This file is no longer being updated.  For more recent developments, please see the General Nuclear Weapons Developments file.

To return to the main Strategic Rocket Forces entry, see the Strategic Rocket Forces Overview file.
Most ICBM force reductions are summarized in the ICBM Force Tables file.
Information on US assistance to the dismantlement process may be found in the Russia: Foreign Assistance section.

2/5/2004: RAIL-MOBILE ICBM ELIMINATION IN 2004
ITAR-TASS reported on 5 February 2004 that the Strategic Rocket Forces (SRF), in cooperation with the ASKOND company, have begun the process of dismantling decommissioned rail-mobile intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) systems in accordance with plans for 2004.[1,2] The decommissioned missile systems used to be deployed near Krasnoyarsk. The elimination of rail-mobile launchers for RS-22 [NATO designation SS-24 'Scalpel'] ICBMs will be carried out at the Bryansk Central Repair Plant. At least six rail-mobile launchers are scheduled for elimination in 2004. Dual-use materials and equipment that are the by-products of this process will be sent to government ministries and agencies for further use. The disposition of the ICBMs themselves and their warheads will take place at four facilities in Perm.[2]
Sources:
[1] ITAR-TASS, "Planovaya likvidatsiya v raketnykh voyskakh boyevykh zheleznodorozhnykh raketnykh kompleksov ne svyazana s dogovorom SNV-1 – press-sluzhba RVSN," ITAR-TASS, 5 February 2004; in Integrum Techno, http://www.integrum.com.
[2] Vladislav Kuznetsov, "Rossiya pristupila k realizatsii programmy likvidatsii boyevykh zheleznodorozhnykh raketnykh kompleksov," ITAR-TASS, 5 February 2004; in Integrum Techno, http://www.integrum.com. {Entered 3/16/2004 TS}

10/17/2003: RUSSIA COMPLETES 2003 ELIMINATION OF DECOMMISSIONED RAIL-MOBILE ICBM LAUNCHERS
Russia's decommissioned rail-mobile ICBM launchers elimination plan for 2003 has been completed as scheduled, ITAR-TASS reported on 17 October 2003. The elimination took place at the Strategic Rocket Forces (SRF) Bryansk Central Repair Plant in accordance with START-II. SRF Press Service head Colonel Aleksandr Vovk stated that six rail-mobile launchers removed from SRF operational status were eliminated during 2003. Only rail-mobile launchers are being eliminated at the Bryansk Central Repair Plant. The disposition of missiles is carried out at different facilities. Colonel Vovk noted that constant monitoring of technological and environmental safety was carried out during the elimination activities. Dual-use material and equipment have been sent to other ministries and agencies for further use.
[Vladislav Kuznetsov, "Rossiya zavershila likvidatsiyu puskovykh ustanovok zheleznodorozhnykh raketnykh kompleksov, planirovavshikhsya k unichtozheniyu v 2003 godu," ITAR-TASS, 17 October 2003; in Integrum Techno, http://www.integrum.com.]  {Entered 11/5/2003 TS}

10/17/2003: ICBM ELIMINATION TO COMMENCE IN PERM
Rosaviakosmos Deputy Director Georgiy Polishchuk told ITAR-TASS on 17 October 2003 that an environmentally safe solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) elimination complex will start operating in Perm by the end of this year. According to Polishchuk, up to 15 RS-22 [NATO designation SS-24 'Scalpel'] and RS-12M Topol [NATO designation SS-25 'Sickle'] strategic missiles will be eliminated yearly beginning in 2004. The first two are scheduled for elimination this year. The SS-24 elimination process will be carried out at the following facilities:  Mashinostroitel, Research Institute of Polymer Materials, NPO Iskra, and the Kirov plant. The project is being sponsored by the US government under the Cooperative Threat Reduction Program and, according to some estimates, will cost over $2 billion. All the facilities met Russian environmental standards and have been judged safe for both the environment and the population. Experts involved in the project stated that the missile engine elimination technology is based on high-temperature oxygen-free incineration. The missile debris will be buried at a facility with the capacity to hold 5,000 metric tons of material. [For earlier information about missile elimination, see the 3/25/2003 entry, below, as well as the Votkinsk Zavod State Production Association file.]
[Dina Pyanykh, ''Ekologicheski bezopasnyy kompleks unichtozheniya strategicheskikh raket do kontsa goda zarabotayet v Permi," ITAR-TASS, 17 October 2003; in Integrum Techno, http://www.integrum.com] {Entered 10/22/2003 TS}

7/8/2003: ICBM SILO ELIMINATION IN CHELYABINSK OBLAST
On 8 July 2003, an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) silo will be eliminated near Kartaly in Chelyabinsk Oblast in accordance with START I procedures. The silo is part of a decommissioned Strategic Rocket Forces (SRF) regiment and the fourth to be destroyed. The RS-20 [NATO designation SS-18 'Satan'] missile silo will be demolished by the Russian companies Rosobshchemash and ASKOND, which also participate in preparations for silo elimination and in the re-cultivation of destruction site.[1,2] The SRF plans to destroy six ICBM silo launchers in 2003-2004.[1] The first silo from this regiment was eliminated on 23 June 2003.[2]
Sources:
[1] Vladislav Kuznetsov, "Pod Chelyabinskom likvidiruyetsya shakhtnaya puskovaya ustanovka raketnogo polka, vyvedennogo iz sostava raketnykh voysk," ITAR-TASS, 7 July 2003; in Integrum Techno, http://integrum.com.
[2] Vladislav Kuznetsov, "Pod Chelyabinskom likvidirovana pervaya shakhtnaya puskovaya ustanovka raketnogo polka, vyvedennogo iz sostava RVSN," ITAR-TASS, 23 June 2003; in Integrum Techno, http://integrum.com.  {Entered 2/19/2004 TS}

