• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Ship Measuring Complex (KIK)
Expeditionary Oceanographic Vessels (EOS)
Missile Range Instrumentation Ships - AGM

The ship of the measuring complex (KIK - korablya izmeritelnogo kompleksa) is a series of special ships of the Soviet Navy , designed to control the flight parameters of missiles at different sections of the trajectory, as a continuation of ground-based research and measurement points and to ensure ICBM tests at maximum range. Also, ships of this category are equipped with equipment to provide splashdown and recovery of spacecraft descent vehicles.

In the 1990s, after the collapse of the USSR, seven of the eight ships of the measuring complex were sold abroad or cut into metal. Only Marshal Krylov remained in service. Experts agree that such ships are extremely necessary for the Russian fleet. There are many tests of new missile technology, including hypersonic weapons and the promising Sarmat intercontinental system. The Americans also do not intend to stop developing missile weapons. So the new ships of the measuring complex are very useful.

Some authors assigned the Ship Measuring Complex (KIK) to the class of reconnaissance. Others report this is not true. According to the Soviet classification, they were called Expeditionary Oceanographic Vessels (EOS). To maintain the usual secrecy this unit got a name of Pacific Hydrographic Expedition (Russian - TOGE) to be confused with scientific fleet. TOGE ships were pure military vessels belonged to the Navy.

Initially, there were 8 vessels in the 4th Pacific expedition of ships of the measuring complex. However, in 1991-1993, due to aging, the Sibir, Sakhalin and Chukotka ships were decommissioned, and in 1994 - Spassk, Chazhma, Chumikan, Marshal Nedelin. Since then, "Marshal Krylov" alone.

There was another grouping of ships, which was close to the Space Research Service of the marine expeditionary department of the USSR Academy of Sciences, based in Odessa and St. Petersburg. The beginning of the work of these ships is 1960. They formed the so-called Marine Space Fleet. Nevertheless, do not confuse the ships of the measuring complex, which are used to test ballistic missiles, and telemetry control ships operating on spacecraft. In some tasks, for example, controlling the flight parameters of spacecraft, they can duplicate each other, but the individual tasks of the ships of the measuring complex were unique.