Russia Tests SS-18
December 22, 2004 :: Itar-Tass :: News
Russia today tested its SS-18 intercontinental ballistic missile, which it test fired from the Dombarovsky missile base in the Odenberg region of Russia, traveling some 6,000km to the Kura testing ground on the far eastern Kamchatka peninsula. This was the first test of a missile being launched from within Russia proper since 1991, reports Interfax—most test launches of the SS-18 take place from Kazakhstan.
The missile in question was described as the RS-20V (R-36M2) Voyevoda, which has been in service for some 16 years, and which will remain in service for another ten or 15 years. It is known as the SS-18 or as “Satan” in the West. Of the two versions or “modifications” of SS-18s currently deployed, this was probably the SS-18 Mod 4. Russia reportedly has about 40-50 of these missiles currently in service.
Russia is expected to test one more missile in 2004, the Topol-M, this Friday, December 24. (More »»»)
» RIA Novosti on SS-18, upcoming Topol-M, tests
» Podvig on SS-18 launch
» More stories on: Russia, Testing - Foreign
» Missile details: SS-18 Mod 3, SS-18 Mod 4
Deployment of Topol-M Regiment Now Complete
December 16, 2004 :: RIA-Novosti :: News
RIA Novosti reports that Russia has now completed the deployment of another regiment of Topol-M (SS-27) ballistic missiles. The deployment is apparently the same as that begun in December of 2003. The head of Russia’s Strategic Missile Forces, Nikolai Solovtsov, was quoted as saying that the new silo-based regiment consisting of missiles is now “on full alert,” bringing the total number to forty.
Pavel Podvig reports that as of today, four new Topol-Ms were deployed, in addition to the six deployed in December of 2003. These are also based at Tatishchevo in the Saratov region. Both RIA Novosti and Podvig call this the completion of the fourth regiment, although some reports last year termed it the fifth. (Article, Link)
» Dec. 21, 2003: Russia deploys fifth regiment of Topol-M missiles
» Podvig on Dec. 2004 deployment
» More stories on: Russia
» Missile details: SS-27
Russia to Conduct Another Ten Missile Tests in 2005
December 10, 2004 :: Interfax :: News
In early 2004, Russian Colonel-General Nikolay Solovtsov, commander of the Russian Strategic Missile Troops announced that it would test a total of 10 ICBMs in the coming year. Russia now plans to do the same in 2005, reports Interfax.
Solovtsov said at a news conference today that, “In compliance with our combat training plans, we are going to launch 10 strategic missiles in 2005, which is almost the same number we launched this year.”
According to public reports tracked by Missilethreat.com, Russia has in fact conducted a total of some thirteen launches to date this year. They were as follows:
Excluding SLBM launches, there were a total of eight land-based ICBM tests this year. An additional test of the land-based Topol-M, and possibly another “heavy missile,” has been reportedly scheduled for sometime during December, but it is unclear if this will still take place.
Besides these ICBM/SLBM tests, there were at least three launches of the short-range but nuclear capable SS-21 “Tochka” in 2004: on April 2, June 3, and August 3. (Article, Link)
» Feb. 12, 2004: Solovtsov: Ten missile launches in 2004
» More stories on: Russia, Testing - Foreign
New Targets for Russia’s Missile Defense Tests
December 1, 2004 :: News
Russia’s Interfax Military news agency reports that the Russian Defense Ministry has compiled new specifications for the development of ramjet missile targets which are based on the S-75 air and missile defense system. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Russia, Russian Missile Defenses
Praise for Topol Missile Unit
December 14, 2004 :: BBC Worldwide Monitoring :: News
Russian television yesterday carried a report profiling a Topol (SS-25) missile squad based in Siberia. The profile was of the 51st Strategic Missile Troops Division. The discussion of the reporter points to the mobile nature of the Topol missiles, a capacity to evade certain satellite detection, and targeting. The United States, by contrast, has no mobile land-based missiles: all American Minutemen are in silos, easily targeted in advance by Russia. An excerpt: (More »»»)
» More stories on: Russia
» Missile details: SS-25
Intelligence Officials Identify “New” Russian Missile
December 1, 2004 :: News
Citing “intelligence sources,” Geostrategy Direct confirms the analysis noted here at Missilethreat.com, amidst speculation about a “new” Russian ballistic missile, after a speech by President Putin on November 17.
Rather than a new missile altogether, the comment made by Putin most likely refers to a type of maneuverable warhead which can be used to evade U.S. missile defenses.
Also of interest is that today’s report includes a description of a previous test of the Topol-M, which suggests it may have some sort of scramjet capability:
In November 2001, Moscow test fired a new SS-27 that had a low-trajectory flight as it flew from Plesetsk to the Kura test range on the Kamchatka Peninsula in the Russian Far East.
