Ракетные войска стратегического назначения Raketnye voyska strategicheskogo naznacheniya Strategic Rocket Forces
SRF emblem and flag
Active	December 17, 1959 - present
Country	Russian Federation (earlier - Soviet Union)
Role	Strategic defence
Anniversaries	December 17
Commanders
Current commander	Nikolay Solovtsov

The Strategic Rocket Forces of Russia (Russian: Ракетные войска стратегического назначения (РВСН), transliteration: Raketnye voyska strategicheskogo naznacheniya) are a major division of the Russian armed forces that controls Russia's land-based ICBMs. This division also existed in the military of the Soviet Union. Image File history File links RSF_great_emblem. ... Image File history File links SRF_flag. ... December 17 is the 351st day of the year (352nd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... There exist many possible systems for transliterating the Cyrillic alphabet of the Russian language to English or the Latin alphabet. ... // Organization The Russian military is divided into the following branches: Ground Forces, Navy, Air Force. ... A Minuteman III missile soars after a test launch. ...

Overview

The Strategic Rocket Forces comprise the world's largest force of ICBMs, totalling 560 missiles able to deliver 1,970 nuclear warheads. Like most of the Russian military, the Strategic Rocket Forces have been limited in access to resources for new equipment since the end of the Cold War. However, the Russian government has made a priority of ensuring that the Rocket Forces receive new missiles to phase out older, less-reliable systems, and to incorporate newer capabilities in the face of international threats to the viability of the nuclear deterrent effect provided by their missiles, in particular the development of missile defense systems in the United States. A Minuteman III missile soars after a test launch. ... For other uses, please see Cold War (disambiguation). ...

Similar organizations in other nations include Air Force Space Command in the United States and the 2nd Artillery Corps in China. Complementary strategic forces within Russia are the 37th Air Army of the Supreme High Command, the bomber force, (which used to be known as Long Range Aviation) and the strategic submarines of Russian Navy. Air Force Space Command emblem Air Force Space Command (AFSPC) is a major command of the United States Air Force with headquarters at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado, USA. It was created on September 1, 1982. ... The Second Artillery Corps are a major division of the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army that controls Chinas land-based ICBMs. ... The Russian Navy (Russian: Военно Морской Флот (ВМФ) - Voyenno- Morskoy Flot (VMF) or Military Maritime Fleet) is the naval arm of the Russian armed forces. ...

History

Armed Forces of the Russian Federation

Services (Vid) Russian Air Force Russian Ground Forces Russian Navy Arms of Service (Rod) Strategic Rocket Forces Russian Space Forces Airborne Troops Ranks of the Russian Military Air Force ranks and insignia Army ranks and insignia Navy ranks and insignia History of the Russian Military Military History of Russia History of Russian military ranks

The Strategic Rocket Forces (RVSN - Raketnye Vojska Strategicheskogo Naznachneiya) were the main Soviet force used for attacking an enemy's offensive nuclear weapons, military facilities, and industrial infrastructure. They operated all Soviet ground-based intercontinental, intermediate-range, and medium-range nuclear missiles with ranges over 1,000 kilometers. The Strategic Rocket Forces also conducted all Soviet space vehicle and missile launches. At the end of the Cold War the Strategic Rocket Forces, the newest Soviet armed service, were the preeminent armed service, based on the continued importance of their mission. Their prestige had diminished somewhat, however, because of an increasing emphasis on conventional forces. The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (UTC) (Russian: Transliteration: Vooruzhénniye síly Rossíyskoy Federátsii) is the military of Russia, established after the break-up of the Soviet Union. ... Russian coat of arms This image depicts a seal, an emblem, a coat of arms or a crest. ... Image File history File links Vvs-1-.gif File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... The Russian Air Force or VVS (transliterated from Russian: Военно-воздушные силы (Voenno-Vozdushnye Sily)) is the air force of Russia. ... Image File history File links Mo-rf-1-.gif Army insignia of the Russian federation File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... The Russian Ground Forces (Russian: Сухопутные силы России) are the land forces of Russia, formed from parts of the collapsing Soviet Army in 1992. ... Image File history File links Vmf-1-.gif File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... The Russian Navy (Russian: Военно Морской Флот (ВМФ) - Voyenno- Morskoy Flot (VMF) or Military Maritime Fleet) is the naval arm of the Russian armed forces. ... The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ... VDV flag. ... Insignia of the Russian Air Force The following table presents images of the rank insignia used by the Russian Federation Air Force (VVS). ... Army insignia of the Russian Federation The independent Russia inherited the ranks of the Soviet Union, although the insignia and uniform was altered a little. ... Insignia of the Russian Navy. ... The military history of Russia may refer to the following things: Military history of Muscovy Military history of Imperial Russia Military history of the Soviet Union Military history of the Russian Federation This is a disambiguation page: a list of articles associated with the same title. ... Modern Russian military ranks trace their roots to Table of Ranks established by Peter the Great. ... Motto: Пролетарии всех стран, соединяйтесь! (Transliterated: Proletarii vsekh stran, soedinyaytes!) (Russian: Workers of the world, unite!) Anthem: The Internationale (1922-1944) Hymn of the Soviet Union (1944-1991) Capital (largest city) Moscow None; Russian de facto Government Federation of Soviet Republics  - Last President Mikhail Gorbachev  - Last Premier Ivan Silayev Establishment October Revolution   - Declared 30... The mushroom cloud of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Japan, 1945, rose some 18 kilometers (11 mi) above the hypocenter. ... A Minuteman III missile after a test launch. ... Exocet missile in flight A missile (see also pronunciation differences) is a projectile propelled as a weapon at a target. ... A kilometer (Commonwealth spelling: kilometre), symbol: km is a unit of length in the metric system equal to 1,000 metres (from the Greek words χίλια (khilia) = thousand and μέτρο (metro) = count/measure). ... For other uses, please see Cold War (disambiguation). ...

