MKB Fakel [Torch]

Russia, Moscow region, 
Khimki, 141401, st.
Academician Grushin, 33

The Machine-Building Design Bureau [MKB] imeni Academic P.D.Grushin (MKB "Fakel") (until 1967 - the Special Design Bureau No. 2)was created on November 20, 1953 by the Resolution of the Council of Ministers of the USSR and became the first in the country specialized enterprise developing surface-to-air guided missiles. Since the foundation of the company and for 38 years ite was led by the outstanding Russian engineer, scientist, academician, founder of the school of anti-aircraft missile construction Peter Dmitrievich Grushin, whose work was an outstanding example of serving the Fatherland.

Under the leadership of P.D.Grushin was formed by the collective of the enterprise, which in the shortest terms became the world leader in the development of anti-aircraft missile technology. Non-traditional approaches to the implementation of the most complicated scientific and technical and design tasks, the boldness and originality of the decisions made, the soundness and thoughtfulness of all the elements of the missiles are the style of work of the employees of the "Torch".

Almost each of the developed anti-aircraft missiles was an epoch in the development and improvement of this type of equipment. In total, during the existence of the enterprise, 23 types of missiles were created for the Air Defense Troops, the Ground Forces and the Navy and over 30 upgrades were carried out.

The missiles created by the "Torch" belong to the world priority in the destruction of the first real air adversaries. They were a high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft, shot down on October 7, 1959 in the sky over China, and the first warhead of a long-range ballistic missile destroyed on 04.03.1961. The destruction of the American reconnaissance aircraft Lockheed U-2 by the Torch rocket (with pilot Francis Powers) on 05/01/1960 in the Sverdlovsk area.

Since its inception, the ICF "Fakel" has become the main enterprise for the development of anti-aircraft guided missiles for such anti-aircraft missile systems as S-75, S-125 , S-200 , "Osa" , S-300 and a number of others. The enterprise was always the first in creating unique samples of anti-aircraft guided weapons. This is the first anti-aircraft missile for the transported complex, the first solid-fuel missile, the first shipboard anti-aircraft missile, the first missile-interceptor for ballistic missiles, the first ultra-long-range missile with self-guidance, the ZUR with a cold vertical launch and much more. The company's missiles were the first in the world to be used in combat.

So, with the missiles of the first domestic S-75 air defense system, a Taiwanese American-made RB-57D reconnaissance aircraft in the Beijing area (7/10/1959), American reconnaissance aircraft U-2 Lockheed near Sverdlovsk (1.05.1961) , in China (September 1962), over Cuba (October 27, 1962). About 500 S-75 air defense systems in the export version of the Volga were delivered to 27 countries. He took an active part in the fighting in the Middle East and South-East Asia, the Persian Gulf and the Balkans. The Dvina SA-75M Dvina missile delivered to the air defense forces of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam on the first day (July 25, 1965) shot down three American aircraft, and the eloquent result of its use is the destruction of 31 B-52 strategic bombers near Hanoi during the period from 12 to 29 December 1972. After the war in Vietnam, with the use of S-75 air defense systems of various modifications, several planes were shot down in the Indo-Pakistani conflicts, the reconnaissance RB-57F of the US Air Force over the Black Sea (December 1965) and more than 25 aircraft during the Arab-Israeli wars. It was used in combat operations in Libya (1986), Angola against South Africa, to fight with reconnaissance aircraft SR-71 over the DPRK and Cuba, as well as in Iraq.

The "Fakel" rockets were adopted by 49 countries of the world, participated in all local conflicts of 20-21 centuries and destroyed more than 2.5 thousand aircraft. They have ensured reliable defense of our Motherland and foreign states where they were in service. In recent years anti-aircraft guided missiles of the ICB "Fakel" have been exported as part of such known anti-aircraft missile systems "Tor", S-ZOPOMU, S-ZOPOMU-1. Unflagging interest in the ICF "Torch" and its products are shown by France, China, South Korea, India, Egypt, Vietnam and other countries. MKB Fakel together with the Ministry of Defense of Russia and the main developers of air defense systems developed the concept of creating a rational array of anti-aircraft guided missiles for the formation of a modern anti-aircraft defense system. The enterprise possesses all the technological links ensuring a full cycle of design, fabrication and mining of missiles, has a stable cooperation of enterprises-co-executors in the structure of more than twenty scientific research, experimental design organizations and serial plants.

On July 25, 1958, for the creation of a 1D anti-aircraft missile for the S-75 air defense system, the company was awarded the Order of Lenin, and on April 20, 1981 - with the Order of the October Revolution (for the creation of an anti-aircraft missile system S-300PMU 5V55 ). Since 2002, the ICB "Fakel" is a part of the Air Defense Concern Almaz-Antey and the financial and industrial group "Defense Systems". In a difficult situation after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the company retained a unique team and ensured the continuity of generations, which allowed under current conditions to continue creating promising new-generation air defense missiles and to participate in the production of anti-aircraft weapons for the Russian army and foreign customers.

In recent years, the ICF "Fakel" expanded its activities in the interests of the development and manufacture of civilian products. So, the company created a family of household woodworking machines of original design, the production of which is established at two Russian plants. The workplace of the dentist developed in the ICF "Fakel" is one of the best in Russia. The enterprise patented machines for the textile industry MVSH-F1 and CBM "Fakel", which were highly appreciated at international exhibitions. The production of the collective does not know itself equal and continues to outstrip time and world technical thought.