Encyclopedia of modern weapons. Weapon encyclopedias
The best new items in Russian weapons literature
Books on small arms by the most competent authors
Classic publications and debut works of weapons writers
History of the Russian assault rifle - S.B. Monetchikov
This publication represents one of the first successful attempts to give an objective picture of the development in our country of this type of individual automatic weapons, such as machine guns. Until now, most significant facts and events of interest for historical analysis have been classified. The book “The History of the Russian Automatic Machine” was prepared on the basis of the author’s work with a significant number of domestic and foreign sources, including previously unavailable documentary and archival materials from the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Defense Industry. Therefore, it will be useful as an objective historical study not only to specialists in the field of close combat weapons, but also to a wide range of readers interested in the history of small arms, their present and future.
Infantry weapons of the Third Reich (3 volumes) - S.B. Monetchikov
This book is a complete overview of the small arms and ammunition system used in the armed forces of the Third Reich. The book presents not only the technical characteristics of the described samples, but also the history of the development of these weapons in the context of the history of the Second World War. Along with standard samples, the publication includes a description of experimental German samples of small arms, as well as the main samples of captured weapons used in the Wehrmacht. The book consists of three volumes. The first volume contains an overview of the development of short-barreled individual weapons (pistols and submachine guns). The second volume examines the history of the development of long-barreled individual weapons (magazine, self-loading, automatic and assault rifles). The third volume presents samples of long-barreled group weapons (machine guns, anti-tank rifles and anti-tank grenade launchers). The appendices provide information on the ammunition used, provide documents of that time, and also provide a list of codes of the main German manufacturers of small arms during the Second World War.
Encyclopedia of Small Arms - A.B. Bug
This work is the first posthumous edition of the famous book by A.B. Zhuk “Encyclopedia of Small Arms,” first published by Military Publishing House in 1997. While fully reproducing the text and drawings of weapons and ammunition included in previous editions of the same name, this book has some differences. It is supplemented by a biography of the author, compiled by his son Yu.A. Zhuk, as well as an autobiographical article by A.B. Zhuk “The interest in weapons really did not leave me all my life,” which will undoubtedly attract the attention of readers. The encyclopedia presents small arms from all over the world (except machine guns), produced from the time of the advent of unitary cartridges to the present day (September 1997). More than half of the publication is occupied by illustrations made by the author, an artist by profession and a weapons lover by spirit. Designed for readers interested in the development of weapons and military affairs. It will be useful to gunsmiths, criminologists, workers of museums, film studios, and theaters.
Small arms of the world - V.E. Markevich
The book by V.E. Markevich is a unique encyclopedic publication in which the author for the first time showed the evolution of domestic and foreign firearms from the time of their inception to the mid-twentieth century. The value and peculiarity of this work lies not only in the breadth of coverage of the history of the development of handguns, but also in the fact that it is presented comprehensively. Data is provided on domestic and foreign military military weapons, sports shooting weapons, and hunting firearms, their relationship and mutual influence. The second edition is supplemented with information about weapons of the 18th century. the period of Peter the Great's era and Suvorov's battles, other periods. The final part of the book contains articles by the author on various weapons topics.
Pistol - S.L. Fedoseev
The book comprehensively talks about the most common type of small arms - the pistol. In a popular form, the main stages of the historical development of personal weapons, the requirements for pistols depending on their purpose, the design of various types of pistols and cartridges for them, the basics of shooting and operation of personal weapons are covered. The book is intended for a wide range of readers interested in small arms.
Pistols of the World - Ian W. Hogg, John Walter
The most complete publication, telling about more than three thousand models of pistols and revolvers in the world! The book contains more than a thousand illustrations, which makes it a unique and unparalleled encyclopedia of small arms in the world. The book is addressed to a wide range of readers interested in the history of the development of small arms.
World War II: the war of gunsmiths - Marin Milchev, Maxim Popenker
It was not for nothing that the Second World War was dubbed the “war of the gunsmiths.” It caused a colossal revolution in military production, a real weapons revolution. In 1939, Europe entered the battle with light tanks, outdated biplanes and antique repeating rifles, and ended World War II to the clang of the tracks of Tigers and Ises and the roar of the first jet fighters. The same processes occurred in the field of small arms. In less than five years, a tremendous technological breakthrough was made, which led to the emergence of completely new classes of technology, such as assault rifles and single machine guns. It was during the Second World War that the firearms designs used to this day were born, and such legendary models as the Sturmgever-44, the MG-42/MG-3 machine gun and, finally, the famous Kalashnikov assault rifle. Throughout the war there was a rapid race of small arms, a correspondence competition between the best designers of the warring powers. This book is dedicated to this great battle of gunsmiths.
