Votkinsk Machine Building Plant

Votkinsk Machine Building Plant

Type	Joint-stock company
Industry	Defense
Founded	1759
Headquarters	Votkinsk , Russia
Products	Ballistic missiles, Submarine-launched ballistic missiles
Parent	Moscow Institute of Thermal Technology[1]
Website	vzavod.ru

JSC Votkinsk Machine Building Plant (Russian: Воткинский завод) is a machine and ballistic missile production enterprise based in Votkinsk, Republic of Udmurtia, Russia. Its production includes the RS-24 Yars intercontinental ballistic missile, Russia's most recent ICBM development, as well as the submarine-launched Bulava SLBM.

Incorporated as a Federal State Unitary Enterprise until 2010, it is now an open joint-stock company.

The company has two separate facilities: a final assembly plant located some 12 kilometers outside of Votkinsk where missiles are assembled, and the main plant, located in downtown Votkinsk, where missile components as well as civil and consumer goods are produced.^[2]

History[]

The plant from its foundation until 1917[]

The idea of constructing a plant first arose in connection with the depletion of forests near then existing mining enterprises in the Urals (mid-18th century). Most firewood had to be delivered from afar that resulted in substantial cost overruns in steel production. The only solution was a relocation of production to areas, where forests remained untouched. To that end, (Izhevsk ironworks) was built between 1760 and 1763.

A site for the future plant was chosen owing to its vicinity to the major waterway (the Kama River that flows 15-20 kilometers from the present-day city of Votkinsk). The following considerations were also taken into account: the availability of forests that were the main source of fuel in steel production and geographical proximity to mining companies.

Between 1754 and 1763, totally 42 private factories were built that belonged to the gentry of the Russian Empire (including Count P.I. Shuvalov, Count M.E. Vorontsov).

In 1763, after Shuvalov's death (1762), Votkinsk and Izhevsk ironworks passed over to the state for repayment of Shuvalovs' debts and they have been state enterprises since.

Subsequently, in the 18th-20th centuries, the plant produced anchors, railway equipment, ships, excavators, gold mining drags, various weapons. For example, starting from 1773, the plant began to produce steel anchors for domestic military shipbuilding, according to the decree of Empress Catherine II. In the first half of the 19th century, the plant produced at least 62 percent of total amount of anchors in Russia.

The ironworks was one of the most progressive. Launching of steel and cast iron production in 1811 became an event of great importance for global iron industry. It was based on a completely new method of engineer Badaev, who was a self-taught talented metallurgist. This high-quality tool steel was used for the manufacturing of various tools (metal cutting, medical, stamps).

A valuable way to acknowledge the professional skills of Votkinsk artisans was an order issued in 1858 for manufacturing and assembly the spire's frame for the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg.

In 1871, the plant launched the output of open hearth furnaces. In this regard, the plant was the second in Russia and the first in the Urals. Moreover, the plant produced armor steel for the needs of domestic military shipbuilding.

In the 1840s, under the supervision of Ilya Petrovich Tchaikovsky, the enterprise was reprofiled from purely metallurgical to machine-building. In 1847, the plant started to produce river boats, and since 1868, steam locomotives.

It is particularly remarkable that the plant was situated on the banks of a small and shallow river and it wasn't connected to the country's railway network. That's why steam river boats and other vessels had to be manufactured prior to annual spring floods. To that end, a special dam was built at the plant for a small-scale accumulative pond. In spring, melt waters filled the pond and flooded the shipyard area. This enabled new vessels to float to the surface. Then they opened dam gates and steam boats began to be floated down the rivers Votka, Siva and then down the Kama river. In total, the enterprise has built about 400 vessels of various types.

In the same way, during annual spring floods, steam locomotives left the plant. They were transported on special barges down the abovementioned rivers to the nearest railway station.

This situation lasted until 1916, when the plant was connected to the country’s railway network. In total, the enterprise has manufactured 631 steam locomotives of different series.

At the end of the 19th century, the plant started the output of steelwork elements for railway bridges, due to the construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway. In terms of the overall length of railway bridges that were built by the Votkinsk plant, it took the first place in 1915.

