BY
For the past 20 years Ukraine has slowly – very slowly
funding depending – been disposing of its inherited SS24 (PC22)
intercontinental ballistic missiles.
The process is still not
complete.
Thus far the Scientific
Production Association (a State SOE) operating out of Pavlograd Chemical Plant
has disposed of 54 third stages and 54 second stages of the missiles.
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realise that 54
solid fuel first stages remain.
The SPA states it is
working on 50% funding, and as the dismantling is part US funded, a cynical
reader will presume that the 50% funding it receives is the US funding and that
which is historically “inconsistent” will be the Ukrainian funding.
According to the SPA,
with full funding the process will be complete in 2 years and the Ukrainian SS24
ICBM Soviet legacy will finally have been dealt with per the obligations
Ukraine entered into more than two decades ago. (That said, there are now
no longer any (even theoretically) functional SS24’s left with all 2nd and 3rd
stages of the missiles disposed of.)
Thus working on the
assumption that funding will remain “inconsistent”, and certainly a low
priority as far as budgetary commitments for the current government are
concerned, a prudent forecast for this project to finally see completion will be
5 years hence – 2021/22.
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