Combat pistols of the world - M.R. Popenker
A systematic review of combat pistols used in the Armed Forces and police forces of most countries of the world from 1945 to the present. The publication provides not only reference and technical information about the main types of combat pistols, but also a historical overview of the events that accompanied the adoption of certain models and systems. In addition, the review includes some experimental and low-volume samples of pistols developed during the period under review. The appendices provide information on the design of modern pistols, the ammunition used and their comparative effectiveness.
Assault rifles of the world - M.R. Popenker
The book will provide an overview of the development of assault rifles and ammunition for them, and also analyze the prospects for the development of this class of weapons. Descriptions and characteristics of more than 80 samples of assault rifles and machine guns created in different countries of the world over the past 60 years are presented.
Russian machine guns. Heavy fire - Semyon Fedoseev
It is difficult to overestimate the role of machine guns in the development of military affairs - having cut short millions of lives, they forever changed the face of war. But even experts did not immediately appreciate them, at first considering them as special weapons with a very narrow range of combat missions - for example, at the turn of the 19th-20th centuries, machine guns were considered just one of the types of fortress artillery. However, already during the Russo-Japanese War, automatic fire proved its highest efficiency, and during the First World War, machine guns became one of the most important means of engaging the enemy in close combat and were installed on tanks, combat aircraft and ships. Automatic weapons made a real revolution in military affairs: heavy machine-gun fire literally swept away the advancing troops, becoming one of the main causes of the “positional crisis,” radically changing not only the tactical methods of combat, but also the entire military strategy. This book is the most complete and detailed encyclopedia to date of machine gun weapons of the Russian, Soviet and Russian armies from the end of the 19th to the beginning of the 21st century, both domestic models and foreign ones - purchased and captured. The author, a leading specialist in the history of small arms, not only provides detailed descriptions of the structure and operation of easel, manual, single, large-caliber, tank and aircraft machine guns, but also talks about their combat use in all the wars that our country waged throughout the turbulent 20th century .
This publication for the first time most fully covers the history of the creation, development and combat use of ALL types of Soviet small arms adopted for service in the period from 1917 to 1995. For the first time, special-purpose weapons are presented, including weapons for divers, cosmonauts, pilots and special forces, as well as the most significant examples of small arms and ammunition. Considerable attention is paid to the activities of designers, the heroic exploits of the Soviet people at the front and in captivity during the Great Patriotic War of 1941 - 1945. The book is richly illustrated with photographs from the author's personal archive, state archives and museums. For the first time, you can get acquainted with previously prohibited photographs and biographies of modern Soviet gunsmith designers. Designed for specialists and a wide range of readers.
15The year of publishing: 2001
Language: Russian
Pages: 144
Quality: Scanned pages
Format: PDF
File size: 56.5 MB
DESCRIPTION:
The submachine gun is undoubtedly a twentieth-century weapon: it emerged during World War I, reached its peak during World War II, and was subsequently gradually overshadowed by machine guns and assault rifles. By the end of the century, the submachine gun is not the main small arms in any of the modern armies. Its scope of application in the armed forces is limited to military police and second-tier units. However, as a police weapon, the submachine gun still plays an important role, and is destined to remain one of the main tools in the fight against terrorism for years to come. The submachine gun appeared as a solution to a pressing problem. The first weapon that can be described by such a term (we will formulate the criteria in the very near future) was developed by Hugo Schmeisser, a German engineer who worked as the chief designer in the Berlin company of Theodor Bergman. Somewhere in early 1916, Schmeisser, taking a close look at the progress of military operations, wondered what type of small arms was needed in order to stir up the swamp of trench warfare. Around the same time, Colonel Gouthières and General Ludendorff were experimenting with new tactical theories on the Eastern Front, which soon led to the creation of storm troops and infiltration tactics. Schmeisser reasoned that for an infantryman to operate in new conditions, a compact rapid-fire weapon with a short firing range was needed. The created weapon received the designations “Bergmann Muskete” (“Bergman’s musket”), “Kugelspritz” (literally “throwing bullets”) and the official “Maschinenpistole 18” (“mechanical pistol 18”). There is a transcript of the interrogation of a German soldier captured by the British in June 1916, where he talks about the “new Bergman pistol”, supplied in small quantities to the troops for testing in combat conditions, and its detailed description corresponds to the characteristics of the MP-18 submachine gun. Apparently, the troops accepted the new weapon with enthusiasm, but it took time to convince the senior military leadership who managed the funding, and serial deliveries of the MP-18 to the troops began only at the end of 1917.
