Russia to start building prototype of new heavy ICBM in 2014

[ChineseTiger1986]

Russia will begin construction of a prototype of a heavy liquid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in 2014, a Defense Ministry source said Tuesday.

In 2011, the Russian military announced plans to build the missile by 2018. It is expected to replace the Voyevoda (SS-18 Satan) ICBM, which has been in service since 1967.

“The construction of a full-size prototype of this missile will begin next year,” the source said, adding that the design of the missile was approved in 2012.

So far all of Russia’s recent ICBM projects, both sea-launched (Bulava) and ground-based (Topol-M, Yars), have been solid-fuel.

Russia's Strategic Missile Forces commander Col. Gen. Sergei Karakayev said last year that the new ICBM would have a launch mass of about 100 tons with a better payload-to-launch-weight ratio than in a solid-fuel missile. As a result, the missile would carry more powerful warheads, including MIRVs with decoy elements.

Combined with advanced ICBM targeting system, which is currently being developed in Russia, the missile will be able to penetrate the most sophisticated missile defenses anywhere in the world, Russian experts and officials believe.

Russia to start building prototype of new heavy ICBM in 2014 | Russia & India Report

 

[AUSTERLITZ]

Why liquid fuel?Makes no sense.Solid fuel is far more practical.

 

[ChineseTiger1986]

Why liquid fuel?Makes no sense.Solid fuel is far more practical.

Because Russia is far better on liquid fuel.

And they don't have any NFU nuclear policy, so liquid fuel or solid fuel doesn't really matter to them.

 

[AUSTERLITZ]

This is what i got.

By Jonah Friedman

The Next Generation Working Group (NGWG) at PONI recently came out with a report entitled “Beyond New Start: Advancing U.S. National Security Through Arms Control.” One of the issues cited by the report was Russia’s intention to develop a new liquid-fueled, silo-based, MIRVed ICBM. The NGWG noted how destabilizing such a missile could be, and pointing specifically to how inconsistent the move seems in light of Russia’s “recent emphasis on the important of strategic stability.” Yet, leaving aside concerns for strategic stability, it is difficult to understand the value of such a missile for Russia given its significant drawbacks. Russia’s new “Liner” missile is liquid-fueled, and the Global Security Newswire has pointed out that “Liquid-fuel ballistic missiles are more expensive and complex to use than their solid-fuel counterparts.” An article by Dr. Igor Sutyagin of the Royal United Services Institute also notes that liquid-fueled ICBMs also have longer boost-phases, potentially leaving them more vulnerable to interception (especially if the United States pursues options for boost-phase intercepts). Finally, liquid-fueled missiles are necessarily harder to put on alert in a crisis. So the question becomes, “why is Russia developing such a missile?”

The main reason would appear to be related to the missile’s throw-weight – the weight of the payload which the missile can deliver. As Dr. Sutyagin has pointed out, liquid-fueled ICBMs have greater launch-weight to throw-weight ratios. This would be useful if Russia seeks to employ a technique known as “parallel separation” of its warheads, which would serve to make them more resistant to midcourse-phase intercepts. The downside of this method is that warheads that utilize it are much heavier than normal. A liquid-fueled ICBM would provide the additional throw-weight needed to deliver heavier payloads.

Moreover, Dr. Sutyagin notes that there is currently only one facility in Russia which is capable of producing solid-fueled missiles, and that a separate entity produces liquid-fueled ones. By including liquid-fueled ICBMs in its arsenal, Russia has a hedge against “a catastrophic failure of designs.” This is no minor concern, given the difficulty Russia has experienced in recent years with the design and/or production of both its “Bulava” SLBM and its "Soyuz" space rocket.

If Dr. Sutyagin’s view is correct, then it would suggest that Russia is much more concerned with U.S. mid-course-phase intercept capability rather than potential boost-phase intercept capability. This may seem short-sighted by some, but it also may reflect an appreciation for the host of problems involved with any effective boost-phase intercept system.

As for the missile’s other characteristics (MIRVed and silo-based), these would also seem to be understandable on further analysis. MIRVing its ICMBs would allow Russia to maintain a greater number of warheads on fewer missiles, which might let it reduce the costs of maintaining rough parity with the United States in terms of deployed warheads. Likewise, making the missiles specifically silo-based may also be a means to cut costs, since maintaining road-mobile ICBMs (such as the Topol-M) is more expensive.

Jonah Friedman is a Research Itern for the Project on Nuclear Issues. The views expressed above are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of the Project on Nuclear Issues or the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

 

[ChineseTiger1986]

True, its new ICBM will be basically a modernized version of the R-36 Satan, it will have incredible payload and hyper destructive MIRVed warheads.

I guess the new liquid fuel ICBM will have about 10 MIRVed 1000kt warheads.

 

[That Guy]

So they want to replace the deadliest and most powerful weapon's system in the world, huh? Honestly, if anyone can do it, it's probably the Russians.

 

[Safriz]

USA's missile defence system has scared Russia into an overdrive...

I wonder what engines and fuel they will use?
It can't be cryogenic....most probably some other liquid fuel and oxidizer..

 

[ChineseTiger1986]

So they want to replace the deadliest and most powerful weapon's system in the world, huh? Honestly, if anyone can do it, it's probably the Russians.

Satan is too old, they need to find a new replacement.

USA's missile defence system has scared Russia into an overdrive...

I wonder what engines and fuel they will use?
It can't be cryogenic....most probably some other liquid fuel and oxidizer..

Well, this is Russia, they always prefer the bruteness over the technological fineness.

 

[Safriz]

Ok....done some googling AKA research...
The missile is set to replace the 200 ton Satan missile cuurently in service with Russia...
But this new missile will be half the weight at 100 tons...
Again Russian supremacy in rocketry comes into play..
Surely they are going for smaller warheads..instead of 20 megaton The Satan was made to carry.

 

[ChineseTiger1986]

Ok....done some googling AKA research...
The missile is set to replace the 200 ton Satan missile cuurently in service with Russia...
But this new missile will be half the weight at 100 tons...
Again Russian supremacy in rocketry comes into play..
Surely they are going for smaller warheads..instead of 20 megaton The Satan was made to carry.

Russia is always superior in the liquid fuel missile/rocket, there is absolutely no doubt about it.

 

[Safriz]

Russia is always superior in the liquid fuel missile/rocket, there is absolutely no doubt about it.

yes...
this one will be probably same fuel ...hydrazyne plus nitro tetra as oxidizer....
Payload weight probably 4-6 tons ..guessing by Satan's payload of 8 tons at double the missile weight...
The age of big double digit megaton warheads can be declared over ....

 

[ChineseTiger1986]

yes...
this one will be probably same fuel ...hydrazyne plus nitro tetra as oxidizer....
Payload weight probably 4-6 tons ..guessing by Satan's payload of 8 tons at double the missile weight...
The age of big double digit megaton warheads can be declared over ....

Russia has the biggest strategic depth, so the very diffused silobased ICBM won't be a bad idea for them.

 

[Arzamas 16]

We are also testing a new medium class solid fuel ICBM, its called Avaguard.

 

[Safriz]

We are also testing a new medium class solid fuel ICBM, its called Avaguard.

Smaller than Topol?
can you post any links?

 

[Arzamas 16]

Smaller than Topol?
can you post any links?

Its bigger, its size is somewhere between RS-24 and SS-18.

Russia continues tests of new ICBM, named Rubezh - Blog - Russian strategic nuclear forces