43rd Rocket Army
Encyclopedia
The 43rd Red Banner
Rocket Army was an army
of the Soviet Strategic Rocket Forces
.
It was formed at Vinnitsa within the Kiev Military District
's boundaries on 1 September 1960 from the previous 43rd Air Army of the Long Range Aviation
.
In 1961 the 43rd Rocket Army comprised the 44th Rocket Division (Kolomiya, Ivano-Frankovsk Oblast
. Previously 73rd Engineer Brigade RVGK at Kamyshin
.),), the 19th Rocket Division (Gaisin, Vinnitsa Oblast), the 50th Rocket Division (Belokorovichi, Zhitomir Oblast), the 46th Rocket Division (Pervomaisk, Luhansk Oblast
), 43rd Guards Rocket Division (Romny
, Sumy Oblast), the 35th Rocket Division (Ordzhonikidze
, North Ossetia), and the 37th Guards Rocket Division (Lutsk
, Volyn Oblast
).
On 31 March 1990 the 44th Rocket Division at Kolomiya
was disbanded. In June 1990 the 50th Rocket Army at Smolensk
was disbanded, and two of its divisions were reassigned to the 43rd Rocket Army.
Organisation 1990:
The 50th Rocket Division was disbanded 30.4.91, followed by the 43rd Guards Rocket Division 31.12.92 and the 37th Guards Rocket Division 31.12.93.
The 43rd Rocket Army's last commander was Colonel-General Vladimir Alekseevich Mikhtyuk, who served from 10.1.1991 to 8.5.1996. It was finally disbanded on 8 May 1996.
Red Banner
Red Banner was a symbol of the USSR associated with the Soviet state flag.Military units, institutions and organizations awarded with the Order of the Red Banner are referred to with the honorific title "of the Red Banner" Red Banner was a symbol of the USSR associated with the Soviet state...
Rocket Army was an army
Army
An army An army An army (from Latin arma "arms, weapons" via Old French armée, "armed" (feminine), in the broadest sense, is the land-based military of a nation or state. It may also include other branches of the military such as the air force via means of aviation corps...
of the Soviet Strategic Rocket Forces
Strategic Rocket Forces
The Strategic Missile Troops or Strategic Rocket Forces of the Russian Federation or RVSN RF , transliteration: Raketnye voyska strategicheskogo naznacheniya Rossiyskoy Federatsii, literally Missile Troops of Strategic Designation of the Russian Federation) are a military branch of the Russian...
.
It was formed at Vinnitsa within the Kiev Military District
Kiev Military District
The Kiev Military District was a Russian unit of military-administrative division of the Imperial Russian Army and subsequently of the Ukrainian Army, RKKA, and Soviet Armed Forces...
's boundaries on 1 September 1960 from the previous 43rd Air Army of the Long Range Aviation
Long Range Aviation
Long Range Aviation was the branch of the Soviet Air Forces tasked with long-range bombardment of strategic targets with nuclear weapons. During the Cold War, it was the counterpart to the Strategic Air Command of the United States Air Force....
.
In 1961 the 43rd Rocket Army comprised the 44th Rocket Division (Kolomiya, Ivano-Frankovsk Oblast
Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast
Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast is an oblast in western Ukraine. Its administrative center is the city of Ivano-Frankivsk. As is the case with most other oblasts of Ukraine this region has the same name as its administrative center – which was renamed by the Soviets after the Ukrainian writer, nationalist...
. Previously 73rd Engineer Brigade RVGK at Kamyshin
Kamyshin
Kamyshin is a city in Volgograd Oblast, Russia, located on the right bank of the Volgograd Reservoir of the Volga River, in the estuary of the Kamyshinka River. Population: 101,000 ; 24,000 ....
.),), the 19th Rocket Division (Gaisin, Vinnitsa Oblast), the 50th Rocket Division (Belokorovichi, Zhitomir Oblast), the 46th Rocket Division (Pervomaisk, Luhansk Oblast
Luhansk Oblast
Luhansk Oblast ) is the easternmost oblast of Ukraine. Its administrative center is Luhansk. The oblast was established in 1938 and bore the name Voroshilovgrad Oblast in honor of Kliment Voroshilov....
), 43rd Guards Rocket Division (Romny
Romny
Romny is a city in the northern Ukrainian Oblast of Sumy. It is located on the Romen River and is the administrative center of the Romny Raion...
, Sumy Oblast), the 35th Rocket Division (Ordzhonikidze
Ordzhonikidze
Ordzhonikidze may refer to:People:*Grigoriy Ordzhonikidze , a Georgian Bolshevik and Soviet political leader*Sergei Ordzhonikidze, a Russian diplomat*Iosif Ordzhonikidze , a mayor of Moscow...