3/25/2003: FUTURE OF VOTKINSK PROJECT REMAINS UNCLEAR
The Regnum Information Agency reported on 25 March 2003 that construction of a solid-fuel rocket engine elimination facility had resumed in Votkinsk. The report cites local inhabitants who reportedly have observed heavy equipment near the site of the proposed facility as well as construction of runoff ramps near the Kama River.[1] This information contradicts earlier reports that the government of Udmurtiya remained firmly opposed to the project -- funded by the US Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) -- and therefore had declined to allocate the plot of land required for the facility.[2,3] Chairman of the Udmurt government Yuriy Pitkevich announced in early February that the government had forwarded letters to the Russian government, Rosaviakosmos, and U.S. counterparts confirming its unwillingness to support the project, despite a recommendation by the Russian Security Council to the contrary.[3] This represents a rare instance in which decisions by local officials impacted national and even intergovernmental interests.[2,4] The Udmurt government ostensibly based its decision on widespread opposition to construction of the facility within the population of Votkinsk, as much as 80-82% according to some sources.[3,5] Nonetheless, conflicting reports about the future of the project continue to appear in the press, reflecting the fact that the project bridges both state and commercial interests. For example, an article in Permskiye novosti on 7 March 2003 related rumors that a decision had been made to return the project to Perm, where it initially had been planned to construct the facility before campaign politics forced a move to Votkinsk. The article did not, however, cite any concrete evidence.[5,6] Indications that DTRA intended to cancel the project unless the Udmurt government agreed to allocate land for the facility by the end of 2002 further clouded the fate of the project; the deadline passed without a decision.[2,4] Regardless of the fate of the rocket engine elimination project, dismantlement of rocket systems and mobile launchers will continue at the Votkinsk Plant and at the ballistic missile elimination facility at Pibanshur.[7,8]
Sources:
[1] "Udmurtiya: V Votkinske prodolzhayetsya stroitelstvo zavoda po utilizatsii raketnykh dvigateley," Informatsionnoye agentstvo Regnum, 25 March 2003; in Integrum Techno, http://www.integrum.com.
[2] Aleksey Andreyev, "Gde zhe budem zhech rakety?," Rossiyskaya gazeta, 6 December 2002, p. 12; in Integrum Techno, http://www.integrum.com.
[3] "Ne poslushalis Sovbeza," Belgorodskaya pravda, No.15, 4 February 2003; in Integrum Techno, http://www.integrum.com.
[4] Vitaliy Krestov, "Razoruzheniye po-udmurtski," Parlamentskaya gazeta, No. 1111 (480), 5 December 2002; in Integrum Techno, http://www.integrum.com.
[5] "Zavod po utilizatsii v Votkinske postroyen ne budet," Informatsionnoye agentstvo Kupol-Media, 28 January 2003; in Integrum Techno, http://www.integrum.com.
[6] Aleksey Klochikhin, "Perm prevratitsya v svalku vooruzheniy?," Permskiye novosti, 7 March 2003, pp.1,4; in Integrum Techno, http://www.integrum.com.
[7] "Udmurtiya: Tverdotoplivnyye rakety obeshchayut ne unichtozhat, a tolko razbirat," Informatsionnoye agentstvo Regnum, 6 February 2003; in Integrum Techno, http://www.integrum.com.
[8] "Udmurtskaya Respublika. Proyekt po stroitelstvu zavoda v Votkinske, skoreye vsego, realizovan ne budet," Regions.Ru, 5 February 2003; in Integrum Techno, http://www.integrum.com. {Entered 5/1/2003 EMC}

2/6/2003: RUSSIA TO ELIMINATE OBSOLETE ICBMs IN 2003-2004
On 6 February 2003, ITAR-TASS reported that Russia plans to eliminate only obsolete intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) in 2003-2004. The Strategic Rocket Forces (SRF) press service stated that elimination of the strategic delivery vehicles will be carried out in accordance with START I. [CNS believes that this refers to START I procedures for elimination, as well as perhaps for the invitation of inspectors, since Russia has fulfilled its obligations under START I.] The press service announced that RS-20 [NATO designation SS-18 'Satan'], rail-mobile RS-22 [NATO designation SS-24 'Scalpel'], and road-mobile RS-12M Topol [NATO designation SS-25 'Sickle'] ICBMs will be subject to elimination. In particular, the press service stated that the SRF plans to eliminate SS-18 ICBMs by converting these delivery vehicles into non-reusable Dnepr space launch vehicles (SLV).
[Vladislav Kuznetsov, "Rossiya v 2003-2004 godakh utiliziruyet ballisticheskiye rakety, vyrabotavshiye svoy resurs," ITAR-TASS, 6 February 2003; in Integrum Techno, http://www.integrum.com.] {Entered 2/24/2004 TS}

