5th Air Defense Division
Division Overview and Mission
The 5th Air Defense Division is a formation of the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) subordinate to the 1st Air and Missile Defense Army (PVO-PRO). Its assigned mission, as reported in open sources, is the air defense of Moscow and the wider Central Industrial Region. The division fields surface-to-air missile (SAM) regiments equipped with S-400 and S-300PM systems and is supported by a radio-technical regiment that provides radar surveillance and target designation. Information in this briefing reflects open-source data available through October 2024.
Headquarters and Command Details
The divisional headquarters is designated military unit 52096 and is located in Moscow Oblast, Leninsky District, Petrovskoye. The headquarters exercises operational control over subordinate SAM regiments and the radio-technical regiment, coordinates combat duty (boevoe dezhurstvo), training, and technical support, and interfaces with higher echelons of the 1st Air and Missile Defense Army for integrated air and missile defense of the capital region.
Subordinate Air Defense Regiments
Open-source reporting identifies the following subordinate units: 549th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment (military unit 61991), equipped with S-400; 606th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment (military unit 61996), operating a mix of S-300PM and S-400; 629th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment (military unit 51857), reported with S-300PM and maintaining a regimental command post; and the 614th Guards Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment (military unit 92574), equipped with S-300PM. Equipment mixes reflect ongoing modernization; precise battery counts and current distribution between S-300PM and S-400 within each regiment are not publicly disclosed.
Radio-Technical Regiment and Sensor Network
The division’s radar and early warning support is provided by the 9th Radio-Technical Regiment (military unit 51858; an associated identifier 51858-M is also referenced in open sources). The regiment’s role is continuous airspace surveillance, target detection and tracking, and target designation to the division’s SAM regiments via automated command-and-control systems. Specific radar models, deployment sites, and subunit structures are not comprehensively disclosed in public sources.
S-400 System Overview
The S-400 Triumf (SA-21) is a long‑range SAM system capable of employing multiple missile types. With the 40N6 missile, engagement range against aerodynamic targets is publicly stated as up to 400 km; with the 48N6DM, up to approximately 250 km; and with 9M96/9M96DM, up to roughly 40–120 km, depending on variant. The system uses the 91N6 family of acquisition radars, the 92N6 engagement radar, and may be paired with 96L6-series all-altitude detectors. It is designed to engage aircraft, cruise missiles, and select classes of ballistic targets; exact performance depends on the missile variant and engagement conditions.
S-300PM System Overview
The S-300PM (SA-20A/B family) is a legacy but still operational long‑range SAM system within the division. It is associated with the 64N6 (Big Bird) surveillance radar and 30N6 (Flap Lid) engagement radar, with auxiliary low‑altitude detectors in some configurations. Using the 48N6 family of missiles, typical publicly cited engagement ranges are up to approximately 150 km for early variants, with greater ranges for later missiles. The S-300PM provides area air defense against aircraft and cruise missiles and limited capabilities against certain ballistic threats.
Command-and-Control and Network Integration
Division assets are integrated within the automated air defense command-and-control architecture of the 1st Air and Missile Defense Army, enabling sensor-to-shooter data flow between radio-technical units and SAM regiments. The division’s air defense mission is executed alongside the separate missile defense components of the same army, including the A-135 Amur ballistic missile defense system centered on the Don-2N phased-array radar near Sofrino (Moscow Oblast). Integration ensures layered defense of the Moscow region against aerodynamic and select ballistic threats.
Deployment Pattern and Infrastructure
The division’s SAM regiments operate from prepared, fixed positions around Moscow Oblast that characteristically feature hardened or paved launcher pads, centralized technical zones, and established command posts. Many sites in the Moscow region historically evolved from Soviet-era air defense infrastructure, and contemporary positions are arranged to provide overlapping coverage arcs around key urban and industrial areas. Routine site features include protected communication links, power supply infrastructure, motor pools, and missile technical support facilities.
Operations, Readiness, and Training
Subordinate regiments conduct continuous combat alert duty and participate in scheduled training cycles. Live‑fire training for Russian air defense units is routinely conducted at the 185th Combat Training Center near Ashuluk in Astrakhan Oblast, as reflected in Ministry of Defense reporting, using standardized aerial target drones and target missiles. Units of the division also participate in command-staff and inter-service exercises under the VKS and Western Military District frameworks. Specific alert rosters, duty schedules, and exercise objectives are not publicly released in detail.
Identifiers and Administrative Data
Identified unit designations and numbers: 5th Air Defense Division Headquarters, military unit 52096 (Moscow Oblast, Leninsky District, Petrovskoye); 549th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment, military unit 61991 (S-400); 606th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment, military unit 61996 (S-300PM, S-400); 629th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment, military unit 51857 (command post; S-300PM); 614th Guards Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment, military unit 92574 (S-300PM); 9th Radio-Technical Regiment, military unit 51858 (and 51858‑M as an associated identifier in open sources).
Data Limitations and Classification Note
Exact battery counts, precise deployment coordinates, detailed equipment inventories, real-time alert status, and internal command-and-control configurations for the listed units are not comprehensively available in the public domain and may be classified. The equipment allocations noted (S-300PM and S-400) reflect open-source reporting; modernization is ongoing and specific subunit configurations can change without public notice.