On December 23, 1912, Viktor Tikhomirov, an outstanding designer of Soviet aviation weapons and air defense systems, was born in Kineshma.

The future scientist from the school bench was fond of radio engineering, made progress in the study of physics and mathematics.

However, due to an “uncomfortable” origin (according to the recollections of relatives, Tikhomirov’s father was a priest before the revolution) and the difficult financial situation in the family, he postponed admission to a higher educational institution.

After graduating from school No. 1, the young man moved to the city of Krasny, Donetsk region, where he began his career as a simple factory worker.

At various factories, Tikhomirov worked as an electrician for about five years.

So he was able to get the status of a proletarian and apply to the university.

In 1940, the young man graduated from the Moscow Power Engineering Institute (MPEI).

But even before receiving a diploma, he took part in the creation of the first domestic radar stations.

In a RT commentary, the scientist's granddaughter Elena Tikhomirova said that her grandfather's main specialty was airborne radar.

At that time, it was a completely new and extremely promising area of ​​scientific and design activity.

“As you know, radar allows you to detect ground, air and surface targets.

With regard to aviation and air defense, it gives a picture of the air situation.

In the late 1930s and into the 1940s, radar was in its infancy.

However, thanks to the talent and work of Soviet specialists, including my grandfather, the USSR became a leader in the development of this area, ”said Tikhomirova.

According to her, Viktor Tikhomirov was a member of the team of developers of Gneiss-2 airborne radar stations (BRLS), which were installed on Pe-2 and Pe-3 aircraft during the Great Patriotic War.

The radar received its baptism of fire in the Battle of Stalingrad.

Later, Pe-2 crews equipped with Gneiss-2 raided German positions near Minsk, Lvov, Brest and Breslau.

Also, this radar was installed on Il-4 bombers and on Lend-Lease American aircraft of the 56th Breslavl long-range fighter division. 

  • Hero of the Soviet Union Grigory Pasynkov (right) near the Pe-2 aircraft

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  • © Alexander Brodsky

The radar has been continuously improved.

By the end of the war, the result of its modernization was the Gneiss-5M radar.

In April 1945, she was adopted by the Soviet Navy.

The air station had outstanding characteristics for its time: it could view the sea surface within 65 ° in the flight direction and 55 ° in the lateral direction.

“Without an airborne radar, a pilot can receive information about the situation in the air only through his eyes and the information he receives via radio.

The merit of my grandfather and other Soviet designers was that they tried to save the pilot from flying when he knew almost nothing about the air situation, ”the designer’s granddaughter emphasized.

"Rubidium", "Emerald", "Hurricane"

At the end of the Great Patriotic War, Viktor Tikhomirov received the position of scientific director of the Central Design Bureau No. 17 (now the Vega Radio Engineering Concern), later renamed NII-17.

Under his leadership, the staff of the enterprise managed to produce the Rubidium sighting equipment for the Tu-4 strategic bomber in a short time.

Then, under the leadership of Tikhomirov, a two-antenna station "Izumrud" was created - a surveillance and aiming radar.

It was put into service in 1952 and was installed on the MiG-15, MiG-17 fighters, and in 1953 on the Yak-25.

The radar has been repeatedly improved and served as the technological basis for the development of interception and targeting radars for other types of combat vehicles.

In 1955, the Izumrud-2 station was adopted by the USSR Air Force as part of the first domestic system of K-5 air-to-air guided missiles on the MiG-17 fighter.

By the age of 42, Tikhomirov was awarded three Stalin Prizes for his developments.

In 1956, the Institute of General Designers was introduced in the USSR.

Tikhomirov was awarded the title of General Designer of Aircraft Engineering along with such renowned scientists as Pavel Sukhoi, Sergei Ilyushin, Artyom Mikoyan, Semyon Lavochkin, Andrey Tupolev and Alexander Yakovlev.

According to Elena Tikhomirova, the name of her grandfather still says little to the common man, although without the weapons systems that he created, Soviet combat aircraft would not have had high combat qualities.

“The relatively low popularity of my grandfather, I explain the specifics of his work.

All over the world, people, as a rule, are known to the creators of aircraft, and not to the developers of weapons for them.

Nevertheless, Tikhomirov’s projects were truly large-scale, they were of great importance for increasing the defense capability of the USSR, ”the scientist’s granddaughter emphasized.

