1723rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment
Unit Identification
The 1723rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment, military unit (v/ch) 26292, is referenced in open sources as a Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) Air and Missile Defense Troops (PVO) regiment equipped with S-300PS surface-to-air missile systems (NATO reporting name SA-10B Grumble). The Russian Ministry of Defense does not publish a comprehensive public directory of unit numbers, and official releases provide limited detail on specific regiments; consequently, verification beyond the unit designation and reported system type is constrained by the public record.
Mission and Operational Role
As a PVO regiment operating S-300PS, the unit’s doctrinal role is air and missile defense of assigned airspace sectors and critical infrastructure, maintaining continuous combat duty (boevoe dezhurstvo) to detect, track, and, if ordered, engage hostile aerospace targets. Tasks include integration into the regional integrated air defense system, coordination with adjacent regiments and higher echelons, and provision of layered coverage in conjunction with early warning and fighter aviation assets where assigned.
Reported Equipment: S-300PS System Overview
The S-300PS is a mobile, self-propelled variant of the S-300P family introduced in the early 1980s, fielding 5P85S and 5P85D launcher vehicles on MAZ-543M chassis, controlled by a 5N63S/30N6 engagement radar (Flap Lid) via the 54K6 command post. Acquisition and low-altitude detection typically involve 36D6 (Tin Shield) and 76N6 (Clam Shell) radars; in some formations, long-range 64N6 (Big Bird) is employed. Missile types associated with S-300PS include 5V55K (approximate range up to 47 km), 5V55R (up to roughly 75 km), and 5V55RM (up to roughly 90 km), with engagement altitudes from low tens of meters to roughly 27–30 km. The fire-control channel enables simultaneous engagement of multiple targets, commonly cited as up to six targets with up to twelve missiles guided concurrently, subject to configuration. Exact missile loadouts and supporting radar mixes are unit- and formation-specific and not publicly disclosed.
Organizational Structure
Russian S-300PS regiments typically comprise two or three firing battalions (divizions), each built around an engagement radar, associated command post elements, and a set of transporter-erector-launchers (commonly 8–12 per battalion), supported by low-altitude radar assets and technical-service elements. Regimental echelons include a command post, communications and automated control components, a technical battery for missile preparation and maintenance, logistics and transport subunits, and site security. The exact table of organization and equipment for military unit 26292 is not published in official open sources.
Headquarters and Administrative Elements
The regiment’s headquarters (HQ) functions as the command, control, and administrative node, overseeing combat duty scheduling, training, logistics, personnel management, and integration with higher-echelon air defense command posts. In Russian practice, the numeric unit designation (v/ch 26292) is used for administrative, postal, and procurement purposes. A precise HQ street address or coordinates for this regiment are not confirmed in publicly verifiable official sources; if such details exist, they are not openly disseminated, and may be restricted or classified.
Firing Positions and Site Infrastructure
S-300PS firing positions are typically prepared sites with hardstand launch pads arranged in a radial or sectoral pattern, a central area for the engagement radar, emplacement points for acquisition and low-altitude radars (often with 40V6-series masts for elevation where authorized), access and dispersal roads, and revetments or berms for limited protection and signature management. Technical areas support generator power, missile handling, and communications. While the system is mobile and can be redeployed, Russian regiments commonly maintain pre-surveyed, pre-wired positions to reduce setup time and sustain round-the-clock alert status.
Command, Control, and Integration
At the system level, the S-300PS employs the 54K6 command post to manage engagement operations with the 5N63S/30N6 radar and to interface with higher-echelon air-defense automation systems. Within the VKS, regimental command posts are integrated into divisional and army-level air-defense command networks that consolidate the recognized air picture and allocate targets. Higher-echelon automation systems widely fielded in Russian air defense include Baikal-1M and Polyana-D4M1; specific C2 suites assigned to military unit 26292 are not identified in publicly available official documentation.
Readiness, Training, and Exercises
PVO regiments on combat duty conduct continuous technical readiness checks, radar calibration, and crew proficiency training, including command-post drills and simulated engagements. Russian air-defense units routinely conduct live-fire exercises at established ranges such as Ashuluk (Astrakhan Oblast) and Telemba (Republic of Buryatia), under the supervision of dedicated training centers; open sources do not provide verified, unit-specific live-fire records for the 1723rd Regiment, and official confirmation of such events for v/ch 26292 is not publicly available.
Logistics and Sustainment
Sustainment for S-300PS regiments covers missile storage and periodic life-extension of sealed canisterized 5V55-series missiles, maintenance of radar and command-post electronics, calibration and testing equipment, generator sets, and heavy automotive support for launcher and support vehicles. Technical batteries handle missile conditioning and preparation, while regimental logistics manage spares, fuels and lubricants, and transport. Specific maintenance schedules and stocks for military unit 26292 are not disclosed in open official sources.
Operational Capabilities and Limitations
Within its performance envelope, S-300PS provides area air defense against aircraft, cruise missiles, and certain types of aerodynamic targets, with limited capability against short-range ballistic threats depending on missile variant and engagement geometry. Effectiveness depends on radar coverage, electronic counter-countermeasures, terrain masking, and integration with early warning and adjacent systems. Exact rules of engagement, alert postures, and loadouts for the 1723rd Regiment are not public.
Modernization Context
Across the VKS, S-300PS units have been progressively supplemented or replaced in some formations by S-400 Triumf and S-350 Vityaz systems. As of 2024–2025, Russia continues to operate S-300PS in multiple regions while modernization proceeds. There is no official public confirmation regarding re-equipment status or planned system upgrades specifically for military unit 26292.
Data Availability and Confidence
The designation 1723rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment and military unit number 26292 appear in open-source references, but official Russian Ministry of Defense publications do not provide detailed public data on this regiment’s exact garrison, higher headquarters, or order of battle. Where details are not publicly available or may be classified, they are omitted. Any further precision on HQ location, subunit deployment sites, or current equipment inventories would require verifiable official disclosures or unambiguous open documentation.