Russian Defense Ministry
On March 20, the Russian state-run news agency TASS provided more details about the country’s state of the art Avangard hypersonic glide vehicles (source):
Soviet-made UR-100N UTTKh (NATO reporting name: SS-19 Stiletto) intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) will be the first carriers for hypersonic glide vehicles of Russia’s most advanced Avangard missile system, a source in the Russian defense industry told TASS on Tuesday.
“In the early 2000s, about 30 UR-100N UTTKh liquid-propellant missiles were delivered from Ukraine for the ‘gas debt.’ After the disintegration of the USSR, they were kept at warehouses in their unfueled condition, i.e. they were actually new and capable of going on combat duty to serve for several dozen years. A part of these missiles will become the carriers of the first series of hypersonic glide vehicles in the next few years,” the source said.
“With the acceptance of heavy RS-28 Sarmat missiles for service, such vehicles will be mounted on them as well,” the source added.
Speaking about the combat characteristics of the new hypersonic glide vehicle, the source noted that the yield of the nuclear warhead mounted on it – “over 2 megatonnes in TNT equivalent” – was quite enough to fully destroy “especially important targets.”
Today the yield of the armament of strategic nuclear carriers in Russia, the United States, the United Kingdom, China and other countries normally does not exceed 1 megatonne. The world’s most powerful weapon was tested in the Soviet Union in 1961: the AN-602 thermonuclear air bomb had a yield of 58 megatonnes.
TASS has not yet received an official confirmation of the information provided by the source.
Avangard and UR-100N UTTKh missiles
Russian Deputy Defense Minister Yuri Borisov said earlier that the Defense Ministry had signed a contract on the production of the Avangard hypersonic strategic system. The new weapon was mentioned for the first time by Russian President Vladimir Putin in his State of the Nation Address to the Federal Assembly on March 1.
Russia’s Strategic Missile Force Commander Sergei Karakayev later specified that the trials of the Avangard hypersonic missile system had been successfully completed.
The Avangard is a strategic ICBM system carrying a hypersonic glide vehicle. According to open sources, the complex was developed by the Research and Production Association of Machine-Building (the town of Reutov, the Moscow Region) and was tested from 2004. The glide vehicle is capable of flying in the dense layers of the atmosphere at hypersonic speed, maneuvering along its flight path and by its altitude and breaching any anti-missile defense.
The new complex is expected to go on combat duty no later than 2019, after its test launch is conducted successfully, another source in the defense industry told TASS earlier. As the source also said, the number of missile divisions within Russia’s Strategic Missile Force will not increase: the most advanced systems will arrive for the existing missile formations.
The UR-100N UTTKh (SS-19 Stiletto) missile is a heavy upgrade of the UR-100 missile complex developed in the Soviet Union in the 1960s by the Design Bureau-52 led by Vladimir Chelomei. It was accepted for service in 1980. Currently, Russia’s Strategic Missile Force operates 30 silo-based missiles of this type, according to open sources. The missile has a takeoff weight of about 100 tonnes and a throw weight of around 4.5 tonnes.
Sarmat ICBM does not necessarily have to be equipped with MIRVed warheads flying a ballistic trajectory, they can be equipped with the Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle, making US BMD utterly useless and a defense expenditure black hole.
Liar, yeasterday you wrote, this system is in sevice. so, you should eat potassium cyanate.
You are rather clueless, Sarmat is the rocket, the delivery system, the payload can vary, from Mirvs to hypersonic glide vehicles. What don’t you seem to understand?
It’s a clueless troll uttering non-sense. I suggest you ignore it.
he will never do this. i am one of few, who communicate with him. :P
no, here is written about hypersonic part.
No this guy only eats bread and wine
:))
https://goo.gl/images/Fz1c2p
depending on the warplan, Sarmat missiles could be used to strike hardened installations like Minutemen silos after the hypersonic weapons removed defensive systems.
The advantage of heavy ICBMs is that they can deploy a larger quantity of heavier warheads.
Keep in mind that, the destruction of sites specifically protected against nuclear attack depends on the yield of the used warheads and the precision of them.
It’s a matter of placing say, a 1MT warhead at 50 meters from a missile silos. Placing 10 100KT warheads all over it won’t destroy, nor disable it.
I wonder if a Sarmat variant with an unitary warhead will be developed – it was done with the Voyevoda and it had a terrifying yield up to 25 Megatons.
Minuteman silo protection is weak/mediocre at best, against accurate warheads with CEP 100meters or less, given the fact they were built in the early 70’s when russian warhead delivery CEP was horrendous. Command centers are far better protected being dug in mountains and heavily reinforced. The question remains, are the Minuteman 3 missiles going to remain in their silos when they are mere sitting ducks? US first strike weapon is the Trident 2 SLBM, 4-5 deployed subs can lob hundreds of lower yield warheads from N. Atlantic. In a tit for tat exchange, starting with limited strikes, US will not fare well if the ship borne S-500 will intercept these Trident SLBMs before they deploy their warheads, rendering the first strike ineffective. Russians have greater variety in their nuclear arsenal, their throw weight is far greater than US. counterparts, being able to deploy far heavier warheads with greater yields. Sarmat can deploy a 10 ton load, it can consist of heavy MiRVS and hypersonic glide vehicles, combined explosive force of over 10-12 megatons. Status 6 self homing submarine weapon used against costal positions supposedly packs a 100 megaton warhead. There is a lot of bang in these new Russian weapons.
