V5V rocket Credit - © Mark Wade Media Gallery

The R-5M was the first Soviet missile to be armed with a nuclear warhead, and the first to launch a live nuclear warhead in test. The technical characteristics were virtually the same as those of the R-5 basic model, except for an increase in the propellant load. 48 launchers were deployed from 1956 to 1968, tipped with nuclear warheads of 80 kiloton, 300 kiloton, or 1 megaton.

The explosion of the RD5-6 400 kiloton warhead at Semiplatinsk on 12 August 1953 proved the design of a lightweight thermonuclear warhead. Korolev began work in 1953 to develop a re-entry vehicle for this warhead. Formal authorisation to begin work on a nuclear-tipped version of the R-5 came in a decree of 10 April 1954. Sadoviy and Kozlov were named to lead the project. Based substantially on the R-5, it used the 8U25 launch portable launch stand. The first phase of flight trials were conducted from 21 January to July 1955. Of the 14 launches, 13 were successful. The second phase in August-November 1955 consisted of 10 successful launches at ranges of 1083 to 1190 km. This cleared the way for a final test series leading to the first rocket-delivered test of a Soviet atomic bomb.

The series of 5 launches began on 11 January 1956 with launch of a dummy warhead. The test with a live weapon came on 2 February 1956, with the successful launch of the design for an 80 kt warhead over a 1200 km range - from Kaputsin Yar. Area 4N to a point near Priaralsk Karakum, 150 km north-east of the Aral Sea. It was heavily classified that the prototype warhead was a fizzle when it exploded - planned yield was 70 kt, but actual yield was 300 tonnes. The problem was traced to a failed heating element on the warhead. Some sources give the yield of this test as 300 kt, but this seems to stem from a common Soviet disinformation practice. Even in classified documents, nuclear weapon yields were often given incorrectly by a factor of ten or in different units. The idea was that if you were a spy, you would be deceived, but if you were in the know, you'd recognize the error and the reason for it. Therefore a 300 t fizzled yield might be listed in some official documents as 300 kt.

The R-5M was accepted by the military on 21 July 1956. Deployment of the missile began in 1956 in brigades of six launchers. Due to the nuclear warhead, specially trained engineering brigades had to be formed. The launch preparations had to be made meticulously and the final launch procedure was automated. Initially it took 30 hours to prepare the rocket for launch, but this was reduced to 5 to 6 hours after several years of service. The rocket had to be launched quickly after loading the uninsulated liquid oxygen tank. The gyroscopic guidance system was supplemented by radio control of the pitch angle of the missile in flight.

To store and install the nuclear warheads special units of the Ministry of Defence were formed. These originated in 1949 as the Sixth Directorate of the Ministry of Military Forces of the USSR. Deployment of the R-5M in 1956 caused the First Military Subdivision, consisting of two brigades, to be formed. The parent organisation was transformed according to a 23 November 1957 decree to the Twelfth General Directorate of the Ministry of Defence, charged with the development, trials, deployment, and security of nuclear warheads. From December 1959 this directorate's activities were limited specifically to safekeeping of the warheads of the RSVN rocket forces. In May 1963, as the number of ballistic missiles deployed increased, a specialised Subdirectorate for Nuclear Operations was formed within the Twelfth Directorate. As of 1965 the warheads were still stored separately form Soviet ballistic missiles. In 1966 the individual nuclear weapons units were made an integrated part of the operational rocket field units. In 1972, as the last open-pad missiles were retired, it was decided to mount all warheads on the silo-based missiles in instant readiness for launch. On 28 November 1974, its operational tasks finished, the 12th Directorate was placed under the Ministry of Defence. In its place the RSVN created a Sixth Directorate for security of nuclear weapons.

