Russia expands construction at five solid-fuel rocket facilities
Russia is ramping up construction at five sites dedicated to the production of solid-fuel rocket engines, according to recent satellite images. These photos may signal Kremlin's plans to significantly boost its missile production, reports the news outlet Agentstvo.
Fabian Hinz, a researcher at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), examined the production sites through satellite imagery where the Soviet Union once manufactured solid-fuel rocket engines. These sites are located in the Altai Krai, Rostov-on-Don, near Moscow and St. Petersburg, and in Perm.
Images taken by Maxar Technologies in July, September, and October and analyzed by Reuters, reveal extensive construction activity adjacent to the buildings identified by Hinz as solid-fuel research and production facilities at these five complexes.
The satellite images suggest that Russia could be accelerating its production of solid-fuel rocket engines, Hinz noted in his report on the Military Balance+ blog.
The Russian Ministry of Defense did not respond to requests for comment.
Solid fuel generally consists of a mixture of fuels like aluminum powder and oxidizers, often ammonium perchlorate, along with a solid rubber-like binder that is "cast" into the rocket engine. Solid-fuel rockets are often simpler and safer to handle than their liquid-fueled counterparts. They are also cheaper to operate, have a longer shelf life, and require less expensive logistics.
Military analyst Pavel Podvig from Geneva believes the satellite images indicate that Russia may be planning to increase the production of solid-fuel missiles, particularly earth-to-earth classes, which can be deployed in Ukraine.