Russian strategic nuclear forces / edited by Pavel Podvig ; [with contributions from] Oleg Bukharin [and others].

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Podvig, P. L. (Pavel Leonardovich)

Bukharin, Oleg.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Soviet Union. Raketnye voĭska strategicheskogo naznachenii︠a︡.

Soviet Union.

Soviet Union. Raketnye voĭska strategicheskogo naznachenii͡a.

Russia (Federation). Raketnye voĭska strategicheskogo naznachenii︠a︡.

Russia (Federation).

Russia (Federation). Raketnye voĭska strategicheskogo naznachenii͡a.

Strategic forces--Soviet Union.

Strategic forces.

Strategic forces--Russia (Federation).

Nuclear weapons--Soviet Union.

Nuclear weapons.

Nuclear weapons--Russia (Federation).

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xxi, 692 pages) : illustrations, maps

Place of Publication:

Cambridge, Mass. : MIT Press, [2001]

System Details:

text file

Summary:

This encyclopedic book provides comprehensive data about Soviet and Russian strategic weapons, payloads, and delivery systems and on the nuclear complex that supports them. The data are drawn from open, primarily Russian sources. All the information is presented chronologically, arranged by individual systems and facilities, and is not available elsewhere in a single volume.Following an overview of the history of Soviet strategic forces, the book discusses the structure of the political and military leadership in the Soviet Union and Russia, the structure of the Russian military and military industry, nuclear planning procedures, and the structure of the command and control system. It describes the nuclear warhead production complex and the Soviet nuclear weapon development program. It then focuses on the individual services that constitute the so-called strategic triad--land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles, the strategic submarine fleet, and strategic aviation. It presents an overview of Soviet strategic defense, including air defense systems, the Moscow missile defense system, the radar and space-based early warning networks, and the space surveillance system. The book also includes a description of the Soviet nuclear testing program, including information on test sites and on all Soviet nuclear tests and peaceful nuclear explosions. It concludes with a look at the future of strategic nuclear weapons in Russia.

Contents:

1 Soviet and Russian Strategic Nuclear Forces 1

Making the First Nuclear Weapons 1

The First Strategic Weapons 4

Achieving Quantitative Parity 6

The SALT I and ABM Treaties 8

Strategic Modernization in the 1970s 10

The SALT II Treaty 12

The Modernization Program at the End of the 1970s 16

The START I Treaty 19

The Breakup of the Soviet Union 23

The START II Treaty 25

The Current State and Future of Russian Strategic Forces 27

2 The Structure and Operations of Strategic Nuclear Forces 33

The Structure of the Armed Forces 33

The Decision-Making Mechanism 38

The Defense Industry 43

Operations of Stragetic Forces 49

3 The Nuclear Weapons Production Complex 67

The History of Nuclear Weapons Development 67

The Nuclear-Industrial Complex 74

The Nuclear Fuel Cycle 78

Production of Fissile Materials for Weapons 88

Nuclear Weapons Development 102

Nuclear Warhead Assembly 106

The Nuclear Weapons Life Cycle 109

Nuclear Warhead Design 111

Warhead Management in the Ministry of Defense 113

Warhead Dismantlement 115

4 The Strategic Rocket Forces 117

The History of the Strategic Rocket Forces 117

The Organizational Structure of the Strategic Rocket Forces 142

Missile Systems 153

The Missile Industry 155

Missile Life Cycle 168

Combat Operations of the Strategic Rocket Forces 172

Appendix 4A Land-Based Missile Systems 177

5 Naval Strategic Nuclear Forces 235

The History of the Creation of the Ballistic-Missile Submarine Fleet 235

The Structure of Naval Strategic Nuclear Forces 245

Strategic Missile Submarines and Sea-Launched Ballistic Missiles 259

Development of Missile Submarines and Their Weapons 259

Strategic Submarine Design 262

Strategic Submarine Production 263

Sea-Launched Ballistic Missiles 266

Naval Reactors 267

Combat Patrol 273

Appendix 5A Ballistic-Missile Submarines 283

Appendix 5B Sea-Launched Ballistic Missiles 309

6 Strategic Aviation 339

The History of the Development of Strategic Aviation 339

The Structure of Strategic Aviation 349

Bomber Development and Production 355

The Development of Bombers 355

The Production of Bombers 357

The Development of Aircraft Engines 360

The Development of Cruise Missiles 362

Strategic Aviation Operations 363

Appendix 6A Strategic Bombers 366

7 Strategic Defense 399

Air Defense Forces 399

Radio-Technical Troops 400

Surface-to-Air Missile Troops 402

Fighter Aviation of the Air Defense Forces 408

Missile and Space Defense Forces 412

The Early-Warning System 420

Antisatellite and Space Surveillance Systems 432

The Present Structure of Russian Air Defense Forces 435

Combat Duty 436

8 Nuclear Tests 439

The Main Stages of the Soviet Nuclear Test Program 440

The Organization of Soviet Nuclear Tests 457

Test Ranges 461

Industrial Nuclear Explosions 471

Summary List of Nuclear Explosions 480

Afterword: Russian Strategic Nuclear Forces in Transition 567

Structural Reform 568

The Arms Control Agenda 571

Strategic Modernization 574

Appendix Designations of Soviet and Russian Strategic Systems 581

The Center for Arms Control, Energy and Environmental Studies and The Security Studies Program 693.

Notes:

OCLC-licensed vendor bibliographic record.

ISBN:

9780262281706

0262281708

0585437297

9780585437293

OCLC:

51969872

Access Restriction:

Restricted for use by site license.