Currently, several new intercontinental ballistic missiles are being created, which in the foreseeable future should enter service with the strategic missile forces. In recent days, there have been several reports on the progress of these projects and plans for further work.
On February 20, the TASS news agency, citing an unnamed source in the defense industry, announced the plans of the military department regarding further work on the RS-26 Rubezh intercontinental missile. It is reported that this year, specialists from the Strategic Missile Forces and industry are planning to conduct one test launch of a new Rubezh-type missile. The date, location and purpose of the launch have already been determined.
According to a TASS source, the new launch of the RS-26 rocket will take place in the second quarter of this year, but the exact date has not yet been named. It is argued that the launch of the rocket will take place at the Kapustin Yar range, and the training target, which it will have to hit, will be located at the Balkhash range (Kazakhstan). The purpose of this test launch, according to the source, will be to test the operation of the combat equipment of the new missile.
An early version of the Sarmat missile layout. Drawing by Wikimedia Commons
On the same day, TASS, citing a source in the industry, also reported on the progress of another promising project being created in the interests of the Strategic Missile Forces. Work on the RS-28 Sarmat intercontinental missile is a bit delayed. For this year, the first throw tests of the prototype of the new rocket are planned, which are to take place at the Plesetsk cosmodrome. Initially, it was planned that the first throw-in launch would take place in the first quarter of 2016, but now it had to be postponed to the second quarter.
A TASS source clarified the reasons for the postponement of the start of the tests. As it turned out, the silo launcher, which is planned to be used during the tests, is not yet ready for operation. For testing, an already existing launch silo is proposed, which was supposed to undergo repair and modernization to use the Sarmat missile. The source of the news agency said that some of the units of the existing mine were previously considered operational, but an additional survey showed the impossibility of their use. In this regard, work began on the replacement of unusable units.
The source also noted some funding problems that may have an additional impact on the progress of work. At the same time, he stressed that the prototype of the RS-28 rocket itself, which is planned to be thrown out of the converted silo, has long been ready for testing. Due to existing problems, the first throw tests of "Sarmat" were postponed to the second quarter of this year. In addition, a shift in the start of flight design tests is expected. This phase of reviews will begin three to four months late from the original schedule.
Despite all the difficulties inherent in new complex projects, work on the creation of new intercontinental ballistic missiles continues. At the same time, the "Rubezh" project has already approached the adoption and deployment of full-fledged mass production, and the "Sarmat" missile is to be tested in the near future.
The purpose of the new projects is to update the weapons of the Strategic Missile Forces. In particular, the RS-28 "Sarmat" rocket should replace the products of the R-36M family, which have been in service for several decades. RS-26 "Rubezh", in turn, should complement the missile systems available in the troops, equipped with mobile ground launchers.
The last test launch of the Rubezh missile so far took place on March 18, 2015. The rocket was launched from the Kapustin Yar training ground and successfully hit a training target at the Sary-Shagan training ground. The tests were recognized as successful, which made it possible to talk about the imminent adoption of the missile in service and the deployment of new complexes in the Strategic Missile Forces. Already at the end of March last year, there was information about plans for the deployment of "Frontiers" in 2016. Now the press has announced a planned new test launch, which is due to take place over the next few months.
According to reports last year, design work on the RS-28 "Sarmat" rocket has already been completed, which made it possible to begin preparations for testing. According to media reports, by the end of last fall, the assembly of the prototype rocket, which will be used in the throw tests, was completed. The first throw-in launch was planned for March 2016. By the end of the summer, it was planned to begin flight design tests. In connection with the problems identified during the modernization of the silo launcher, the throw tests have shifted to the second quarter, and the flight tests will begin three to four months later than the planned date, i.e. in the fall or early winter of the current year.
Despite all the problems, work continues, which will make it possible to complete all stages of projects in a timely manner and take new missiles into service. According to available data, already this year the first missiles of the RS-26 "Rubezh" type are to be handed over to the Strategic Missile Forces and deployed in positions. According to current plans, the RS-28 "Sarmat" missiles will go into production and begin service approximately in 2018. The current problems may lead to some changes in the schedule, but they probably will not have fatal consequences for the project and will allow the continuation of the rearmament of the strategic missile forces.
