25th Air Defense Division
Identification and Command Relationships
The 25th Air Defense Division is a formation of the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) subordinate to the 11th Red Banner Air and Air Defense Army (11th Army of Air Force and Air Defense), which is the VKS component in the Eastern Military District. Its headquarters is located in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, Khabarovsk Krai. The division’s core mission is aerospace defense of key sites and air approaches across central and northern Khabarovsk Krai, integrating surface-to-air missile (SAM) units with radar and command-and-control elements under the national air-defense network.
Headquarters and Location Significance
Komsomolsk-on-Amur is a major industrial hub hosting the Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft Plant (KnAAZ, a Sukhoi facility that has produced Su-27/30/35-series and has been associated with Su-57 production), the Amur shipbuilding complex, and nearby military airfields (Dzemgi and Khurba). Positioning divisional headquarters here supports rapid coordination with regional aviation units and protects key defense-industrial assets and transport corridors along the Amur River, the Baikal-Amur Mainline, and approaches to the Tatar Strait and Sea of Okhotsk.
Area of Responsibility and Strategic Context
The division’s area of responsibility encompasses the lower Amur basin and central-northern Khabarovsk Krai, including the Komsomolsk-on-Amur and Khabarovsk urban-industrial areas and the transportation and maritime axes linking the mainland to the Tatar Strait and the Sea of Okhotsk. The defended area includes critical infrastructure such as aircraft manufacturing at Dzemgi, the Khurba air base, maritime facilities in Khabarovsk Krai (including Sovetskaya Gavan), and rail links of national significance. The sector provides depth to the Far East integrated air and missile defense posture together with neighboring divisions and Pacific Fleet air-defense assets.
Subordinate Elements (Publicly Reported)
Open-source reporting attributes to the division multiple anti-aircraft missile regiments based in the Komsomolsk-on-Amur and Khabarovsk areas, commonly identifying the 1530th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment (Komsomolsk-on-Amur area) and the 1529th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment (Khabarovsk area) as key subordinate units. A radio-technical regiment and dispersed radar companies provide early warning and target tracking across Khabarovsk Krai. Precise order of battle details (exact battalion counts, peacetime deployment sites, and point-defense complements) are not comprehensively disclosed in public sources.
Air Defense Systems and Modernization
Russian Ministry of Defense announcements in 2020–2021 reported the induction of S-400 Triumf systems into combat duty in Khabarovsk Krai, indicating modernization within the division’s sector. S-400 system specifications publicly cited include engagement ranges up to 250 km with 48N6DM missiles and up to approximately 380–400 km with 40N6-class missiles, with associated multifunction engagement radar 92N6 and acquisition radar 91N6, and optional 96L6-series all-altitude detectors. Legacy S-300PS/PM systems have also been reported in the Eastern Military District; S-300PS with 5V55R missiles typically has a range up to about 90 km, while S-300PM variants using 48N6 missiles can reach up to about 150 km. The specific distribution of system variants among the division’s regiments is not fully detailed in public releases.
Radar and Early Warning Network
Air-surveillance coverage in the sector is provided by radio-technical units employing a mix of long-range and low-altitude radars. Eastern Military District formations have publicly reported fielding modern systems such as Nebo-M (55Zh6M) for long-range, high-altitude detection (including some capability against ballistic targets), Podlet-K1 for low-altitude coverage, and Kasta-series radars for gap-filling. Within S-400 regiments, 96L6-series all-altitude radars are commonly used. Exact radar site locations and the number of deployed sets assigned specifically to the 25th Air Defense Division are not published in official open sources.
Command, Control, and Data Links
Divisional air-defense units operate under automated command-and-control (C2) systems standardized within the VKS. S-400 regiments in Russia are typically integrated via Baikal-1M/ME automated control posts, while S-300 regiments have been associated with Polyana-D4M1. These systems fuse radar inputs from radio-technical units, higher-echelon centers, and adjacent formations to generate a recognized air picture and allocate targets. Detailed C2 architecture and connectivity for the 25th Air Defense Division are not publicly disclosed, but the division interfaces with the national air-defense network via the 11th Air and Air Defense Army.
