Russia’s Latest Weapons and New Arms Reality – Part 3
Russia’s Latest Weapons and New Arms Reality – Part 3
Sarmat: Steppe Warriors Take to the Skies
Overview: The RS-28 Sarmat is a Russian fifth-generation silo-based strategic missile system with a heavy liquid-fueled orbital intercontinental ballistic missile (NATO codename: SS-X-30).
Known Specifications:
◾Range: 18,000 km
◾Launch mass: 208.1 tonnes
◾Payload: ~10 tonnes
◾Length: 35.5 m (14-story building)
◾Diameter: three meters
◾Warhead: MIRVs with up to ten nuclear or conventional warheads
Sarmat’s Road to Combat Readiness:
◾First announced by Vladimir Putin in 2018, it replaces the Soviet-era R-36M Voevoda.
◾Development began in the 2000s; entirely built with domestic components.
◾First-stage engine tested in 2016; ICBM testing started December 2017.
◾First successful flight test conducted April 20, 2022 — warheads hit target at Kura range, Kamchatka.
◾Serial production launched November 23, 2022, at Krasnoyarsk Machine-Building Plant (Roscosmos).
◾Putin confirmed on November 4, 2025: Sarmat systems enter experimental combat duty in 2025, full combat duty in 2026.
Why It Stands Out:
◾“Guaranteed to overcome any missile defense,” says Putin.
◾Cannot be intercepted by current enemy systems, according to the Makeyev Design Bureau chief.
◾Can fly over both North and South Poles, including outer space trajectories.
◾Designed to carry Avangard hypersonic glide vehicles — multiple units possible.
◾Called “the largest combat missile in human history” by its developers.
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