Russia: Weapons Facilities: Other Nuclear: All-Russian Scientific Research Institute of Automation (VNIIA)
Russia: All-Russian Scientific Research
Institute of Automation (VNIIA)
LOCATION: Moscow; a branch is located in Penza-19
Address: 22 Sushchevskaya ulitsa, Moscow, 101000
Telephone: (095) 978-78-03
Fax: (095) 978-09-03
[Nuclear Business Directory (Moscow:
IBR Corporation, 2000), p. 58.] {Entered
8/19/00 ES} SUBORDINATION: Ministry of Atomic Energy,
Directorate of Nuclear Warhead Design and Testing
ADMINISTRATION: Director: Yuriy N. Barmakov
[Nuclear Business Directory (Moscow:
IBR Corporation, 2000), p. 58.] {Entered
8/19/00 ES} Chief designer: German Smirnov
["Development of Nuclear Munitions and
Detonation Automatics," Strategic Nuclear Forces. The XXI Century Encyclopedia:
Russia's Arms and Technologies (Moscow: Arms and Technologies 2000), p.
425].
{Entered 11/8/2000 GD} STRUCTURE: VNIIA consists of a number of research and design divisions; a pilot plant and technical support services; and auxiliary
services. The institute has its own production lines, experimental equipment,
and testing facilities.
["Development of Nuclear Munitions and Detonation
Automatics," Strategic Nuclear Forces. The XXI Century Encyclopedia:
Russia's Arms and Technologies (Moscow: Arms and Technologies, 2000), p.
425.] {Entered 8/19/00 ES} BACKGROUND: The All-Russian Research Institute of Automation
was founded in 1954 as a subsidiary of the first Russian Federal Nuclear
Center, VNIIEF (Arzamas-16). In 1956, the institute became organizationally
separate from VNIIEF and expanded its production and technical facilities
to include laboratories, design facilities, and testing facilities. From the beginning,
the main tasks of the institute were research, development, testing,
and supervision of serial production of nuclear warheads and their non-nuclear
components.
The institute's work was focused on nuclear munitions, electric and
neutron initiation systems for nuclear charges, automatic devices for these munitions,
and measurement instruments and testing equipment for monitoring the nuclear
arsenal.
["Development
of Nuclear Munitions and Detonation Automatics," Strategic Nuclear
Forces. The XXI Century Encyclopedia:
Russia's Arms and Technologies (Moscow: Arms and Technologies, 2000), pp.
423-425.]
{Entered 8/19/00 ES} ACTIVITIES: VNIIA is part of the nuclear weapons complex of the Ministry of Atomic
Energy (Minatom) and one of three developers of nuclear warheads. It falls
under the jurisdiction of Minatom's Directorate of Nuclear
Warhead Design and Testing. VNIIA is involved in the development of strategic
and tactical nuclear warheads, electric and neutron initiation
systems for nuclear charges, and in both the development and manufacture of electronic
devices for nuclear warheads.[1] Under the CTR
program, the institute designs and produces
a number of instruments and devices for monitoring nuclear weapons stockpile and
for nuclear material protection, control and accounting in Russia.[3] The institute is involved in research, development, and testing of equipment
for nuclear power facilities. VNIIA also produces pulse neutron generators
for use in the nuclear industry, as well as a variety of
equipment for the non-military sector, including medical equipment.[2,3] The
institute employs approximately 3,000 individuals.[4]
Sources: [1] Thomas Cochran, Robert S. Norris, Oleg Bukharin, Making
the Bomb: From Stalin to Yeltsin (Boulder: Westview Press, 1995),
p. 65. [2] Nuclear Business Directory, (Moscow: IBR Corporation,
1995), p. 47. [3] "Development
of Nuclear Munitions and Detonation Automatics," Strategic Nuclear Forces. The XXI Century Encyclopedia:
Russia's Arms and Technologies (Moscow: Arms and Technologies, 2000), pp.
422-425. [4] All-Russian Research Institute of Automatics
booklet, p. 2. {Entered 8/19/00 ES} MPC&A: VNIIA participates as a partner with the the US
Department of Energy (DOE) in the US-Russia Material,
Protection, Control, and Accounting (MPC&A) program. VNIIA's
involvement in the MPC&A program has
focused on determining requirements and specifications for MPC&A equipment, developing procedures for testing and certification of
equipment, and strengthening the Russian infrastructure for supplying MPC&A
equipment.
Nuclear Warhead Production Facilities
