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FSUE "SRPE "Bazalt"

Federal State Unitary Enterprise Scientific Research Production Enterprise FSUE "SRPE "Bazalt" is one of the oldest defense enterprises in Russia. Since December 2012, the Company is called Joint Stock Company “Scientific Production Association “Bazalt” whose sole stock holder is the State Corporation “Russian Technologies” (“Rostech”). The Company is structurally included in the Scientific Production Concern “Engineering Technologies” (JSC “SPC “Techmash”) of the State Corporation “Russian Technologies” (“Rostech”).

JSC “SPA “Bazalt” comprises three design bureaus, a research centre, a research and technological section, a mechanical, assembling/filling and testing division located in Krasnoarmeisk, a mechanical/assembling division located in Tula and a plant located in Nerekhta. Such association makes it possible to create new model of ammo as per the full product-life cycle: R&D – manufacturing – testing – putting into series production – production and supply of product batches to customers with subsequent Designer’s supervision.

Joint Stock Company “Scientific Production Association “Bazalt” (JSC “SPA “Bazalt”) develops and manufactures up-to-date ammunition for the Land Forces, Air Force and Navy. The ammunition developed by JSC “SPA “Bazalt” are in the inventory of Armed Forces of over 100 countries of the world. In total, over 800 models of ammo adopted for service have been developed by Bazalt’s specialists.

The JSC “SPA “Bazalt” Administration is consistently engaged in building up of personnel reserve. The enterprise employs young specialists graduated from the leading Russian institutes, they are growing in number year after year. More than 50 per cent of them are represented by engineers and designers. To draw young specialists, a wide range of material and motivation stimulation measures is used by the enterprise. The Youth Public Council of SPA “Bazalt” has been functioning (working) for over three years, its main activity directions include organizational, educational, scientific and informational, sports and cultural work. It also includes interaction with Moscow, Russian and international public and youth organizations

JSC “SPA “Bazalt” retained and successfully continues traditions of tutorship. Under the competent guidance of experienced specialists the young specialists of the Association take an active part in all products development stages: image forming, motion simulation, operation efficiency increasing, technological tests supervising.

Due to generation continuity, retaining of the best working traditions and main activity directions, JSC “SPA “Bazalt” is steadily expanding its presence at the international arms market and remains to be one of the Russian leading defense industry enterprises meeting the Russian MoD demand for up-to-date armament.

History

The group of engineers constituted the basis of the creative team of the enterprise. The design and development of the first items of ammunition got under way in March, 1930. On April 21, 1938 State Union Design Bureau # 47 (SUDB-47) was established pursuant to the Enactment of the Defense Committee under the Council of People’s Commissars of the USSR, it was to provide fast and efficient development of aircraft bombs.

By the beginning of World War II, SUDB-47 developed and established series production of over 80 models of air bombs of different calibers and purposes, a range of mortar rounds for 50mm, 82mm, 107mm and 120mm smoothbore mortars, and practice training mortar bombs of all the four calibers, those were deployed to the Armed Forces.

In the war period, the enterprise created and modernized approx 90 models of aircraft bombs, approx 30 models of mortar bombs developed for mortars of different calibers, land mines for engineer troops and partisan detachments, two models of flamethrowers, weapons for sabotage warfare in enemy rear area. The ammo developed by SUDB-47 in the pre-war and war years boasted high combat characteristics and featured simple designs and high producibility. Their production was provided by 616 enterprises of the country.

The Design Bureau was originally organized for design and development of aircraft bombs but due to creative efforts of several generations of top-class specialists it developed into a central cognizant multi-profile research enterprise which is the sole organization in Russia which creates ammunition for Air Force, Land Forces and Navy in accordance with the assigned directions:

• aircraft bombs to be used from army, front-line, long-range and antisubmarine aviation aircraft (1938);
• mortal rounds comprising projectiles of various purposes to be fired from standard mortars of all calibers (1940);
• anti-tank grenade launcher systems (1958);
• offensive and defensive hand grenades (1958);
• anti-saboteur marine grenade launchers (1969);
• rounds for self-propelled and towed artillery systems operating in the mode of mortar-gun (1975).

By the beginning of the Great Patriotic War over 80 versions of aircraft bombs of different calibers and purposes, a range of 50 mm, 82 mm, 107 mm and 120 mm fragmentation, HE antipersonnel, incendiary, smoke and illuminating rounds for smoothbore mortars, as well as practice rounds of all the above-mentioned calibers were developed and introduced into service.

