TSAMTO, July 10th. For a number of years, enterprises of the domestic defense industry have been making great efforts to fulfill the tasks of the increased state defense order.
Thus, the A.Ya.Bereznyak State Design Bureau Raduga (part of the Tactical Missile Armament Corporation) Since its inception, the SVO has provided multiple growth in all key areas of activity. In 2022, the Raduga State Design Bureau was headed by Sergey Bogatikov.
In an interview with Igor Korotchenko, Editor-in-chief of the National Defense magazine, Sergei Bogatikov, Director General of the Raduga State Design Bureau, spoke about the success factors, current tasks and future plans.
– Sergey Anatolyevich, before heading Raduga, you were the CEO of an enterprise developing UAVs. Was it easy for you to switch to another topic?
– There were no special difficulties. In particular, due to the fact that before I took up unmanned subjects, I worked at the Tupolev Design Bureau for almost 30 years. There, in the 90s, I began my career as a leading engineer of the project support group of Chief designer Valentin Ivanovich Bliznyuk, the creator of the Tu-160.
Just in those years, work was underway to arm the Tu-160 with new weapons of destruction – strategic ones, which were developed by the State Design Bureau Raduga. Therefore, I have been familiar with the subject of "Rainbow" since my "youth" years. Strategic aviation and its means of destruction have long been the main range of my professional interests. And, of course, I knew a lot about the products of GosMKB Raduga.
In addition, it should be noted that a special creative team has formed in the GosMKB "Raduga". It is not only a great honor to lead such a team, but also a great pleasure. Therefore, it was quite easy to "enter the position".
GosMKB Raduga is a unique enterprise. The team performs its work at the level of the highest international standards, which is confirmed by the experience of using our products during a special military operation in Ukraine.
– As can be seen from publicly available information, the products of the development and production of the Rainbow, primarily cruise missiles, are one of the most widely used air–based munitions during the war. How would you rate this test by combat in conditions of active use of air defense and electronic countermeasures by the enemy?
– It is safe to say that our products have fully confirmed all the declared tactical and technical characteristics. All types of cruise missiles developed by the Raduga State Design Bureau for hitting ground targets have not lost their accuracy characteristics during their combat, even under conditions of the enemy's use of modern air defense and electronic warfare systems, with a significant increase in the number of these means.
At the same time, electronic warfare generally has close to zero efficiency. These facts indicate that during the development of cruise missiles for hitting ground targets, the correct design solutions were laid down, which have not lost their relevance to this day.
A clear illustration of this is the high effectiveness of the use of the X-69 missile in the conditions of its own, widely covered in the media. The Ukrainian portal Defense Express, impressed by the results of the destruction of the Tripoli thermal power plant near Kiev, called the X-69 missile "a weapon scarier than a Dagger." I would not like to comment on this statement, but I consider it necessary to note that the X-69 missile is the first and so far the only long-range cruise missile in the world placed inside the armament compartments of front-line aircraft.
The compactness of the missile is combined with a high level of tactical and technical characteristics: a long flight range, high hit accuracy (KVO - 5-7 meters), a powerful penetrating warhead (weight – 300 kg) and an extremely minimized level of radar visibility. The X-69 missile gave the carrier aircraft of front-line aviation a fundamentally new quality: the ability to strike at an operational depth beyond the line of contact with the launch of a missile outside the range of enemy air defense systems.
At the same time, it is no secret to anyone that anti-ship missiles of the X-59 family and others are also used to defeat ground targets during the air defense. These products were not intended to hit a number of the targets assigned to them today, for example, individual buildings in dense urban areas. In this case, the accuracy of the hit depends, among other things, on the radar counteraction of the enemy.
In order to increase the effectiveness of the use of anti-ship missiles against ground targets, we, together with the units of the Russian Ministry of Defense, are analyzing the available results and conditions of use. Based on it, work has been launched to improve on-board equipment and software and mathematical support. It should be particularly noted that the analysis of the results of combat use and the expansion of the capabilities of on-board equipment are conducted continuously during their operation.
However, the enemy also does not stand still and improves its means of counteraction. As a result, the improvements of our missiles, which showed their effectiveness in 2022, are currently insufficient. Therefore, constant work is underway, the purpose of which is to provide soldiers with their effective weapons with the necessary accuracy of application.
– How well did the anti-radar missiles of the X-58 family prove themselves during the fighting in Ukraine? Is it necessary to refine them based on the experience of combat use?