Gradually, steam locomotive building came out on top, among the enterprise’s priority activities, accounting for about 40% of productive capacities.

From 1917 until 1957[]

During the Civil War, the plant was numerously looted by all the warring parties, as a result it basically ceased its activities and was mothballed in 1922. On September 9, 1925, the plant reopened as a manufacturer of agricultural equipment.

In the period 1930-1937, the plant was administered by the All-union association of heavy industry. It produced high-performance steam diggers and gold mining drags.

On 1 January 1938, the plant was handed over to the People's Commissariat of Defence Industry of the USSR and switched to production of ammunition and armaments. On March 11, 1938, it was rebranded as the plant number 235.

From the outset of the Great Patriotic War in 1941, the plant started to produce the 45 mm antitank cannon M1937 53-K and launched production of the 76 mm divisional gun M1942 (ZiS-3) in 1943.

In the early postwar period until 1957, the plant produced 100 mm air defense gun KS-19, 57 mm anti-tank gun M1943 (ZiS-2) and other weapons. It also manufactured products for civil purposes, including (traction engines for agriculture, narrow-gauge locomotives and tower cranes).

Missile production (from 1957 to the present time)[]

In 1957, by the resolution of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the USSR and the Council of Ministers of the USSR, the enterprise was converted into the country's primary producer of ballistic missiles for the Soviet Armed Forces.

In 1958, the plant delivered the first short-range attack missiles 8A61 developed by the Design Bureau-1 with a liquid-fueled engine and with a range of 150 km, adopted in July 1955.

Also, the plant produced a nuclear modification of 8A61 called 8К11, and starting from 1960, its successor was released - the tactical ballistic missiles 8K14 developed by the Design Bureau-385 with a range of up to 300 km. This rocket was mass-produced for over 25 years and used by the Armed Forces of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics for more than 30 years.

In 1962, by resolution of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the USSR and the Council of Ministers of the USSR, the Votkinsk Machine Building Plant started to master the production of more powerful tactical missiles 9M76, being a part of the mobile theatre ballistic missile TR-1 Temp. The first serial missile systems rolled out of the plant in 1966.

"TR-1 Temp" became a first missile system with a solid-fuelled piloted ballistic rocket adopted by the Armed Forces of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Subsequently, however, those missiles were terminated in accordance to the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty between the USA and the USSR from 8 December 1987.

In 1974, the plant began to produce intercontinental missiles 15ZH42 for the mobile intercontinental ballistic missile complex SS-16 Sinner, in 1975 - the intermediate-range ballistic missiles 15ZH45 for the complex SS-20 Saber, in 1976 - the short-range attack missiles 9M714 for the complex OTR-23 Oka, and in 1989 - the tactical missiles 9M79-1 fot^{[clarification needed]} the complex OTR-21 Tochka.

In 1998, the plant launched the production of one of the most recent intercontinental ballistic missiles "RT-2PM2 Topol-M".

In 2006, the plant started mass production of the missiles "9K720 Iskander" (its NATO reporting name is SS-26 Stone).

Production[]

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin touring the Votkinsk plant on 21 March 2011 with a Topol-M ICBM in the background

The company's products include R-11/SS-1B Scud-A and B SRBMs; RT-21M/SS-20 Saber and SS-23 Spider IRBMs; (SS-16 Sinner), RT-2PM (SS-25 Sickle) and RT-2UTTH Topol-M (SS-27) ICBMs. It also manufactures oil and gas equipment, refrigeration equipment, metal-cutting equipment, castings, forgings, stampings and domestic electric appliances.^[3]

Votkinsk was also responsible for the production of the Cold War era SS-20 intermediate-range ballistic missile and many other well-known designs by the Moscow Institute of Thermal Technology.

Missiles[]

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin meeting employees of the Votkinsk Plant

• R-17 Elbrus
• RT-21M Pioneer
• RT-21 Temp 2S
• RT-2PM Topol
• RT-2UTTH Topol M
• RS-24
• RSM-56 Bulava

See also[]

• United Rocket and Space Corporation

References[]

External links[]

• Votkinsk Machine Building Plant at the Nuclear Threat Initiative