Russia's 'world's most dangerous' ICBM is ready for combat

On September 2, Director of Russia's Roscosmos space agency, Mr. Yury Borisov, said that the RS-28 Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), dubbed "the most dangerous missile in the world ", has been put into combat readiness.

The decision came after President Vladimir Putin announced in June 2023 that Russia would soon deploy the missile system, which the Russian leader described as a "super weapon" and would make opponents "think carefully before acting".

Previously, in April 2022, the CEO of Roscosmos announced that Russia had successfully tested the Sarmat missile. This was the first time Russia had tested a complete Sarmat missile at its maximum range, while previous tests were only to test part of the missile.

By November 2022, Russia announced that the RS-28 Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile had entered serial production. On June 21, 2023, President Vladimir Putin said that the Sarmat strategic complex would be ready for combat duty “in the near future.”

The RS-28 Sarmat is a nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile designed to replace the R-36M2 Voyevoda ICBM system in operation since 1988. The RS-28 Sarmat serves as a key component of Russia's strategic deterrence system.

The RS-28 Sarmat, designated “Satan 2” by NATO, is Russia’s most famous intercontinental ballistic missile. The missile is 36 meters long, 3 meters in diameter, weighs 208.1 tons, and is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead. With a range of up to 18,000 km, the RS-28 can reach anywhere on Earth.

The RS-28 Sarmat can carry 15 nuclear warheads at the same time, with a maximum speed of 24,900 km/h, using an independent guidance system to attack multiple targets, and can also change direction during flight, along with many types of decoys to deceive enemy air defense systems.

The RS-28 Sarmat missile stands out thanks to its outstanding speed and range, high accuracy, ability to penetrate enemy anti-missile defense systems and is very difficult to intercept.

Military experts further emphasized that the RS-28 Sarmat is capable of flying at very high speeds, shortening the time it is tracked by enemy infrared sensor satellites, giving the enemy less time to react.

Moscow had originally planned to complete Sarmat missile tests in 2021, with the goal of quickly introducing it into service with the Russian military. However, some test launches, especially the final stage testing, have been delayed until 2022.

The Sarmat rocket lifts off from the Plesetsk cosmodrome.

The Russian Defense Ministry stressed that the RS-28 Sarmat will significantly enhance the combat capabilities of the strategic nuclear forces. Experts say that once the Sarmat is deployed, this system will become a reliable shield for Russia in the context of the complicated global geopolitical situation.

In addition, the introduction of the RS-28 Sarmat has increased the disparity between the strategic missile forces of Russia and the United States. This development has significantly lagged the US intercontinental ballistic missile arsenal, as it is mainly composed of old and relatively primitive Minuteman III missiles dating from the 1970s.

The destructive potential of an RS-28 Sarmat missile is enormous, it can devastate an area equivalent to France or the US state of Texas. With such capabilities, the RS-28 Sarmat is truly an important deterrent weapon for Russia, especially in the current context of tensions with NATO.

Le Hung (Source: Bulgarian Military)

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