11/15/2002: VOTKINSK PROJECT ON THE VERGE OF CANCELLATION
Izvestiya reported on 15 November 2002 that the solid-fuel rocket engine elimination project in Votkinsk is on the verge of collapse. According to the report, the US Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) will cancel the project unless a decision is made on allocating land for the facility by the end of 2002. The implementation of the project has been blocked by the government of Udmurtiya. A referendum on the project is planned for April 2003. Although Russian federal government agencies have attempted to convince the government of Udmurtiya to permit the construction of the facility, they have failed to make headway. The Russian government did manage to convince DTRA to move its deadline from September 2002 to end of December 2002. The government of Udmurtiya stands to lose about $190 million in foreign funding for the facility, in addition to nearly two billion rubles [approximately $60 million] of Russian funding. The unwillingness to permit the project to proceed may be related to the upcoming privatization of the Votkinsk Plant, an ICBM manufacturing facility with which the rocket engine elimination plant will be affiliated. A number of companies, including the oil giant Yukos, are interested in acquiring the Votkinsk Plant, and the potential owners of the plant may be interested in delaying the construction of the elimination facility in the hope that once they become the owners, they will be able to drive up project costs and reap financial benefits. The Russian government does not appear to have any means of influencing the government of Udmurtiya.  If the project is cancelled, the 410 solid-fuel rocket engines that are due to be eliminated may have to be incinerated under the open sky, a process that will be far less environmentally friendly than their elimination at the proposed facility.
[Dmitriy Litovkin, "Igry patriotov," Izvestiya, 15 November 2002, p. 4; in Integrum-Techno, http://www.integrum.ru/.] {Entered 11/27/2002 MJ}

8/27/2002: US DELEGATION VISITS SUROVATIKHA
On 27 August 2002, a US delegation headed by Senator Richard Lugar conducted a visit to the Surovatikha elimination facility in Nizhniy Novgorod Oblast. The US delegation was accompanied by Rosaviakosmos Deputy General Director Georgiy Polishchuk, Design Bureau of Transport and Chemical Machine-Building General Director Mikhail Stepanov, and Rosaviakosmos Missile Technology Directorate Head Nikolay Shumkov. This was Senator Lugar's second visit to the Surovatikha facility. Since his first visit in August 2001, US financing of the facility has increased to $15 million. The facility began operation in December 2001 and by August 2002 had eliminated 36 ICBMs (including 17 SS-18s and 19 SS-13s). An additional two SS-18s and 14 SS-17s were awaiting elimination at that time.[1] Lugar's first visit also resulted in an agreement to finance continued reconstruction of Surovatikha, expansion of its elimination facilities, utility and communications services to the facility, and environmental protection measures.[2]
Sources:
[1] "Nizhegorodskaya oblast. Za 9 mesyatsev na baze v Surovatikhe bylo unichtozheno 36 mezhkontinentalnykh ballisticheskikh raket," Regions.ru Web Site, http://www.regions.ru, 27 August 2002.
[2] "Nizhegorodskaya oblast. Amerikanskiy senator osmotrit kompleks likvidatsii ballisticheskikh raket," Regions.ru Web Site, http://www.regions.ru/, 23 August 2002. {Entered 9/13/2002 MJ}

5/24/2002: ROCKET FUEL CONVERSION PROGRAMS STALLED
The Wall Street Journal reported on 24 May 2002 that US-funded rocket conversion programs may have no rocket fuel to eliminate. Although the US firms ATK Thiokol Propulsion and Bechtel National Inc. won US contracts to help Russia eliminate rocket fuel from dismantled ballistic missiles, the Russian government found other uses for the fuel while elimination plants were under construction. ATK Thiokol built a conversion plant in Krasnoyarsk to convert 30,000t of liquid heptyl rocket fuel into dimethylamine, which has commercial applications. Bechtel National Inc. constructed facilities in Krasnoyarsk and Aleksin (south of Moscow) to eliminate amyl and melange oxidizers. However, bureaucratic delays and problems with infrastructure, such as electricity supply, have delayed the projects to such an extent that the Russian government found other uses for the rocket fuel components. According to Nikolay Shumkov, an official of the Russian Aerospace Agency, much of the rocket propellant was sold to International Launch Services, a joint venture formed by Lockheed Martin Corp., Khrunichev Scientific Production Center, and RKK Energiya for use on Proton space launch vehicles.
[Guy Chazan, "U.S. Program Gets Burned In Deal To Convert Russian Missile Fuel," The Wall Street Journal, 24 May 2002.] {Entered 8/26/2002 MJ}

2/7/2002: MISSILE DISMANTLEMENT ACTIVITIES DESCRIBED AT SUROVATIKHA
On 7 February 2002, Russian Aerospace Agency (Rosaviakosmos) Director Yuriy Koptev, Strategic Rocket Forces (SRF) Commander Nikolay Solovtsov, Nizhniy Novgorod Oblast Governor Gennadiy Khodyrev, and other local officials met together at the Surovatikha missile elimination facility to discuss options for increasing the participation of local businesses in dismantlement operations.[1]  Some sources reported that the Russian Defense Ministry also officially transferred control of Surovatikha to the Russian Aerospace Agency during the visit[2], although other sources report that this transfer already took place in June or October 2001.[3,4]  The facility is responsible for dismantling R-36M [NATO designation SS-18 'Satan'] ICBMs.  According to a report by the Russian TV station RTR, the dismantlement procedure begins with removing the heptyl liquid fuel from the missile and then cutting the casing into multiple pieces.  The casing is melted down and the nonferrous metals are sold to help fund services for military officers.[2] Governor Khodyrev remarked that his oblast benefited from the transfer of the facility to Rosaviakosmos, since doing so created additional jobs for the oblast. The majority of personnel employed by the facility are retired military servicemen living in the Dalne-Konstantinovskiy rayon, who had been experiencing difficulties finding work. Khodyrev and Koptev also handed a letter to SRF commander Colonel General Nikolay Solovtsov requesting the involvement of oblast-based civilian enterprises in every stage of the ICBM elimination cycle. According to Khodyrev, this would mean additional income for the oblast budget. Khodyrev also expressed the hope that oblast enterprises would be allowed to sell scrap metal obtained from the eliminated missiles.[3] Elimination of a single SS-18 ICBM yields about 20 metric tons of aluminum alone.[4]
Sources: 
[1] "Gendirektor RAKA Yu. Koptev i komanduyushchiy RVSN N. Solovtsov provedut soveshchaniye v Tsentre likvidatsii mezhkontinentalnykh ballisticheskikh raket 'Surovatikha'," RosBiznesKonsalting Web Site, http://www.rbc.ru, 7 February 2002.
[2] TV Station RTR, 7 February 2002; in "Russian aerospace chief visits missile destruction site," FBIS Document CEP20020208000141.
[3] "Nizhegorodskaya oblast. Gubernator i direktor 'Rosaviakosmosa' prosyat razreshit grazhdanskim predpriyatiyam uchastvovat v utilizatsii ballisticheskikh raket," Regions.ru Web Site, http://www.regions.ru/, 7 February 2002; in Integrum-Techno, http://www.integrum.ru/.
[4] Aleksandr Rabochiy, "Nashi rakety v dengi odety," Nizhegorodskiiy rabochiy, 8 February 2002; in "V utilizatsii dorogostoyashchikh raket tipa SS-18 primut uchastiye nizhegorodskiye predpriyatiya," Regionalnyy ekonomicheskiy daydzhest, 15 February 2002; in Integrum-Techno, http://www.integrum.ru/.{Entered 2/21/2002 RG} {Updated 9/23/2002 MJ}
 
