53rd Scientific Research Proving Ground

53-й Научно-исследовательский испытательный полигон

Military Unit: 13991

Commanders:

• Colonel-General Mikhail Grigorevich Grigorev, 15.7.57 - 8.5.62

• Lieutenant-General Stepan Fedotovich Shtanko, 8.5.62 - 17.12.63

• Lieutenant-General Galaktion Eliseevich Alpaidze, 17.12.1963 - 24.8.75

• General of the Army Yury Alekseevich Yashin, 24.8.75 - 5.6.79

• Colonel-General Vladimir Leontevich Ivanov, 5.6.79 - 21.6.84

• Colonel-General Gennady Alekseevich Kolesnikov, 21.6.84 - 15.11.85

• Lieutenant-General Ivan Ivanovich Oleynik, 4.12.85 - 24.6.91

• Colonel-General Anatoly Nikolaevich Perminov, 24.6.91 - 2.8.93

• Lieutenant-General Yury Mikhaylovich Zhuravlev, 2.8.93 - 12.6.99

• Lieutenant-General Gennady Nikolaevich Kovalenko, 12.6.99 - 22.3.03

• Lieutenant-General Anatoly Aleksandrovich Bashlakov, 22.3.03 -

Activated 15.7.57 in Plesetsk, Arkhangelsk Oblast, as Object "Angara", for deployment of the R-7A missile.

7.2.59 renamed the 3rd Artilley Range Administration (3rd UAP), and finally 9.63 the 53rd Scientific Research Proving Ground (53rd NIIP).

Organisation 1962:

• 42nd Combat Launch Station (Plesetsk, Arkhangelsk Oblast) with 1 R-7A pad

• 48th Combat Launch Station (Plesetsk, Arkhangelsk Oblast) with 1 R-7A pad

• 70th Combat Launch Station (Plesetsk, Arkhangelsk Oblast) with 2 R-7A pads

• 329th Missile Regiment (Plesetsk, Arkhangelsk Oblast)

• 593rd Missile Regiment (Plesetsk, Arkhangelsk Oblast)

• 348th independent Missile Battalion (Plesetsk, Arkhangelsk Oblast)

• 979th independent Repair-Technical Base (Plesetsk, Arkhangelsk Oblast)

In 3.64 all R-16 and R-9A battalions were upgraded to regiments.

Organisation 1967:

• 1st Test Department (combat elements):

  • 70th Combat Launch Station (Plesetsk, Arkhangelsk Oblast) with 2 R-7A pads

  • 329th Missile Regiment (Plesetsk, Arkhangelsk Oblast) with 2 R-9A pads

  • 63rd Missile Regiment (Plesetsk, Arkhangelsk Oblast) with 2 R-9A pads

  • 593rd Missile Regiment (Plesetsk, Arkhangelsk Oblast) with 2 R-16 pads

  • 72nd Missile Regiment (Plesetsk, Arkhangelsk Oblast) with 2 R-16 pads

  • 220th Missile Regiment (Plesetsk, Arkhangelsk Oblast) with 3 R-16 silos

  • 000 Technical Base (Plesetsk, Arkhangelsk Oblast)

  • 979th independent Repair-Technical Base (Plesetsk, Arkhangelsk Oblast)

• 2nd Test Department (preparation and launches of space vehicles)

  • 29th independent Engineering & Test Unit with 1 R-7A pad

  • 17th independent Engineering & Test Unit with 5 pads (Kosmos-2/3M and R-14)

• 3rd Test Department (instrumentation and computer technology)

  • independent Instrumentation Point (IP-1) (Plesetsk)

  • independent Instrumentation Point (IP-2) (Zheleznodorozhnyy, Komi SSSR)

  • independent Instrumentation Point (IP-3) (Naryan-Mar)

  • independent Instrumentation Point (IP-4) (Severodvinsk)

  • independent Instrumentation Point (IP-?)

  • independent Instrumentation Point (IP-?)

  • independent Instrumentation Point (IP-8) (Novaya Zemlya)

  • independent Instrumentation Station (Nizhnyaya Pesha)

  • independent Instrumentation Station (Shoyna)

  • independent Instrumentation Station (Plesetsk)

• 4th Test Department (solid propellant launchers)

  • 8th independent Engineering & Test Unit (RT-2/15 development)

Organisation 1977:

• 1st Test Department (test/launch of light class launch vehicles)

  • 17th independent Engineering & Test Unit with 4 pads (Kosmos-2/3M)

  • 83rd independent Engineering & Test Unit with 2 pads (Tsiklon)

• 2nd Test Department (test/launch of medium class launch vehicles)

  • 29th independent Engineering & Test Unit with 1 R-7A pad

  • 16th independent Engineering & Test Unit with 2 R-7A pads

• 3rd Test Department (instrumentation and processing)

  • independent Instrumentation Point

  • independent Instrumentation Point

  • independent Instrumentation Point

  • independent Instrumentation Point

  • independent Instrumentation Point

  • independent Instrumentation Point

  • independent Instrumentation Station

  • independent Instrumentation Station

• 4th Test Department (test & development solid propellant missiles)

  • 8th independent Engineering & Test Unit (RT-2/23 development) with 10 silos

  • 2nd independent Engineering & Test Unit (Temp-2S development) with 2 pads

• 5th Test Department (combat elements)

