Last Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed a message to the Federal Assembly. The most important place in the address of the head of state was taken by the story about the latest successes in the field of strategic nuclear missile weapons. Circumstances force our country to develop this direction, and so far such development has led to the most interesting results. The President disclosed some information about already known projects, and for the first time announced the existence of some other developments. One of the topics of the presidential report was a complex with an intercontinental missile under the code "Sarmat".
Starting his story about new strategic weapons, V. Putin recalled the events of recent years. Thus, at the beginning of the last decade, the United States unilaterally withdrew from the ABM Treaty, as a result of which Russia's nuclear potential was under threat. Despite constant criticism from Moscow, Washington continued to develop anti-missile systems and deploy new systems. However, Russia not only protested and warned. In recent years, the Russian military and scientists have been working on promising weapons. As a result, they managed to make a big step in the development of strategic systems.
Transporting a container with an experimental rocket
V. Putin recalled that in order to counter the North American missile defense system in Russia, not too expensive, but very effective means of breaking through the defense are being created and constantly improved. All Russian intercontinental missiles carry this equipment. In addition, the development of completely new types of strategic weapons with high performance began.
According to the President, the Ministry of Defense and enterprises of the rocket and space industry have already begun the active phase of testing the newest complex with ICBMs of a heavy class. The promising system received the designation "Sarmat". The head of state pointed out that the new product is being created to replace the existing R-36M Voyevoda missiles, created in Soviet times and known for their high combat power.
V. Putin claims that the combat capabilities of the Sarmat are significantly higher than those of its predecessor. The new ICBM has a launch mass of more than 200 tons. A characteristic feature of the missile is its reduced active flight phase, which to some extent complicates its interception and destruction. In terms of flight range, the number of warheads and the power of warheads, the promising Sarmat surpasses the old Voevoda.
Loading a rocket into a mine
The flexibility of the missile is provided by the ability to carry warheads of different types. "Sarmat" will be able to use nuclear warheads of various power and modern means of breaking through antimissile defense. In addition, it can be equipped with a hypersonic warhead, which has certain advantages over traditional-style blocks.
The R-36M missile has a firing range of up to 11 thousand km. The new complex, as the president noted, has practically no range restrictions. As part of the Address to the Federal Assembly, a video was shown demonstrating the capabilities of the new complex. Among other things, it showed that the Sarmat rocket is capable of reaching the Western Hemisphere both through the North and South Poles. Such capabilities obviously increase the potential of the complex in the context of a missile defense breakthrough of a potential enemy.
The president also noted some of the features of launchers for a promising rocket. The product "Sarmat" is proposed to be used with protected launchers with high performance. The parameters of the basing means and the energy indicators of the missiles, according to V. Putin, will ensure the use of the missile system in any conditions and in different situations.
Model RS-28 leaves the launcher for the first time
The last Address of the President to the Federal Assembly was curiously different from the previous ones. The speech of the head of state was accompanied by a demonstration of video clips of one topic or another. Naturally, video materials were also present in the part of the speech dedicated to advanced weapons.
For the first time, politicians and the general public were shown footage from the tests of the Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile. First, the video showed the process of loading a transport and launch container with a rocket into a silo launcher. Then they showed the actual launch. The rocket in the characteristic black-and-white "checkerboard" color, necessary to observe its operation, flew out of the mine with the help of a powder pressure accumulator and turned on the engine. All further stages of the flight, however, were demonstrated in the form of computer graphics. The sketched rocket followed a predetermined trajectory, dropped warheads and successfully hit the intended targets in the Western Hemisphere.
Having completed his story about the course of the Sarmat project and the consequences of its adoption, Vladimir Putin moved on to other topics in the field of strategic nuclear missile systems. In a matter of minutes, the president unveiled a number of new products that will be discussed for a long time at all levels and will probably have the most serious impact on the strategic situation in the world. However, let's not rush and take a closer look at the Sarmat project, including taking into account the latest information announced personally by the head of state.
The first moments after the start
First of all, it should be recalled that the RS-28 "Sarmat" project is already well known to specialists and the general public. The fifth generation missile system with a silo-based heavy intercontinental missile is intended to replace the outdated R-36M and UR-100UTTKh systems. The project was developed at the State Rocket Center. V. P. Makeeva (Miass) with the participation of some other domestic defense enterprises.
According to reports from past years, in the foreseeable future, the strategic missile forces were to receive a promising product with a launch weight of more than 100 tons and the ability to carry a large combat load. Over time, it became known that the "Sarmat" has a three-stage design and is equipped with a stage for breeding warheads, providing their individual guidance. All stages of the rocket must be equipped with liquid-propellant engines "recessed" in the bottoms of the tank hulls. From a certain time in the context of the RS-28 project, the possibility of using promising hypersonic combat equipment "4202" / Yu-71 was mentioned.
According to various estimates, depending on the task at hand, the Sarmat missile could carry up to 10 warheads and deliver them to a range of at least 16 thousand km. This means that such missiles, located in different parts of the Strategic Missile Forces, will be able to attack targets almost anywhere in the world. At the same time, in some cases, it became possible to choose a flight route that was optimal from the point of view of bypassing missile defense.