Integration with Regional Aviation and Naval Forces
The division’s operations are integrated with fighter and bomber aviation units of the 11th Air and Air Defense Army based in the region, notably the 23rd Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment at Dzemgi (Su-35S) and the 277th Bomber Aviation Regiment at Khurba (Su-34). Fighter aviation provides additional intercept capability and complements the SAM belt. Coordination with Pacific Fleet air and coastal defense assets in Khabarovsk Krai and adjacent maritime zones supports layered coverage along approaches from the Sea of Okhotsk and Tatar Strait. Specific joint procedures are not detailed in public documents.
Training, Exercises, and Readiness
Air-defense units in the Eastern Military District, including those under the 11th Air and Air Defense Army, regularly conduct alert scrambles, electronic warfare training, and live-fire evaluations. Live-fire events for Far Eastern SAM units are often held at the Telemba training range (Republic of Buryatia). The division’s elements have participated in district and national-level exercises such as Vostok series drills (e.g., 2018 and 2022 iterations), which include scenarios for repelling massed aerospace attacks. Routine announcements also note duty rotations and readiness inspections; detailed after-action results are generally not released.
Infrastructure and Basing Pattern
The division employs a mix of permanent SAM positions with prepared revetments and dispersal areas in the Komsomolsk-on-Amur and Khabarovsk vicinities, supported by road and rail access for mobility, resupply, and rotation. Radar companies are distributed to optimize line-of-sight over river valleys and elevated terrain. Air-defense fire units typically deploy with organic power, communications, and technical battery elements; some positions may be periodically reoccupied or rotated as part of readiness and survivability measures. Specific site coordinates, internal layouts, and hardened facility details are not officially published.
Operational Environment and Coverage Considerations
Regional topography features riverine lowlands along the Amur interspersed with forested uplands, which constrain radar line-of-sight at low altitude and necessitate low-altitude radar deployments (e.g., Podlet-K1) to mitigate terrain masking. Severe winters and wide temperature ranges impose demands on maintenance, power systems, and mobility. From sites around Komsomolsk-on-Amur and Khabarovsk, S-400-class systems provide wide-area coverage over central Khabarovsk Krai and portions of the Tatar Strait and Sea of Okhotsk approaches, while older S-300-series systems provide medium-range coverage; actual defended footprint depends on the number and positioning of active battalions and is not specified in public sources.
Security Measures and Point Defense
Russian air-defense practice pairs long-range SAM regiments with short-range systems for point defense of key radar and launcher assets (e.g., Pantsir-S1/S2). Official imagery and reports frequently show Pantsir systems co-deployed with S-400 units across multiple districts. However, the specific allocation, quantities, and locations of short-range assets within the 25th Air Defense Division are not publicly confirmed.
Recent Publicly Reported Developments
Between 2020 and 2021, Russian Ministry of Defense statements reported S-400 units assuming combat duty in Khabarovsk Krai, indicating continued modernization of regional air-defense units. The Eastern Military District has also publicized the introduction of modern radar systems such as Nebo-M to Far Eastern formations in recent years. Periodic announcements highlight inter-service and inter-branch air-defense drills, readiness checks, and the use of the Telemba range for live-fire events by VKS air-defense units from the region.
Information Gaps and Confidence Assessment
Key details such as the exact order of battle (number of battalions per regiment), precise deployment sites, site readiness states, and the specific mix of S-400 versus legacy S-300 systems in each subordinate regiment are not comprehensively available in public sources and are likely classified. Where unit designations are mentioned, they are based on recurrent open-source attributions rather than official, detailed disclosures. Equipment performance figures reflect widely reported specifications; actual operational parameters, missile loadouts (e.g., 40N6 availability), and engagement rules for this division are not publicly released.