July 22, 2006 :: Interfax :: News
Colonel-General Nikolay Solovtsov, commander of the Russian Strategic Missile Troops, will inspect the deployment of the first mobile Topol-M (SS-27) intercontinental ballistic missiles at the Teykovo missile formation in Ivanovo Region on Thursday, according to
Interfax. The Topol-M, both mobile and silo-based versions, will constitute the future backbone of the Strategic Missile Troops after the decommissioning of the RS-12M Topol (SS-25), RS-18 Stiletto (SS-19), and RS-20 Satan (SS-18). The Topol-M is 22.7 m in length, 1.95 m in diameter, and weighs 47,200 kg. Its three engines ensure a higher speed than in previous models, and its range is in excess of 10,000 km (10,500 km by some estimates). In recent months, Russia’s political and military leaders have said that the Topol-M is capable of overcoming all current missile defense systems. According to the
Interfax report, “Several dozen additional engines and control equipment ensure a route that cannot be traced by the enemy.” It adds: “Topol-M developers claim that the system is fully immune to electromagnetic pulses.”
(Article)
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