The completion of the rearmament of the RVSN mobile group to Yarsi and other significant events for this kind of troops
In December 2023, the rearmament of a group of mobile missile systems from old Soviet Poplars to modern Yars was completed, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said at the final board of the department. Among the significant events of the past year for the Strategic Missile Forces, it is also worth noting the raising of the flag of the Russian Navy on the third frigate of Project 22350 Admiral Golovko, the serial carrier of the latest hypersonic missile Zircon.
Mobile "Yars"
On December 15, a new missile regiment, re-equipped with the Yars mobile ground missile system (PGRK), went on combat duty in the missile division of the Strategic Missile Forces in the city of Bologoye (Tver region). Later, in a reporting speech at the board of the Ministry of Defense, Sergei Shoigu announced that the rearmament of the mobile missile systems group from the old Soviet Poplars to modern Yars had been completed.
This is a landmark event: Russia has no land-based mobile missile systems in service, created in the 1980s and 1990s. The entire RVSN mobile group now consists of the Topol-M and Yars PGRCS — and they are manufactured in modern Russia.
The launcher of the Topol-M complex
Image source: Photo: RIA Novosti/Anton Denisov
Both were developed by the Moscow Institute of Thermal Engineering (MIT) under the leadership of chief designers Boris Lagutin and Yuri Solomonov. They have a similar design, and initially the "Yars" even had the working name "Topol-MR", that is, "Topol-M" with a split head.
The Topol-M carries one megaton-class warhead, which differs markedly from previous similar products with a high level of resistance to the damaging factors of a nuclear explosion. It was immediately created universal — for mobile and for stationary mine launchers. Tests of the mobile version began in 2000, and already in 2006, the first regiment of the RVSN division in Teikovo with new complexes went on combat duty. And work was already in full swing on the creation of a new version — the Yars missile system, which was also created in two basing options.
Launch from the Yars mobile ground-based missile system
Image source: Photo: TASS/The press service of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
The first launch of the mobile Yars took place on May 29, 2007 from the Plesetsk training ground, and the first division took over combat duty in the same Teikovo division in 2009. Thanks to the creation of new complexes, since the early 2000s, the reduction of the grouping of obsolete monoblock mobile ICBMs "Topol" began. They were replaced by "Yars", each of which carried from three to four to six combat units, depending on the modification. It was not just compensation for the decommissioning of the Poplars, but a qualitative and quantitative growth of the Strategic Missile Forces group was created.
And now the program of equipping the RVSN with mobile "Yars" has been completed. Starting in 2025, the gradual replacement of mine installations is likely to begin. And then the mobile "Poplars-M" to more advanced models of "Yars", as well as to new developments that are their development. We will probably hear new names in due course, and they will form the basis of the Strategic Missile Forces in 2030-2040.
Strategic "Avangard"
Another significant event is associated with the Avangard strategic missile system, which carries the 4202 hypersonic guided combat unit. It is almost impossible to intercept these weapons with modern missile defense systems.
Today, all countries that have intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) in service — the United States, China, and the DPRK - are working on strategic hypersound. But only in Russia, two regiments of Avangard missiles with appropriate combat equipment are currently on combat duty.
Avangard hypersonic missile system
Image source: Photo: TASS/The press service of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
What is the "Avant-garde" in simple words? This is the UR-100NUTTH missile developed in the 1980s, which puts the 4202 hypersonic combat unit on an intercontinental flight path. Both the rocket and the block were developed by the NGO of Mechanical Engineering. Moreover, it should be noted that the missiles on combat duty are completely new — from storage. At the disposal of the Strategic Missile Forces at the beginning of the 2000s, there were about 30 mothballed UR-100NUTTH ICBMs, which are used as carriers of a hypersonic maneuvering warhead.
This is an intermediate missile system, which has been deployed in the Yasnensky missile compound of the Strategic Missile Forces since 2019. It will gradually be strengthened with the latest Sarmat ICBMs, which will be able to carry several hypersonic warheads. The Avangards can and will be on combat duty until 2030-2035. Their goals are the most important objects of the strategic infrastructure of potential opponents and their control and decision—making points.
Hypersonic "Zircon"
On December 25, the flag of the Russian Navy was raised on the third frigate of Project 22350 Admiral Golovko. Today, the frigates of this project are the only serial carrier of the latest hypersonic missile "Zircon", developed by NPO Mashinostroenie and capable of reaching speeds of about 8 speeds of sound. At the same time, the rocket moves in dense layers of the atmosphere and can maneuver.
It is extremely difficult to shoot down such an object — it has unique speed and maneuverability. Thus, the Zircons turn into an anti-ship complex that cannot be stopped, with a range of up to 1 thousand km. The only question is to get the target designation for the carrier ships. And here the reconnaissance aircraft and spacecraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces will come to the aid of the sailors.
Russian President Vladimir Putin at the ceremony of raising the naval flag on the frigate Admiral Golovko, December 2023
Image source: Photo: RIA Novosti/Sergey Karpukhin
With the acceptance by the fleet of the third frigate of project 22350, 48 Zircons become part of the Navy in one conventional salvo. It should be understood that four or five Zircons that have reached the target, even in non-nuclear equipment, will most likely be enough to defeat an aircraft carrier. After such a "meeting", the aircraft carrier will not be able to be used as a combat unit or will sink altogether.
The shipbuilding industry continues to build the frigates of the project — there are plans to build 10 ships of the series. The Admiral Nakhimov heavy nuclear missile cruiser, which will carry Zircons, is also preparing for testing. The submarines of the 885M Yasen-M project will also be armed with these missiles, starting with the Perm under construction. This is how the Navy's most powerful anti-ship hypersonic fist is formed.
Dmitry Kornev