3805th Complex Logistics Base
Identification and Nomenclature
The designation "3805th Complex Logistics Base" corresponds to a Russian Armed Forces logistics formation commonly rendered in Russian as "3805-я комплексная база материально-технического обеспечения" (abbrev. КБ МТО). Open-source references associate it with the military postal unit number "в/ч 96143". Additional identifiers such as "в/ч 96143-2", "в/ч 96143-3", "в/ч 96143-6", and "в/ч 96143-16" are used in Russian administrative and postal contexts to denote separate detachments or geographically dispersed elements affiliated with the same parent unit; they are not independent unit numbers. The Russian Ministry of Defense does not publish an authoritative public directory linking v/ch numbers to locations, and consistent, verifiable site-level details for this specific base and its detachments are not publicly available.
Role within the Material-Technical Support System
A Complex Logistics Base (КБ МТО) in Russian military usage is a formation that receives, stores, maintains, and distributes material across multiple supply categories, supporting peacetime garrison needs and mobilization/operational deployments. Typical material lines include rocket-artillery armament (RAV), engineering equipment, automotive and armor spares, communications and electronic equipment, chemical, medical, clothing and general property, foodstuffs, and fuel and lubricants (ГСМ). Such bases maintain mobilization reserves (including NZ stocks) and handle repairable returns, salvage, and disposal routing in coordination with specialized arsenals and depots. They function as regional hubs within their military district, enabling onward movement to brigades, divisions, and separate units through rail, road, and, where available, pipeline interfaces.
Command Relationships and Subordination
Complex Logistics Bases are part of the Material-Technical Support (MTO) system, subordinated through the MTO structures of a Military District and, ultimately, to the Deputy Minister of Defense for Logistics via the Main Directorate of MTO. During operations, such bases interface with army-level MTO brigades and service-specific supply directorates (e.g., fuel, food, medical, RAV) to align stock positioning, issue priorities, and transport allocation. While the exact district affiliation of the 3805th Complex Logistics Base (в/ч 96143) is not publicly confirmed, its functional position in the MTO hierarchy would align with district-level logistics governance and MoD-wide supply regulations.
Organizational Structure and Typical Subunits
A base of this type generally comprises a headquarters and staff; storage battalions or companies organized by material class (e.g., RAV, engineering, clothing/property, food, medical); a fuels and lubricants service with tank farms and pumping stations; automotive transport units for line-haul and local distribution; maintenance and preservation sections; loading and handling elements with cranes and weighbridges; and security/guard detachments. Administrative and accounting sections manage property books, inventory controls, and mobilization reserves. The precise manning levels, equipment densities, and subunit counts for в/ч 96143 are not publicly disclosed and cannot be stated without access to official documentation.
Subordinate Detachments (96143-2, -3, -6, -16)
The suffixes "-2", "-3", "-6", and "-16" appended to "в/ч 96143" are consistent with Russian postal and administrative indexing for separate detachments, warehouses, or garrisoned elements acting under a common parent unit. In practice, these may represent geographically separate storage sites, specialized storage functions, or transshipment points. The suffix itself does not, by convention, indicate a specific function; it distinguishes separate elements for correspondence and internal administration. Open sources do not provide authoritative, consistent addresses or functional attributions for these particular detachments, and such details cannot be confirmed here.
Infrastructure and Storage Capabilities
Complex Logistics Bases typically feature a rail spur or station interface for bulk receipt and dispatch; hardstand transshipment yards; heated and unheated warehouses for general stores and technical equipment; refrigerated storage for perishables; covered and open pads for bulky items; earth-covered magazines or revetted storage for munitions (where authorized); fuel tank farms with vertical steel tanks, pump houses, and filtration; vehicle parks; maintenance bays; and administrative, barracks, and security facilities. Inventory preservation systems (dehumidification, corrosion control, periodic rotation) are used to maintain long-term stocks. Exact capacities, magazine counts, or tank volumes for the 3805th base are not available in authoritative public sources.
Transportation Interfaces and Throughput
Base-level logistics nodes in Russia rely primarily on the 1,520 mm-gauge national rail network for bulk movement, supported by heavy road transport (KamAZ and Ural truck families, trailers, and semi-trailers) for regional distribution. Standard operations include receiving rail consists, break-bulk or containerized handling, temporary staging, and dispatch to supported formations. Fuel movements may integrate with regional pipeline segments of the military or civil network when available, but diesel and gasoline are commonly moved by rail tankers and road tankers from the base to forward depots. Throughput rates depend on rail siding length, crane and loader availability, yard capacity, and convoy scheduling; specific figures for в/ч 96143 are not publicly disclosed.
Ammunition, Fuel, and Hazard Controls
Where authorized to store munitions, bases apply segregated storage by hazard division, compatibility group, and net explosive quantity, using earth-covered magazines or revetted pads with prescribed inter-magazine distances. Fuel installations include secondary containment, grounding, fire suppression, and sampling/filtration points to maintain fuel quality. Russian military standards and safety rules govern lightning protection, access control, hot-work permitting, and fire brigade readiness. Without authoritative site documentation, it cannot be determined which specific hazard classes or tank farm capacities are present at the 3805th base.
Security and Force Protection
Security at logistics bases generally comprises controlled-access gates, perimeter fencing or walls with lighting, patrol roads, guard towers where required, and intrusion detection on sensitive storage zones. Armed guards, ready-response elements, and communications with regional military police reinforce physical protection. Ammunition areas typically add layered fencing and restricted-entry procedures, and fuel sites maintain fire watch and spill response capabilities. Specific security layouts, guard routines, or alarm systems for в/ч 96143 and its detachments are not publicly available.
Operational Relevance and Employment
Complex Logistics Bases underpin force generation, sustainment, and mobilization by staging and distributing stocks forward to army- and brigade-level formations. In wartime, they surge operations to support higher consumption rates, enable equipment replacement, and route repairables to industrial or arsenal-level maintenance. They coordinate with specialized depots (e.g., GRAU arsenals for munitions) and district MTO directors to rebalance inventories and prioritize throughput. The base’s value lies in its ability to ensure continuous supply and equipment readiness across multiple classes of materiel; site-specific tasking for the 3805th base is not publicly enumerated.
Open-Source Visibility and Data Limitations
Russian military unit numbers and base addresses are not maintained in an official, public registry, and open-source mentions can be partial or inconsistent. Procurement notices, court filings, or regional planning documents occasionally reference unit numbers, but such records are fragmentary and do not consistently provide verifiable locations or capacities. For the 3805th Complex Logistics Base (в/ч 96143) and its indexed detachments (−2, −3, −6, −16), no authoritative, corroborated site coordinates, capacities, or organizational rosters are available in the public domain. Absent vetted sources, detailed site-level data cannot be provided.
Indicators of Activity and Site Identification Cues
Typical observable indicators for a complex logistics base include frequent rail traffic with mixed freight and fuel tank cars; expansion or refurbishment of warehouses and magazines; growth in vehicle parks; accumulation of pallets, containers, or fuel tankers; and visible fuel tank farm operations. Ammunition-capable sites show earth-covered magazines or revetted storage with clear safety distances and limited vegetation within blast zones. Administrative clues can include job postings, local contracting for utilities or maintenance, and regional emergency service drills near storage areas. Absent precise locations for в/ч 96143 and its detachments, these indicators describe general signatures rather than site-specific observations.