. | . |
Russia's RS-28 Sarmat ICBM: Hypersonic Disaster for US Missile Defense Shield by Staff Writers Moscow (Sputnik) May 08, 2017
With its state-of-art heavy liquid-propelled RS-28 Sarmat ICBM the Russian military has obviously surpassed their US counterparts, Russian military expert Alexei Leonkov told Radio Sputnik, adding that the cutting-edge weaponry is due to enter into service in 2018. Russia is 10-15 years ahead of the US with its cutting-edge heavy liquid-propelled RS-28 Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), Alexei Leonkov, a military expert and commercial director of "Arsenal of the Fatherland" magazine, told Radio Sputnik. It was previously reported that the Krasnoyarsk Machine-Building Plant - the manufacturer of the sea-based ICBMs - is ready to start mass production of super-heavy thermonuclear armed Sarmat missiles (NATO codename name: SS-X-30 Satan 2). Sarmat missiles are due to enter into service in 2018 replacing the powerful RS-20V Voyevoda ballistic systems (NATO reporting name SS-18 Mod.3 Satan) which have been the backbone of Russia's strategic nuclear forces for more than 25 years. The new missile will be twice as light as the Voyevoda and will surpass it in terms of energy efficiency. Sarmat's improved performance will equip it with additional means to overcome the US missile defense system. Speaking to Radio Sputnik, Leonkov expressed his confidence that the Krasnoyarsk Machine-Building Plant will hit its deadline and Sarmat will enter service on schedule. Leonkov highlighted the particular interest of the US and European mainstream media towards the Russian missile, which was dubbed the "devil in disguise", "Satan" and "weapons of nuclear hell." The military expert emphasized that Sarmat will serve as a reliable deterrent. "Let them call it what they want. The [Sarmat] missile system which is about to enter into service is a fifth generation system. Its characteristics are so impressive that our opponents have reason to be afraid of it. According to some estimates, the missile's striking range is up to 18,000 kilometers [11,184.6 miles]. "It also has a large number of divided parts, from 10 to 15 warheads, each with a capacity of up to 750 kilotons. They will fly to their target at hypersonic speeds performing maneuvers so that the existing American missile defense system would be incapable of intercepting them," Leonkov said. According to the military expert, the Sarmat cements Russia's technological leadership. "Yes, the US is investing heavily in their armament, but they still have problems with hypersonic speeds. Therefore, for the near future, for 10-15 years we have outperformed them - that's for sure. In addition, we are full throttle developing a railway version of the ballistic missile. Therefore, a retaliatory strike, in the event of aggression, can be made from anywhere in Russia; that would be a complete surprise for the American missile defense system," Leonkov told Radio Sputnik. Last year Russian news network Zvezda pointed out that the best current missile defenses system may prove powerless against Sarmat. The media outlet reported that the missile will be equipped with a MIRV (multiple independently targetable reentry vehicle) combinations of a dozen heavy warheads, each individually steerable during reentry. It was also reported that Sarmat warheads will have an array of advanced antimissile countermeasures meant to penetrate the US missile defense shield. There were also speculations that the Sarmat missile would have a conventional hypersonic version like the US's Advanced Hypersonic Weapon or the Chinese WU-14 and could be used as a precision intercontinental weapon in a non-nuclear conflict. Source: Sputnik News
Washington (AFP) May 2, 2017 A controversial missile defense system whose deployment has angered China is now operational in South Korea, the US military said Monday. Washington and Seoul agreed to the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery deployment in July in the wake of a string of North Korean missile tests. US Forces Korea said THAAD is "operational and has the ability to intercept North Korean mi ... read more Related Links ICBM News at Spacewar.com Learn about missile defense at SpaceWar.com Learn about nuclear weapons doctrine and defense at SpaceWar.com All about missiles at SpaceWar.com Learn about the Superpowers of the 21st Century at SpaceWar.com
|
|
The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us. |