54th Guards Missile Division
Division Overview
The 54th Guards Missile Division (military unit 34048) is a formation of the Russian Strategic Rocket Forces (Raketnye Voyska Strategicheskogo Naznacheniya, RVSN) based in the vicinity of Teikovo, Ivanovo Oblast. It operates road-mobile intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and is subordinate to the 27th Guards Missile Army (army headquarters in Vladimir). This division was the first in Russia to field the road-mobile RT-2PM2 Topol-M (SS-27 Mod 1) and subsequently the RS-24 Yars (SS-27 Mod 2), and it remains a principal mobile ICBM formation in the central European part of the Russian Federation.
Command and Subordination
The division reports to the 27th Guards Missile Army within the RVSN chain of command. Core missile regiments associated with this formation are the 235th Missile Regiment (military unit 12465), the 285th Missile Regiment (military unit 12416), the 321st Missile Regiment (military unit 21663), and the 773rd Missile Regiment (military unit 07399). Key supporting units include the 289th Communications Center (unit 03006), the 2426th Technical Missile Base (unit 95852), and the 43rd Operational-Technical Command Post (unit 62681). These elements collectively provide command and control, communications, and technical support required for sustained mobile ICBM operations.
Regimental Composition and Equipment Status
Open-source reporting indicates that the 54th Guards Missile Division fields four road-mobile RS-24 Yars regiments at Teikovo. Historically, the 235th and 321st Missile Regiments were the initial recipients of the mobile RT-2PM2 Topol-M, while the 285th and 773rd were equipped with RS-24 Yars during the early 2010s. Russian Ministry of Defense communiqués since the mid‑2010s, and routine 2022–2024 press releases on training activities in the Ivanovo region, reference Yars-equipped patrols for this formation, with no official mention of mobile Topol‑M in current service there. Accordingly, publicly available assessments widely hold that all four regiments at Teikovo are now equipped with RS-24 Yars. Exact counts of launchers per regiment are not publicly confirmed; historically, road‑mobile regiments have been organized around multiple battalions with several transporter‑erector‑launchers (TELs) each.
Missile Systems: Technical Summary
RT-2PM2 Topol-M (15Zh65, SS-27 Mod 1) is a three-stage, solid-fuel ICBM fielded in silo and road‑mobile variants; the mobile system uses an MZKT‑79221 16×16 TEL. It carries a single warhead and has an intercontinental range generally reported above 10,000 km. RS-24 Yars (15Zh55/15Zh55M, SS-27 Mod 2) is a development of the Topol‑M family designed to carry multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles (MIRVs), commonly assessed as three to four warheads, with an intercontinental range on the order of ~11,000 km. The road‑mobile Yars also uses the MZKT‑79221 family TEL and employs decoys and countermeasures intended to complicate missile defense interception. Detailed performance parameters and warhead loadings are not officially disclosed in full and remain the subject of open‑source estimates.
Basing and Geography
The division’s main garrison and maintenance/technical areas are located around Teikovo in Ivanovo Oblast, with access to regional road and rail networks that support the deployment and sustainment of mobile ICBM units. Road‑mobile regiments disperse from the garrison to designated position areas within the oblast for combat patrols and training, using prepared routes, camouflage sites, and temporary field positions intended to enhance survivability and concealment. Exact locations of patrol routes, field positions, and facilities are not publicly disclosed for operational security reasons.
Modernization History and Milestones
Teikovo hosted Russia’s first road‑mobile Topol‑M elements in the mid‑to‑late 2000s. The division subsequently became the first to field RS‑24 Yars; initial RS‑24 units at Teikovo began combat duty in 2010–2011 per official announcements, and additional regiments were reequipped in the early 2010s. By the mid‑2010s, open sources assessed that the division had completed rearmament to Yars across its mobile regiments. Teikovo’s progression—from legacy mobile systems to Topol‑M mobile and then to RS‑24 Yars—has made it a focal point of RVSN mobile ICBM modernization.
