The US monopoly on nuclear weapons ended on August 29, 1949 after a successful test in the USSR at a test site in the Semipalatinsk region of Kazakhstan of a stationary nuclear explosive device with a capacity of about 22 kilotons.
Subsequently, the Semipalatinsk test site was created in this area - the first and one of the largest nuclear test sites in the USSR. The nuclear test site is located in Kazakhstan on the border of the Semipalatinsk, Pavlodar and Karaganda regions, 130 kilometers northwest of Semipalatinsk, on the left bank of the Irtysh River. Its area was 18,500 km².
The creation of the test site was part of the atomic project, and the choice was made, as it turned out later, very successfully - the terrain made it possible to carry out underground nuclear explosions both in adits and in wells.
From 1949 to 1989, more than 600 nuclear tests were carried out at the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site, in which they exploded: 125 atmospheric (26 ground, 91 air, 8 high-altitude), 343 underground nuclear explosions (of which 215 in adits and 128 in wells). The total power of nuclear charges tested in the period from 1949 to 1963 at the Semipalatinsk test site was 2500 times higher than the power of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima. Nuclear tests in Kazakhstan were discontinued in 1989.
Google Earth snapshot: site of the first Soviet nuclear explosion
The nuclear test site is divided into six test fields. At site number 1, where the first Soviet nuclear explosion was actually carried out, atomic and thermonuclear charges were tested. During the tests, in order to assess the effect of damaging factors, buildings and structures (including bridges), as well as various shelters and shelters, were erected at the test site. At other sites, ground, air and underground explosions of varying power were conducted.
Some of the ground and underground explosions turned out to be "dirty", which resulted in significant radiation pollution of the eastern part of the territory of Kazakhstan. At the test site itself, in the places where ground and underground nuclear tests are carried out, the radiation background reaches 10-20 milliroentgens per hour. People still live in the territories adjacent to the landfill. The territory of the landfill is currently not protected and until 2006 was not marked in any way on the ground. The population used and continues to use a significant part of the landfill land for grazing livestock and growing crops.
Google Earth snapshot: a lake formed by a land-based nuclear explosion
From the late 90s to 2012, several joint secret operations took place at the test site, which were carried out by Kazakhstan, Russia and the United States to search for and collect radioactive materials, in particular, about 200 kg of plutonium that remained at the test site (unexploded nuclear charges), as well as equipment used to create and test nuclear weapons. The presence of this plutonium and the exact information about the operation were hidden from the IAEA and the world community. The landfill was practically not guarded, and the plutonium collected on it could be used for acts of nuclear terrorism or transferred to third countries to create nuclear weapons.
Another major Soviet nuclear test site was located on the Novaya Zemlya archipelago. The first nuclear test took place here on September 21, 1955. It was an underwater explosion with a capacity of 3.5 kilotons carried out in the interests of the Navy. On Novaya Zemlya in 1961, the most powerful hydrogen bomb in the history of mankind was detonated - the 58-megaton Tsar Bomb on the site located on the Sukhoi Nos peninsula. At the test site, 135 nuclear explosions were made: 87 in the atmosphere (of which 84 were air, 1 ground, 2 surface), 3 underwater and 42 underground.
Officially, the range occupied more than half of the island. That is, nuclear charges exploded in an area approximately equal to the area of the Netherlands. After the signing in August 1963 of the treaty banning nuclear tests in the atmosphere, outer space and under water, only underground tests were carried out at the test site until 1990.
Google Earth snapshot: entrance to the adit where nuclear tests were carried out
Currently, they are only engaged in research in the field of nuclear weapons systems (Matochkin Shar facility). Unfortunately, this part of the Novaya Zemlya archipelago is “pixelated” on satellite images and cannot be seen.
In addition to testing nuclear weapons, the territory of Novaya Zemlya in 1957-1992 was used for the disposal of radioactive waste. Basically, these were containers with spent nuclear fuel and reactor plants from submarine and surface ships of the Northern Fleet of the Soviet and Russian Navy, as well as icebreakers with nuclear power plants.
