Russia
Instrumentation Factory (PSZ)
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Established in 1952 in Tryokhgorny (then known as Zlatoust-36), the Instrumentation Factory was one of the four Soviet sites for nuclear warhead assembly and disassembly. 1 The facility reportedly specialized in installing “physics packages” into ICBM and SLBM warheads. 2
As a result of consolidation of Rosatom’s nuclear weapons activities, the Instrumentation Factory appears to be one of two remaining sites (along with the Elektrokhimpribor Combine) where Russia carries out the assembly and disassembly of its warheads. 3 The facility also manufactures a variety of civilian goods, including nuclear safety and radiation control systems. 4
Glossary
- Intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM)
- Intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM): A ballistic missile with a range greater than 5,500 km. See entry for ballistic missile.
- Submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM)
- SLBM: A ballistic missile that is carried on and launched from a submarine.
- Radioactivity
- Radioactivity: The spontaneous emission of radiation, generally alpha or beta particles, often accompanied by gamma rays, from the nucleus of an unstable isotope.
Sources
- “О нас: история” About Us: History, Приборостроительный завод (ПСЗ) Instrumentation Factory (PSZ), www.imf.ru.
- Oleg Bukharin, “Downsizing Russia’s Nuclear Warhead Production Infrastructure,” The Nonproliferation Review, Spring 2001, pp. 124.
- Oleg Bukharin and James Doyle, “Verification of the Shutdown or Converted Status of Excess Warhead Production Capacity: Technology Options and Policy Issues,” Science & Global Security, 10/2002, pp. 103-124.
- “Продукция” Products, Приборостроительный завод (ПСЗ) Instrumentation Factory (PSZ), www.imf.ru.