“Minuteman silo protection is weak/mediocre at best”
This should be a secret, if you read anything on it, it’s likely disinformation.
“early 70’s when russian warhead delivery CEP was horrendous”
This is as above.
In regards to the Minutemen remaining in silos, that is up for debate. Of course, not ALL of them will, but it’s very likely that many of them will, because since they are the only land component of the triad, it could be very risky to employ them all in the first exchange.
The above could be reinforced by the notion that the US triad is more skewed towards subs and bombers. If these two elements should fail in the first exchange, or underperform, Minutemen become vital; especially since there is an established belief, that sees the nuclear powers trying to retain SOME of their weapons for AFTER the war.
That said, I ‘d like to research the topic a little more when i have time and possibly come back because I’m not sure on some of your points but don’t feel i can offer a reliable answer. Excuse my usage of caps but I still haven’t learnt to use bold or italic fonts.
The protection of Minuteman 3 is synonymous to the mind set of the early 70’s where US had nuclear superiority and felt confident on a first strike capability and superiority over the Russian arsenal. Subesequently their silos were not heavily reinforced, while Voyevoda silos were built to withstand 4000 PSI (according to published figures) given the accuracy of US weapons.
btw, where did you read the possible load of the Sarmat?
I don’t think there are many specifications published, I reckon one can only assume that it surpasses the latest mark Voyevoda by a wide margin.
Yet, one possibility, is that it’s made to be compatible with the Voyevoda silos. That would be an advantage in several aspects: it’s economic, it will speed up deployement and training, and it will use silos which are probably the most hardened in the world (I doubt that small warheads on SLBMs and ALCMs can destroy them, probably the largest gravity bombs are needed at least).
It’s also logical to believe that several variants of the Sarmat will be developed like in Voyevoda, although it would be more efficient to build a modular system that can perform various missions, in order not to give out too much information to the OPFOR.
The Sarmat payload is 10 tons, that is a definite number, the mix of MIRVS and hypersonic glide vehicles is something hypothetical, the glide vehicles supposedly will carry 2 megaton warheads, the MIRVS can do at least 750 KTNS ( same as Voyevoda). The glide vehicles are far more difficult to track and intercept ( since their satellite and radar signature are minimal, if they are stealthy, and flying unpredictable patterns) than the MIRVS that deploy on ballistic trajectories. The Sarmat will use the existing Voyevoda silos, it is ready to be fired in a much shorter time sequence than Voyevoda, and has greater range than Voyevoda. The ICBM sites will be protected by air defenses that deploy a steel curtain to deny the use of the super fuze on Trident missiles. The Voyevoda is still a viable weapon, however it is nearing the end of shelf life, Sarmat’s greater range allows it to attack continental US from multiple directions, instead of being limited to trajectories over the North Pole.
Somehow the American public must be made aware that it is they who will die in WW3 and not just ‘Gooks, Arabs, Muslims and Western Europeans.
Unless the American public wake up from their stupor and demand a stop to all the US Zionist wars around the globe , a fireball is coming to all their homes.
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Again russian weapons ? XD. These weapons will never be used. Russia wants to join the west gang and the west gang is too smart for Russia. Russia will never use these weapons against USA.
if Russia didnt have these kind of weapons….Russia would be invaded like Napoleon or Hitler did!
That what will happen when Russia economy will collapse. And these weapons will be useless. If you don’t defend, you loose.
You are either child or very stupid simpleton.
Turkey has bombed syrian forces today. Do you have heard about russian weapons ?? Trump has bombed syrian soldiers ? Did you have heard about S-300 or S-400 or S-10000000000 ? The US coalition have bombed SAA twice, did you have heard about russian weapons ??? XD
Syria also launched rockets attacks vs Turkish…Syria shot down Turkish phamton jet…Syria has launched today Toskcha missile which has hit near Turkey village( where is NATO?)..Russia attacked last year US backed FSA troops from Al Tanf moving towards Damascus…Russia warning US Centcom that they would attack SDF if they prevented to SAA take Deir Ezzor…neither Al Tanf troops nor SDF have moved!…by the way Russia threat to destroy US cruise missile, ships and aircraft in case of airstrike vs Damascus!…so USA cannot save terrorist in East Ghouta!…
Why doesn’t Russia threaten USA to take oil fields or to be bombed ?
because Russia dont star a war vs USA for one oil field!..but Russia will attack US navy ships in the mediterranean if they launch cruise missile vs Damascus where Russian troops are deployed!…Russia have 3 kilo class submarine in mediterrranean sea armed with Kalibr-NK antiship cruise supersonic missile guide by glonass with 500km range…enough to hit US navy warships and keep them out!
If you are not ready to use the weapons you build, it’s better not to build them.