By this time, the Italian army had already used another contender for the title of “first submachine gun,” but in a completely different tactical concept. The Italians fighting in the Alps needed a light machine gun with a very high rate of fire and a relatively short range. The Villar-Perosa company proposed a system of coaxial machine guns. Two small machine guns chambered for the 9mm Glisenti pistol cartridge, operating on a blowback bolt basis, fed from a magazine, were mounted on a special frame hanging on the shooter’s shoulder like a peddler’s tray. This machine gun was created in 1915; Since it used pistol ammunition, and the automatic action was based on the principle of a blowback, it is often claimed that the Villar-Perosa was the first submachine gun. Therefore, it’s time for us to look at the generally accepted definition of what kind of weapon is called a submachine gun.
WEAPON ( military), devices and means used in armed struggle to defeat and destroy the enemy. Serving both for attack and defense (defense), weapons have been known since ancient times. It appeared during the primitive communal system (according to archaeological periodization it coincides mainly with the Stone Age) as a means of hunting, as a weapon of attack and defense in the process of obtaining food and clothing, i.e. it was a type of labor tool. Subsequently, during the period of the collapse of the clan system, the emergence of private ownership of the means of production and the division of society into antagonistic classes, weapons become a means specially created for armed struggle.
The condition and development of weapons depends to a certain extent on the method of production and, especially on the level of development of the producing forces. F. Engels wrote: “Nothing depends more on economic conditions than the army and navy. Armament, composition, organization, tactics and strategy depend, first of all, on the stage of production currently achieved.
The first types of weapons used in the Early Paleolithic (in the early Stone Age, approximately 1 million 800 thousand - 35 thousand years ago) included a primitive club or club,
wooden a spear ,
stones. With the transition to the Late Paleolithic (approximately 35-10 thousand years ago), stone processing techniques underwent radical changes. Spears appeared and dart
with flint and bone tips, sling.
At the end of this era they used spear throwers,
significantly increasing the flight range of the spear. That is, in the Paleolithic there already existed impact and throwing B weapon Mesolithic (transitional era from Paleolithic to Neolithic) began to spread onion
And arrows
- one of the most important inventions of mankind in the era of tribal society. In the Neolithic (New Stone Age) new types of weapons appeared - a stone ax, dagger
of stone and bone, mace
with stone head. Development weapon led to the creation defensive weapons.
The discovery of the properties of copper in the Chalcolithic (Copper Stone Age) and the production of bronze (in the Bronze Age), which coincided with the formation of early class societies, marked the beginning of a new stage in the history of weapons. Specialized military weapons began to be manufactured - bronze (later iron) swords
coins (war hammer, Klevets),
spears and more Steel arms .
The main role in battles goes to the sword, the decisive importance of which for the wars of the era of barbarism F. Engels compared with the role of the bow for the era of savagery and firearms
for the era of civilization. There is a division of some types of weapons (sword, spear) into infantry (gladius, pilum) and cavalry (spata, hasta). The appearance of protective structures caused the creation of throwing machines and siege equipment.
The development of the bow led to the creation crossbow
And crossbow,
a knife appears, halberd
and other types of bladed weapons. Starting to be used greek fire,
mainly for setting fire to enemy ships in naval battles. An important stage in the development of weapons is associated with the use of gunpowder as a propellant and the emergence firearms. One of the first types of firearms was modfa,
appeared among the Arabs in the 12th century. In Western Europe and Rus', firearms weapon known since the 14th century. Artillery guns of that time were smooth-walled pipes (barrels) forged from metal, mounted on wooden machines. Loading was carried out from the muzzle of the barrel, and the powder charge was ignited through a special ignition hole. The projectiles were arrows, logs, stones, and later stone cannonballs. For shooting at manpower, stone buckshot was also used, which was poured into the bore on top of the propellant charge. First samples small arms(in Rus' - manual arquebus
(handbrake), in France - petrinal, in Spain - pedernal
) differed little in design from art. guns They were smooth-bore, muzzle-loading, had a straight stock and fired spherical bullets. The powder charge was ignited manually from a smoldering wick. With the advent and development of firearms, bladed weapons and throwing machines undergo changes and gradually lose their importance. By the end of the 14th century. the sword in Rus' gave way saber,
and in the West Europe was pushed out with a sword.