  • 54th independent Engineering & Test Unit with 6 Temp-2S (15P642) missiles

  • 57th independent Engineering & Test Unit with 6 Temp-2S (15P642) missiles

  • 138th independent Engineering & Test Unit with 6 Temp-2S (15P642) missiles

  • 207th independent Engineering & Test Unit with 6 Temp-2S (15P642) missiles

  • 208th independent Engineering & Test Unit with 6 Temp-2S (15P642) missiles

  • 209th independent Engineering & Test Unit with 6 Temp-2S (15P642) missiles

  • 216th independent Engineering & Test Unit with 6 Temp-2S (15P642) missiles

  • 000 independent Repair-Technical Base

  • 0000 Technical Missile Base

Organisation 1985:

• 1st Test Department (test/launch of light class launch vehicles)

  • 17th independent Engineering & Test Unit with 2 pads (Kosmos-3M)

  • 83rd independent Engineering & Test Unit with 2 pads (Tsiklon)

• 2nd Test Department (test/launch of medium class launch vehicles)

  • 29th independent Engineering & Test Unit with 1 R-7A pad

  • 229th independent Engineering & Test Unit with 1 R-7A pad

  • 16th independent Engineering & Test Unit with 2 R-7A pads

• 3rd Test Department (instrumentation and processing)

  • independent Instrumentation Point

  • independent Instrumentation Point

  • independent Instrumentation Point

  • independent Instrumentation Point

  • independent Instrumentation Point

  • independent Instrumentation Point

  • independent Instrumentation Point

  • independent Instrumentation Point (IP-8)

  • independent Instrumentation Point (IP-9)

  • independent Instrumentation Point (IP-10)

  • independent Instrumentation Station

  • independent Instrumentation Station

• 4th Test Department (test & development solid propellant missiles)

  • 8th independent Engineering & Test Unit (RT-23 development) with 5 silos

  • 196th OSB

• 5th Test Department

  • 54th independent Engineering & Test Unit with 6 Temp-2S (15P642) missiles

  • 57th independent Engineering & Test Unit with 6 Temp-2S (15P642) missiles

  • 138th independent Engineering & Test Unit with 6 Temp-2S (15P642) missiles

  • 207th independent Engineering & Test Unit with 6 Temp-2S (15P642) missiles

  • 208th independent Engineering & Test Unit with 6 Temp-2S (15P642) missiles

  • 209th independent Engineering & Test Unit with 6 Temp-2S (15P642) missiles

  • 216th independent Engineering & Test Unit with 6 Temp-2S (15P642) missiles

  • 000 independent Repair-Technical Base

  • 0000 Technical Missile Base

• 6th Test Department (test & development of mobile missiles)

  • 00 independent Engineering & Test Unit (RT-23 rail development)

  • 2nd independent Engineering & Test Unit (RT-2PM development)

The 5th Test Department was disbanded in 1985 with all its attached units.

On 1.12.89 the space parts of the Plesetsk Test Center were detached from the RVSN, and a new 1278th Center for Test and Application of Space Means (TSIP KS) was formed, which took control of the 1st and 2nd Test Departments.

11.12.89 the 53rd Scientific Research Proving Ground (53rd NIIP) was renamed the 53rd State Proving Ground (53rd GIP).

Organisation 1989:

• 3rd Test Department (instrumentation and processing)

• 4th Test Department (test & development solid propellant missiles)

• 6th Test Department (test & development of mobile missiles)

In 1993 the 1278th Center for Test and Application of Space Means (TSIP KS) was renamed 1278th Main Center for Test and Application of Space Means, and on 11.11.94 renamed 1st State Test Spaceport (1st GIK).

The Plesetsk Test Center had now effectively been split into two parts, the 53rd State Proving Ground and the 1st State Test Spaceport.

Commanders of the 1st State Test Spaceport while separated was Major-General Anatoly Fedorovich Ovchinnikov (15.4.95-11.9.96) and Colonel Vladimir Pavlovich Pronikov (1.3.97-15.12.97).

On 15.12.97 the 53rd State Proving Ground and the 1st State Test Spaceport were united as the 1st State Test Spaceport, now again under the RVSN.

Organisation 2005:

• Test Center RKK for light launch vehicles

  • 17th independent Engineering & Test Unit (assembly & processing)

  • 00 independent Engineering & Test Unit with 3 pads (Kosmos-3M/Rokot)

  • 83rd independent Engineering & Test Unit with 2 pads (Tsiklon)

• Test Center RKK for medium launch vehicles

  • 29th independent Engineering & Test Unit (Zenit-2/Angara complex)

  • 229th independent Engineering & Test Unit with 1 R-7A pad

  • 16th independent Engineering & Test Unit with 1 R-7A pad

• Test Center for measurement, collection and information processing

  • independent Instrumentation Point

  • independent Instrumentation Point

  • independent Instrumentation Point

  • independent Instrumentation Point

  • independent Instrumentation Point

  • independent Instrumentation Point

• Test Center for stationary and mobile missile systems

  • 8th independent Engineering & Test Unit with 5 RT-2PM2 silos

  • 2nd independent Engineering & Test Unit with RT-2PM2 mobile launchers

  • 196th OBS

• NITS PKI

• NITS

Under construction.

Plesetsk ICBM Complex coordinates:

• Plesetsk ICBM Complex - map (1964); map (1968)

• Complex Support Facility (62 54 07N, 40 38 10E) - drawing (1964)

• Administration and Housing Facility (62 45 44N, 40 20 06E) - drawing (1964)

• Rail-to-Road Transfer Point (62 55 28N, 40 44 58E) - drawing (1964)