12/27/2001: PREPARATIONS BEGIN FOR DISMANTLEMENT OF RT-23UTTKH RAIL-MOBILE LAUNCHERS AT BRYANSK
Final preparations for the dismantlement of RT-23UTTKh [NATO designation SS-24 'Scalpel'] rail-mobile launchers began on 27 December 2001 at the 85th Repair Plant, located in Bryansk.  The first launcher scheduled for dismantlement arrived earlier that week from Mirnyy, Arkhangelsk Oblast.[1]  The ICBM was removed prior to the launcher's delivery to Bryansk.[2]  The rail-mobile launcher consists of three primary railroad cars that store and launch the ICBM, accompanied by 17 auxiliary railroad cars.  The dismantlement procedure begins with elimination of the primary cars for scrap metal, followed by dismantlement of the auxiliary cars, which will be converted into regular boxcars.  The 85th Repair Plant plans to dismantle 13 rail-mobile launcher trains, and expects to begin operations during the first quarter of 2002.[1,2]  The dismantlement operation is taking place in accordance with START II requirements, and is being funded by the United States.  The primary factors compelling RT-23UTTKh dismantlement are their advanced age and that their production facility is located in Ukraine, precluding the realistic possibility of modernization.
Sources:
[1] Vladimir Kravchenko, "Our Missiles Sent for Scrap," Izvestiya online edition, http://www.izvestia.ru, 28 December 2001; in "Bryansk Plant Prepares To Scrap Rail-Mobile Launchers," FBIS Document DEP20020102000058.
[2] "Security. Unique ICBM Launchers of Flatcar Railway Wagons Dismantled In The Bryansk Region In Accordance With START II," Rossiya, 15 January 2002, p. 9; in WPS Oborona i bezopasnost, No. 6, 18 January 2002. {Entered 2/25/02 RG}
 
10/13/2001: SLV JOINT-VENTURE HAS GOOD PROSPECTS, BUT FACES OBSTACLES
Ukrainska pravda reported on 13 October 2001 that the Russian-Ukrainian joint-venture Kosmotras has good commercial prospects.  Kosmotras converts R-36M [NATO designation SS-18 'Satan'] ICBMs into Dnepr space launch vehicles (SLV), which are capable of delivering up to 3t into lower orbit.  For more information, see the 10/13/2001 entry in the Ukraine: Missile And SLV Developments section. {Entered 10/17/2001 RG}
 
8/28/2001: SENATOR LUGAR VISITS SUROVATIKHA
On 28 August 2001, Nizhegorodskoye telegrafnoye agenstvo reported that US Senator Richard Lugar visited the Surovatikha ICBM elimination facility.[1] During the visit Lugar remarked that although the facility is capable of eliminating up to 50 ICBMs annually, it has not been able to reach that rate due to inadequate investments in the facility. In particular, Lugar mentioned the need to make the rail line leading to the facility capable of supporting ICBM shipments. Lugar said that the United States had already invested $10 million in the facility, funding repairs of missile elimination equipment in particular, but added that additional funding was required.[2] The Surovatikha facility is to begin operation on 1 October 2001. The United States and Russia have already reached an agreement on financing the second phase of reconstruction.[1]
Sources:
[1] "Nizhegorodskaya oblast. S ofitsialnym vizitom pribyl senator shtata Indiana SShA Richard Lugar," Nizhegorodskoye telegrafnoye agentstvo; in Regions.ru Web Site, http://www.regions.ru/, 28 August 2001; in Integrum Techno, http://www.integrum.ru/.
[2] "Senator Lugar schitayet, chto investitsiy v obekt v Surovatikhe yavno nedostatochno," Nizhegorodskoye telegrafnoye agentstvo, 29 August 2001; in Integrum Techno, http://www.integrum.ru/. {Entered 9/13/2002 MJ}