At the end of the Middle Ages and the beginning of modern times they found application ax
And berdysh,
as well as a variety of mace - six-pin, pernach, flail.
Importance in development artillery
played a transition in the 15th-16th centuries. to the manufacture of barrels from cast iron and bronze and to the use of cast iron and lead cannonballs for firing. This made it possible to reduce the caliber of the guns, making them lighter and more mobile. The use of grained gunpowder simplified loading and increased the rate of fire. However, there was great diversity in the design of the tools. So, in Russia in the 16-17 centuries. the weapons were arquebuses, mozhirs (mortars), howitzers (howitzers), shotguns, mattresses, mounted guns
etc. In order to increase the rate of fire, multi-barreled guns were used - organs.
With the introduction of the concept weapon caliber
and the improvement of production in the 18th century, a clearer systematization of artillery pieces was established. In the mid-18th century, Russia developed unicorns.
In the 1st half of the 19th century, bomb guns appeared, firing explosive shells weighing more than a pound (bombs) and were used primarily by naval and coastal artillery.
During its development, small arms became an independent type of firearm. This was caused by the need to make it lighter and more maneuverable. In the 15th century they appeared guns
with wick castle
(in the West - arquebuses,
in Rus' - hand-held squeaks of 12.5-18 mm caliber). At the same time, muzzle-loading smoothbore guns were created pistols
How self-defense weapon. At the beginning of the 16th century, more powerful matchlock guns began to be used - muskets,
20-23 mm caliber. The transition from matchlocks to wheel locks (late 15th century) and percussion flintlocks (16th century) was of great importance for the development of small arms. With the creation of the percussion flintlock and bayonet (17th century), the type of infantry smoothbore muzzle-loading gun, which was in service with armies until the mid-19th century, finally took shape. Re-equipment of the Russian army with such guns (fusees)
was produced in 1706-09, and at the beginning of the 19th century (1808-09) a single caliber was established for all guns - 7 lines (17.78 mm).
The transition to rifled barrels led to a leap in the development of firearms. Rifle
made it possible to increase the range and accuracy of fire and to use elongated rotating projectiles, which have greater effectiveness at the target compared to spherical smoothbore artillery projectiles. The first examples of small arms with screw rifling were created back in the 16th century (screw-mounted arquebuses and guns, union
)artillery pieces in the 17th century. However, due to the complexity of manufacturing and the difficulty of loading, such weapons did not become widespread until the s. 19th century. The invention in the 1st half of the 19th century of a percussion composition and a primer as a means of igniting a propellant charge, a paper (in the 60s metal) unitary cartridge, the improvement of locks and the creation of bolts significantly facilitated the loading of weapons and increased their rate of fire. Widespread rearmament of armies and navies with rifled breech-loading guns, rifles, carbines
was carried out in the 60s. 19th century, when the achieved levels of development of production and scientific and technological progress provided the necessary conditions for their development and production in large quantities. At the beginning of the 19th century. In Russia and other countries, various devices were developed and adopted into service with powder rockets and were used in a number of wars and battles. However, due to the insufficiently high level of development of science and technology, they were not improved and, due to the increase in the firepower of artillery, temporarily lost their importance, reviving on a new basis in the 30s. 20th century. In the middle of the 19th century. mines entered service with armies and navies ,
and then torpedoes.
In the 2nd half. 19th century There is further development and improvement of firearms. The invention during this period of smokeless gunpowder
allowed to sharply increase weapon rate of fire
And firing range.
A type of rapid-fire artillery gun is being created (Russian 2.5-inch gun by V. S. Baranovsky (1877) and 76-mm gun model 1902, French 75-mm gun model 1897, etc.), which had almost all components and units that exist in modern weapons. The caliber of the rifle is reduced weapons, appears magazine weapon.