A total of 48 R-5M launchers were built, and deployed in brigades of six launchers each or regiments of four launchers each. The basic field unit was the division, each division of two batteries, each with a single launcher. The unit histories were as follows:

• 72nd brigade in Medved, Novgorod. The 72nd Brigade had actually been formed in Germany in 1946, to assist in testing of V-2 technology. It later moved to Kaputsin Yar, where it had conducted the first R-1 trials. In 1955 it was moved to Medved, Novgorod, to form the first R-5 brigade. In January 1959 it was redeployed to Gvardeisk, Kaliningrad. Two divisions were detached for then detached for a test German deployment - one division by train, the control division by airplane to Templin air base. The divisions were placed under the command of the Second Guard Tank Army at Fuerstenberg and deployed over a wide area of north-east East Germany. The total deployment consisted of 4 launchers and 12 rockets. In August-September 1959 the divisions returned to Gvardeisk and began conversion to R-12. The unit was finally dissolved in 1990.
• 77th and 80th brigades were deployed to Belokorovichi in Zhitomir oblast. The 77th was later assigned to the Red Army.
• 73th brigade at Kamyshin, Volgograd oblast. In 1960 this was moved to Kolomiya in the Ukraine.
• 85th brigade at Kapustin Yar. This was redeployed in 1960 to Siauliai, Lithuania
• 90th brigade to Kiev, Ukraine, assigned to the Red Army.
• Four autonomous regiments in at Ussuriysk and Manzovka in the Far East and at Simferopol and Slavuta in the Ukraine.

By the end of 1956 24 launchers were deployed, increasing to the final total of 48 by the end of 1957. Perhaps 200 missiles were built.

In 1953 and 1955 the Ministry of Defence studied field deployments of the R-1, R-2, and R-5 to East Germany, but nothing came of these studies. A 26 March 1955 decree of the Communist Party ordered deployment of the 72nd brigade to East Germany, and the 73th to Bulgaria, but these were not carried out. Finally a January 1959 a government decree ordered the 72nd brigade to deploy to East Germany for a test deployment.

In 10 May 1959 the first extended field deployment from a field location was undertaken during Army exercises at Simferopol. This was the first field deployment with nuclear weapons in Soviet history and verified the ability of the ballistic missile systems to operate in an integrated manner with the ground forces..

The R-5M was formally accepted into military service in 1960. The missile continued in service until 1968.

Three nuclear warheads were used with the R-5M, apparently all of similar 1350 kg mass: a 40 to 80 kt fission warhead; a 300 kiloton boosted fission or fusion warhead; and a 1 megaton fusion warhead. The R-5M had a propellant capacity 1930 kg greater than that of the basic R-5 - 10,010 kg alcohol, and 13,990 kg liquid oxygen.

Versions of the R-5M were used for technology tests. The R-5RD or M5RD was flown 10 times from 15 February to 18 August 1956 to test subsystems for the R-7 ICBM. From 24 November to 30 December 1956 R-5M's were launched as targets for the V-1000 anti-ballistic missile system.

Manufacturer: Korolev. Launches: 2. First Launch Date: 1956-11-24. Last Launch Date: 1956-12-30. Liftoff Thrust: 420.000 kN (94,410 lbf). Total Mass: 28,610 kg (63,070 lb). Core Diameter: 1.65 m (5.42 ft). Total Length: 20.75 m (68.07 ft). Standard warhead mass: 1,350 kg (2,970 lb). Maximum range: 1,200 km (700 mi). Number Standard Warheads: 1. Standard warhead yield: 1,000 KT. Number Alternate Warheads: 1. Alternate warhead yield: 80 KT.

1953 August 12 - Launch Vehicle: R-5M.

• Test of 400 kiloton lightweight thermonuclear warhead Nation: USSR. The explosion of the RD5-6 400 kiloton warhead at Semiplatinsk proved the design of a lightweight thermonuclear warhead. Korolev began work in 1953 to develop a re-entry vehicle for this warhead.

• OKB-586 founded and nuclear-tipped R-5M IRBM development authorised. Nation: USSR. Council of Soviet Ministers (SM) Decree 'On approval of work on the R-5M missile and on establishment of OKB-586 at Dnepropetrovsk Plant No. 586' was issued. Sadoviy and Kozlov were named to lead the project. Based substantially on the R-5, it used the 8U25 launch portable launch stand.References: 474.

• R-5M - the first nuclear Soviet ballistic missile - is accepted into military service. Nation: USSR. Decree 'On adoption of the R-5M into armaments' was issued. Deployment of the missile began in 1956 in brigades of six launchers. Initially it took 30 hours to prepare the rocket for launch, but this was reduced to 5 to 6 hours after several years of service.References: 474.

