Yuzhmash - History

History

Yuzhmash operated initially as "plant 586" in the Soviet Union. In 1954 Mikhail Yangel established the autonomous design bureau designated OKB-586, from the former chief designer's division of plant 586. Yangel had previously headed OKB-1 (today RKK Energiya) and was primarily a supporter of liquid fuel technology – unlike Sergei Korolev at OKB-1, who was a supporter of missiles using cryogenic fuels. To pursue development of ballistic missiles using storable liquid fuels, Mikhail Yangel had received authorization to convert the chief designer's division of the plant into an autonomous design bureau. Following this, OKB-586 was designated Yuzhnoye Design Bureau and plant 586 was renamed Yuzhnyy Machine-Building Plant in 1966, with an focus on the design and production of ballistic missiles. The plant was later renamed Yuzhnoye Machine-Building Production Association, or Yuzhmash; The design bureau is currently known as Pivdenne Design Bureau.

Missiles produced at Yuzhmash included the first nuclear armed Soviet rocket R-5M (SS-3 'Shyster'), the R-12 Dvina (SS-4 'Sandal'), the R-14 Chusovaya (SS-5 'Skean'), the first Soviet ICBM R-16 (SS-7 'Saddler'), the R-36 (SS-9 'Scarp'), the MR-UR-100 Sotka (SS-17 'Spanker'), and the R-36M (SS-18 'Satan'). During the Soviet era, the plant was capable of producing of up to 120 ICBMs a year. In the late 1980s, Yuzhmash was selected to be the main production facility of the RT-2UTTKh Topol-M ICBM (SS-27 "Sickle B").

After the beginning of perestroika, demand for such production declined significantly, and Yuzhmash has been partly converted for civil machinery. Trolleybus models include the articulated YuMZ T1 (1992–1998) and its non-articulated brother, the YuMZ T2. The T2 continues to be produced alongside the more modern YuMZ E-186 which features a low floor cabin.

Leonid Kuchma, long-time chief manager of the company, became the Prime Minister and later President of Ukraine in 1994.