One of the best examples of this weapons there was a 7.62 mm rifle mod. 1891, developed by S.I. Mosin. An important stage in development weapons creation appeared automatic weapons
(automatic cannon, machine gun, etc.), which quickly spread and had a significant impact on the forms and methods of warfare. During the Russo-Japanese War 1904-05 Rus. army for mounted shooting from the sea. guns used an over-caliber mine. This weapon was called mortar
Subsequently, mortars were developed and adopted for service in other armies.
During World War I, new types of weapons emerged and old ones were improved. Along with tanks and planes, aircraft appeared. and tank machine guns of 7.62-7.9 mm caliber, tank guns of 37-75 mm caliber and aerial bombs.
To combat enemy aircraft, they began to create zenith and guns. One of the first anti-aircraft guns was the Russian 76-mm anti-aircraft gun mod. 1915. Initially, mainly light field artillery guns with conventional shells were used against tanks. The navies of various states began to use them against submarines depth charges
and diving art. shells, into the sea. aviation - bombs and torpedoes. During the war, German troops were the first to use flamethrowers
And chemical weapon:
chlorine (1915), phosgene (1916), mustard gas and toxic fumes (1917). Chemical weapons were also used by the Entente troops.
Before World War II, the development of weapons followed the path of creating new, more advanced field and naval artillery guns (including semi-automatic and automatic anti-aircraft guns), aviation, tank and anti-tank guns, mortars, self-propelled guns, anti-tank rifles, and models of small automatic weapons (rifles, pistols, submachine guns, light, heavy and heavy machine guns, including aviation, tank and anti-aircraft guns). In 1936, the 7.62-mm automatic rifle ABC-36 designed by S. G. Simonov was adopted by the Soviet Army, then 7.62-mm self-loading rifles mod. 1940 designs by F.V. Tokarev. In 1938, a large-caliber 12.7-mm DShK machine gun designed by V. A. Degtyarev and G. S. Shpagin entered service with the troops, and at the beginning of 1941, a 7.62-mm PPSh submachine gun designed by Shpagin. All this significantly increased the share of automatic weapons. Modern combat aircraft were equipped with 7.62 mm ShKAS aviation machine guns designed by B. G. Shpitalny and I. A. Komaritsky and 20 mm aviation machine guns. ShVAK guns designed by Shpitalny and S.V. Vladimirov (cannon firing rate - 3000 rounds/min). In the period 1936-40, new 76-mm divisional guns and a 122-mm howitzer, a 152-mm howitzer-gun and howitzer, a 210-mm cannon, a 280-mm mortar and a 305-mm howitzer were adopted, and the 45-mm howitzer was modernized anti-tank gun. Anti-aircraft artillery was equipped with 25- and 37-mm automatic 76- and 85-mm cannons. At the end of the 30s. 50-mm company, 82-mm battalion, 107-mm mountain-pack and 120-mm regimental mortars were created. Great contribution to the creation of a first-class owl. art. weapons were contributed by design teams led by V.G. Grabin, I.I. Ivanov, F.F. Petrov, B.I. Shavyrin and others. In 1937, the Soviets adopted them. The Air Force received 82- and 132-mm rockets (RS-82 and RS-132). At the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, the war of 1941-45 Owls. troops fired the first salvo from rocket artillery combat vehicles ( “Katyusha”). During the 2nd World War, jets were also used by the Nazi, British and American armies. In 1943 it was adopted by the Soviets. The troops received the first large-caliber breech-loading 160-mm mortar. Widely used in World War 2 self-propelled artillery units
(self-propelled guns): in the Soviet Army with guns of 76, 85, 100, 122 and 152 mm caliber; in the Nazi armies - 75-150 mm; in the American and British armies - 75-203 mm. Main types naval weapons
there were various artillery systems, improved torpedoes, mines and depth charges. The aviation of different countries was armed with aerial bombs weighing from 1 kg to 9 thousand kg, small-caliber automatic guns (20-47 mm), large-caliber machine guns (11.35-13.2 mm), and rockets. Tanks before World War 2 had mostly small-caliber guns (37-45 mm). During the war, medium-caliber guns (75-122 mm) began to be installed on them. Further development was achieved small automatic weapons
, (especially machine guns and submachine guns), flamethrowers of various types, incendiary ammunition, cumulative and sub-caliber projectiles, mine explosive weapon
. In 1944, the Nazi army used guided missiles V-1
and ballistic missiles V-2,
and in August 1945 the US armed forces - nuclear weapon.
