Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

Design Bureau of Transport Machine-building (KBTM)

Konstruktorskoe byuro transportnogo mashinostroeniya (KBTM)

The history of the formation and development of the design bureau (KB) is inextricably linked with the history of domestic missile technology and industry, the starting date of which is considered May 13, 1946 - the day of the USSR Council of Ministers resolution No. 1017-419 on the creation of new missile weapons. On the orders of the Council of Ministers of the USSR of August 10, 1948, No. 11059-rs, signed by I.V. Stalin, the State Special Design Bureau was established. From this date, the history of the enterprise, which was renamed in 1967 in the Design Bureau of Transport Engineering (KBTM), began.

KB, having begun its activity with the development of transport and refueling units for the first domestic R-1 and R-2 missiles, already as a developer of ground-based technological equipment participates in the creation of more than 50 missile systems for various purposes. These include the complexes of the first strategic missile R-5M, the first missile on high-boiling components of R-11 fuel, the first intercontinental R-7 missile, the first S-300 air defense missile S-25, the R-12, R-14 and intercontinental R-16 and R-36, laid the foundation of the rocket and nuclear shield of the Motherland. Work is under way on ground equipment for the first intercontinental cruise missile of the Burya complex, the first C-2 coastal defense rocket of the Sopka complex, the first serial cruise missile of the ship-based missile system.

Since 1958, KB, having become the leading complex organization, is developing and creating, in cooperation with adjacent enterprises, ground-based equipment complexes for operational and tactical missiles of the main designers V.P. Makeeva and E.D. Rakova and for the naval cruise missiles of the general designer VN Chelomey, ground support complexes for ballistic missiles of submarines (SLBMs) of the main designers V.P. Makeeva, P.A. Tyurina, I.I. Velichko and V.G. Degtyarya, technical and launching complexes for the preparation and launch of space vehicles by missile carriers of the main designers M.K. Yangel, V.F. Utkin, S.N. Konyukhova, M.F. Reshetnev and others, a number of other complexes.

From 1948 till 1957 Design Bureau developed separate aggregates of ground support equipment, primarily special automobile trailers for missiles transportation, truck-based fuelling machines, assembly and mating cars and cargo capturing rigs, used during assembly of missiles, special cars, used for creation of required temperature and moisture regime, etc. This equipment was developed for missile complexes, used by Ground Forces, Navy, Air Defense Forces and Rocket Forces. During these years Design Bureau developed a total of 121 aggregates, 50 of which were launched into serial production, adopted for armamament and were later delivered abroad.

From 1958 till 1963 the Bureau developed 20 complete complexes of ground equipment with a total of 158 aggregates and simultaneously developed 37 individual aggregates for missile complexes, developed by General Designer M.K.Yangel and 34 aggregates for 6 complexes by General Designer S.P.Korolyov. Among the latters were:

• Vostok complex for piloted missions and
• ground-based launch complex with two automated launch pads for the R-36 (SS-9) ICBM