Alexander Nikitovich GANICHEV

Alexander Ganichev was born on August 25, 1918 in the village of Sudakovo, Leninsky District, Tula Region. In the family of peasants Ganichev - Nikita Borisovich and Stepanida Yegorovna - he was the third child. In 1934 he entered the Tula Industrial College. After graduating from the technical school, from September 1938 to October 1941, he worked as a designer, and then as a deputy head of a department at a cartridge factory in Tula.

During the war in evacuation, he worked from October 1941 to December 1942 in Novosibirsk as a workshop foreman and head of the technological bureau at the Sibselmash plant, and from December 1942 to January 1944 - deputy head of the bureau at the plant. Sergo in Zelenodolsk, Tatar ASSR.

In January 1944 he was transferred to Moscow to the People's Commissariat of Ammunition, where he worked as a senior engineer of the Main Directorate until December 1945. Since December 1945, Alexander Nikitovich has been working at the newly organized Research Institute No. 147 (later FSUE "GNPP" Splav ") as Deputy Head of Department (until May 1948) and Head of Department (until April 1957). He received his higher technical education in Tula Mechanical Institute, graduating from it in 1957 with a degree in "Elements of polygon installations."

From April 1957 to December 1958 he worked as a chief engineer, and from December 1958 to April 1959 - chief designer. In 1959-1983 - 1- 1st Deputy General Director for Research - Chief Designer. Practically from the moment of organization of the enterprise under the leadership of A.N. Ganichev, research work on the creation of a theory of the functioning of artillery shells when fired was widely deployed.

In 1957, A.N. Ganichev's great work "Designing solid-drawn artillery shells" was published, which summarized the many years of experience of the author and the enterprise in this area. This monograph has become a handbook for designers and technologists.

Attaching particular importance to the issues of saving non-ferrous metals, the company has fulfilled the task set to replace brass sleeves with steel ones. The problem of working out the design and technology of steel sleeves demanded a solution to a set of issues on the functioning of steel sleeves when fired and their production. The task was successfully solved, and in 1950 a number of steel sleeves were put into mass production. For this work in 1951 a large group of specialists, including A.N. Ganichev, was awarded the USSR State Prize.

In 1958, the government instructed the FSUE "GNPP" Splav "to develop the MLRS" Grad". A.N. Ganichev understood that new ideas, unconventional design and technological solutions were needed to create a highly effective promising weapon system with large-scale and mass production of shells. He rallied around himself a team of designers and technologists who, infected with his ideas, selflessly worked day and night on this problem and successfully solved it. In 1963, the Grad MLRS was put into service.

The creation of the Grad system, the high characteristics of the combat effectiveness of which have been confirmed in a number of regional conflicts, was the beginning of a qualitatively new development of this type of weapon not only in our country, but also abroad. In the following decades, under the leadership of A.N. Ganichev, work on the development of the Grad system, due to its high efficiency, made it possible to create and put into service the Grad-V MLRS rocket systems for the airborne troops, the Grad-1 MLRS on wheeled and tracked chassis and a projectile with a warhead of increased power.

At the turn of the 70s and 80s, a system of increased power "Prima" was created - the last system worked out and completed during the life of AN Ganichev.

During its development, A.N. Ganichev clearly formulated the principles of this system: the maximum increase in efficiency (5-19 times) and the possibility of its manufacture at existing facilities.

A.N. Ganichev constantly worked on the future, always creatively thinking about the ways of development of MLRS. After completing the development of "Grad" and conducting a complex of scientific research under his leadership, he clearly formulated the directions for creating the next generation of systems: the MLRS of the army link "Uragan" and the long-range system "Smerch" of the reserve of the Main Command.

In the Uragan system, which surpassed all the best systems in terms of firing range (35 km) and other characteristics, in addition to a number of new achievements in design and technological thought, A. N. Ganichev was the first for MLRS to develop and successfully implement the principle of cluster warheads, allowing to dramatically increase the efficiency of systems.

A.N. Ganichev understood that the prospects for the development of MLRS with unguided rockets have a limit, new solutions are needed to improve the accuracy and accuracy of fire. On his initiative, already in 60-70. a complex of research and development work in this direction was started, and by 1976 the appearance of a new promising system "Smerch" was formulated. A.N. Ganichev considered one of the main fundamental directions in the creation of this system to ensure the correction of the flight trajectory.

A.N. Ganichev understood that further development prospects were also increasing the reliability of systems, reducing the costs of all funds for solving a wide range of combat missions, and searching for new unconventional solutions. Already in the early 80s, on his initiative, the first studies of the intellectual elements of ammunition began, i.e. the formation of a scientific and technical reserve for the future prospect began. Under the leadership of A.N. Ganichev, a comprehensive approach to the creation of MLRS was formed.

A.N. Ganichev was always distinguished by the breadth of setting tasks and problems that were solved together with specialists from numerous related enterprises and serial factories, which ensured stable serial production of the developed products and their delivery to the customer.

A.N. Ganichev successfully solved the problem of creating multiple launch rocket systems in the interests of the Navy. For the Navy, the following means of protecting ships have been created: "Dam" - a coastal bombing complex for protecting ships in the places of basing and anchorage from underwater sabotage forces and means; "Boa-1" - to protect ships from enemy torpedoes; "Dozhd" - for individual protection of ships from submarine sabotage forces and assets; "RPK-8" - to protect ships from submarines in the nearest zone.

A.N. Ganichev combined his design and organizational activities with extensive scientific work, working closely with academic institutes and universities, research institutes of the Ministry of Defense and with industry research institutes and design bureaus. In 1976 he was awarded the degree of Doctor of Technical Sciences, and in 1980 he was awarded the academic title of professor. As the head of the scientific and design school, A.N. Ganichev trained a large number of highly qualified specialists who successfully defended their doctoral and candidate dissertations, were awarded high government awards. For technical solutions proposed by him personally and in co-authorship, 380 copyright certificates were received, confirming the high level and priority of the created samples of new technology.

Summing up a brief summary of the multifaceted activities of A.N. Ganichev, it can be said that under his leadership, more than 10 highly effective multiple launch rocket systems and more than 40 rockets for various purposes were developed and put into service with the army. A creative team and a scientific school have been created, a scientific and technical reserve for promising developments has been provided.

The high scientific and technical level of products, which are based on new scientific ideas and design solutions put forward by A.N. Ganichev for the first time in domestic and world practice, many of which have become classic for MLRS, allow Russia to keep the world leadership in the field of MLRS.

A.N. Ganichev was distinguished by constant creative search, high erudition, modesty and great personal charm. He always treated people and their needs with special care and warmth. He enjoyed great love, authority and respect.

Especially the character of A.N. Ganichev manifested itself in an extra-work environment, where he treated people of any profession and position with the same kindness, never emphasized his importance and did not shy away from any dirty work.

Homeland highly appreciated the merits of A.N. Ganichev. He was awarded the Hammer and Sickle gold medal of the Hero of Socialist Labor, two Orders of Lenin, and four medals. Twice (in 1951 and 1976) he became a laureate of the USSR State Prize, and in 1968 - a laureate of the S.I.Mosin Prize.