Nuclear tests were carried out in other parts of the USSR as well. So on September 14, 1954, tactical exercises using nuclear weapons were held at the Totsk test site. The purpose of the exercise was to practice breaking through the enemy's echeloned defense using nuclear weapons.
During the exercise, a Tu-4 bomber dropped an RDS-2 nuclear bomb with a yield of 38 kilotons of TNT from an altitude of 8,000 meters. The total number of servicemen who took part in the exercises was about 45 thousand people.
Google Earth snapshot: a place at the Totsk test site, over which a nuclear bomb exploded
At present, a memorial sign has been erected at the point over which the nuclear explosion took place. The radiation level in this area differs little from natural background values and does not pose a threat to life and health.
In May 1946, the Kapustin Yar test site was created in the northwestern part of the Astrakhan region to test the first Soviet ballistic missiles. The area of the landfill is currently about 650 km².
Testing of ballistic missiles continued at the test site: R-1, R-2, R-5, R-12, R-14, etc. In subsequent years, a large number of various short and medium-range missiles, cruise missiles and air defense systems. At Kapustin Yar, 177 samples of military equipment were tested and about 24 thousand guided missiles were launched.
Google Earth snapshot: test site of the Kapustin Yar air defense system
In addition to the tests themselves, light satellites of the Cosmos series were launched from the test site. At present, the Kapustin Yar test site is designated as the "Fourth State Central Interspecific Test Site".
Google Earth snapshot: the site at the Kapustin Yar test site, over which an aerial nuclear explosion took place
Since the 1950s, at least 11 air nuclear explosions have been carried out at the Kapustin Yar test site.
In January 1955, the construction of launch sites and infrastructure for launching R-7 ICBMs began near the Tyuratam station. The official birthday of the Baikonur cosmodrome is considered June 2, 1955, when the staff structure of the Fifth Research Test Site was approved by the General Staff directive. The total area of the cosmodrome is 6717 km².
May 15, 1957 - the first test launch (unsuccessful) of the R-7 rocket from the range took place, three months later, on August 21, 1957, the first successful launch took place, the rocket delivered simulated ammunition to the Kamchatka Kura range.
Google Earth snapshot: launch pad for R-7 launch vehicles
Soon, on October 4, 1957, after the launch of the first artificial satellite into orbit, the rocket range became a cosmodrome.
Google Earth snapshot: Zenit launch pad
In addition to launching vehicles for various purposes into space, ICBMs and various launch vehicles were tested at Baikonur. In addition, the R-7 ICBMs equipped with a thermonuclear charge in the early 60s were on alert at the launch pad. Subsequently, silos for the R-36 ICBM were erected in the vicinity of the cosmodrome.
Google Earth snapshot: destroyed silo ICBM R-36
In total, over the years of operation, Baikonur has launched more than 1,500 spacecraft for various purposes and more than 100 intercontinental ballistic missiles, tested 38 types of rockets, more than 80 types of spacecraft and their modifications. In 1994, the Baikonur cosmodrome was leased to Russia.
In 1956, the Sary-Shagan test site was created in Kazakhstan for the development of missile defense systems. The main criteria for choosing a site for the landfill were: the presence of a sparsely populated flat, treeless area, a large number of cloudless days, and the absence of valuable farmland. The area of the landfill during the Soviet era was 81,200 km².
Google Earth snapshot: Don-2NP missile defense radar at the Sary-Shagan training ground
All Soviet and Russian anti-missile systems designed to build a strategic anti-missile defense against intercontinental ballistic missiles were tested at the test site. A test complex for the development and testing of high-power laser weapons was also created at Sary-Shagan.
