By Sergey Buntman

Plans to reform the Russian military’s structure and re-arm it with new weapons were first announced by Defense Minister Anatoliy Serdyukov in October 2008. The most controversial aspect of the plans is the downsizing of the officer corps, with reductions of up to 200 000 scheduled for the period between 2009 and 2012.

Major General Aleksey Konnov is the Deputy Director of the Strategic Missile Troops Academy. Before assuming his new position, Maj. Gen. Konnov served as a commander of a missile regiment, a commander of two missile division, and, most recently as the deputy commander of the missile army.

– What are the Strategic Missile Troops like in this day and age? How has their organization and structure changed with the introduction of reforms in Russia’s Armed Forces?

– Of course, in the fifty years since Russia’s Strategic Missile Troops have been founded, the political situation in the world changed greatly. Today, the Russian Armed Forces are implementing the program of optimization. Certainly, the Strategic Troops are also included in that program. The Strategic Missile Troops in Russia are a separate combat service. There are 6 missile systems and three missile formations. The Russian missile force consists of 12 divisions where both mobile and stationary systems are deployed. 

– Stationary missiles are what is commonly known as silo-based missiles?

– These are stationary missile units deploying the RS-20V missile – the Voyedoda as we call it in Russia, or the Satan which is the American terminology.

– Has the structure of command changed? You just mentioned divisions. Has the structure of command changed or been modernized?

– As a part of the optimization initiative, the Strategic Missile Troops saw a decrease in the officer corps at senior command level. The downsizing of personnel took place at both the central apparatus of the Strategic Missile Troops and the individual command centers of missile formations and divisions. The number of officer positions in missile regiments and missile battalions also shrunk. Decreasing the number of people in command makes the Russian missile forces more manageable on daily basis. Also, in the possible event of a nuclear attack alert, the smaller number of decision makers and personnel members in general – including sergeants and regular soldiers – would allow for a quicker response. The Troops’ subunits are in a constant state of readiness to launch a nuclear strike. On the whole, the new structure enhances the protection of our missile sites and helps maintain the arsenal effectively.   

– What does it mean when you say “better”? Was anything wrong with the Missile Troops in the past?

– The units – especially missile regiments that were on combat duty – were required to receive personnel reinforcements within 24 hours if an alert of the highest level was issued. The force had to be mobilized to set up protection of missile regiments and the sites of divisions. Additional support personnel was mobilized to ensure the provision of rear technical services. Today, now that we’ve increased the size of the subunits that are in a permanent state of readiness, our troops can themselves handle base protection in the event an alert is made.

– What type of armaments do you use? What are the delivery vehicles?

– The Missile Troops today have 6 kinds of missiles deployed. The heavy class missiles are the RS-20 V and the RS-19. The new silo-based Topol-M system has recently been deployed at our Tatishchevo formation. Mobile Topol complexes are used by several divisions. Additional Topol-M missiles are delivered to missile regiments in the Tatishchevo formation.

– How far can these missiles reach?

– All of those systems are capable of delivering payloads in the intercontinental range. They can be used to target virtually any point on the globe.

– Are you keeping the pulse on the progress of negotiations on a new strategic treaty between Russia and the U.S. How are you going to implement what the final provisions of that document will require?

– There is no question that the Strategic Missile Troops will implement the new START treaty after it enters into force. As any ordinary person I am following the course of Russia’s discussions of the new treaty with the Americans. As an officer of Russia’s Strategic Missile Troops, I must track these talks closely because their outcome will in large measure determine how our combat formations will operate in the future. 

– Is it considered normal to extend the service life of a missile system, as the Russian government has done?

– The decision to extend the use of a missile system beyond the service life initially designated is made on the grounds of a complex analysis of the actual conditions of existing missiles and the results of test launches. The decision to prolong the life of a missile may be made only if the results of this thorough inspection are satisfactory. Gradually retiring the missile fleet gives the Missile Troops the ability to deploy new system on stage-by-stage basis.  

– Are any new missiles currently being manufactured?

– In line with the framework for optimizing Russia’s Strategic Missile Troops, we will switch to a single delivery vehicle for both stationary and mobile units. The new missile is the Topol-M, which has already entered into service at the Teykovo and the Tatishchevo formations.

– There will not be as much variety in missile types in the future?

– That’s correct.

– How intensive is the modernization of electronic systems? Life is changing. Ten years ago even home electrical appliances were quite different. Are you afraid of antimissiles?

– Existing delivery systems make it possible to overcome the missile defense systems of the United States with nearly absolute certainty. That is quite clear. The new delivery vehicles that are entering service and are in production also would be capable of passing through missile defense systems.

– What about the electronic systems?

– The unique feature of the Strategic Missile Troops throughout its 50 years in existence is that we’ve always had the most advance computer technology at our command and control centers. Students at the Strategic Missile Troops Academy learn to use cutting-edge technology.

– What role did the Strategic Missile Troops have in the war in Chechnya?

– Is this something you found in my personal file? The main task of the Russian Strategic Missile Troops is to launch missiles upon receiving the appropriate order from the supreme commander-in-chief. The Strategic Missile Troops have all the requisite resources to carry out this task. This involves units and subunits of special troops and rear services whose duty is road maintenance, deployment to field positions, equipping field positions, providing communications, solving issues of logistical support, and so on. We have everything that is required. At the same time, we do not live in isolation from the plans of the General Staff and the Ministry of Defense.

It is for these reasons that during the course of counterterrorism operations in Chechnya, there appeared a need to assemble a road engineering battalion that included Strategic Missile Troops support units. The battalion was formed, and I was appointed its commander. Given our special nature and the awareness of the interests of the state by an overwhelming majority of Strategic Missile Troops officers, we formed such a battalion, conducted combat teamwork training sessions, entered the area, and carried out the tasks of equipping the military commandant’s offices of the Ministry of Defence, which were relocated from the valley into the mountains. We equipped them with fortifications, provided road access, and engaged in mine clearing following the active phase of the counterterrorist operation and hostilities. We destroyed unexploded munitions. In the final phase, we built a road running parallel to the border with Georgia. In addition, we built roads for the Border Troops.

What was special was that when we entered Chechnya in echelons, I must admit that I felt a certain mistrust and irony – what were the Strategic Missile Troops doing in Chechnya? But I can tell you confidently that we did not carry out our tasks any worse than other similar battalions. In some areas, we even did much better than the others.