Special long-range missile design bureau? SKB-385, later renamed Machine Building Design Bureau (KBM), was established by a Soviet Government Resolution dated December 16, 1947. Before 1956 it was engaged in serial production of missiles designed by the OKB-1 design Bureau headed by Sergey Korolyov. In the mid-1950s the KBM focused its efforts on the development of submarine-launched ballistic missiles. For 30 years (1955-1985) the Design Bureau was headed by Victor Makeyev, a renowned scientist and designer. From 1985 to December 1998 Igor Velichko was at the head of the Design Bureau. In 1993 the State Rocket Centre «Academician V.P. Makeyev Design Bureau» (SRC) was set up on the KBM basis. Since December 1998 the State Rocket Centre has been headed by General Director – General Designer Vladimir Degtyar. On May 6, 2000 the FGUP “State Rocket Centre “Academician V.P.Makeyev Design Bureau” was reorganized into the Open Joint Stock Company “Academician V.P.Makeyev State Rocket Centre” (OAO “Makeyev GRTs”).

Academician,
General Designer V.P. Makeyev
(25.10.1924 - 25.10.1985)

MAKEYEV VICTOR PETROVICH was born in Kolomna, Moskow region. In 1948 he graduated from the Moskow Aviation Institute, Corresponding Member of USSR Academy of Sciences (1968), full member (academician) of USSR Academy of Sciences (1976). Worked in Kaliningrad, Moscow region, in Experimental Design Bureau-1 (1947-1950; 1952-1955) as: Engineer, R-11 missile Leading Designer; in Zlatoust, in Miass in Special Design Bureau # 385 (later – Design Bureau of Machinery) (1955-1985): Chief Designer, Chief Designer and Head of Enterprise, General Designer-Head of Enterprise.

General Designer of military missiles. Participant of R-11 tactical missile and R-11FM first submarine-launched ballistic missile creation. Thirty years old, upon S.P. Korolev’s recommendation, he was assigned as Chief Designer of Design Bureau, where R-11, R-11M and R-11FM missiles were developed. Head of the development of the following submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBM), that were added to the USSR’s arsenal, including R-21 SLBM – the first underwater launched missile (1963), R-27 SLBM – the first on-factory fueled missile, which became the most usable SLBM (1968), R-29 SLBM – the first submarine-launched intercontinental MIRVed missile, R-39 missile – the first domestic submarine-launched solid-propellant intercontinental MIRVed missile (1983), R-29RM – the highest performance SLBM (1986). Chief Designer of R-17 tactical missile, also known as SCUD-B (1962).

The Chairman of the Research Board of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR for Composite Structure Mechanics (1977-1985). Assistant professor, Head of Chair, Professor of the Chelyabinsk Technical Institute (1960-1981), Head of Chair of the Moscow Physic and Technology Institute (1981-1985). Twice awarded a title of Hero of Socialistic Labor (1961, 1974), Laureate of Lenin (1959) and Government Awards (1968, 1978, 1983). Awarded by USSR orders and medals, Korolev Gold Medal of the USSR Academy of Sciences (1974). In 1991 the Design Bureau of Mechanical Engineering was named after academician V.P. Makeyev. At present the enterprise is named the Open Joint Stock Company «Academician V.P. Makeyev State Rocket Centre»

Main business activities, services:

• development of new submarine-based missile complexes;
• research and development work to update the key missile complex systems;
• warranty and supervision during manufacture and operation of the missile complexes,
• elimination of decommissioned missile complexes;
• development of commercial light launch vehicles;
• rendering of services for launching recoverable vehicles along ballistic trajectories and spacecraft into low earth orbits;
• design and manufacture of satellite platforms;
• development of new space-rocket complexes;
• development of LEO and suborbital commercial and research space vehicles;
• design of electric transport, fire-fighting means, wind power units, equipment for petroleum refining, water purification, medicine, automation and communication systems;
• certification testing of space-rocket hardware, industrial and civilian products at GRTs’s labs and experimental test facilities.