Type of closed research institutions in the Soviet Union
For other uses, see OKB (disambiguation).
OKB is a transliteration of the Russian initials of "опытно-конструкторское бюро" – opytno konstruktorskoye byuro, meaning 'experiment and design bureau'. During the Soviet era, OKBs were closed institutions working on design and prototyping of advanced technology, usually for military applications. The corresponding English language term for such a bureau's activity is "research and development".
A bureau was officially identified by a number, and often semi-officially by the name of its lead designer. For example, OKB-51 was led by Pavel Sukhoi, and it eventually became known as the OKB of Sukhoi. Successful and famous bureaus often retained these names after the death or replacement of their founding designers.
These relatively small state-run organisations were not intended for mass production of aircraft, rockets, or other vehicles or equipment which they designed. However, they usually had the facilities and resources to construct prototypes. Designs accepted by the state were then assigned to factories for mass production.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, many OKBs became Scientific Production Organizations (Научно-производственное объединение) (NPO). There were some attempts to merge them in the 1990s, and there were widespread amalgamations in 2001–2006 to create "national champions", such as Almaz-Antey to consolidate SAM development.
OKB Gidropress (Russian: ОКБ Гидропресс) is a Russian state construction office which works on the design, analysis, development, and production of nuclear...
in the Soviet Union by Pavel Sukhoi in 1939 as the Sukhoi Design Bureau (OKB-51, design office prefix Su). During February 2006, the Russian government...
Originally part of the OKB-51 design bureau, it relocated to Reutov, and from 1955 to 1966 was designated OKB-52 (and also OKB-52 MAP). OKB-52 became later known...
the Soviet Mikoyan and Gurevich Design Bureau (Микоя́н и Гуре́вич, МиГ; OKB-155 design office prefix MiG) founded in 1939 by aircraft designers Artem...
NPO Lavochkin (Russian: НПО Лавочкина, OKB-301,[circular reference] also called Lavochkin Research and Production Association or shortly Lavochkin Association...
Bureau designation of OKB-19, and was informally referred to as the Shvetsov Design Bureau. The first engine to be built at OKB-19 was a licensed variant...
OKB Chyetverikov was a Soviet aircraft design bureau headed by designer Igor Vyacheslavovich Chyetverikov at the TsAGI (Tsentrahl'nyy Aerodinamicheskiy...
and OKB-23 were subordinated to Vladimir Chelomey's OKB-52 (later renamed to TsKBM, today NPO Mashinostroyeniya). Under the OKB-52 leadership, OKB-23 started...
formed in 1934 under aircraft designer Alexander Sergeyevich Yakovlev as OKB-115 (the design bureau has its own production base at the facility No.115)...
District, Moscow. Tupolev is successor to the Soviet Tupolev Design Bureau (OKB-156, design office prefix Tu) founded in 1922 by aerospace pioneer and engineer...
a separate OKB (design bureau, Russian: опытно-конструкторское бюро) in March 1957. October 1946 - OKB-2 12 October 1951 - division of OKB-155-1 (headed...
NPO Novator (Novator Design Bureau, OKB Novator, OKB Lyulyev; Russian: Опытное конструкторское бюро «Новатор» им. Люльева Л. В.) is a Russian company that...
was started in the Soviet era as an OKB (experimental design bureau). Vympel started out after World War II as OKB-134, with Ivan I. Toropov [ru] leading...
Soviet Academy of Sciences; in 1962 it obtained status of Design Bureau, OKB. Fakel specializes in spacecraft attitude control thrusters, ion engines...
established by Mikhail Yangel. During the Soviet era the bureau's OKB designation was OKB-586. The company is in close co-operation with the PA Pivdenmash...
Bureau (Экспериментальный Машиностроительный Завод им. В. М. Мясищева) or OKB-23, founded in 1951 by MGB UdSSR Vladimir Myasishchev, was one of the chief...
Soviet aircraft engines and the chief designer in the Tumansky Design Bureau, OKB-300. He worked in TsIAM (1931–38 and in 1940), and at the aircraft-engine...
OKBM Afrikantov (full name: OAO I. I. Afrikantov OKB Mechanical Engineering, Russian: Опытное конструкторское бюро машиностроения им. И. И. Африкантова)...
propellant rocket engines. Energomash originates from the Soviet design bureau OKB-456, which was founded in 1946. NPO Energomash acquired its current name...
instruments. The Ministry of the Defense Industry and its primary design bureau, OKB-1, were assigned the task of building the satellite. The Ministry of the...
designing pilot-less aircraft (OKB-52) was established under Chelomey's. In 1955, Chelomey was appointed the Chief Designer of the OKB-52, where he continued...
Association as the top-secret Soviet Research and Design Bureau No. 153 (OKB-153). It was headed by Oleg Antonov and specialised in turboprop military...
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