Inside a Soviet ICBM Silo Complex: The SS-18 Silo Dismantlement Program at Derzhavinsk, Kazakhstan

摘要

The SS-18 ICBM silos and associated structures in the Republic of Kazakhstan, at the Leninsk, Derzhavinsk, and Zhangiz Tobe missile bases, and the test silos at Balapan, were dismantled under the provisions of the START I treaty of 1991. Upon abandoning the bases, the Russian military destroyed the silos with explosives. The blasts destroyed the headworks structure, and left craters 6 meters deep and up to 25 meters across at each silo. In dismantling the sites, the remaining above ground and near-surface structures were demolished, with the rubble pushed into the empty silo tubes or adjacent pits. A reinforced concrete cap was placed over the filled silo tube. Additional building rubble was then pushed into the crater, over the cap. The rubble was covered with clean earth and topsoil. Metal and concrete were salvaged for recycling or for use in the surrounding communities. Once a site was cleared of all structures, it was graded to match the topography of the surrounding countryside. The reclamation process was completed by the acceptance of a finished site by the local, regional and state authorities. These authorities may then sell or rent the land to the local community, who will use the land for farming or pasture.