Soviet missile to be transported to Nuclear Museum in ABQ
Courtesy of National Museum of Nuclear Science & History in Albuquerque
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The National Museum of Nuclear Science & History in Albuquerque will receive a Soviet missile this Saturday morning.
The demilitarized V-750 Dvina missile will be transported on its launcher from a New Mexico National Guard storage unit in Rio Rancho. It will arrive at the Nuclear Museum around 9 a.m. Saturday.
The missile will be a part of the museum’s “Operation Preservation” initiative, aimed at restoring iconic aircraft in their outdoor exhibit.
NATO knew the V-750 Dvina as the SA-2 Guideline. It was the Soviet Union’s first effective surface-to-air missile developed after the U.S. deployment of the B-47 and B-52. In use, it could reach a maximum altitude of 60,000 feet and a top speed of around 2,685 mph.
Around 40 nations have used or continue to use versions of the Guideline, including Egypt, China and North Vietnam. The Soviet Union replaced the Guideline by the early 1980s.
The V-750 Dvina is coming to the Nuclear Museum on loan from the New Mexico Museum of Military History. It will sit alongside artifacts such as a B-29 Superfortress, fighter jets and a replica of the 100-foot Trinity test tower.