76th Air Defense Division
Unit Overview
The 76th Air Defense Division (Russian: 76-я дивизия ПВО), military unit 34244, is a formation of the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) within the Air and Missile Defense Troops. Its headquarters is located in Samara, Samara Oblast, Russian Federation. The division provides regional air defense for assigned sectors and is part of the national Integrated Air Defense system.
Command Affiliation
The division is subordinated to the 14th Air and Air Defense Army of the Central Military District (TsVO). The 14th Army commands both aviation and air-defense components in its area of responsibility, integrating fighter aviation, surface-to-air missile (SAM) units, and radio-technical (radar) forces for regional airspace control and protection.
Headquarters Location
Headquarters: Samara, Samara Oblast (approximate city center coordinates 53.1959N, 50.1000E). The exact street address of the divisional headquarters is not publicly released in authoritative sources. From Samara, the division exercises command and control over subordinate SAM and radar units stationed at multiple garrisons within the Central Military District’s Volga–Ural sector.
Formation and Evolution
The division’s current structure dates to the 2014–2015 reorganization when the Russian Aerospace Forces were established (2015) and divisional echelons of the Air Defense Troops were reinstated. During this period, regional air-defense brigades and regiments were consolidated under divisional headquarters to improve command, control, and integration with aviation assets. Open sources identify military unit 34244 in Samara as the divisional-level headquarters.
Mission and Area of Responsibility
The division conducts continuous combat duty (round-the-clock alert) to detect, track, and defeat aerodynamic and, within system capabilities, limited ballistic threats within its assigned sectors of the Central Military District. Its tasks include protection of key administrative, industrial, transport, and military facilities in the broader Volga–Ural region and coordination with adjacent air-defense formations to maintain uninterrupted radar coverage and engagement zones.
Organizational Structure
Air defense divisions of the VKS are composed of multiple anti-aircraft missile regiments (ZRP), radio-technical units (radar regiments/brigades), and command, communications, maintenance, logistics, and training elements. The precise wartime and peacetime order of battle (number and location of subordinate regiments) for the 76th Air Defense Division is not officially published; open sources indicate it commands several SAM regiments and radio-technical units dispersed across the Volga–Ural sector.
Primary Weapon Systems
Divisional SAM regiments in the Central Military District are publicly reported to operate S-400 Triumf and legacy S-300 series systems, with modernization ongoing. S-400 (NATO: SA-21) supports engagement ranges up to approximately 400 km (with 40N6 missile) and 250 km (with 48N6DM), alongside medium-range 9M96 family interceptors; exact missile inventories by regiment are not disclosed. S-300PS/PM variants (NATO: SA-10/SA-20) remain in Russian service, with engagement ranges dependent on variant and missile type (up to roughly 150–200 km for later PM-series with 48N6 missiles). Close-in protection and point defense of SAM positions are typically provided by Pantsir-S1 systems (NATO: SA-22), which combine guns and missiles for short-range air defense.
Sensors and Command-and-Control
Radio-technical units provide long-range and low-altitude radar coverage and target designation to SAM regiments. In VKS service, these functions are commonly performed by mobile three-coordinate surveillance radars and height-finders (examples employed in Russia include Nebo-M, Gamma-S1, Podlet-K1, and others), with sector and divisional command posts fusing tracks and controlling engagements via automated command-and-control networks. Specific radar types and automated control systems assigned to the 76th Air Defense Division are not publicly confirmed.
Basing and Infrastructure
Subordinate SAM regiments occupy garrison areas with nearby prepared launch positions—typically concrete pads laid out in clusters—supporting long-range engagement radars, fire-control radars, and launcher batteries. Divisional infrastructure includes headquarters and operations facilities, communications nodes, technical bases for missile storage and maintenance, fuel and transport depots, and training areas. Field sites are connected by road networks to facilitate redeployment and dispersion as required by alerting and training plans.
Readiness and Training
Air defense regiments under the division maintain permanent alert crews and conduct regular readiness checks, including rapid deployment drills, radar march-and-deploy procedures, and live or simulated firing exercises. Russian MoD communications frequently note annual air-defense training cycles that include target profiles such as cruise missiles, UAVs, and conventional aircraft, with live-fire events typically conducted at established ranges (e.g., Ashuluk in Astrakhan Oblast and Telemba in the Republic of Buryatia) for VKS air-defense units. Specific participation details for individual regiments are not always disclosed.
Integration with Wider Air Defense Network
The division operates as part of Russia’s layered Integrated Air Defense, coordinating with adjacent VKS air-defense divisions, fighter aviation, and, where applicable, Ground Forces air-defense brigades. Sensor and shooter data are integrated at army and district levels to optimize track continuity, IFF, and engagement sequencing, with deconfliction protocols for civil air traffic when operating near major airports (e.g., Samara’s Kurumoch International Airport).
Security and Access
Detailed information on the division’s internal layout, subordinate unit garrisons, communications plans, and current equipment distribution is not publicly available and is likely classified. Open-source references confirm the existence of the divisional headquarters (military unit 34244) in Samara and its subordination to the 14th Air and Air Defense Army; however, granular site coordinates, unit strengths, and alert rosters are not released.
Key Facts Summary
Designation: 76th Air Defense Division (military unit 34244). Service: Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS), Air and Missile Defense Troops. Subordination: 14th Air and Air Defense Army, Central Military District. Headquarters: Samara, Samara Oblast (Russia). Role: Regional air defense with layered SAM and radar forces integrated into the national air-defense network. Equipment: S-400 and S-300 series SAM systems reported in Central Military District units; Pantsir-S1 for close-in defense; specific allocations per regiment not publicly confirmed.