1488th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment
Unit Identification
Official designation: 1488th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment (Russian: 1488-y zenitnyy raketnyy polk), military unit 03216 (v/ch 03216). Service branch: Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS), Air and Missile Defense Troops (PVO). Primary system identified in open sources: S-300PS long-range surface-to-air missile (SAM) system.
Command Subordination
The regiment is part of the 2nd Air Defense Division under the 6th Air and Air Defense Army of the VKS. This command structure provides layered air defense for the Northwestern strategic direction centered on St. Petersburg.
Garrison and Area of Responsibility
Open-source references identify the regiment’s headquarters in Vaganovo, Vsevolozhsky District, Leningrad Oblast. The unit’s peacetime mission is associated with the air defense of St. Petersburg and critical infrastructure across Leningrad Oblast and approaches from the Gulf of Finland and Lake Ladoga.
Mission Profile
Primary tasks include continuous combat duty within Russia’s integrated air defense network, airspace surveillance, and the interception of hostile aerodynamic targets (aircraft and cruise missiles) within the assigned sector. The regiment operates in conjunction with regional radiotechnical troops and fighter aviation through standardized VKS command-and-control procedures.
Primary Weapon System: S-300PS (SA-10B)
The S-300PS is a mobile, long-range SAM system employing 5P85S/5P85D transporter-erector-launchers (four sealed launch canisters per TEL) on MAZ-7910 8x8 chassis, the 5N63S engagement radar (NATO: Flap Lid B), and associated acquisition radars including 36D6 (Tin Shield) and 76N6 (Clam Shell); some formations also employ the 5N64S (Big Bird) long-range surveillance radar. Standard missiles from the 5V55 family (e.g., 5V55R/5V55RM) provide published engagement ranges up to approximately 75–90 km against aerodynamic targets, with effective altitude coverage from low level (tens of meters) to roughly 27–30 km. Warhead mass for 5V55-series missiles is commonly cited around 133 kg. The system supports multi-target engagements and rapid emplacement, with typical deployment from march in about five minutes.
Typical Regimental Structure (S-300PS-era)
Russian S-300PS regiments commonly field two to three firing battalions (divizions). A battalion typically includes an engagement radar, a command post, and multiple TELs (often up to six), providing on the order of 24 ready-to-fire missiles per battalion. Regimental echelons include a headquarters, communications, a technical battery for missile preparation, logistics and maintenance subunits, and security elements. Precise manning and equipment tables for military unit 03216 are not publicly released.
Radar, Sensors, and Command-and-Control
The regiment’s fire units are integrated into the VKS air defense network and receive early warning/target designation from radiotechnical troops operating long-range surveillance radars. Organic S-300PS sensors (36D6, 76N6, and where available 5N64S) provide sector search and low-altitude coverage; the 5N63S directs engagements. Radars such as 36D6 and 76N6 can be elevated on 40V6-series masts to improve line-of-sight. Automated C2 links enable data exchange with higher headquarters and adjacent air defense assets to support sector deconfliction and layered intercepts.
Infrastructure and Firing Sites
Peacetime infrastructure typically includes a regimental headquarters area, vehicle parks, missile technical positions, maintenance workshops, storage, and training facilities. S-300PS firing sites in Leningrad Oblast are generally pre-surveyed with prepared revetments and dispersal pads to support rotation during combat duty. Precise site coordinates, layouts, and ammunition storage details are not publicly disclosed.
Training and Readiness Practices (Open-Source Context)
Units of the 2nd Air Defense Division and the 6th Air and Air Defense Army conduct alert-duty rotations, command-staff drills, and joint exercises, including participation within the Zapad strategic exercise series. VKS air defense regiments routinely conduct live-fire certification at state ranges such as Ashuluk (Astrakhan Oblast). While such activities are regularly reported at formation level, unit-specific schedules and results for v/ch 03216 have not been officially published.
Modernization and Re-Equipment
The Russian Ministry of Defense has been replacing legacy S-300PS systems with S-400 across multiple regions since the 2010s. Public reporting up to 2024 continues to associate the 1488th regiment (military unit 03216) with S-300PS. Any formal re-equipment of this specific unit to newer systems has not been confirmed via authoritative public MoD announcements.
Publicly Reported Designations and Aliases
Common open-source references include: 1488th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment; 1488th ZRP (abbreviation for zenitnyy raketnyy polk); military unit 03216 (v/ch 03216). Multiple references explicitly associate the regiment with the S-300PS system.
Information Gaps and Classification Notes
Specific details such as exact order of battle, the number and precise locations of firing battalions, missile stockpiles, communications parameters, readiness levels, and movement schedules are either not publicly available or are classified. Where authoritative data are lacking, general characteristics of S-300PS regiments are provided in place of unit-specific figures.