Fabian Hinz
Russia is engaged in what US officials describe as the ‘most ambitious expansion in military manufacturing since the Soviet era’. Satellite imagery suggests that solid-propellant rocket motor-production capacity appears to be one focus of this effort.
Substantial development activity is visible at five sites associated with the production of solid propellants. Recent satellite imagery suggests building work is taking place at multiple locations, including possible refurbishment of dormant Soviet-era facilities and the construction of new infrastructure. This work is noteworthy given that for the last 30 years there has been little evidence of expansion or refurbishment. Only in 2023, three decades after the collapse of the Soviet Union, did substantial investment appear to be underway.
Solid-propellant missile systems are central to Russia’s strategic arsenal and to its tactical ground-launched shorter-range weapons. Russia has used short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) widely in its war against Ukraine. The Russian Armed Forces have deployed multiple types of surface-to-surface missiles, including the 9K720 Iskander-M (RS-SS-26 Stone) SRBM and rockets fired by the Tornado-S multiple rocket launcher system (MRL), targeting both high-value Ukrainian military assets and critical infrastructure. Additionally, surface-to-air missile systems, such as the S-300P(RS-SA-20 Gargoyle) and S-400 (RS-SA-21 Growler), are central elements of Russia’s ground-based air-defence architecture, which it has also utilised in secondary ground-attack roles. Larger composite solid-propellant motors are also utilised in a large proportion of Russia’s intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and its newer submarine-launched ballistic missiles that form the central pillar of Moscow’s strategic nuclear deterrent.
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