Missile department

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Launch vehicles 9P129 with 9M79 missiles from a missile division of the Russian armed forces

The missile department was a unit of missile troops and artillery in the Soviet Army and in armed forces structured on its model , which is equipped with tactical missiles.

The Soviet operational principles distinguish between strategic, operational and tactical missiles for surface-to- surface missiles. Missile systems of strategic importance are summarized in the Strategic Missile Forces. Troops that are equipped with operational-tactical missile complexes with ranges of several hundred kilometers are assigned to the armies or army corps (military districts in peacetime). Tactical missile complexes are assigned to the motorized rifle and tank divisions. They are used to combat targets in the division's area of ​​responsibility and have a range of up to 120 km and are launched at a variable angle of inclination (while operational missiles are usually launched vertically). They have a solid rocket engine . In Western parlance, the term battlefield short-range missile or Battlefield Short Range Ballistic Missile (BSRBM) is used for such weapon systems .

history

In the Soviet Army, the first tactical missile complex was added to the armament of the 2K1 Mars weapon system on March 20, 1958 . The 25 launch vehicles produced with this weapon system were followed by the tactical 2K Luna missile complex in significantly larger numbers from 1960 . The use, but also the technical and logistical safeguarding of these weapon systems, required new organizational structures. Therefore, from 1961 missile detachments were set up in the Soviet Army, which were directly subordinate to the commanders of the tank and motorized rifle divisions. This was the first time that they had the option of using tactical nuclear weapons .

From 1964, the 2K Luna weapon system was replaced by the 9K52 Luna-M tactical missile complex . The conversion was completed by 1982. In contrast to its predecessor, the combat properties, in particular the range, of the weapon system have been increased. The maximum range was 65 km, the minimum (smallest slope at take-off) 17 km. The process of calculating the guide values ​​has been largely automated and shortened through the introduction of a management position. The basic structure of the missile departments did not change.

Production of the 9K79 Totschka tactical missile complex began as early as 1973 , but the weapon system was not officially adopted into the armament of the Soviet Army until 1975. In the weapon system, a guided missile was used for the first time, which significantly increased the accuracy of the hit . While the range initially remained the same, the 9K79-1 Totschka-U version introduced in 1989 was a weapon system with a range of 120 km. The basic structure of the missile departments initially remained unchanged in this case.

  • Launch vehicle 2P2 of the rocket complex 2K1 Mars

  • Launch vehicle 2P16 of the rocket complex 2K6 Luna

  • Launch vehicle 9P113 of the rocket complex 2K52 Luna-M

  • Launch vehicle 9P129 of the rocket complex 9K79 Totschka

structure

Structure of a missile division of the NVA equipped with the tactical missile complex 9K52 Luna-M

The missile departments consist essentially of two starter batteries , the command platoon, the technical platoon and the units and facilities of the rear services .

Each starter battery consists of two fire trains, each equipped with a starter vehicle. The starter battery is the smallest tactically deployable unit of a missile division. In addition to the fire trains, the battery of the tactical missile complex 9K52 Luna-M includes the command post 9S445M (PU-2M) with the meteorological radio measuring station RWZ-1A (Proba) as well as a measuring device on the vehicle UAZ 452 T for the determination of the Start position coordinates and to guide the starter battery on the march with the help of a map table on the vehicle, which was controlled by a course gyro GAK. With the 9K79 Totschka weapon system, there is no command post , the R-145BM command post is used instead .

The task of the technical train is the storage, transport, delivery and handling of the rockets, engines and warheads. In the technical train, additional transport and loading vehicles, vehicles for transporting and assembling the nuclear warheads and, in the case of the 2K6 Luna weapon system, the handling technology for loading and unloading the launch vehicles are combined. The inventory also includes mobile control and test vehicles with which the missiles can be checked before they are launched.

The post of lieutenant colonel was planned for the commander . He had several deputies in the major rank for management of the staff ( chief of staff ), training, missile technology and rearward services . The positions of the battery chiefs were provided with the rank of captain or major, those of the fire platoon leader with the position of a lieutenant / first lieutenant . The main positions in the fire trains were occupied by professional non-commissioned officers or temporary non-commissioned officers (UaZ) who were trained and specialized through special training for use in the missile troops. The head of the command post of the battery chief of the starter battery (command group leader) was provided with the position of a sergeant major, as were the heads of the launch ramps (ramp chiefs). In addition to the leader, two non-commissioned officers worked on the launch ramps as driver / gunner K3 and driver / crane operator / gunner K2. Only the position of the K1 gunner was occupied by a conscript. The surveying facilities were manned by a non-commissioned officer (survey group leader) as well as a driver / surveyor and a surveyor / gyro operator, each of whom were conscripts. The radio measuring station PROBA RWZ-1 was operated by a non-commissioned officer who was also responsible for the battery meteorology group.

Operational principles

The missile department was directly subordinate to the commander of the armored and motorized rifle divisions, and each division usually had one department. Associated with this was the possibility of the division commander using nuclear weapons in the event of war. The fire of the missile departments of several divisions and possibly the missile brigade of the army corps could be combined to form focal points.

From 1988 the rocket divisions equipped with the 9K79 Totschka and 9K79-1 Totschka-U systems in the Soviet Army were separated from the armored and motorized rifle divisions and combined in independent rocket brigades . Each missile brigade comprises between three and four departments, the internal structure of the departments remained unchanged. The brigades are subordinate to the commandos of the military districts or army corps.

The missile department's tasks were to combat nuclear weapons, artillery, command posts, radio-electronic means, troop masses and important logistical supply points for the enemy.