Engaging motors. The discarded pan of powder charge is visible
It is known that in the middle of this decade, the RS-28 project left the stage of design work, and the first tests began. So, in mid-2016, tests of new rocket engines were completed, after which preparations began for testing the rocket as a whole. It was reported that flight tests will be carried out at the Plesetsk test site. For their implementation, one of the mine launchers of the landfill has undergone repair and restoration. In the past, the press reported some delays, as a result of which the first throw-in launch of the Sarmat missile was only carried out at the end of December last year, with a noticeable delay in relation to the original plans.
Apparently, it was the video from the December start that became an "illustration" of V. Putin's speech. According to known data, it was planned to start the tests of the "Sarmat" with a throw launch, and, most likely, it was he who was shown to the public. Thus, a product with a characteristic color that flew out of the mine was a mock-up of a full-fledged rocket with the same mass and similar geometric characteristics. The task of the mock-up in the throw tests is to exit the launcher, during which a set of sensors fixes all the main parameters.
For obvious reasons, the drop test mock is not intended for full range flight. In this regard, in a demo video showing the capabilities of the rocket and its principle of operation, after the frames of the real start, there was an animated flight with all the main operations. It is also necessary to recall that at the disposal of science and industry there is still no means capable of high-quality video filming of ICBMs along the trajectory from the most spectacular angles. Therefore, it is necessary to apply the achievements of modern cinema and animation.
Demonstration of possible missile flight routes
In the past, when the promising RS-28 project was far from full implementation, officials talked about the possible adoption of the missile in service in 2017-18. By now, plans have changed noticeably. Flight design tests of the rocket are scheduled for the current and next year, and the complex is expected to be put into service no later than 2020.
Over the next few years, the Krasnoyarsk Machine-Building Plant will have to prepare for the full-scale serial construction of promising missiles for delivery to the Strategic Missile Forces. At the same time, at the bases of this kind of troops, the repair and modernization of the existing "Voevoda" missile launchers will be carried out, which, after the upgrade, will have to work with the new "Sarmats". The process of replacing R-36M missiles with new RS-28s will take several years. In the absence of serious problems, it can be completed by the mid-twenties.
According to known data, the R-36M and R-36M2 heavy missiles remain in service with only two Strategic Missile Forces units, and their total number does not exceed fifty. Several dozen heavy UR-100UTTH also continue to serve. This means that the program for the rearmament of the missile forces should not differ in special dimensions, and therefore will not be excessively expensive or time-consuming. In any case, no later than 2025-30, the Russian armed forces will have to abandon all currently available heavy ICBMs due to their complete moral and physical obsolescence.
Combat blocks on approach to the target
Based on the already known and recently announced information, it is possible to draw new conclusions about the goals and objectives of the RS-28 "Sarmat" project. The first and one of the main goals of this complex is to maintain the required combat capability of the strategic missile forces through the timely replacement of outdated weapons. Moreover, the replacement of old missiles will lead to a significant increase in combat potential. Having increased characteristics, the new rocket, even when replaced in a one-to-one ratio, will be able to more effectively solve the tasks assigned to it.
According to available data, the Sarmat ICBM will be able to deliver warheads at a range of at least 15-16 thousand km. This means that any objects in almost any part of the planet can be “targeted” by the missile system. In the case of less remote areas, it becomes possible to choose the most convenient trajectory corresponding to the tasks set. For example, due to the improved energy, the missile will be able to literally bypass, at least, the stationary anti-missile defense systems of the enemy. In combination with the used means of breakthrough by the type of decoys, etc. such a possibility sharply reduces the effectiveness of missile defense.
V. Putin confirmed that the promising heavy missile will be able to carry the latest hypersonic warhead. Earlier, in various sources, it was repeatedly mentioned that one of the options for combat equipment of the RS-28 could be the product "4202" or Yu-71. A controlled warhead of this type is a hypersonic aircraft with controls and the ability to carry a nuclear charge. It was argued that the Ju-71 apparatus would be able to reach speeds of up to several kilometers per second, maneuver along the course and independently aim at the specified target.
High speed of descent and approach to the target, as well as the ability to maneuver on a trajectory are the obvious advantages of the 4202 system. Existing foreign missile defense systems are designed to intercept high-speed ballistic targets. The possibility of hitting a maneuvering hypersonic object is at least doubtful. For a correct and timely response to such weapons, a potential adversary requires fundamentally new systems, the existence of which is still unknown.
To date, the promising heavy ICBM RS-28 "Sarmat" has entered testing, and within the next few years it is planned to be put into service. The appearance of such weapons will allow not only to preserve the required capabilities of the Strategic Missile Forces, but also to build up the potential of this type of troops without a serious change in the number of deployed missiles. Thanks to this, in particular, it becomes possible to implement existing plans without contradicting existing international agreements. In addition, it will be possible to solve one of the main tasks of recent times - to ensure the required combat capability of intercontinental missiles in the context of the development and deployment of foreign anti-missile systems.
The news about the RS-28 Sarmat project announced by Vladimir Putin is undoubtedly a reason for optimism and pride in the Russian defense industry. However, having completed the story about the new ICBM, the president did not stop and announced the existence of even more daring and interesting projects. Now it was about increasing the defense capability through fundamentally new types of weapons with outstanding technical and combat characteristics.