Russia's armed forces underwent major organizational changes from July 1997. A new strategic command was formed — the Strategic Missile Troops — comprised of the Strategic Rocket Forces (RVSN), the Military Space Forces, and the Space Missile Defense Forces, which previously were part of the Troops of Air Defense. In 1998 Defence Minister Sergeyev advanced a project for further reorganization of the nuclear forces, under which the Strategic Missile Troops would have been transformed into the Unified Command of the Strategic Deterrent Forces, with control over the naval and air components of the nuclear ‘triad’. However, this plan failed to gain support, and was not implemented. 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ...

On 11 August 2000 the Security Council met to discuss the future of the Armed Forces for the period through 2016. Before the meeting of the Security Council, the Defense Ministry and the General Staff had different approaches to proposals regarding the reform of the Armed Forces. August 11 is the 223rd day of the year (224th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... This article is about the year 2000. ...

General Staff Chief Anatoly Kvashnin suggested that the Strategic Missile Forces should be dissolved or merged with either the Air force or with some other branch of the military. Kvashnin advocated a substantial reduction in size of nuclear forces in order to free resources for conventional capabilities, of the sort that might be usable in conflicts such as Chechnya. Kvashnin proposed that Russia's land-based intercontinental nuclear missile force be cut from 756 missiles to 148 by the year 2016. An Air force is a military or armed service that primarily conducts aerial warfare. ... Capital Grozny Area - total - % water Ranked 80th - 15,300 km² - negligible Population - Total - Density Ranked 49th - est. ...

Defense Minister Igor Sergeev was averse to the reduction of the Strategic Missile Forces, which he had previously commanded. After Putin, Sergeev and Kvashnin met in late July 2000 a compromise was reached. According to the resolutions approved by the Security Council, the Strategic Missile Forces would remain an independent branch of the Armed Forces at least until 2006. The Regiments and divisions of the Strategic Missile Forces will be enlarged, though their overall number will be reduced. The ratio of financing between the strategic nuclear forces and general purpose forces will be approximately 1 to 3. Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (Russian: ) (born October 7, 1952) is a Russian politician, and the current President of Russia. ... This article is about the year 2000. ...

As a result of decisions by the National Security Council in August 2000, it is expected that the Strategic Missile Force will see a reduction of up to 10 missile divisions by 2006. It is intended that the space missile defence troops and the space military forces will be removed from the Strategic Missile Force in 2001 and put under the direct control of the General Staff. The Strategic Missile Force is expected to be transformed into an independent arm of service in 2002, and possibly by in 2006 to be included under the Russian Air Force. The Russian Air Force or VVS (transliterated from Russian: Военно-воздушные силы (Voenno-Vozdushnye Sily)) is the air force of Russia. ...