National Peoples Army

Missile detachments of the NVA, 1989
2P16 of the 2K6 Luna weapon system of the NVA with the 3R9 rocket
9P113 of the 9K52 Luna-M weapon system of the NVA with the 3M21 rocket

The introduction of tactical missile complexes into the National People's Army began in 1962 with the 2K6 Luna tactical missile complex . First, in December 1962, the independent Artillery Department 9 (sAA-9) was set up in Spechtberg , then in the same month the independent Artillery Department 8 (sAA-8) in Brück . The departments were subordinate to the 9th Panzer Division and 8th Motorized Rifle Division. In February 1963, the sAA-1 of the 1st motorized rifle division was set up . Structure and equipment were based on the Soviet model. Two starter batteries with two starter vehicles each were planned for each department. The departments were equipped with 76 mm cannons until the missile systems were fed in. Even after the addition of the weapon systems, this armament was initially retained in order to disguise the presence of tactical missiles. The weapon system was first presented to the public during the military parade on October 7, 1964.

At the beginning of 1964 all departments of the armored and motorized rifle divisions of the NVA were ready for action, but the launch vehicles could not be made available in sufficient numbers. While there were initially only two launch ramps per department, the third launch pad was added in 1967 and the fourth launch pad planned in 1968. This became possible because from 1967 the NVA received the successor system 9K52 Luna-M . With the launch ramps that became free, the missile departments of the divisions in permanent combat readiness could initially be filled. Later the mobilization divisions also received the weapon system. Both starter batteries, each with a starter vehicle, were in constant readiness for action in the relevant departments, while the equipment of the second fire platoon was in long-term storage. The use of the 2K6 Luna ended in 1977, by which time all departments, including those of the mobilization divisions, had been equipped with the 9K52 Luna-M . The RA 10 (NCO School in Schneeberg ) was converted from LUNA to LUNA-M in 1978. In the autumn of 1978 two LUNA missiles were fired at the Nochten military training area ; one of them was built in 1949 (see below).

From 1983 the NVA introduced the 9K79 Totschka weapon system into armament. First, the 9th Panzer Division of the 9th Panzer Division was equipped. From 1988 the 7th Panzer Division's missile division was also equipped with this weapon system. The basic structure of the missile departments was retained.

In 1990 the following missile departments existed:

In Military District V :

In Military District III:

In the mobilization divisions :

  • Missile Department 6 (RA-6) of the 6th Motorized Rifle Division, equipped with 9K52 Luna-M
  • Missile Division 10 (RA-10) of the 10th Motorized Rifle Division, equipped with 9K52 Luna-M
  • Missile Department 17 (RA-17) of the 17th Motorized Rifle Division, equipped with 9K52 Luna-M
  • Missile Division 19 (RA-10) of the 19th Motorized Rifle Division, equipped with 9K52 Luna-M
  • Missile Division 20 (RA-20) of the 20th Motorized Rifle Division, equipped with 9K52 Luna-M

In the mobilization divisions, both starter batteries with one starter vehicle each were in constant readiness for action, the two further starter vehicles (so-called fire trains) were stored in the mobilization depots and ready for use within 48 hours.

At the time of its dissolution, the NVA owned a total of 56 launch vehicles 9P113 of the tactical missile complex 9K52 Luna-M and eight launch vehicles 9P129 of the tactical missile complex 9K79 Totschka . In 1990 the NVA had a total of 256 9M21 engines for the tactical missiles of the 9K52 Luna-M weapon system and eight 9M79 engines for the 9K79 Totschka missiles . Basically, a stock of six engines per launch vehicle was aimed for, which was divided into troop, operational and central stock. While this specification could also be achieved for the 9K52 Luna-M weapon system , the procurement of 9M79 engines in the specified amount was not possible, also for economic reasons.

Nuclear warheads were not under the control of the NVA. These would have been supplied by units of the group of the Soviet armed forces in Germany in the event of war. The units of the NVA regularly practiced taking over these warheads, assembling them on the carriers and using them in combat. The launch of tactical missiles in the GDR was also regularly practiced with conventional warheads (fragmentation warheads). The first take-off took place on October 2, 1963 at the Letzlinger Heide military training area . The Nochten military training area was also used for the launch of tactical missiles until the 1980s. In the northeast of the GDR, near the village of Blankensee (Western Pomerania), a launch area was reserved for the local missile units (RA-20, RA-9), from where tactical exercises were used to launch combat into the target area of ​​the Jägerbrück military training area. A total of 211 combat starts took place on military training areas in the GDR. Warheads that were filled with concrete were initially used. For logistical reasons, too, the use of conventional warheads with explosive charges at the start of combat as part of tactical exercises was later almost completely switched over.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ see below a. 2К6 Луна (Russian)
  2. ↑ see below a. 9К52 Луна-М (Russian)
  3. ↑ see u. a. 9К79 Точка (Russian)
  4. ↑ for the structure 2K6 see 2К6 Луна (Russian)
  5. ↑ for the structure 9K52 see 9К52 Луна-М (Russian)
  6. ↑ basic structure see Copenhagen , p. 58
  7. ↑ see example structure of missile department-1
  8. ↑ Missile and Weapons Technical Service in Kdo.MB III, technical catalog, command post 9S445M (PU-2M)
  9. ↑ see Missile and Weapons Technical Service in Kdo.MB III, technical catalog, Meteorological radio measuring station RWZ-1A (Proba)
  10. ↑ see 9К79 Точка (Russian)
  11. ↑ see u. a. 9К79 Точка (Russian)
  12. ↑ a b c d e f g Wilfried Copenhagen: The land forces of the NVA
  13. ↑ see locations of associations and units of rocket forces of the NVA
  14. ↑ Missile and Weapons Service in Kdo.MB III, Tactical Missile System 2K6 LUNA (R30)
  15. ↑ Missile Forces, short chronicle

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