Nuclear Edition: how Russian strategic forces are being modernized

The update takes place in the land, sea and air components of the triad.

This year, the Russian Strategic Missile Forces are beginning to upgrade from the Topol-M complexes to more modern Yars-type solid-fuel mobile missiles. At a meeting with graduates of higher military educational institutions on June 23, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russia's nuclear triad is being consistently modernized. Indeed, the renewal of strategic nuclear forces is an ongoing process. And it is thanks to him that the share of new and state-of-the-art weapons in their composition today is noticeably higher than 90%. The main directions of the development of the nuclear triad and our priorities in this area are described in the author's material by Dmitry Kornev, a military expert at Izvestia.

How is the ground component of the nuclear triad being improved

The details of the development of the strategic nuclear forces (Strategic Nuclear forces) are classified information, but its general directions can be outlined. The most powerful and significant component of our strategic Nuclear forces is the Strategic Missile Forces (Strategic Missile Forces), which are armed with intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs). The peculiarity of Russian missiles of this class is that most of them are mobile. Mobile ground-based complexes, if necessary, can be dispersed across patrol areas and thus get out of harm's way at their bases and force a potential enemy to look for launchers in hundreds and thousands of square kilometers.

Photo: RIA Novosti/Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation

Image source: iz.ru

Starting this year, Yars silo missiles are beginning to be replaced by Topol-M ICBMs, which have already come to be decommissioned. But the decommissioned missiles will not be disposed of — they are used to launch artificial Earth satellites as part of the launch vehicle "Start-1M".

The main development path for Russian ICBMs is the improvement of Yars—type missiles and the development of heavy liquid-fueled Sarmat-type ICBMs. According to the latter, the picture is clear and understandable today: the rocket is completing flight tests and starting this year it is planned to be put on combat duty in the first missile regiment in the Krasnoyarsk Territory. The first version of the heavy missile will carry at least 10 separable medium-power warheads, coupled with anti-missile defense systems. In the future, it will receive a new type of combat equipment — hypersonic guided warheads — and then the capabilities to break through a promising missile defense system will be almost one hundred percent.

The development of solid-fuel "Yars" is likely to follow the path of using individual separation units in them. This is a definite revolution in the creation of ICBMs — each combat unit of such a missile will have its own engine and its own control system. This will allow the warheads to be deployed over a much larger area on enemy territory and to do so immediately after the end of the work of the marching steps. This significantly increases their missile defense potential.

Test launch of the Sarmat missile system

Image source: Photo: RIA Novosti/Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation

Separately, it is necessary to mention the new Oreshnik missile for the Strategic Missile Forces. The mobile missile system can also be used with non-nuclear combat equipment, and this allows for flexible use of strikes with these missiles in local conflicts and in special operations. But they can also be on combat duty with nuclear warheads. The innovation is the deployment of a certain number of Oreshnik missile launchers on the territory of Belarus. This significantly increases the capabilities of a non-nuclear response within the European continent.

Updating the marine component of the nuclear Triad

Over the past few years, the marine component of the Russian nuclear triad has been seriously updated. There are 10 nuclear-powered missile submarines of projects 955 "Borey" and 955A "Borey-A" in service and under construction. It is planned to create at least two more such submarines. Each such cruiser carries 16 Bulava intercontinental solid-fuel missiles with several thermonuclear warheads.

The peculiarity of the Russian approach is that five quite modern submarines of the 667BDRM project continue to be in service, each of which carries 16 liquid-fueled Sineva and Liner missiles. These missiles, developed by the Makeev Research Center from Miass, have the best energy and mass characteristics in the world, which make it possible to launch 10 warheads to a target on another continent.

The naval component is developing, and the share of naval missiles in the total salvo of strategic nuclear forces is growing. This is justified by the fact that submarines are the most secretive weapons, which are almost impossible to find in the ocean. And this secrecy guarantees the inevitability of a retaliatory strike, even when we are dealing with the most high-tech enemy.

Modernization of the air component of the nuclear triad

The long-range aircraft carriers of the Russian Aerospace Forces with their missile armament make up the third component of the nuclear triad, the air component. There are also many changes here.

Firstly, the Tu-160 and Tu-95MS strategic carriers are being upgraded. The noticeably upgraded aircraft have better combat capabilities and can use the most advanced variants of long-range cruise missiles of the X-101 class. At the same time, several regiments of MiG-31I carriers with Dagger aeroballistic missiles, which can also be used in a nuclear version, are being deployed in Long-range aviation.

Given that the Tu-22M3 medium-range bombers have also been re-equipped with more modern X-32 missiles, the capabilities of Long-range aviation have changed dramatically in recent years. Now we can strike both stationary targets and naval groups and in conflicts of varying intensity — with nuclear and non-nuclear cruise missiles.

Tu-95MS Strategic missile carrier

Image source: Photo: TASS/Press Service of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation

It should be noted that the development and testing of new types of Russian strategic nuclear systems continues — the Poseidon nuclear underwater drone and the Burevestnik cruise missile with a nuclear power plant. These projects are in the works, and it is likely that both will enter the trial operation and trial deployment stage soon. Of course, there is no information yet on whether these new types of weapons will be integrated into the existing structures of the nuclear triad or whether separate special-purpose military structures will be created for them.

The development and adoption of modern systems ensures the continuous development of the Russian nuclear forces, and this ensures that there are no outdated or outdated systems in their equipment: everything is ready for possible combat use. This is the guarantee of a peaceful sky over our heads.

Dmitry Kornev