The first of the new missiles was fired in July 2001 and its last stage dropped from its flight in space to an altitude of about 100,000 feet. U.S. intelligence officials suspect the new missile is equipped with a scramjet-powered last stage that travels about five times the speed of sound
(Article, Link)
» More stories on: Maneuverable Warheads, Russia
» Missile details: SS-27
Russia Tests Modernized Missile Defense System
November 29, 2004 :: Itar-Tass :: News
Russia today conducted a successful test of an upgraded version of its A-135 ballistic missile defense system. The test took place at the Sary Shagan Missile Range, located in Kazakhstan. Defense Minister Sergey Ivanov described the test as flawless: “The missile accurately hit the training target.” Putin was reported as having responded to the test, saying “Good, congratulations.” According to RIA Novosti, Ivanov also said that “We intend to upgrade and modernize the anti-ballistic missile defense system further.”
The A-135 system, based around and designed to defend Moscow and the surrounding areas, consists of two interceptor missiles, the short range “Gazelle” and the long range “Gorgon.”
Pavel Podvig cites one Russian source indicating that today’s test was of the shorter range 53T6 “Gazelle” missile, a report he terms “quite likely.” According to Podvig, the Gazelle was last tested on November 2, 1999; and the Gorgon was last tested on October 2, 2002.
Update: Dec. 1: The following is an excerpt from a Russian television broadcast on November 30, Ren TV in Moscow, which reported on the recent missile interceptor test. The report confirmed that the test was of the 53T6 or Gazelle interceptor, and furthermore indicated that tests of the Russian missile defenses will henceforth be conducted at Sary Shagan at least twice a year. Text of the report: (More »»»)
» Nov. 29: UPI analysis: Cold War Has Never Been Colder
» Podvig on Russian ABM test
» More stories on: Russia, Russian Missile Defenses
» Missile system details for: System A-135, Gazelle (SH-08/ABM-3), Gorgon (SH-11/ABM-4)
Putin: Russia to Develop New Strategic Missile
November 17, 2004 :: AP :: News
President Vladimir Putin noted today, in a speech to the Russian military leadership, that Russia has been developing a new form of strategic weapon. Putin has affirmed Russia’s intention to do so on a number of occasions. Previous reports have suggested that the new weapon may consist of a hypersonic cruise missile or a hypersonic warhead for an existing missile, either of which could evade U.S. ballistic missile defenses. The United States yesterday tested the X-43 hypersonic system, reaching a new speed record of ten times the speed of sound.
Although Putin’s speech today added few details, it is nevertheless notable. Putin said that Russia “is not only conducting research and successfully testing new nuclear-missile systems. I am sure that … they will be put in service within the next few years and, what is more, they will be developments of the kind that other nuclear powers do not and will not have,” according to ITAR-Tass, Russia’s state news agency.
Of particular interest is Putin’s understanding that strategic forces and concern with terrorism go hand in hand, rather than being in competition with each other. “International terrorism is one of the major threats for Russia. We understand as soon as we ignore such components of our defense as a nuclear and missile shield, other threats may occur.” By contrast, some missile defense opponents in America depreciate missile defense as a distraction from the war on terror, when both are essential to American national security. (More »»»)
» CNN on Putin speech
» Update: Nov. 18: Experts say Putin remark refer to Bulava
» More stories on: Russia
» Missile details: SS-27, SS-NX-30, SS-26
Belarus to Acquire Iskander Missiles
November 12, 2004 :: News
In recent years Russia has been developing a new version of the SS-X-26 Iskander ballistic missile, a short range tactical weapon designed as a successor to the SS-21 “Tochka” short range missiles previously deployed in Europe. In recent months there have been reports that the newly designed missile—apparently designed to overcome advances with the American Patriot missile interceptor—will be deployed as soon as 2005.
Today the Minsk Belapan news agency reports that a number of these missiles will be sold to and deployed in Belarus sometime before 2010, citing a Colonel Henadz Shawrow.
The description of the Iskander-E missile matches that given in recent months, namely that it has a range of about 280km. New to this report is that the missile can reportedly deliver multiple conventional warheads of 480 kilograms each, each warhead consisting of 54 separate bomblets. (The weight of such payloads, however, may be too large to be correct.) The description also mentions that it is useful for either point or area targeting—implying it has a high degree of accuracy—and that it “can overcome any anti-ballistic missile system,” confirming earlier suggestions that it can overcome the Patriot.
The deployment will replace the Tochka-U (SS-21B) missiles currently in Belarus. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Former Soviet Republics, Russia
» Missile details: SS-26
The Real Sources of Ballistic Missile Proliferation
November 11, 2004 :: Ha'aretz :: Analysis
An article in today’s Ha’aretz describes the work of a German scientist by the name of Robert Schmucker who has been making a case about the nature of ballistic missile proliferation, one which sounds similar to that so often made here, at Missilethreat.com. Namely, that the real sources of such a problem are less from the spontaneous research programs of rogue states, but rather primarily from the considerable, and perhaps not altogether unconscious, proliferation by China and Russia. An excerpt: (More »»»)
» More stories on: Analysis, China, Proliferation, Russia