5/23/2001: SRF, ALTAY KRAY ADMINISTRATION SIGN PROTOCOL ON ALEYSK DIVISION DEACTIVATION
On 23 May 2001 SRF Commander Colonel General Nikolay Solovtsov and Altay Kray Governor Aleksandr Surikov signed a protocol on the deactivation of the Aleysk missile division. The protocol calls for a commission to prepare a list of property that Altay Kray would receive after the division is disbanded. So far, 10 out of 30 R-36M [NATO designation SS-18 'Satan'] ICBM silos belonging to the division have been eliminated, but the work on eliminating the remaining silos has met resistance from the local government, which insists on recultivating the sites of already eliminated silos before proceeding with demolishing other silos. The Ministry of Defense and the Russian Aerospace Agency will prepare a recultivation schedule for these sites by 20 June 2001. The Ministry of Defense plans to complete Aleysk silo eliminations by 30 November 2001.
["Podpisan protokol o reformirovanii Aleyskoy raketnoy divizii," Interfax, 23 May 2001.] {Entered 5/25/2001 MJ}
 
4/9/2001:  TEN SILOS REPORTED DESTROYED IN ALTAY KRAY, PREPARATIONS TO DESTROY SIX ADDITIONAL SILOS COMPLETE
Altay Kray administration officials reported on 9 April 2001 that preparations for the destruction of six R-36M [NATO designation SS-18 'Satan'] missile silos at a deactivated missile division near Aleysk have been completed and that the demolitions will be carried out in the near future. Preparations for silo destruction include extracting the ICBMs from their silos, emptying their liquid fuel components, and removing the warheads from the ICBMs for shipment to a storage area.  Approximately 3t of TNT are used to destroy each silo.[1]  Administration officials had reported on 29 March 2001 that 10 R-36M ICBMs at Aleysk had already been removed and their silos destroyed.  A total of 30 silos belonging to the Aleysk division are scheduled for elimination by the end of 2001, which will bring Russia into compliance with START I treaty requirements.[2]  An expert commission is participating to ensure environmental safety, but reports have emerged claiming that liquid fuel removal from ICBMs in the region has caused chemical poisoning among children and adults reaching epidemic proportions.[3]  For information on related silo destruction, see the 12/9/2000 entry in this section.
Sources:
[1] "Na Altaye zavershena podgotovka k unichtozheniyu shesti shakhtnykh puskovykh ustanovok, osnashchennykh ballisticheskimi raketami," ITAR-TASS, 9 April 2001; in Integrum techno, http://www.integrum.ru.
[2] "Na Altaye unichtozhena ocherednaya desyataya shakhtnaya ustanovka dlya zapuska mezhkontinentalnykh ballisticheskikh raket," ITAR-TASS, 29 March 2001; in Integrum techno, http://www.integrum.ru.
[3] "Raketnyy smerch nad Altayem," Trud, No. 187, 6 October 2000, p. 1,2. {Entered 4/20/01 RG}
 
2/11/2001:  RUSSIA AND UKRAINE SIGN MEMORANDUM OF COOPERATION TO ELIMINATE  RUSSIAN SS-24 AND SS-N-20 BALLISTIC MISSILES
On 11 February 2001, Ukrainian and Russian officials signed a Memorandum of Cooperation at a Russian-Ukrainian summit meeting in Dnipropetrovsk addressing the dismantlement of solid-propellant RT-23UTTKh [NATO designation SS-24 'Scalpel'] and R-39 [NATO designation SS-N-20 'Sturgeon'] missiles.  For more information, see the 2/11/2001 entry in the Ukraine:  Missile/Silo Dismantlement file.{Entered 3/27/2001 RG}
 
12/9/2000: SIX SILOS ELIMINATED AT FORMER ALEYSK MISSILE DIVISION
According to a 9 December 2000 ITAR-TASS report, six R-36M [NATO designation SS-18 'Satan'] missile silos belonging to a disbanded missile division based near Aleysk, Altay Kray, have been eliminated.[1] The first of the six silos was eliminated on 2 November 2000.[2]  The elimination procedure involved detonating 300 anti-tank mines inside a silo, with environmental surveys being conducted after the explosion. Former silo locations will be recultivated after the elimination has been verified by US inspectors.[3] Aleysk division has additional 24 silos subject to elimination.[2]
Sources:
[1] "Na Altaye zavershen pervyy tsikl rabot po likvidatsii shakht, gde razmeshchalis yadernyye ballisticheskiye rakety strategicheskogo naznacheniya, ITAR-TASS, 9 December 2000.
[2] "Na Altaye likvidirovana pervaya shakhtnaya puskovaya ustanovka mezhkontinentalnykh ballisticheskikh raket RS-20," ITAR-TASS, 2 November 2000.
[3] "V Altayskom kraye vedetsya unichtozheniye raketnykh shakht v rasformirovannoy Aleyskoy divizii RVSN," Interfax, 9 November 2000. {Entered 1/26/2001 MJ} 
 