In the war period the Enterprise developed and upgraded 90 versions of aircraft bombs. In addition new aircraft bombs of M-43 and M-44 system were developed respectively in 1943 and 1944. Approximately 30 versions of mortar shells for 50 mm, 82 mm, 107 mm, 120 mm and 160 mm mortars were developed. Among the new developments there were land mines for military engineers and guerrilla troops, two versions of flamethrowers, special devices for guerrilla warfare in the enemy's rear.

The ammunition created by SUDB-47 in the pre-war and war periods featured high performance characteristics, design simplicity and producibility. 616 industrial enterprises were engaged in its manufacturing.

During the Great Patriotic War the industry of the country produced and delivered 48.5 million aircraft bombs weighing about 1 million tons in total, 286.6 million complete mortar rounds which made it possible to cover a maximum of front requirements which was of crucial importance in gaining a victory. Archives records on the war history bear witness to the fact that the most losses in manpower on the Soviet-German front were inflicted due to the use of mortar weapon systems.

In recognition of successful fulfilment of government assignments for new kinds of ammunition development SUDB was among the first to be awarded in April 1944 with the Order of Lenin which was of the most honorary awards of the Soviet Union. A large team of designers, technicians and workers received government prizes.

After the war alongside the works on modernization of the previously developed products and creation of new versions of ammunition (bombs and mortar shells) the Enterprise proceeded to new lines of research and development: development of warheads for air-to-air and ground-to-air missiles, anti-tank grenade launcher complexes, anti-saboteur marine grenade launchers, rounds for self-propelled and towed artillery systems operating in the "mortar-gun" mode.

High research, technical and intellectual potential of the Enterprise team made it possible to organize by a resolution of the Soviet Union Government the Research Engineering Institute (1945) and the Research Institute of Applied Hydromechanics (1969) on the basis of several subdivisions of the Enterprise (with transfer of development projects and partial redeployment of staff).

During the post-war period over 400 items of weaponry (aircraft bombs, warheads for mortar shells, projectiles and close-in weapons) were developed by the Enterprise and put into series production at 228 plants as a result of co-operative industrial activity:

• cluster bomb units loaded with different kinds of submunitions, aircraft bombs to be used from supersonic carrier aircraft, fuel-air explosive and penetrating bombs;
• antitank portable grenade launcher RPG-7 and rounds for it which are highly efficient against current and advanced tanks. This weapon system has been in service for over 40 years with the armed forces of Russia and 40 other countries;
• mortar rounds and new projectile rounds of enhanced performance for 120 mm mortar-artillery gun which incorporates unique design and does not have analogs in the world.

About 700 items of ammunition created by the Enterprise specialists were adopted by the Russian Armed Forces during the years of the organization operations. Successful developments were confirmed by awards the specialists of the enterprise were honored with: over 600 specialists were decorated with orders and medals, 78 specialists became laureates of the Lenin, State and Russian Federation Government prizes.

According to foreign sources, the ammunition developed by FSUE "SRPE "Bazalt" is in service with the armed forces of over 40 countries of the world. Production licenses for 61 kinds of ammunition including 20 denominations of aircraft bombs, 28 denominations of close-in anti-tank grenade launcher systems, 13 denominations of mortar rounds have been transferred to 11 countries where about 20 plants for their manufacturing were built. Today, the military-purpose produce developed by the Enterprise and approved for export supplies includes over 200 nominations and is supplied to 23 countries.

For successful fulfillment of governmental tasks aimed at creation of new ammo, in April 1994 SUDB-47 was the first one among the research institutes and design bureaus to receive the highest government award, the Order of Lenin. Many designers, technicians and workers received government awards.

In succeeding years, the enterprise developed and mastered in mass production at 228 factories over 400 models of air bombs, missile warheads, mortar shells and close-in weapon systems. They included cluster bomb units loaded with various types of submunitions, aircraft bombs to be released from supersonic carrier aircraft, fuel air explosive bombs, penetration bombs, the RPG-7 portable antitank rocket launcher and rounds for it capable of efficient defeating of current armored vehicles, mortar rounds and radically new rounds featuring increased efficiency for the unique 120mm gun of the mortar-artillery system which has no foreign counterparts.