Regiment-Level Notes
235th Missile Regiment (military unit 12465): Historically among the first road‑mobile Topol‑M units; widely reported to have transitioned to RS‑24 Yars. 285th Missile Regiment (military unit 12416): Early recipient of RS‑24 Yars during the initial fielding phase at Teikovo. 321st Missile Regiment (military unit 21663): Historically fielded mobile Topol‑M; open sources indicate reequipment to RS‑24 Yars. 773rd Missile Regiment (military unit 07399): Equipped with RS‑24 Yars since the early 2010s. Current equipment allocations by regiment are not officially enumerated in public sources; the status above reflects consistent open‑source reporting trends.
Support and Technical Units
The 2426th Technical Missile Base (unit 95852) provides technical support functions typical for an RVSN division operating solid‑fuel ICBMs, including warhead and missile component storage, inspection, and preparation at secured technical positions. The 289th Communications Center (unit 03006) supports the division’s communications and data links, integrating fixed and deployable systems for command connectivity with higher headquarters and subordinate regiments. The 43rd Operational‑Technical Command Post (unit 62681) functions as a hardened/dispersed command‑and‑control node to enhance command survivability and ensure continuity of control over mobile units under degraded conditions. Specific facility layouts and procedures are not publicly released.
Operations and Training Activity (Open Source)
RVSN press releases in 2022–2024 repeatedly describe Yars road‑mobile units from the Ivanovo missile formation conducting patrols and training in camouflage, counter‑sabotage security, electronic warfare countermeasures, and operations under simulated contamination and adversary reconnaissance. Reported activities emphasize covert movement, rapid deployment to field positions, and practicing launch procedures within established safety and command protocols. These public reports are consistent with the mission profile of a mobile ICBM division and do not disclose sensitive operational specifics.
Communications and Command-and-Control
The division is integrated into the RVSN’s automated command‑and‑control architecture designed to support assured communication with higher echelons and subordinate regiments during garrison and dispersed operations. This includes fixed and mobile communications assets, secure HF/VHF/UHF radio, and satellite‑aided links as described in open sources. The 289th Communications Center underpins connectivity for routine command directives, readiness reporting, and emergency action procedures. Detailed C2 architecture, frequencies, and operational procedures are not publicly available.
Security and Protective Measures
Open sources and official reports indicate that RVSN mobile units employ layered security during patrols and in garrison, including dedicated counter‑sabotage detachments, reconnaissance drones, and specialized vehicles such as the BPDM ‘Typhoon‑M’ and the 15M107 ‘Listva’ remote mine‑clearing vehicle for route security. Exercises routinely feature detection of mock saboteurs, electronic camouflage, and deployment of remote sensors to protect mobile columns and field positions. Specific security postures, manning levels, and patrol schedules are not disclosed.
Arms Control and Treaty Context
Under the 2011 New START Treaty, road‑mobile ICBM launchers and their associated bases were subject to data exchanges and on‑site inspections. Russia conducted a declared exhibition of the new RS‑24 Yars system in 2011 as required when introducing a new ICBM type. The Teikovo formation was the first to field RS‑24 Yars, and thus featured in early treaty‑related public reporting. Inspections under New START were paused in 2020 due to the COVID‑19 pandemic; in February 2023 Russia announced the suspension of its participation. As of 2024, routine inspections and data exchanges are not taking place, and current treaty‑verified launcher counts at specific bases are not publicly available.
Leadership Status
The division commander name is not consistently published in official, publicly accessible sources. The identification of a ‘Colonel Sergei Dorobalo’ as the commander cannot be independently verified from open publications available through 2024. RVSN leadership assignments are subject to periodic changes, and authoritative confirmation typically requires official Ministry of Defense releases or other primary government sources.
Information Gaps and Confidence Assessment
The existence and designation of the listed units are consistent with open‑source reporting about the Teikovo‑based 54th Guards Missile Division. The transition from mobile Topol‑M to RS‑24 Yars at Teikovo is well documented in general terms, but current regiment‑by‑regiment launcher counts, precise equipment variants, detailed facility locations, and command arrangements are not officially disclosed. Statements above that all four regiments operate RS‑24 Yars reflect strong, consistent open‑source indicators but are not accompanied by current, unit‑level official enumerations. Sensitive operational details—including patrol routes, readiness postures, and warhead loadings—remain undisclosed; where such specifics are absent, they cannot be provided.