The USSR quickly eliminated the US monopoly on the atomic bomb and in 1949 carried out an experiment, the explosion of an atomic device. Later, nuclear weapons were created in Great Britain, France, and China. In the post-war period, the USSR, USA, Great Britain, France and other countries developed and adopted rockets
of various classes and purposes. In unity with nuclear weapons, missiles formed nuclear missile weapons.
It combines the enormous destructive power of nuclear weapons with the unlimited range of missiles. The emergence of nuclear missile weapons required fundamental changes in all areas of military affairs.
Modern weapons in most cases are a combination of direct weapons and means of delivering them to the target, as well as instruments and control and guidance devices. Therefore, such weapons are usually called weapons complexes. Modern weapons are classified according to their main distinctive features.
These signs are:
- the scale of the lethal effect of the weapon and the nature of the combat missions it solves;
- intended purpose of the weapon;
- method of delivering direct weapons to the target;
- degree of weapon maneuverability;
- number of service personnel;
- degree of automation of the firing (launch) process;
- the ability to change the trajectory when moving weapons of direct destruction to the target.
After World War II, on the basis of scientific and technological progress, fundamental changes took place in the armies of the most developed countries in the means of warfare and the methods of their use. Accumulated and improved nuclear weapons.
Nuclear missile warheads,
air bombs, torpedoes, land mines, depth charges, artillery shells with an equivalent power of several tens of tons to several tens of megatons of TNT. Nuclear ammunition carriers - missiles of various classes and purposes - have entered service with branches of the armed forces and branches of the armed forces (forces). Most powerful strategic weapon become intercontinental ballistic missiles(ICBMs) with monoblock and multiple warheads, possessing enormous destructive power, long flight range and high accuracy of hitting the target. In addition to strategic missiles, operational-tactical and tactical missiles are also in service. New air and missile defense systems have been developed. Anti-aircraft missile systems (SAM) have been developed that have missiles with conventional and nuclear warheads and are capable of hitting air targets flying at extremely low altitudes (50-100 m) and in the troposphere at supersonic speed. Anti-missiles are used to intercept ICBM warheads missile defense systems. The main weapons of combat aircraft were guided and homing air-to-air missiles (air-to-air missiles) and air-to-surface missiles. To equip submarines and boats, ballistic and cruise missiles with underwater launch and long flight range, as well as torpedo missiles, have been created. Surface ships are armed with missiles and other types of modern weapons, ensuring their high combat effectiveness. A fundamentally new weapon has been developed - anti-tank guided missiles - one of the most effective means of fighting tanks. They also began to be installed on tanks and helicopters. Barrel and rocket artillery, small arms, bomber, torpedo and mine artillery have received great development - explosive weapon. The damaging effect of conventional weapons has been increased ammunition .
Cluster warheads for missiles, active rockets and mines, projectiles with arrow-shaped striking elements, napalm bombs, etc. appeared.
New instruments and devices have been created for preparing fire and controlling fire and weapons (radar stations, sighting systems, laser rangefinders, night vision devices and sights, etc.) that significantly increase the combat effectiveness of weapons. The modern development of weapons is characterized by their accelerated renewal. Cycles of replacing some types of weapons with others compared to the beginning of the 20th century. decreased by 2-3 times.
The discovery of new sources of energy and physical laws, the creation of advanced technical means, leads to the emergence of more effective types of weapons, which causes significant and sometimes fundamental changes in the methods and forms of warfare, the theory of military art, the organization of the structure of the armed forces and the practice of training troops . Weapons are a material factor in scientific and technological progress achieved as a result of the development of theory and experience. In turn, military art influences the development of weapons, putting forward demands for improving existing types and creating new ones. Competition between means of destruction and means of defense (for example, projectile and armor, air attack and air defense means, etc.) is of great stimulating importance for the development of weapons.
Modern development of science and technology makes it possible to create and produce new types of weapons, incl. weapons of mass destruction based on qualitatively new operating principles. In addition, when qualitatively new elements are used in traditional types and systems of weapons, the latter can also acquire the properties of weapons of mass destruction. Considering the great threat that weapons of mass destruction pose to humanity, the USSR is waging a consistent and active struggle to ban both existing and new types of weapons.