Forces

In 1989 the Strategic Rocket Forces had over 1,400 intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), 300 launch control centers, and twenty-eight missile bases. The Soviet Union had six types of operational ICBMs; about 50 % were heavy SS-18 and SS-19 ICBMs, which carried 80 % of the country's land-based ICBM warheads. In 1989 the Soviet Union was also producing new mobile, and hence survivable, ICBMs. A reported 100 road-mobile SS-25 missiles were operational, and the rail-mobile SS-24 was being deployed. A Minuteman III missile after a test launch. ...

The Strategic Rocket Forces also operated SS-20 intermediate-range ballistic missiles (IRBMs) and SS-4 medium-range ballistic missiles (MRBMs). Two-thirds of the road-mobile Soviet SS-20 force was based in the western Soviet Union and was aimed at Western Europe. One-third was located east of the Ural Mountains and was targeted primarily against China. Older SS-4 missiles were deployed at fixed sites in the western Soviet Union. The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF Treaty), signed in December 1987, called for the elimination of all 553 Soviet SS-20 and SS-4 missiles within three years. As of mid-1989, over 50 % of SS-20 and SS-4 missiles had been eliminated.

Russia continued the reduction in strategic missile inventory required under START I, although at a pace slower than the United States would like. By mid-1996 all nuclear warheads on former Soviet SRF missiles in Kazakstan and Ukraine had been returned to Russia or destroyed, and all missiles left Belarus by the end of 1996. START, officially the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty was a strategic arms limitation treaty between the United States and the Soviet Union. ...

The Russian SRF missile inventory not only is shrinking in response to treaty requirements but also is changing in character. The new Topol-M is the only system suited to Russian strategic requirements and acceptable under the requirements of START I, so rocket production efforts will concentrate on this model for the foreseeable future. The SS-25 Topol was fielded in SRF regiments comprising three battalions totaling nine launch vehicles. In 1996 forty such regiments were operational. Several older operational ICBM systems also remained in the field. These included an SS-17 regiment of ten silos, six SS-18 silo fields totaling 222 missiles with multiple warheads, four SS-19 silo fields totaling 250 missiles with multiple warheads, and ninety-two SS-24 missiles of which thirty-six are mounted on trains. All except the SS-24 were being phased out in favor of the SS-25 Topol.

Organization

The special-purpose brigade of the RVGK [Supreme High Command Reserve] was formed in 1946, and on 18 October 1947 the brigade conducted the first launch of the A-4 ballistic missile from the Kapustin Yar Range. Later the brigade was given the combined-arms designation of 22nd RVGK special-purpose brigade, then 72nd RVGK Engineer Brigade, and in 1960 the 24th Guards Division of the RVSN was formed on its basis. Brigade is a term from military science which refers to military echelon under a division, above a regiment where that exists as such, nowadays often a group of several battalions (typically two to four), and directly attached supporting units (normally including at least an artillery battery and additional logistic support). ... 1946 (MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... October 18 is the 291st day of the year (292nd in leap years). ... 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1947 calendar). ... 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1960 calendar). ...

In 1989 the 300,000 Soviet soldiers in the Strategic Rocket Forces were organized into six rocket armies comprised of three to five divisions, which contained regiments of ten missile launchers each. Each missile regiment had 400 soldiers in security, transportation, and maintenance units above ground. Officers manned launch stations and command posts underground. 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Army (From Latin armata (act of arming) via Old French armée) can, in some countries, refer to any armed force. ... Symbol of the Polish 1st Legions Infantry Division in NATO code A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of around ten to fifteen thousand soldiers. ... A regiment is a military unit, consisting of a group of battalions, usually four and commanded by a colonel. ...

In 1996 the SRF had about 100,000 troops, of which about half were conscripts. The SRF had the highest proportion of well-educated officers among the armed services. The numerical strength of its personnel is only 10% of the armed forces' total. As of 1997 the average troop strength was at 85.3 % of the table of organization, and officers of all ranks were doing alert duty more frequently — 130 24-hour periods a year. Although ninety-nine percent of RVSN officers have a degree in engineering, and over twenty-five percent of the personnel are contract sergeants and soldiers, among the conscript contingent, less than half of the total have a secondary (high school) education. 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... An officer is a member of a military or naval service who holds a position of responsibility. ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... High school - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ...

As of mid-1997 two-thirds of the strategic forces' nuclear delivery systems were in constant combat readiness, and the readiness of the missile complexes to launch is a few tens of seconds. The organizational structure of the RSVN included four missile armies, which contain 19 divisions, 756 launchers, and 5,535 nuclear devices at stationary, railroad, and mobile missile launch complexes. This is the top-level page of WikiProject trains Rail tracks Rail transport refers to the land transport of passengers and goods along railways or railroads. ...