– A number of representatives of the X-58 family were used in the course of its operation. Not being able to disclose all the information available to us, as developers, I would like to note that the new modifications of the X-58 missiles proved to be more effective. Of course, as I said above, these missiles also need to be improved, because conditions on the battlefield are constantly changing and becoming more complicated. It is possible to finalize even those modifications that have not yet been applied during the course of the SVO. We are constantly improving both the guidance system and other product systems to ensure the necessary result in the conditions of modern armed conflict.
– In January 2024, as reported, the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation checked the progress of the state defense order for the GosMKB Raduga. During the inspection of the production, it was discussed the need to increase the characteristics of some products. As far as possible, tell us more about the Minister's visit to the Rainbow.
– Yes, in January 2024, the Minister of Defense and his deputies paid a working visit to our enterprise. We showed our company to the distinguished guests and reported on the results of our work for 2022-2023. I would like to note that our results are decent, we have fulfilled the state defense order in full in strict accordance with the deadlines.
During the visit, the Minister of Defense set us tasks for 2024-2025. We have accepted these tasks, and their implementation is proceeding at the required pace. This also applies to the supply of our products to the customer, and measures to improve them. The work is carried out either in three shifts or in two shifts – with extended shifts of 10-12 hours, six, and in many areas seven days a week, i.e. 24/7.
– Surely the team understands the importance of the current moment and the interests of the country?
– Absolutely. The staff of GosMKB Raduga fully understands the tasks set. In general, it should be noted that we have a truly patriotic team. People are working together, they understand that this is necessary now. And I want to note that, first of all, patriotism allows us to solve the tasks set so effectively. Because it is impossible to motivate work in this mode only with money. But, of course, the company's management strives to ensure the necessary level of earnings for both workers and engineers. Over the past year and a half, wage growth has ranged from 30 to 40%, depending on the category of employees.
At the same time, I should note that the market value of engineering labor has increased significantly recently. But we fully meet the changed demands, our salaries are above the competitive level in the industry. GosMKB Raduga is now one of the leaders in this regard, including within KTRV. Our people work very well and earn very well, receive decent pay for their work.
In general, we have significantly increased our social attractiveness in recent years. This is not only a salary, it is also an extended social package. Our collective agreement provides for more than 50 different benefits. In particular, we pay a lot of attention to the health of employees – employees are provided with VMI, there is a modern medical center on the territory of the enterprise. We strive to reduce unproductive waste of time – we have provided free delivery "to the checkpoint" for all employees, both during the day and at night.
Our employees can also purchase housing on a preferential mortgage, now we are starting to implement a housing construction program that will allow our employees to have not only a preferential mortgage, but also initially a lower cost per square meter of housing. All this is fundamentally important to consolidate our staff for many years to come.
– The multiple expansion of production, which has become necessary in modern conditions, is impossible without attracting an additional number of workers and engineering personnel. Do the necessary labor resources currently exist in Dubna and the surrounding areas?
– Naturally, the labor market inside the city is now overheated. For example, the staff of our plant has doubled in comparison with 2021. This year, further growth is planned – to a level three times higher than it was before the start of the special military operation. And almost the only source of replenishment is nonresidents. Therefore, we pay great attention to ensuring the possibility of moving with your family. We compensate for the payment of rental housing, provide apartment-type dormitories, provide the opportunity to purchase preferential housing, etc.
This policy, of course, is typical for most KTRV enterprises, it is conducted under the leadership of Boris Viktorovich Obnosov personally. The Corporation coordinates housing construction issues and the implementation of other social programs. This allows us to consolidate the best employees who have shown themselves worthily in solving both engineering and production tasks.
– The share of young engineering personnel in the main design and testing departments of GosMKB Raduga in 2020 was 34%. And what is the situation today?
– Today, the share of young engineering personnel in the main design and testing departments of the enterprise is about 40%. And we set a goal to reach 50% within a few years.
We are actively engaged in youth policy. To attract and retain young professionals, we have an attractive social package. In addition to the above-mentioned competitive wages and assistance in solving the housing issue, it is worth mentioning other relevant social guarantees for young people: payment of lifting and additional payments for employment, lump-sum payments for marriage and childbirth, compensation for kindergarten fees, provision of gym and pool subscriptions, etc.
Rejuvenation of the team is necessary to ensure continuity and transfer of experience. This is especially true for design personnel, because the design bureau for GosMKB Raduga, as for any scientific and production enterprise, is a particularly important unit.