, North Ossetia), and the 37th Guards Rocket Division (Lutsk
Lutsk
Lutsk is a city located by the Styr River in northwestern Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Volyn Oblast and the administrative center of the surrounding Lutskyi Raion within the oblast...
, Volyn Oblast
Volyn Oblast
Volyn Oblast is an oblast in north-western Ukraine. Its administrative center is Lutsk. Kovel is the westernmost town and the last station in Ukraine of the rail line running from Kiev to Warsaw.-History:...
).
On 31 March 1990 the 44th Rocket Division at Kolomiya
Kolomyia
Kolomyia or Kolomyya, formerly known as Kolomea , is a city located on the Prut River in the Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast , in western Ukraine. Serving as the administrative centre of the Kolomyia Raion , the city is also designated as a separate raion within the oblast...
was disbanded. In June 1990 the 50th Rocket Army at Smolensk
Smolensk
Smolensk is a city and the administrative center of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Dnieper River. Situated west-southwest of Moscow, this walled city was destroyed several times throughout its long history since it was on the invasion routes of both Napoleon and Hitler. Today, Smolensk...
was disbanded, and two of its divisions were reassigned to the 43rd Rocket Army.
Organisation 1990:
- 19th Rocket Division (Rakovo, Khmelnytskyi OblastKhmelnytskyi OblastKhmelnytskyi Oblast is an oblast of western Ukraine. The administrative center of the oblast is the city of Khmelnytskyi.The current estimated population is around 1,401,140 .-Geography:...
) - 32nd Rocket Division (PostavyPostavyPostavy is a former air base in Belarus located 5 km west of Pastavy. It is a medium-sized air base. There are three loop areas with 15 revetments each, and central tarmac area....
, Vitebsk Oblast) - 33rd Guards Rocket Division (Mozyr, Gomel Oblast)
- 37th Guards Rocket Division (Lutsk, Volyn Oblast)
- 43rd Guards Rocket Division (Romny, Sumy Oblast)
- 46th Rocket Division (Pervomaisk, Luhansk Oblast)
- 49th Guards Rocket Division (LidaLidaLida is a city in western Belarus in Hrodna Voblast, situated 160 km west of Minsk. It is the fourteenth largest city in Belarus.- Etymology :...
, Grodno Oblast, Belorussian SSR) - transferred to 27th Guards Rocket Army27th Guards Missile Army27th Guards Vitebsk Red Banner Rocket Army is one of the 3 rocket armies within Russian Strategic Rocket Forces headquartered at Vladimir, Vladimir Oblast in Western Russia....
from March 1993. - 50th Rocket Division (Belokorovichi, Zhitomir Oblast)
The 50th Rocket Division was disbanded 30.4.91, followed by the 43rd Guards Rocket Division 31.12.92 and the 37th Guards Rocket Division 31.12.93.
The 43rd Rocket Army's last commander was Colonel-General Vladimir Alekseevich Mikhtyuk, who served from 10.1.1991 to 8.5.1996. It was finally disbanded on 8 May 1996.
Commanders
- Colonel-General of Aviation Georgy Nikolaevich Tupikov, 22.11.60 - 25.11.61
- Colonel-General Pavel Borisovich Dankevich, 25.11.61 - 7.7.62
- Colonel-General Aleksandr Grigorevich Shevtsov, 24.8.62 - 20.6.66
- Colonel-General Mikhail Grigorevich Grigorev, 20.6.66 - 25.4.68
- Colonel-General Aleksey Dmitrievich Melekhin, 25.4.68 - 15.7.74
- Colonel-General Yury Petrovich Zabegaylov, 15.7.74 - 18.12.75
- Colonel-General Vadim Serafimovich Nedelin, 18.12.75 - 15.8.82
- Colonel-General Aleksandr Petrovich Volkov, 15.8.82 - 22.7.87
- Lieutenant-General Valery Vasilevich Kirilin, 22.7.87 - 10.1.91
- Colonel-General Vladimir Alekseevich Mikhtyuk, 10.1.91 - 8.5.96
Further reading
- Joseph P. Harahan, Combining Military Professionalism, Technological Mastery of Nuclear Weapon Systems, and Diplomacy: General-Colonel V. A. Mikhtyuk and the Decommissioning, Dismantlement, and Destruction of the 43rd Rocket Army (Nuclear) in Ukraine, 1994-2002, paper given at ICOHTEC 33rd Symphosium, Leicester, 2006