The pinnacle of Tikhomirov's design thought in the field of aviation systems is the creation of the Hurricane-type radar.

In this product, the scientist for the first time in world practice combined survey and aiming antennas.

The station served as a prototype for the Sapphire series of radars for the MiG‑21 and MiG‑23 fighters.

  • Soviet fighter MiG-21

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In a RT commentary, retired Major General Vladimir Popov, Honored Military Pilot of the Russian Federation, called the appearance of the Hurricane Tikhomirov's outstanding achievement.

“Combining survey and aiming antennas is an incredibly difficult task, which was successfully solved and formed the basis of our other radars.

After the war, Viktor Tikhomirov was probably the number one designer in the field of airborne radar in the USSR,” said Popov.

"Dedication to Your Job"

Tikhomirov's talent also manifested itself in the field of air defense.

His world-famous development is the Kub (export version - Kvadrat) medium-range anti-aircraft missile system.

According to experts, this air defense system was the most advanced in its class until the mid-1970s.

The decision on the creation of this air defense system was adopted by the government of the USSR and the Central Committee of the CPSU in July 1958.

The Soviet leadership expected to equip the troops with an air defense system capable of ensuring a high probability of hitting aircraft at speeds up to 600 m/s under any conditions.

The range of interception of targets at the new complex, as planned by the authorities, was supposed to be from 100 to 7 thousand meters, the range was up to 20 km.

In addition, high demands were placed on the air defense system in terms of mobility and speed of response to threats from the air.

The team of Tikhomirov, who headed OKB-15 at that time, had to solve many of the most difficult tasks for the first time.

Model samples of the air defense system were made in 1959, but the project stalled: specialists encountered problems in creating guided missiles and radar equipment.

The development of the complex no longer fit into the deadlines set by the government.

In February 1962, at the board of the Ministry of Radio Industry, Tikhomirov stated that he would need another two years to complete work on the air defense system.

However, the designer was required to meet within one year, with which he categorically disagreed.

As a result, the authorities fired Tikhomirov from the post of head of OKB-15.

Nevertheless, the new project leaders were unable to fulfill the government's task.

Work on the "Cube", as predicted by Tikhomirov, took two years.

Despite the failure of the deadline, the chief designers who finalized the air defense system received state awards.

But no one reinstated Tikhomirov in his post.

  • SAM "Cube"

  • © Personal archive

After his dismissal from OKB-15, with the support of the President of the USSR Academy of Sciences Mstislav Keldysh, the designer went to work at the Institute of Biophysics.

In the new system, Tikhomirov was engaged in scientific activities and created a laboratory for the development of devices for hydroacoustic sounding of the ocean and bottom topography.

“Grandfather was a rather tough, straightforward person.

I believe that he suffered for his honesty and integrity.

The military demanded inflated characteristics and set completely unrealistic deadlines for "Cube," said Elena Tikhomirova.

According to her, after being fired and getting a new job, Tikhomirov still continued to help the OKB-15 team in the development of radar products.

According to the granddaughter of the designer, her grandfather "appreciated the people with whom he worked, and they reciprocated him."

In an interview with RT, aviation historian Nikolai Bodrikhin stated that it was Tikhomirov who was the main creator of Cuba.

According to him, in the development of air defense systems, the designer was greatly helped by the experience gained in the field of radar.

"Cube" was a unique self-propelled air defense system that could effectively cover the troops and quickly brought into combat position.

It is no coincidence that it was exported to dozens of countries around the world,” Bodrikhin emphasized.

The brainchild of Tikhomirov has been repeatedly modernized, and the experience of its use to a large extent made it possible to create the Buk air defense system with similar functionality.

At present, the Russian army continues to operate this complex, but in deeply modernized versions.

Currently, Tikhomirov's case is being continued by the Scientific Research Institute of Instrument Engineering (NIIP) located in Zhukovsky and bearing his name.

The enterprise is known for the development of the Buk-M3 air defense system, weapons control systems for the MiG-31 and Su-27 fighters, radar stations for the Su-30MKI, Su-35 and Su-57 aircraft.

“The Research Institute of Instrument Engineering continues the traditions of Tikhomirov, creating air defense systems, highly effective target designation and aiming systems and other weapons for our combat aviation.

I think that, to some extent, NIIP employees are inspired by Tikhomirov's personality, his determination and, perhaps, fanatical devotion to his work, ”summed up Bodrikhin.