10/31/2000:  SRF COMMANDER RECOMMENDS CONVERTING DECOMMISSIONED ICBMS INTO COMMERCIAL SPACE LAUNCH VEHICLES
At a press conference on 31 October 2000, SRF Commander Vladimir Yakovlev advocated converting decommissioned Russian ICBMs into commercial space launch vehicles (SLV).  The SRF plans to decommission approximately 250 ICBMs in the next decade.[1] According to Yakovlev, worldwide demand for space launch services is increasing, and converting all decommissioned ICBMs to SLVs could earn the SRF as much as 20 billion rubles ($703 million as of 1 February 2001).[1] The SLV conversion projects Dnepr, Strela, Rokot, and Start are currently undergoing testing procedures.  The Dnepr is a converted RS-20 [NATO designation SS-18 'Satan'] ICBM, and its first commercial launch successfully delivered five satellites into orbit on 26 September 2000.  The Strela and the Rokot are both converted RS-18 [NATO  designation SS-19 'Stiletto'] ICBMs that are expected to be less expensive delivery vehicles because of their smaller size.[2,3] The Rokot was successfully tested in May 2000.[3]  The Start is a converted RS-12M [NATO designation SS-25 'Topol'] ICBM, which delivered an Israeli satellite into orbit on 5 December 2000.[4] 
Sources: 
[1] "Glavkom RVSN predlagayet ispolzovat snimayemyye s boyevogo dezhurstva MBR v kachestve raket-nositeley dlya zapuska sputnikov," Interfax, No. 1, 31 October 2000.
[2] "NPO Mashinostroenie to Use 'Strela' Launcher for Light Spacecraft Launches," Aerokosmos yezhenedelnik, 18-24 September 2000; in "S&T Monitor 01-005 S&T Developments," FBIS Document CEP20010130000300. 
[3] "Russian space centre to rely on light boosters," ITAR-TASS, 26 January 2001; in "Russian space centre to rely on light boosters," FBIS Document CEP200010126000051. 
[4] Alexander Kovalyov, ITAR-TASS, 5 December 2000; in "Russian booster rocket puts Israeli satellite into orbit," FBIS Document CEP20001205000112. {Entered 2/2/2001 RG}
 
9/26/2000:  FIRST COMMERCIAL LAUNCH OF CONVERTED SS-18 ICBM SUCCESSFUL
Interfax reported that on 26 September 2000 the space launch vehicle Dnepr, a converted RS-20 [NATO designation SS-18  'Satan'] intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), was successfully launched from the Baykonur Cosmodrome and sent five research and environmental monitoring satellites into orbit on behalf of Italy, Saudi Arabia, and Malaysia. The preparations for launch and the launch itself were conducted by SRF personnel.[1,2]  The SRF hope to conduct at least 28 commercial Dnepr launches a year, provided foreign customers can be found.[1]  The Dnepr had been plagued earlier by failed launch attempts on 25 and 26 August 2000, raising doubts about future commercial launches.  The SRF Press Service emphasized that the main purpose of this launch was to confirm the effectiveness of the SRF modernization program intended to extend the service life of the RS-20 for an additional 10 or more years.[3]  The RS-20 conversion into the Dnepr has been accomplished with the cooperation of Ukrainian Pivdenne Design Bureau and Pivdenmash Production Association, which designed and manufactured the RS-20.[2] See also the entries for 7/26/2000, 9/20/1999, and 1/20/1999 in the Ukraine:  Missile/Silo Dismantlement section.
Sources: 
[1] "Rossiyskaya  ballisticheskaya raketa RS-20 vyvela na orbitu pyat zarubezhnykh sputnikov," Interfax, No. 2, 26 September 2000.
[2] Sergei Putilov, "Blastoff Failure Will Dash Hopes of Conversion Profits," Moscow News, No. 35, 6-12 September 2000, p. 7.
[3] Olga Bozhyeva and Aleksandr Bogatyrev, "Ashuluk:  sorok let spustya dva starta v odin den," Krasnaya zvezda, No. 183, 28 September 2000; in Integrum Techno, http://www.integrum.ru.{Entered 10/5/2000 RG}
 
8/23/2000: BROWN & ROOT SERVICES TO ELIMINATE RUSSIAN ICBMS AND SILOS
On 23 August 2000, Brown & Root Services (BRS), a subsidiary of the Halliburton Company, announced that it won the Defense Threat Reduction Agency's contract to eliminate Russian ICBMs and associated launch silos to help Russia meet its strategic weapons reduction obligations under START I. BRS's responsibilities will include integrated project management, logistics support, and data management. As the prime integrating contractor for this project, the company will also be responsible for managing Russian subcontractors working on the project. The Cooperative Threat Reduction-funded contract is valued at $283 million, and its implementation will begin in late September 2000. In 1998 BRS completed a similar missile and silo elimination project in Kazakhstan.[1,2]
Sources:
[1] "Brown & Root Services Receives Contract to Eliminate Russian Inter-Continental Ballistic Missiles," Halliburton Company Press Release, Halliburton Web Site, http://www.halliburton.com/BRS/, 23 August 2000.
[2]"Amerikanskaya BRS vyigrala kontrakt na unichtozheniye rossiyskikh ballisticheskikh raket," Interfax, No.4, 23 August 2000. {Entered 8/29/2000 MJ}
 
8/10/2000: US INSPECTORS VISIT PIBANSHUR ELIMINATION FACILITY
Agentstvo voyennykh novostey reported on 10 August 2000 that a group of US military specialists visited the ballistic missile elimination facility at Pibanshur. American specialists acquainted themselves with ballistic missile elimination technology used at the facility, and discussed modernization plans developed by the Design Bureau of Transport and Chemical Machine-Building. Cost of modernizing the Pibanshur facility was estimated at $13 million, which will be provided by the United States.
["Amerikanskiye spetsialisty posetili bazu likvidatsii ballisticheskikh raket 'Pibanshur' v Udmurtii," Agentstvo voyennykh novostey, 10 August 2000; in Integrum-Techno, http://www.integrum.ru/.] {Entered 9/16/2002 MJ}

