Modern domestic strategic missile systems have no analogues in the world
The best guarantees for Russia for the future are Sarmatians, Yarsi, Iskanders, Zircons, Daggers and other highly effective Russian weapons, Deputy head of the Security Council Dmitry Medvedev said this week. Today, Russia has the latest missile systems, which have no analogues in the world. The Yars missile systems, developed by the Moscow Institute of Thermal Engineering, form the basis of the land component of the nuclear triad. But besides them, the Strategic Missile Forces are armed with other missile systems. Izvestia investigated which complexes are currently included in the country's nuclear shield, what will replace them and how nuclear missiles will be used for peaceful space exploration.
The basis of the nuclear shield
The Yars missile carries several individual guidance combat units, and, accordingly, one launch of the Yars ensures the defeat of several targets at once on the territory of a potential enemy. Missiles of this generation are characterized by an increased ability to overcome missile defense, the ability to launch in a counter strike — when the launch site of the complex is literally under enemy fire.
The Bulava naval strategic missile system with the 3M-30 intercontinental missile forms the main part of the maritime component of the Russian nuclear triad. The complex, like Yars, was created by the Moscow Institute of Thermal Engineering (MIT), and its rocket has a high degree of unification with the Topol-M and Yars missiles. The Bulava is currently being deployed on nuclear-powered submarines of the Borey-A project 955A and is likely to be in service at least until the middle of the 21st century.
Yars missile system
Image source: Photo: RIA Novosti/Alexander Kryazhev
As the general designer of MIT Yuri Solomonov recently stated, on May 7, 2024, a decree was signed on the adoption of the Bulava missile into service with the Navy and strategic nuclear forces. Thus, it can be stated that the process of creating, testing, trial operation, mass production and deployment of a missile on combat submarine missile carriers has been successfully completed.
Recall that the creation of the "Mace" was started in 1998. The first and immediately successful launch of a new missile from the submarine Dmitry Donskoy was carried out on September 27, 2005. Then there was a difficult stage of testing and fine—tuning of the product, which ended on June 28, 2011 with the successful launch from the new Bulava carrier, the Yuri Dolgoruky missile carrier of Project 955 Borey. Further, the new missile system was equipped with the built boats of projects 955 and 955A, and today the Bulava is in combat service in the Northern and Pacific Fleets of the Russian Navy. The missile carrier construction program continues. In total, it is planned to build a total of at least 10 Borey-type submarines, and there is a possibility that their number will be increased.
Entering orbit
In addition, the general designer of MIT announced that in 2026 it is planned to begin testing a new space launch vehicle "Start-1M". Its launches can be carried out from the Vostochny cosmodrome in the Far East. Just as the Launch-1 space launch vehicle was created earlier in the early 1990s on the basis of the Topol ICBM, so today MIT is creating a similar rocket based on the main stages of the Topol-M and Yars ICBMs.
Combat training launch of the Topol-M ballistic missile
Image source: Photo: RIA Novosti
The warranty period for Topol-M missiles will begin to expire in the coming years, and they will need to be taken off combat duty. There are several disposal options, and one of the most effective is the use of flight stages as space carriers for launching artificial Earth satellites into orbit. "Topol-M" is more powerful than "Topol", and, therefore, "Start-1M" will be able to put into orbit a payload of greater mass than "Start-1". And when the Topol-M missiles run out, then in a few years it will be time to write off and change the first series of Yars-type missiles on combat duty, which are in many ways similar to the poplars with the letter M. Thus, for a couple of decades Russia will be provided with light space launch vehicles.
What will replace it
And to replace the Topolyam-M and Yars, new missiles are being created at MIT — in the development of the Yars family. The subject is secret and closed, but it can be said for sure that the new missiles will be carried out in different basing options — mobile and in protected mine launchers. On the new missiles from MIT, we will also see modular separable warheads with individual guidance units, each of which has its own propulsion system and control system. The appearance of such products will significantly increase the breeding area of combat units and increase resistance to enemy missile defenses. MIT is probably also working on creating its own model of a controlled hypersonic combat unit. When the time comes, new products from MIT with "woody" names will be announced and shown to the general public.
"Sarmat"
Sarmat ballistic missile test
Image source: Photo: RIA Novosti
In 2023, work began at the Uzhursky missile compound in the Krasnoyarsk Territory to deploy a grouping of the latest heavy liquid intercontinental ballistic missiles "Sarmat". The new product was created by the State Rocket Center named after Makeev as a replacement for the most powerful so far heavy ICBM R-36M2 "Voevoda", which will gradually be replaced by "Sarmatians" on combat duty. Sarmat will carry at least 10 warheads at a range of more than 10 thousand km. With reduced combat equipment, he will be able to strike along a global trajectory — circling the globe along any "detour" route (not the shortest path). In the future, the Sarmat will also be equipped with hypersonic guided combat units, which are almost impossible to intercept by modern missile defense. These missiles will form a large and important part of the response potential of the Russian nuclear missile forces.
"Avangard"
In addition to the Sarmatians, the Avangard missile system uses hypersonic units. Only if the Sarmat is still deployed and undergoing tests, then the Avangard is already on combat duty in two regiments of the Strategic Missile Forces in the Yasnensky missile compound. One UR-100NUTTH launch vehicle developed by NPO Mashinostroenie carries one controlled hypersonic unit with a high-power nuclear charge. Today, Avangard is the world's only strategic missile system with hypersonic equipment. Its goals are the most important objects in the territories of potential opponents — headquarters, missile bases, control centers.
All this missile potential today consists of 90% of new and advanced missile systems, and in the very next few years this figure is likely to be increased to 100%.
Dmitry Kornev