• First R-5 launch as ABM target Nation: USSR. R-5M's launched as targets for the V-1000 anti-ballistic missile system.

• Final R-5 launch as ABM target Nation: USSR. R-5M's launched as targets for the V-1000 anti-ballistic missile system.

• Special units formed to handle ICBM/IRBM nuclear warheads Nation: USSR. Deployment of the R-5M in 1956 caused the Sixth Directorate of the Ministry of Military Forces of the USSR's First Military Subdivision, consisting of two brigades, to be formed. The need for a new arrangement for safeguarding nuclear weapons deployed with field units led to a decree replacing the Sixth Directorate with a Twelfth General Directorate of the Ministry of Defence, charged with the development, trials, deployment, and security of nuclear warheads.

• First deployment to Germany of nuclear-tipped R-5M IRBM's Nation: USSR. The 72nd Brigade had actually been formed in Germany in 1946, to assist in testing of V-2 technology. It later moved to Kaputsin Yar, where it had conducted the first R-1 trials. In 1955 it was moved to Medved, Novgorod, to form the first R-5 brigade. In January 1959 it was redeployed to Gvardeisk, Kaliningrad. Then two divisions were detached for a test German deployment - one division by train, the control division by airplane to Templin air base. The divisions deployed over a wide area of north-east East Germany. The total deployment consisted of 4 launchers and 12 rockets. In August-September 1959 the divisions returned to Gvardeisk and began conversion to R-12.

• First extended field deployment of a nuclear Soviet IRBM Nation: USSR. The first extended field deployment of the R-5M from a field location was undertaken during Army exercises at Simferopol. This was the first field deployment with nuclear weapons in Soviet history and verified the ability of the ballistic missile systems to operate in an integrated manner with the ground forces. The R-5M was formally accepted into military service in 1960. The missile continued in service until 1968.

• Twelfth General Directorate of the Ministry of Defence charged only with ballistic missile warhead safekeeping Nation: USSR. This directorate's activities were limited specifically to safekeeping of the warheads of the RSVN rocket forces.

• Subdirectorate for Nuclear Operations was formed within the Twelfth Directorate Nation: USSR. As the number of ballistic missiles deployed increased, a specialised Subdirectorate for Nuclear Operations was formed within the Twelfth Directorate.

• Twelfth Directorate nuclear weapons units an integrated part operational rocket field units Nation: USSR. Up to 1965 the warheads were still stored separately form Soviet ballistic missiles. This was changed so that the individual nuclear weapons units were made an integrated part of the operational rocket field units.

• Ballistic missile warheads no longer stored separately from missiles Nation: USSR. From 1972, as the last open-pad missiles were retired, it was decided to mount all warheads on the silo-based missiles in instant readiness for launch. Its operational tasks finished, the 12th Directorate was placed under the Ministry of Defence. In its place the RSVN created a Sixth Directorate for security of nuclear weapons.

• Semenov, Yu. P., S P Korolev Space Corporation Energia, RKK Energia, 1994. ISBN: 1896522815. Dual English/Russian language picture book of the history of the Energia Corporation. Many unique photos and drawings of Korolev's rockets and spacecraft. Republished by Apogee books in 2000. More at amazon.com...

• Pervov, Mikhail, Raketnoye Oruzhiye RVSN, Violanta, Moscow, 1999.. Narrative overview of the missiles of the Russian strategic missile forces.

• Karpenko, A V, Utkin, A F and Popov,A D, Otechestvenniye strategischeskiye raketnoye kompleks, Sankt-Peterburg: Nevskii bastion; Gangut 1999.. Well-illustrated encyclopedia of the missiles of the Russian strategic missile forces.

• Khrushchev, Sergei, Nikita Khrushchev and the Creation of a Superpower, Pennsylvania State University, 2000. ISBN: 0-271-01927-1. The English-language version of the memoirs of Khrushchev's son. A unique view of decision making in regard to the space and rocketry programmes at the highest level. More at amazon.com...