The control of the missile troops is effected directly by the Supreme Commander in Chief through the central command headquarters of the General Staff and the main headquarters of the RVSN, using a multi-level extended network of command posts operating in alert-duty mode. In the alert-duty forces about 12,000 missile personnel perform a three-fold mission: reacting to failures in the missile systems and systems of security communications, and correcting them in the minimum possible time; maintaining readiness to carry out the military mission assigned them; and in the event the armed forces are placed on the highest level of military readiness, to provide for the execution of their assigned missions.

A system to ensure nuclear security is based on a three-level system of protection of the launch installations. The installations are directly guarded by officers and warrant officers. The second line of protection is covered by armored hardware and structures. The third outer line is formed by minefields and security posts.

At the wing level there is a section called the 6th Directorate, consisting of three or four officers, and their sole function is to make sure they know where every nuclear weapon in that wing is. At the Rocket Army level there is a similar kind of organization. And at the Headquarters, Strategic Rocket Forces, there is a 6th Directorate that coordinates with the Ministry of Defense 12th Directorate, whose sole function is this accountability issue.

Current composition

The composition of missiles and warheads of the Strategic Rocket Forces must be revealed as part of the START II treaty exchange. The latest date of exchange was January 1, 2005. START II, the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty was signed by George H. W. Bush and Boris Yeltsin in January 1993, which banned the use of MIRVs and hence often cited as De-MIRV-ing Agreement. ...

The Strategic Rocket Forces operate four distinct missile systems. The oldest system is the R-36M / SS-18 Satan which is capable of carrying ten warheads. 85 remain in service, although plans to retire the older of the two versions in service, the R-36MUTTH, will leave 40 of the less aged R-36M2 in service past 2020. The other missile capable of carrying a MIRV warhead is the UR-100NUTTH or SS-19 as it is known to NATO, with 129 in service with up to six warheads each. The most numerous missile serving is the Topol or SS-25, a road-mobile missile. Despite over 300 in service, they are reaching the end of their service lives and are due for replacement. The only new missile entering service is the Topol-M, or SS-27, and can be either silo-based or road-mobile. Deployment has begun with the announcement of the first operational unit, but full-scale entry into service is expected from 2006. The R-36M/SS-18- DIA designation, (NATO reporting name Satan) is a massive ICBM capable of a +6000 nm (6600 mi, 10,600 km) flight, and the delivery of ten 0. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... NATO 2002 Summit in Prague The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation[1] (NATO), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, the Atlantic Alliance or the Western Alliance, is an international organisation for collective security established in 1949, in support of the North Atlantic Treaty signed in Washington, DC, on 4 April 1949. ...

Organizationally, the Strategic Rocket Forces are divided into three Missile Armies, each with constituent Missile Divisions at each missile base. The commander of the Strategic Rocket Forces is Colonel General Nikolay Solovtsov, appointed on April 27, 2001 by President Vladimir Putin. Order of battle of the forces is as follows: Symbol of the Polish 1st Legions Infantry Division in NATO code A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of around ten to fifteen thousand soldiers. ... Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (Russian: ) (born October 7, 1952) is a Russian politician, and the current President of Russia. ...

• 27th Guards Missile Army (HQ: Vladimir)
  • 7th Guards Missile Division at Vypolzovo with 18 Topol
  • 10th Guards Missile Division at Kostromo completing liquidation
  • 14th Missile Division at Yoshkar-Ola with 27 Topol
  • 28th Guards Missile Division at Kozelsk with 60 UR-100NUTTH
  • 54th Guards Missile Division at Teykovo with 36 Topol
  • 60th Missile Division at Tatischevo with 69 UR-100NUTTH and 40 Topol-M
• 31st Missile Army (HQ: Rostoshi)
  • 8th Missile Division at Yur'ya with 27 Topol
  • 13th Missile Division at Dombarovskiy with 46 R-36M
  • 42nd Missile Division at Nizhniy Tagil with 36 Topol
  • 59th Missile Division at Kartaly completing liquidation
• 33rd Guards Missile Army (HQ: Omsk)
  • 23rd Guards Missile Division at Kansk with 45 Topol
  • 35th Missile Division at Barnaul with 36 Topol
  • 39th Guards Missile Division at Novosibirsk with 45 Topol
  • 51st Guards Missile Division at Irkutsk with 36 Topol
  • 62nd Missile Division at Uzhur with 40 R-36M

