4651st Central Communications Equipment Storage Base
Official Designation and Unit Identifiers
Designation: 4651st Central Communications Equipment Storage Base (Russian: 4651-я Центральная база хранения средств связи). Military unit number: v/ch 41101. In Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) nomenclature, a “central base of storage” denotes a national-level depot responsible for centralized materiel support within its specialized domain, in this case communications equipment.
Mission and Role
The unit’s role is the centralized acceptance, storage, accounting, preservation, maintenance, and issuance of communications materiel to armed forces units, along with the withdrawal and disposition of obsolete or unserviceable items. Such bases also hold mobilization stocks to equip expanding force structures during higher readiness or mobilization. Activities include technical inspection on receipt, configuration of complete equipment sets according to tables of organization and equipment, scheduled maintenance, calibration and testing, packing and dispatch, and documentation control under MoD technical policies for communications assets.
Organizational Subordination
The base falls under the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation and functions within the communications support system overseen by the Main Directorate of Communications of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (GUS). The GUS is responsible for communications policy, force-wide communications readiness, standardization, and supply coordination. In May 2024, Russian state media reported the detention of Lieutenant General Vadim Shamarin, then Chief of the GUS and Deputy Chief of the General Staff, on bribery charges; that development affected the directorate’s leadership structure in 2024.
Infrastructure and Technical Capabilities
Central storage bases that handle communications equipment typically include climate-controlled warehouses for electronics, anti-static handling areas, metrology and calibration sections, component and unit-level repair workshops, acceptance and quality-control sites for State Defense Order deliveries, packaging and preservation facilities, and logistics nodes with road and often rail access for large consignments. Site-specific layout, capacity, and throughput figures for v/ch 41101 are not publicly disclosed.
Equipment Categories Managed
While unit-specific inventories are not public, a central communications equipment storage base generally manages tactical and operational communications assets and associated support items. Categories include field telephony and wireline equipment, HF/VHF/UHF radios and accessories, radio-relay and switching systems, satellite communications terminals, antenna systems and masts, power supplies and batteries, cabling and connectors, test and calibration instruments, and spare parts. Cryptographic and secure communications devices, where present, are subject to special accounting and handling regimes.
Logistics and Distribution Functions
Such a base integrates the logistics chain between defense industry suppliers and operational units. Equipment is received under the State Defense Order through MoD acceptance procedures, stored and maintained to preserve serviceability, and issued to formations across service branches in accordance with authorized allowances. Reverse logistics processes cover warranty support, depot-level repair returns, and disposal or demilitarization of retired items. Industrial suppliers in the Russian communications sector include Rostec-affiliated enterprises such as Concern Sozvezdie and other electronics producers; MoD-related service providers such as JSC Voentelecom support installation and maintenance across the force.
Security and Compliance
Operations are conducted under Russian legal and regulatory frameworks governing defense materiel and state secrets, including Federal Law No. 61-FZ of 31 May 1996 “On Defence,” Federal Law No. 5485-1 of 21 July 1993 “On State Secrets,” and Federal Law No. 31-FZ of 26 February 1997 “On Mobilization Preparation and Mobilization in the Russian Federation.” Cryptographic equipment is additionally regulated under Federal Security Service (FSB) licensing and oversight regimes, with enhanced storage, access control, and accounting requirements.
Operational Significance
Central communications equipment storage bases are key nodes in sustaining command, control, and communications across the Russian Armed Forces. By providing ready-to-issue equipment sets, spare parts, and calibrated instruments, they underpin the availability and resilience of communications from tactical to operational echelons, support the fielding of new systems, and enable replenishment during extended operations or surges in demand associated with training cycles and mobilization activities.
Open-Source Visibility and Data Gaps
Authoritative open sources do not provide a confirmed public address, detailed organizational structure, personnel strength, or inventory lists for v/ch 41101. Geospatial layout, railhead access, on-site metrology capacities, and specific equipment models and quantities are not disclosed in publicly available official documentation. Where details are not publicly available or may be classified, they are not included here.
Summary Assessment
The 4651st Central Communications Equipment Storage Base (v/ch 41101) is a national-level depot within the MoD communications support system responsible for life-cycle storage and sustainment of communications materiel. Its functions align with established roles for central storage bases: acceptance from industry, preservation and maintenance, issuance to units, mobilization support, and disposal of obsolete items. Specific locational data, internal subunits, capacities, and holdings remain undisclosed in reliable public sources as of October 2024.