantine. My grandfather, Nikolai Rastov, was a prominent lawyer and public figure in the town of Ryazan in the 1988s. The Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878, which brought liberation to Bulgaria from the Turkish yoke, caused a rise of patriotism in Russia. My grandfather was an ardent advocate of the unification of all Slavic nations and all members of the Orthodox Church. This is why he named his son (my father), who was born in 1889, Ardalion. He believed this name was common for all Slavic nations.