““This has not happened in the last 30 years.” Russia is expanding its capacity for the production of rocket engines – satellite images November 18, 20:29 Share: Russia is expanding its capacity for the production of solid-propellant engines (Photo: Maxar Technologies) The aggressor country Russia is conducting construction work at five plants that produce solid-propellant rocket engines . This is evidenced by the data of satellite images taken by Maxar Technologies in July, September and October 2024. Researcher of the International”, — write on: ua.news
Russia is expanding its solid fuel engine production capacity (Photo: Maxar Technologies)
The aggressor country Russia is conducting construction work at five plants that produce solid-fuel rocket engines. This is evidenced by the data of satellite images taken by Maxar Technologies in July, September and October 2024.
Researcher of the International Institute of Strategic Studies (IISS) Fabian Ginz analyzed the Russian production areas with the help of these pictures. His research blog was published on the IISS website on Monday, November 18.
According to Gintz, American officials call it “the most ambitious expansion of military production since the time of the USSR.”
Satellite images indicate that construction work is underway at several sites. It is also possible to modernize abandoned Soviet enterprises and build new infrastructure, the analysis says.
Production of solid rocket engines is located in the Altai Territory, Rostov-on-Don, near Moscow, St. Petersburg, and also in Perm.
“Such activity deserves attention, because it has not happened in the last 30 years. Only in 2023, three decades after the collapse of the USSR, significant investments in the areas of expansion and modernization were recorded,” says Fabian Ginz.
As the Russian Agency notes, Russia produces a variety of solid-fuel missiles, in particular for the Grad and Uragan systems, as well as for the S-300 and S-400 air defense systems and the Iskander-M missile complex. The Kremlin’s nuclear arsenal also has solid-fuel missiles, including Topol-M and Bulava.
“Reliable information about the types of engines that are currently produced on the territory of the Biysk II complex [Алтайський край] few are available. In the presentation of one of the companies, it is stated that they produce engines for both Soviet ballistic missiles and the new Bulava missiles, which can carry nuclear weapons. A declassified CIA document mentions that the upper part of the engine housing for the Topol missile complex could be produced at this facility,” Gintz adds.
Russia can produce up to 50 X-101 cruise missiles per month, it has already accumulated about 300 units — NV sources
The scientist emphasized that the exact purpose of expansion of enterprises “remains unclear.”
“Defining the target is complicated by the possibility that several factories may be involved in the development and production of engines for one missile system. This uncertainty makes it difficult to pinpoint exactly which missile program or category a particular expansion belongs to,” writes Fabian Ginz.
The analyst believes that imports of ballistic missiles from Iran and North Korea indicate that Russia’s production of short-range missiles is insufficient to meet its needs for a war against Ukraine.
“Expanding solid fuel engine production capacity could allow Russia to supplement and improve its existing arsenal of systems deployed in Ukraine. In the long term, this expansion may also strengthen Russia’s ability to develop systems capable of posing a threat to NATO countries,” Ginz concluded.