// Overview The RT-2PM Topol is a mobile intercontinental ballistic missile designed in the Soviet Union and in service with Russias Strategic Rocket Forces. ... Yoshkar-Ola (Йошка́р-Ола́) is a city in Russia, capital of the Mari El republic. ... Kozelsks Coat of Arms Kozelsk (Козельск in Russian, also spelt Kozielsk in English) is a town in the Kaluga Oblast in Russia, located on the Zhizdra River (Okas tributary) 72 km southwest of Kaluga. ... Teykovo (Russian: ) is a town in Ivanovo Oblast, Russia. ... The Topol-M or SS-27 is the newest of the Russian Strategic Rocket Forces ICBMs. ... Dombarovskiy is an ICBM-base at 51°0 N. and 58°0 E. in Orenburg Oblast, Russia. ... View from space Nizhny Tagil (Ни́жний Таги́л, also transliterated Nizhniy Tagil and Nižnij Tagil) is a city in Russia, located in the Sverdlovsk Oblast in the Ural Mountains (57° 56 N, 60° 00 E). ... Coat of arms of Kartaly Kartaly (Russian: ) is a town in Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russia, located in the valley of the Kartaly-Ayat River (left tributary of the Tobol) 260 km south-west of Chelyabinsk at . ... Kansk is a town on the left bank of Kan river, in Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia. ... Barnaul sign near the Ob River Barnaul (Russian Барнау́л, pop. ... Official website: http://www. ... Irkutsks location Irkutsk (Russian: ) is the administrative center of Irkutsk Oblast, one of the largest cities in Siberia. ... Uzhur (Russian: ) is a town in Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia. ...

Weapons used

Current ICBMs

• SS-18 'Satan' (R-36M)
• SS-19 'Stilleto' (UR-100N)
• SS-25 'Sickle' (RT-2PM Topol)
• SS-27 (RT-2UTTH Topol-M)

The R-36 is a family of intercontinental ballistic missile and space launch vehicle designs created by the Soviet Union during the Cold War. ... The UR-100N is an intercontinental ballistic missile in service with Russia. ... // Overview The RT-2PM Topol is a mobile intercontinental ballistic missile designed in the Soviet Union and in service with Russias Strategic Rocket Forces. ... The RT-2UTTH Topol-M is the most recent intercontinental ballistic missile to be deployed by Russia, and the first to be developed after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. ...

Previous ICBMs

• SS-6 'Sapwood' (R-7)
• SS-7 'Saddler' (R-16)
• SS-8 'Sasin' (R-9A)
• SS-8 'Sasin' (R-26)
• SS-9 'Scarp' (R-36)
• SS-11 'Sego' (UR-100)
• SS-13 'Savage' (RT-2)
• SS-16 'Sinner' (RT-21)
• SS-17 'Spanker' (UR-100MR)
• SS-24 'Scalpel' (RT-23)

R-7 with Sputnik 2 The R-7 Semyorka was the worlds first intercontinental ballistic missile and was deployed by the Soviet Union during the Cold War from 1959 to 1968. ... An R-16 Missile The R-16 was the first successful ICBM deployed by the Soviet Union. ... The R-9A Desna was a Soviet ICBM. Fuel: kerosyne + oxygen Control system by NII-885 of N.A.Pilyugin and M.S.Ryazanski. ... The R-26 was a second-generation intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) designed but not deployed by the Soviet Union during the Cold War. ... The R-36 is a family of intercontinental ballistic missile and space launch vehicle designs created by the Soviet Union during the Cold War. ... The UR-100 was an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) developed and deployed by the Soviet Union from 1966 to 1996. ... The RT-2 was an intercontinental ballistic missile deployed by the Soviet Union from 1969 through 1996. ... The MR-UR-100 Sotka was a MIRV-warhead intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) developed and deployed by the Soviet Union from 1975 to 1991. ...

References

• Podvig, Pavel. (2001) Russian Strategic Nuclear Forces. Cambridge, Massachusetts: The MIT Press. ISBN 0-262-16202-4.

External links

• FAS - RVSN: Strategic Missile Troops
• FAS - Russian/Soviet Nuclear Forces Guide
• Russian Strategic Nuclear Forces - blog by Pavel Podvig
• Bulletin of Atomic Scientists - Russian Nuclear Forces, 2006
• NTI - Russia: Strategic Rocket Forces Overview

See also

• Military of Russia
• Military of the Soviet Union