1544th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment
Unit Identification
The 1544th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment (1544th ZRP; Russian: 1544-й зенитный ракетный полк) is referenced in open-source materials under military unit number 55584 (в/ч 55584). Public reporting associates the regiment with the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) Air and Missile Defense Troops (PVO). Multiple open references link this unit to modern long-range surface-to-air missile systems, specifically the S-400 Triumf, with historical association to the S-300PS.
Command Subordination
Publicly available organizational data indicates that the regiment is part of the VKS Air and Missile Defense Troops operating within the Western Military District (ZVO). In northwestern Russia, long-range SAM regiments are generally subordinated to the 6th Air and Air Defense Army, typically via an air defense division responsible for the Saint Petersburg/Leningrad Oblast sector (commonly cited as the 2nd Air Defense Division). Precise, current formal subordination for military unit 55584 is not officially published in open primary sources.
Mission and Area of Responsibility
Regiments of this type in the northwestern sector are tasked with air and missile defense of critical infrastructure and population centers, including the Saint Petersburg metropolitan area and approaches from the Gulf of Finland and Leningrad Oblast. Assigned tasks include engagement of aerodynamic targets (tactical aircraft, UAVs, cruise missiles) and, within system parameters, certain classes of ballistic targets. The unit operates as part of an integrated air defense system (IADS) alongside radio-technical (radar) troops, other SAM regiments, and fighter aviation.
Reported Equipment: S-400 Triumf (SA-21)
Open-source reporting lists the S-400 Triumf as the regiment’s principal system. The S-400 entered Russian service in 2007 and employs a layered missile family including 48N6DM (nominal engagement range up to approximately 250 km), 9M96-series missiles (medium range; high agility for end-game interception), and the long-range 40N6 missile (publicly acknowledged by the Russian MoD as accepted for service in 2018, with a quoted maximum range up to roughly 380–400 km against select target types). Typical S-400 components include the 91N6 surveillance radar, 92N6 engagement radar, 96L6 all-altitude detector, a 55K6 command post, and transporter-erector-launchers (TELs) of the 5P85 family. Actual missile loadouts and quantities are not publicly disclosed.
Legacy Equipment: S-300PS (SA-10B)
The S-300PS (mobile variant of the S-300P family) is a legacy system widely fielded by PVO regiments before systematic rearmament to S-400. The S-300PS employs 5P85S/D TELs on MAZ-543 chassis, the 30N6 (Flap Lid) engagement radar, and acquisition radars such as 36D6 or 76N6. Standard missiles include the 5V55R/RM family with typical maximum ranges cited up to about 75–90 km and engagement altitudes broadly reported up to approximately 25–27 km. Public references connect the 1544th ZRP to S-300PS prior to reequipment.
Organizational Structure (Typical for VKS S-400 Regiments)
Russian S-400 regiments typically field two to three battalions (divizions). A common battalion structure comprises up to eight TELs, an engagement radar (92N6), and associated command and support elements, while the regiment maintains a central command post (55K6), long-range surveillance (91N6), and all-altitude radar (96L6). Point-defense assets (frequently Pantsir-S family systems) are often co-located to protect the S-400 batteries from low-altitude and saturation threats. Exact numbers and configuration for military unit 55584 are not publicly disclosed.
Infrastructure and Deployment Sites
S-400 regiments generally operate from a garrison with multiple prepared firing positions distributed around the defended area. Prepared sites typically feature hardstand launch pads arranged in clusters, radar emplacements, generator and communications shelters, and revetted positions for command and support vehicles. Units of this type regularly utilize a mix of fixed prepared sites and temporary field positions, rotating among them to complicate adversary targeting. Specific coordinates for the 1544th ZRP’s firing positions are not confirmed in authoritative public sources.
Headquarters and Garrison
Military unit 55584 is widely associated in open-source compilations with the northwestern Russia/Saint Petersburg–Leningrad Oblast air defense belt. However, a definitive, current, official HQ/garrison address for the 1544th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment is not published in primary sources accessible to the public. In the absence of verifiable official documentation, a precise headquarters location cannot be stated.
Operational Employment and Training
VKS air-defense regiments customarily conduct routine combat readiness checks, mobility drills (road marches and dispersal to alternate firing positions), and live-fire training at established ranges. Russian MoD communiqués routinely document SAM live-fire events for PVO units at ranges such as Ashuluk (Astrakhan Oblast). In the Western Military District, air and missile defense units also participate in district-level and strategic command-staff exercises (e.g., iterations of Zapad), focusing on layered defense against massed cruise-missile and UAV raids. Participation by military unit 55584 in specific events is not individually confirmed in public primary sources.
Interoperability within the IADS
S-400 regiments are integrated into regional and national air-defense command-and-control networks. They receive target tracks from radio-technical troops and, where available, higher-echelon automated control systems. Russian PVO formations employ standardized data exchange and automation suites (e.g., Baikal-1M, Polyana-D4M1 family) to coordinate engagements and deconflict with adjacent SAM units and fighter aviation. The specific automation complex in use by military unit 55584 is not publicly identified.
Modernization and Capability Evolution
Across the late 2010s and early 2020s, the VKS prioritized rearmament from S-300PS to S-400 around major population centers, including the Saint Petersburg area. Open-source references list the 1544th ZRP (v/ch 55584) with S-400, indicating completion of the upgrade at some point prior to the most recent reporting. Exact year of transition, number of battalions reequipped, and missile inventory details have not been officially released.
Nomenclature and Alternate Designations
1544th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment is commonly rendered as 1544th ZRP (Zenitnyy Raketnyy Polk). The military unit number appears as в/ч 55584 in Russian. The reported systems are S-400 “Triumf” (NATO reporting name: SA-21 Growler) and legacy S-300PS (NATO: SA-10B Grumble). System component designations such as 91N6 (surveillance radar), 92N6 (engagement radar), 96L6 (all-altitude radar), and 55K6 (command post) are standard for S-400 formations.
Data Reliability and Gaps
High-confidence items: system typology and capabilities of S-400 and S-300PS; the association of the 1544th ZRP with military unit 55584 in open sources; the regiment’s integration within the VKS PVO framework in the Western Military District. Moderate-confidence items: subordination to the 6th Air and Air Defense Army via the Saint Petersburg-area air-defense division. Low-confidence items: a precise, current HQ/garrison address; the exact internal structure and missile inventory of military unit 55584. Where official disclosures are absent, detailed locations and unit configuration remain unconfirmed.