Vega Radio Engineering Corporation

Vega Radio Engineering Corporation

File:Vega Radio Engineering Corporation logo.png
Company type	joint-stock company
Industry	aerospace
Founded	1944
Headquarters	Moscow , Russia
Key people	V. S. Verba, director and general designer
Owner	Russian Federation
Parent	UIMC (Rostec)
Website	vega.su

Vega Radio Engineering Corporation (Russian: АО «Концерн радиостроения «Вега», formerly known as CKB-17, NII-17, MNIIP) is a Russian enterprise focused on military radar, surveillance, and command and control (C&C) systems designed for land-based, airborne, and space platforms such as the Beriev A-50, Almaz-1, and various UAVs. Its main office is situated at 34 Kutuzovsky Prospekt in Moscow.

Overview

Established on October 1, 1944, under a decree from the USSR's State Defense Committee, the organization initially operated as CKB-17 (Russian: ЦКБ-17). The firm specializes in the development of surveillance systems for terrestrial, aerial, and space applications, including unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Additionally, it produces civilian equipment such as air traffic control technology.

The company's premier offering is the Tipchak mobile aerial reconnaissance and target designation system. This setup can deploy up to six UAVs launched via pneumatic catapult. Each UAV covers a range of approximately 40 kilometers (25 mi) with an endurance of three hours. The system supports targeting for artillery units and theater ballistic missiles at distances reaching 350 km (217 mi). The Russian Armed Forces adopted the first Tipchak system in 2008.

In 2007, Vega reported revenues totaling $185 million, with exports accounting for 2.3% and civilian production representing 10.2% of its output. The corporation is headquartered in Moscow and employs 8,981 personnel.

Originally founded as the Moscow Scientific Research Institute of Instrument Engineering (MNIIP), the company has a history of creating radio-electronic devices, airborne radars for early warning and control—such as those installed on the Beriev A-50 aircraft—as well as spaceborne and airborne synthetic aperture radars used for Earth observation, including systems for the Almaz space station and the IMARK flying laboratory. Its portfolio also includes multi-reflector precision antennas, high-accuracy radiometers, Doppler navigation sensors for aircraft, medical instruments, computer-aided design solutions, optoelectronic components, and other electronic technologies.

The Tikhomirov Scientific Research Institute of Instrument Design was established in Zhukovskiy on March 1, 1955, originally functioning as a branch of Moscow’s NII-17 before becoming an independent entity in February 1956.

Structure

The organization encompasses several enterprises and scientific research centers, including:

• Vega (located in Moscow)
• Vega’s branch office in St. Petersburg
• Vega’s branch office in Taganrog
• NII Kulon (the "Coulomb" research institute specializing in radar development, based in Moscow)
• KB Luch (a design bureau focused on UAVs, situated in Rybinsk)
• RZP (a radio manufacturing plant in Rybinsk)
• NPP Rubin (specializing in automatic control systems, as well as tele- and radiocommunications, located in Penza)
• ChRZ Polet (radio manufacturing facility based in Chelyabinsk)
• IMC Vega (Engineering-Marketing Center headquartered in Moscow)
• VNII Etalon — which was dissolved and integrated into Sozvezdie on December 30, 2021
• MNIIS (communications research institute located in Moscow)
• NII Vector (radio research institute operating out of St. Petersburg)
• AO Pilot Plant Integral (radio production facility in St. Petersburg)
• AO Plant Energia (radio manufacturing plant based in St. Petersburg)
• AO DKBA (specializing in the production of airships and balloons, located in Dolgoprudny)
• MNIRTI (radio technology research center situated in Moscow)
• MRTI of the Russian Academy of Sciences (focused on radio research, based in Moscow)
• NIITAP (Institute of Technology and Production Automation, located in Zelenograd)
• AO KNIITMU (manufacturer of communication equipment, located in Kaluga)
• NII Argon, SKB Topaz, NICEVT