Google Earth snapshot: "Neman" missile defense radar at the "Sary-Shagan" training ground
At the moment, a significant part of the landfill infrastructure has fallen into decay or looted. In 1996, an Agreement was signed between the government of the Russian Federation and the government of the Republic of Kazakhstan on the lease of a part of the Sary-Shagan test site. Test launches at the range by the Russian military are rare, no more than 1-2 times a year.
The northernmost cosmodrome in the world is Plesetsk, also known as the First State Testing Cosmodrome. It is located 180 kilometers south of Arkhangelsk, not far from the Plesetskaya railway station of the Northern Railway. The cosmodrome covers an area of 176,200 hectares.
The cosmodrome dates back to January 11, 1957, when the Resolution of the Council of Ministers of the USSR on the creation of a military facility with the code name "Angara" was adopted. The cosmodrome was created as the first military missile formation in the USSR, armed with R-7 and R-7A intercontinental ballistic missiles.
Satellite image of Google Earth: Soyuz launch pad at the Plesetsk cosmodrome
In 1964, test launches of RT-2 ICBMs began from Plesetsk. At present, it is from here that most of the test and control-training launches of Russian ICBMs are carried out.
The cosmodrome has stationary technical and launch complexes for domestic light and medium-class launch vehicles: Rokot, Cyclone-3, Kosmos-3M and Soyuz.
From the 70s to the early 90s, the Plesetsk cosmodrome held the world leadership in the number of rocket launches into space (from 1957 to 1993, 1372 launches were made from here, while only 917 from Baikonur, which is in second place). However, since the 1990s, the annual number of launches from Plesetsk has become less than from Baikonur.
At the military airfield "Akhtubinsk" in the Astrakhan region is located the management of the State Flight Test Center of the Ministry of Defense named after V. P. Chkalov (929 GLITs of the Air Force). The airfield is located on the northeastern outskirts of the city of the same name.
Satellite image of Google Earth: combat aircraft at the Akhtubinsk airfield
At the airfield there are practically all types of combat aircraft in service with the Russian Air Force. In 2013, a new concrete runway with dimensions of 4000x65 m was built at the airport. The construction cost was 4.3 billion rubles. Part of the old runway is used for storing aircraft.
Satellite image of Google Earth: combat aircraft at the Akhtubinsk airfield
The largest air range in Russia, Groshevo (Vladimirovka), is located 20 km from the airfield. The aviation range is adjacent to the Kapustin Yar missile range. There is a well-equipped target complex that allows you to practice combat use and test a wide range of aircraft weapons.
Satellite image of Google Earth: craters at the aviation range
In the Moscow region there is the Ramenskoye airfield, which is capable of receiving any type of aircraft without limiting the takeoff weight. The main runway of the airfield is the longest not only in Russia, but also in Europe (5403 m).
Satellite image of Google Earth: Su-47 "Berkut" at the airfield "Ramenskoye"
In "Ramenskoye" - is an experimental (test) airfield of the LII named after Gromova. It is here that most of the Russian military aviation systems (including the PAK T-50) are tested. Here is a large collection of serial and experimental aircraft of domestic production.
Satellite image of Google Earth: MAKS-2011
In addition to test flights, the airfield is used by civil aviation as an international cargo airport, and the International Aviation and Space Salon (MAKS) is also held at the airport on odd years.
At the Lipetsk-2 airfield, 8 kilometers west of the center of the city of Lipetsk, there is the Lipetsk Center for Combat Use and Retraining of Flight Personnel of the VP Chkalov Air Force.
Satellite image of Google Earth: combat aircraft of the "Su" family in Lipetsk
There are all types of combat aircraft in service with the front-line aviation of the Russian Air Force. There is also a significant number of combat aircraft "in storage" here, the service life of which has come to an end.
Satellite image of Google Earth: combat aircraft "in storage" in Lipetsk
From all of the above, it is clear that our country has a full-fledged test base: missile and aviation ranges and combat training centers. This allows, given the political will and allocated resources, to create and fully test the most modern missile and aviation technology.