7/17/2000: VOTKINSK INHABITANTS OPPOSE ROCKET FUEL INCINERATOR
In a recent referendum, 94% of Votkinsk residents voted against the project to set up a solid rocket fuel incinerator at the Votkinsk Machine Building Plant on the outskirts of their city.  The incinerator is to be built by the Lockheed Martin company, and the entire project is financed by Cooperative Threat Reduction program funds. Once put into operation, the incinerator would eliminate 916 solid-fuel missiles containing 17,500 metric tons of solid rocket fuel by the end of 2002. However, the project's opponents cite the fact that the construction of another Lockheed Martin incinerator in Nevada was stopped on environmental grounds, and that the project violates Russia's environmental laws and regulations. In addition, the project's critics charge that defective solid fuel rocket engines are already being surreptitiously incinerated in the town's vicinity, with no environmental precautions. Unofficial sources put the amount of rocket fuel being incinerated annually at 50-80 metric tons. Initial plans called for the incinerator to be located in Perm, which also has missile production facilities, but the project was moved to Votkinsk as a result of strong public opposition. Nevertheless, the project's backers contend that the incinerator uses a technically and environmentally safe process and point out  that the project will bring jobs and funding to the city.[1,2]
Sources:
[1] Aleksandr Klimov, "Raketnyy udar po Votkinsku," Trud, 17 July 2000, p. 1.
[2] Dmitriy Litovkin, "A Hospice for Missiles," Krasnaya zvezda on-line edition, http://www.redstar.ru/, 20 May 2000; in "Botkinskiy [sic] Missile Plant and CTR Program," FBIS Document CEP20000519000345.{Entered 7/28/2000 MJ}
 
4/20/2000: SUROVATIKHA PREPARES TO RESUME MISSILE ELIMINATION
The Strategic Rocket Forces (SRF) missile elimination facility at Surovatikha (Nizhnyy Novgorod Oblast) is being prepared to take part in the implementation of START II-mandated missile reductions. The facility was created in the late 1980s and was the site of ICBM elimination in the early 1990s. Surovatikha's maximum capacity is reportedly 70 RS-20 [NATO designation SS-18 'Satan'] missiles per year.
["Baza likvidatsii strategicheskikh yadernykh raket 'Surovatikha' gotovitsa prinat uchastiye v vypolnenii dogovora SNV-2," Nizhegorodskaya pravda, 20 April 2000, p.1; in WPS Oborona i Bezopasnost, No. 54, 12 May 2000] {Entered 8/4/2000 MJ}
 
5/14/97: LOCKHEED MARTIN AWARDED CONTRACT TO DISMANTLE RUSSIAN BALLISTIC MISSILES
Lockheed Martin Advanced Environmental Systems has been awarded a $54.723 million contract from the US Department of Defense to develop a solid-rocket disposition system for Russia.[1]  The aerospace corporation will develop and build a facility in Perm, Russia to process 17,500 tons of rocket fuel, 916 engine compartments and the containers of 410 out-of-service ballistic missiles.  These are SS-24, SS-25, and SS-N-20 missiles that were previously aboard nuclear submarines or in underground silos. The facility will be built by Russian construction and engineering organizations following Lockheed Martin designs. The program to dismantle these weapons and utilize their component parts is expected to be completed by the end of 2002.[2] The contract awarded to Lockheed Martin was financed with Nunn-Lugar monies and was announced on 13 May 1997 at a meeting between US Defense Secretary William Cohen and Russian Defense Minister Igor Rodionov.[3]
Sources:
[1] "Lockheed Martin to destroy Russian rocket motors," Jane's Missile & Rockets, May 1997, p. 11.
[2] "Russian and USE Defence Ministers Announce Plans to Build Written-off Ballistic Missiles Utilisation Facility in Perm," RIA NOVOSTI, 14 May 1997.
[3]  Xinhua, 13 May 1997; in "Russian, U.S. Ministers Agree on Some Issues; Not NATO," FBIS-CHI-97-133. {Entered 12/04/97 PBI}

12/96: SRF COMMANDER ON START I IMPLEMENTATION
According to Commander in Chief of the Strategic Rocket Forces (SRF) Igor Sergeyev, by December 1996 the SRF had sent some 2,500 warheads for dismantling, and 20,000 tons of rocket fuel had been placed in storage.
[ ITAR-TASS, 12/16/96, in "Rocket Commander on Combat Readiness, Future Prospects," FBIS-SOV-96-243.] {Entered 1/20/97 JL}
 
9/19/96: SLBM AND ICBM LAUNCHER ELIMINATION UPDATE
Efforts to eliminate SLBM launchers are underway at three locations: Bolshoi Kamen, Murmansk, and Severodvinsk.  (Please see the Naval Nuclear Reactors section for more information on these facilities.) This program, which began in 1994, provides equipment to destroy submarine-based ballistic missile launchers. From 1/1/95 to 1/1/96, 40 SLBM launchers were destroyed, and 512 SLBM launchers are expected to be dismantled by the 4th quarter of FY 2001. ICBM launcher elimination is taking place at six locations: Pibanshur, Sechuga, Uzhur, Yedrovo, Sergiyev Posad, and Surovatikha. In early 1994, this program began supplying equipment, such as cranes, bulldozers, grinders, and the like, to dismantle land-based silo launchers. From 1/1/95 to 1/1/96, 52 silos were eliminated. A contract to eliminate 36 SS-24 (Scalpel) rail-mobile launchers is expected to be awarded in FY 97. While the site has yet to be determined, the program will provide equipment and services to eliminate 18 rail-mobile launchers by the first quarter of FY 2001, and an additional 18 to be eliminated by the second quarter of FY 2001.
[Department of Defense, "CTR Update: Russia," 9/19/96.]
  
9/19/96: SOLID ROCKET MOTOR ELIMINATION UPDATE
A system and supporting services contract to eliminate 916 solid fuel rocket motors in Perm will be awarded in the second quarter of FY 97, with the facility to be completed in the second quarter of FY 98. By the year 2001, over 300 SS-24s (Scalpel), SS-25s (Sickle) and SS-N-20s (Sturgeon) along with their 17,500 MT of solid rocket fuel will be eliminated.
[Department of Defense, "CTR Update: Russia," 9/19/96.]

