Russian Strategic Missile Forces will start replacing Voyevoda intercontinental ballistic missiles currently in service with the new Sarmat missiles this year.
/wion/media/post_attachments/files/2022/03/03/244930-r1.jpg)
Sarmat: Russia's heaviest nuke
A few years ago Russian President Vladimir Putin had boasted of developing a number of "invincible" weapons that can surpass existing systems, including the Sarmat intercontinental missiles and Burevestnik cruise missiles.
In recent years the Kremlin strongman has scored a number of battlefields -- and foreign policy -- triumphs that helped boost his popularity despite economic malaise at home. In 2015, Russia charged into Syria with an air campaign that turned the tide of a complex conflict in favour of the Damascus regime.
A year earlier, Russian special forces helped the Kremlin seize Crimea from Ukraine in a largely bloodless military operation. As Putin's regime gets set to meet NATO's challenge in Europe, the Russian defence ministry has already prepared its ICBM strategy fine-tuning it for display in the future.
(Photograph:AFP)
/wion/media/post_attachments/files/2022/03/03/244931-r2.jpg)
Russian Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile
Amid tensions with Ukraine in December last year as Russian troops began gathering at the border, the defence ministry announced that the Russian Strategic Missile Forces (SMF) will start replacing Voyevoda intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) currently in service with the new Sarmat missiles in 2022
Russia is now set to rely heavily on the Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile. The RS-28 Sarmat is a Russian advanced silo-based system with a heavy liquid-propellant intercontinental ballistic missile, according to news agencies.
It has been under development since 2000s to replace the ageing R-36M2 Voyevoda ICBM.
The missile weighs nearly 200 tonnes and is reportedly capable of breaching missile defences.
(Photograph:AFP)
/wion/media/post_attachments/files/2022/03/03/244932-r3.jpg)
Putin's ICBM arsenal
Reports say Russia completed its R&D of the Sarmat in 2011 and in 2017 it conducted the first silo ejection test. It was set to go into service in 2018.
The heavy ICBM will reportedly be deployed in Uzhur where the Uzhur Rocket Division is located. According to reports, Sarmat is one of the six new Strategic weapons under development with a range of 18,000 kilometres.
It is one of the six new weapons of mass destruction announced by Putin four years ago which includes the Tsirkon, Avangard, Poseidon, Kinzhal and a nuclear-propelled cruise missile.
(Photograph:AFP)
/wion/media/post_attachments/files/2022/03/03/244936-kin1.jpg)
Kinzhal hypersonic
The Sarmat can reportedly deliver multiple targetable re-entry vehicles worldwide.
The missile can travel in any territory and can fly from North to the South Pole and can intercept missiles.
It can carry re-entry vehicles including hypersonic Avangard gliders. The Sarmat is set to be Russia's largest nuclear weapon.
(Photograph:AFP)
Russia's road-mobile ICBMs
Russia has an array of upgraded missiles including R-36M2 missiles, Topol (SS-25) road-mobile missile system, Topol-M (SS-27) silo systems and the Yars mobile systems.
Reports claim Russia is seeking to do away with the Topol system which is a Soviet leftover. The Kedr system will eventually replace the Yars units as Russia seeks missile dominance.
According to Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) report in 2017, Russia retains about 1,200 nuclear warheads for ICBMs but it has a programme to upgrade its ICBMs at a rapid pace.
The development of solid-fuel Kedr ICBM is set to take place next year or early in 2024, reports say. The Russian missile troops operate several road-mobile ICBM units with most developed during the Soviet era.
(Photograph:AFP)
Russia's ICBM force
According to a US Congress report, Russia's Strategic Rocket Forces currently has three missile armies which in turn comprise 11 missile divisions.
The Russian Federation maintains a triad of nuclear forces consisting of ICBMs, SLBMs and heavy bombers. Russia deploys its strategic nuclear forces at more than a dozen bases across its territory, the report said.
Russia’s ICBM force currently comprises 310 missiles that can carry up to 1,189 warheads. Clearly, Russia's overwhelming military strength can easily overpower Ukraine greatly worrying Western officials.
Russia is also developing a new heavy ICBM known as the Sarmat (SS-X-30).
(Photograph:AFP)
Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle
The US report said an official with Russia’s Security Council had confirmed that the Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle was integrated onto the SS-19 force.
The missiles are likely deployed with the 13 th regiment of the Dombarovskiy (Red Banner) missile division based in the Orenburg region. It reportedly has a Mach speed of 20 which is 6.8 km/s.
Russia began testing the Sarmat missile in 2016. Reports indicate that it is likely to be deployed in the Uzhur Missile Division around 2022, the US report said.
The RS-28 Sarmat (SS-X-30) missile is a liquid-fueled heavy ICBM. Putin stated in a 2018 speech that Sarmat weighs over 200 tons.
(Photograph:AFP)
/wion/media/post_attachments/files/2022/02/10/239892-rus2.jpg)
Tsirkon hypersonic missiles
Russia's news agency last November had revealed the country's defence forces had started a "serial production" of Tsirkon hypersonic missiles for the Navy.
The production centre is based in at the Industrial Association of Machine Building (MIC NPO Mashinostroyenia) near Moscow in the town of Reutovo.
On October 4 last year, the Russian nuclear-powered submarine Severodvinsk test-fired Tsirkon hypersonic missiles from its surface and submerged position in the White Sea for the first time.
TASS said the state trials of the Tsirkon hypersonic missile would begin in November(2021) and continue in December. Overall, five test-launches against sea and coastal targets are planned.