Also known as the Fourth Central Research Institute of the Strategic Rocket Forces.
[Aleksandr Dolinin,"Zdes razrabatyvayutsya 'yadernyye stsenarii'," KRASNAYA ZVEZDA, 6/29/96, p. 1.]
 
LOCATION: Bolshevo, Moscow Oblast
ADMINISTRATION:
Director: Major General Vladimir Zinovyevich Dvorkin
[JPRS Report, "Central Eurasia: Military Affairs Directory of Russian Federation Military Organizations and Personnel," FBIS, JPRS-UMA-95-015, 4/5/95, pp. 137-138.]
Deputy Director for Scientific Work: N. Vasilyev
[A. Samoletov, VESTI Newscast, Russian Public Television, 6/29/96, in "Institute Head Recalls Argument Over SS-20 Deployment," FBIS-TAC-96-008.]
Senior Scientific Associate: M. Koshtunyuk
[A. Samoletov, VESTI Newscast, Russian Public Television , 6/29/96, in "Institute Head Recalls Argument Over SS-20 Deployment," FBIS-TAC-96-008.]
Laboratory Chief: V. B. Bytayev
[Liliya Lashchenko, "I Serve the Fatherland," TELEUTRO, Russian Public Television, 6/27/96, in "TV Shows Nuclear Arms Research Institute," FBIS-TAC-96-008, 6/27/96.]{Clarified source 9/9/96 KD; new title added 9/19/96 KVY}
 
The Fourth Central Scientific Research Institute, founded 28 June 1946,[1] is subordinate to the Strategic Rocket Forces Main Staff.[2] The institute is responsible for the development strategy for Russia's nuclear forces, develops new missile systems, tests the capabilities of existing missiles, and destroys obsolete systems.[3] It also conducts research in physics, chemistry, ballistics, cybernetics, and behavioral psychology.[3] The Institute also tests the radiation shielding of missiles.[3] A particle accelerator, analog computers for missile flight modeling, and computer programs for modeling and analyzing military operations were also created.[3] The institute also develop large-scale combat scenarios, with particular attention given to regional conflicts, in order to assess the survivability of nuclear rocket forces and the implications of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.[2]
 
The original structure of the Institute included 23 scientific departments, 20 auxiliary departments, and 16 laboratories, with 3,318 personnel.[4] During its first years, the Institute studied rocket-propelled weapons; in 1946, Institute scientists were sent to Germany to study German rocket technology.[5] The Institute participated in the development of the R-5 medium-range strategic missile in the 1950s, the RS-12 (SS-25 Topol) solid-fuel ICBM in the 1960s,[5] . The institute then began developing silo launchers and researching using outer space in defense operations.[5]
 
According to the institute's director, Major General Vladimir Dvorkin, in 1996, the institute was working on maintaining the combat readiness of the Strategic Rocket Forces, on creating a strategic forces combat control system, and on introducing the updated missile systems that will form the basis of the Russian strategic nuclear forces after the year 2000. Dvorkin also noted that there was no loss of personnel from the institute.[5] In 1996, the institute employed 1,500 research officers (average rank: lieutenant colonel) and approximately 1,000 civilians, including 30 doctors of technical sciences and 500 candidates of technical sciences.[2] New staff members are recruited from among officers who have served in the rocket forces and graduated from higher military educational institutions.[5] (Dvorkin has written a detailed analytical article assessing the implications for Russian strategic forces of NATO enlargement. See the entry in the ++Russia: Nuclear Weapons+ file under START II.)
Sources:
[1] Aleksandr Dolinin,"Zdes razrabatyvayutsya 'yadernyye stsenarii'," KRASNAYA ZVEZDA, 6/29/96, p. 1.
[2] JPRS Report, "Central Eurasia: Military Affairs Directory of Russian Federation Military Organizations and Personnel," FBIS, JPRS-UMA-95-015, 4/5/95, pp. 137-138.
[3] A. Samoletov, VESTI Newscast, Russian Public Television , 6/29/96, in "Institute Head Recalls Argument Over SS-20 Deployment," FBIS-TAC-96-008.
[4] Col. Gen. Viktor Ivanovich Yesin, "At the Dawn of the Strategic Missile Forces," ARMEYSKIY SBORNIK, 5/96, no. 5, pp. 66-71, in "Pages of Our History," FBIS-UMA-96-168-S, 5/1/96.
[5] L. Lashchenko, "I Serve the Fatherland" broadcast under "Teleutro" rubric, Moscow Russian Television First Channel Network, 6/26/96; in FBIS-SOV-96-129, 6/26/96.

This material is produced independently for NTI by the Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of and has not been independently verified by NTI or its directors, officers, employees, agents. Copyright © 2003 by MIIS.

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