9/19/96: SS-18 MISSILE ELIMINATION STATUS
The project to eliminate SS-18 (Satan) missiles at Surovatikha, which has been underway since 1995, is seeking to increase the number of missiles eliminated per year from 40 to at least 50. Since the project's inception, 104 SS-18s have been shipped from Kazakhstan. 32 SS-18s were destroyed in 1995. The contract to alter the facility in order to meet the increased dismantlement schedule will be awarded by the third quarter of FY 97. Modifications are scheduled to be finished by the end of FY 98, and all 308 SS-18s are expected to be eliminated by the year 2003.
[Department of Defense, "CTR Update: Russia," 9/19/96.]{Entered 11/1/96, mew}
 
7/95: ROCKET FUEL MUST BE RECYCLED
A news report stated that the 30,000 tons of heptane (a liquid missile fuel) that is stored throughout the former Soviet Union, will have to be recycled.
[Andrey Baranovskiy, "Processed Missile Fuel To Be Sold in Europe. The First Heptane-Recycling Plant To Be Supplied to Moscow Oblast by Year's End," SEGODNYA, 7/13/95, p. 4.]
 
6/95: GRACHEV, PERRY SIGN AGREEMENTS ON NUCLEAR SECURITY
Russian Defense Minister Grachev and US Secretary of Defense Perry signed two agreements whereby the United States will provide the Russian Defense Ministry's Twelfth Main Directorate (which is responsible for nuclear weapons handling and security) with additional assistance for the transportation of nuclear warheads from Kazakhstan, Belarus, and Ukraine, as well as for the storage of surplus nuclear weapons.
["Informatsiya," YADERNYY KONTROL, 6/95, p. 12.]
 
4/25/95: SIX HUNDRED ICBM AND SLBM LAUNCHERS DECOMMISSIONED
It was reported that Russia has decommissioned over 600 ICBM and SLBM launchers. Russia has also reportedly decommissioned approximately 1,500 ICBMs and SLBMs.
["National Report On The Implementation By The Russian Federation Of The Treaty On The Non-Proliferation Of Nuclear Weapons," 1995 Review and Extension Conference of the Parties on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, New York, 4/25/95, NPT/CONF.1995/25, p. 3.]
 
2/95: RUSSIANS BEHIND SCHEDULE ON ICBM DISMANTLEMENT
Russia's ICBM dismantlement is reportedly behind schedule; only 36 SS-18 ICBMs were scrapped in 1994, and only 32 in 1993, at the missile dismantlement facility in Surovatikha.
[S. Schellenberg and S. Hutchinson, "Scandal At Russia's Nuclear Graveyard," TANGO (Berlin), 2/9/95, pp. 39-40; in "Missile Disarmament Reportedly Behind Schedule," JPRS-TAC-95-001, 2/14/95.] (Note: this entry and the 8/94 entry below contain conflicting statistics on SS-18 dismantlement.)
 
12/94: OVER THREE HUNDRED ICBM SILOS ELIMINATED
By this date, Russia had eliminated 378 ICBM silos in total, including 306 SS-11, 20 SS-13, 36 SS-17, and 16 SS-18 silos.
[Dunbar Lockwood, "New Data On The Strategic Arsenal Of The Former Soviet Union," JANE'S INTELLIGENCE REVIEW, 6/95, p. 247.]
 
9/94: CIA REPORTS DISMANTLEMENT PROGRESS
According to an unclassified CIA report, Russia has deactivated 326 SS-11s, 10 SS-13s, 22 SS-17s, and 16 SS-18s. It is believed that Russia's nuclear ICBM arsenal currently includes: 30 SS-13s, 25 SS-17s, 188 SS-18s, 170 SS-19s, 10 silo-based SS-24s, 36 rail-based SS-24s, and 369 SS-25s.
["Nuclear Weapons Deactivations Continue In FSU," ARMS CONTROL TODAY, 11/94, p. 33.]
 
8/94: ICBMS DISMANTLED AT SUROVATIKHA BASE
By 8/94, it was reported that 22 SS-18 ICBMs had been dismantled at the Surovatikha base near Nizhniy Novgorod.
[Brigitte Sauerwein, "Waste not, want not," INTERNATIONAL DEFENSE REVIEW, 10/94, pp. 81-82.] (Note: this entry and the 2/95 entry above contain conflicting statistics on SS-18 dismantlement.)
 
6/94: ICBM DISMANTLEMENT CONTINUES
Since 9/90, Russia has dismantled 378 ICBMs and has removed 510 warheads from their missiles. Russia has reportedly informed the United States that it has been dismantling 2,000 to 3,000 warheads per year.
["Denuclearization In The FSU Proceeding," ARMS CONTROL TODAY, 6/94, p. 31.]
 
1/29/92: YELTSIN GIVES ICBM DISMANTLEMENT PROGRESS REPORT
President Yeltsin announced that 600 ICBMs and SLBMs have been removed from alert status. The 600 missiles carried a total of 1,250 warheads.
[Gerald Nadler, "Yeltsin Says He'll Slash CIS Nuclear Arsenal," WASHINGTON TIMES, 1/30/92.]

Page last updated 17 June 2004. This file is no longer being updated.  For major recent developments, see the General Nuclear Weapons Developments file.

Comments or questions? E-mail Nikolai Sokov:  nsokovATmiis.edu.

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 © 2002 by MIIS.

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