Throughout its history, the team of the enterprise has created over 800 models of munitions that entered service with the Armed Forces. For successful fulfillment of governmental tasks to create new kinds of ammunition, more than 600 specialists of the Bureau were awarded by orders and medals, 73 specialists became laureates of the Lenin and State prizes; a number of specialists received prizes of the Council of Ministers of the USSR in the field of science and technology, as well as awards of the Government of the Russian Federation and the Lenin Komsomol prizes.

In 2002 the Enterprise was granted the right to direct foreign trade with regard to military-purpose produce including supply of spare parts, components, training equipment, survey, extension of service life, repairs (with product modernization, as well), disposal and other kinds of work to ensure comprehensive service maintenance of the previously supplied military-purpose produce.

Main dates

• 1938: Based on the plant, the State Union Design Bureau No 47 (SUDB-47) was established.
• 1940: SUDB-47 was appointed as the principal developer of mortar rounds with projectiles of various purposes for mortar of all calibers.
• 1942: Work aimed at developing of the ZAB-100TsK bomb and the SAB-100-55 illuminating bomb was awarded the USSR State Prize.
• 1942: For development of the FOTAB-50-35 photoflash bomb and introduction of new means of night aerial photography the team of designers received the USSR State Prize.
• 1942: Work aimed at developing and introducing engineer troops armament was awarded the USSR State Prize.
• 1943: Work aimed at developing a trench and a high-explosive flamethrowers was awarded the USSR State Prize.
• 1944: Work aimed at developing the MPLAB-100 and MAB-250 sea aircraft bombs was awarded the USSR State Prize.
• 1944: For successful fulfillment of orders of the Government to develop new kinds of ammo, SUDB-47 was decorated with the Order of Lenin by the Decree of 15 Apr 1944 of the Presidium of the Supreme Council of the USSR.
• 1946: For creation of a 160mm powerful high-explosive bomb the team of designers received the USSR State Prize.
• 1951: Work aimed at developing new mortar bombs for smoothbore mortars was awarded the USSR State Prize.
• 1958: SUDB-47 was appointed as a principal developer of antitank grenade launchers and offensive and defensive hand grenades.
• 1961: The RPG-7 portable antitank grenade launcher system with the PG-7V round was adopted for service.
• 1963: The SPG-9 mounted antitank grenade launcher with the PG-9V round was adopted for service.
• 1964: Work aimed at developing the RPG-7 and SPG-9 grenade launchers was awarded the Lenin Prize.
• 1966: SUDB-47 changed the name for the State Union Design Bureau of Instrument Engineering (SUDBIE).
• 1969: SUDBIE is appointed as a principal developer of anti-saboteur marine grenade launchers.
• 1975: SUDBIE was appointed as a principal developer of rounds for self-propelled and towed artillery systems operating in the mortar/gun mode.
• 1981: The State Union Design Bureau of Instrument Engineering was renamed The Research and Production Association “Bazalt” (RPA “Bazalt”).
• 1987: For the first time in the world there was developed and put into service the RBK-500 SPBE cluster bomb unit loaded with high-precision antitank submunitions. This work was awarded the USSR State Prize in 1991.
• 1988: For the first time in the world there was developed and put into service the PG-7VR round fitted with a tandem warhead and intended for the RPG-7V1 portable grenade launcher. This work was awarded the USSR State Prize in 1989.
• 1991: The Research and Production Association “Bazalt” changed the name for The State Research and Production Enterprise “Bazalt” (SRPE “Bazalt”).
• 1997: For creation of a new version of high-precision weapon the team of developer received the RF State Prize.
• 1999: The State Research and Production Enterprise “Bazalt” changed the name for The Federal State Unitary Enterprise “SRPE “Bazalt” (FSUE “SRPE “Bazalt”).
• 2005: The team of developers of a new model of weapon received the RF Government Prize in the field of science and technology.
• 2006: The team of FSUE “SRPE “Bazalt” received the National Prize “Golden Idea” in the nomination “For contribution in the field of military produce development” for achievements in 2005.
• 2010: FSUE “SRPE “Bazalt” was included in the list of laureates of the National Prize “Golden Idea” in the nomination “Young Talents” for achievements in 2009.
• 2012: FSUE “SRPE “Bazalt” was reorganized in The JSC “Scientific Production Association ”Bazalt” (JSC “SPA “Bazalt”).