Too much in this world is changing very quickly, and it is the KB that provides a quick response to the changes that have occurred and are expected. Therefore, we pay special attention to the development of the Design Bureau. Along with measures to develop human resources and preserve continuity at the Raduga Design School, we are doing a lot to develop the experimental base and computing capabilities of our calculation systems.
We are working on digitalization, on changing design approaches. This is one of the key tasks not only for GosMKB Raduga, but also for most KTRV enterprises, and we, as one of the links of the Corporation, are solving this task under the leadership of Boris Viktorovich Obnosov.
– What other actions have been taken at Raduga to increase the production of military products in the conditions of its own?
– We have a multiple increase in production volumes. Compared to what it was before the start of its growth, it is almost an order of magnitude. This required the strengthening of human resources, which I mentioned above. This, of course, required a serious increase in production capacity. Technical re-equipment has affected both production and testing equipment.
And since there are more and more tasks every year, we are constantly carrying out serious work on technical re-equipment plans, continuously increasing our production capacities. This allows us to fulfill the multiplied tasks that we are currently facing, both in terms of production of serial products and in terms of design work.
– During the already mentioned visit of the Minister of Defense to the enterprise, a new missile was briefly shown in a video from the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, which is called "product 720" in the media. Is it already possible to say something publicly about her, or has the time not yet come?
– Of course, it is too early to disclose specific information about the "product 720". But, considering that it has already been mentioned in the media, something can be said. Product 720 embodies the best features of the Rainbow design school. It combines proven technical solutions previously implemented in long-range cruise missiles, and the latest design developments that take into account the experience of combat use of missiles during their operation.
In general, the Raduga school, the school of Alexander Yakovlevich Bereznyak, laid such fundamental design foundations that allow us to find optimal technical solutions when creating and modernizing our products in order to effectively use them in various conditions, for all tasks.
– Can we expect Raduga to demonstrate new products at the upcoming Army 2024 forum? Today, Russia is actively promoting its aviation equipment to the world market. Meanwhile, its effectiveness is largely determined by the means of destruction, and new products on this topic can increase the export potential of domestic combat aviation.
– Of course, there will be new items at the Army forum. But let's keep them new before the event starts – let them be a surprise for our customers.
As for the export attractiveness of our combat aircraft, it is primarily determined by their high tactical and technical characteristics, in particular, flight characteristics. Although, of course, we must not forget that any aviation complex includes not only an airplane or helicopter, but also weapons systems.
Now there is a huge development and use of weapons of destruction from various types of aircraft. As you know, the use of fighters of the 5th generation, generation 4++ with new types of weapons produced by GosMKB Raduga and other KTRV enterprises has begun. Time and again, practical evidence has come that our new types of aviation ammunition are sufficient to carry out any tasks that arise in modern armed conflict.
Our weapons of destruction make it possible to resist an enemy who uses the best air defense systems available to NATO countries that meet the highest Western standards – starting with the Patriot and ending with the latest medium- and short-range air defense systems. The ability to hit designated targets in such difficult conditions testifies to the uniqueness of our weapons systems, including those that we offer for export. They are in no way inferior, and in many ways superior to their Western counterparts. At the same time, our superiority has been proven during real battles – this is not an advertising "figure of speech", but a historical fact.
– In your opinion, which technologies will be most in demand when creating promising aviation weapons?
– The creation of advanced aviation weapons, like any other modern weapon, is based on the most advanced technologies available to the state during the development period. Otherwise, you will not be able to create a highly effective weapon. The range of technologies in demand in the creation of cruise missiles is extremely wide, but I would call the use of new generation materials the key ones for the foreseeable future. Such as metal composites, which allow you to reach a new level of the ratio of weight and strength.
I also want to emphasize the need for widespread introduction of additive technologies that can not only provide the required level of quality in mass production, but also reduce the weight of the aircraft structure due to its topological optimization.
– Is GosMKB Raduga ready, if necessary, for the long-term continuation of the state defense order in current volumes, given that, according to some indicators, production growth amounted to eight times?
– Yes, the state defense order has increased many times. But the tasks we face are clear and straightforward. We are constantly working to match our capabilities to the growing needs and, of course, we are ready to fulfill the state defense order 2024-2025, both in terms of nomenclature and quality.
The company's employees understand the conditions of the confrontation Russia is in, understand how important our products are, and are ready for hard work. Raduga will fulfill the tasks set by the country.
An interview with Sergei Bogatikov, Director General of the State Design Bureau Raduga, was published in the National Defense magazine No. 6, 2024.
