| Country: |
Russian Federation |
| Alternate Name: |
Sasin, R-9 |
| Class: |
ICBM |
| Basing: |
Silo based |
| Length: |
24.19 m |
| Diameter: |
2.68 m |
| Launch Weight: |
80000 kg |
| Payload: |
Single warhead, 1650 to 2100 kg |
| Warhead: |
Nuclear, 1.65-3 MT or 5 MT |
| Propulsion: |
2-stage liquid |
| Range: |
10300 km, 16000 km |
| Status: |
Obsolete |
| In Service: |
1964-1978 |
Details
Russian Designation: R-9
The SS-8 was an intercontinental-range, surface-based, liquid-propellant ballistic missile. It was a second generation ICBM based on the SS-6. The development of a long-range version pushed the maximum engagement range of Soviet ICBMs to 16,000 km (9,942 miles). This distance is two-fifths the circumference of the Earth and gave the Soviet Union the ability to strike almost any target on the planet from secure Soviet missile bases. The missile used an entirely autonomous inertial guidance system, the first Soviet missile without a radio correction system during the first stage, according to some sources. It is also the last Soviet missile that used cryogenic fuel, liquid oxygen which had to be kept at -186ºC.
The accuracy of the SS-8 was insufficient for use against U.S. missiles deployed in silos, but combined with the high yield nuclear warhead it was easily sufficient for use against cities. The silo version of the missile allowed the missile to survive almost any attempt to destroy it before launch and it could be launched within 8-10 minutes. As it could easily strike any target in the U.S., it was an effective deterrent weapon.
The original design of the SS-8 had a range of 10,300 km (6,400 miles) and a payload of 1,650 to 2,100 kg. The payload was designed to carry a 3-5 MT or 1.65-3 MT yield nuclear warhead. The longer range version of the missile extended range to 16,000 km (9,942 miles). The accuracy limitation of both designs was 1,600 m CEP, almost twice that of its predecessor. The longer range version had a launch weight of 82,000 kg, up from the 80,000 kg of the original design. The missile used a two-stage liquid propellant engine and had a length of 24.19 m with a width of 2.68 m.
The development of the SS-8 began in 1959, with the first flight tests beginning in 1961 and continuing through 1964. The SS-8 entered service in the Soviet Union in 1965. Estimates place the number of deployed missiles at 25 from 1963-1964, all of which were retired by 1978.(1)
Footnotes
- Jane’s Strategic Weapons Systems, Issue 46, ed. Duncan Lennox, (Surrey: Jane’s Information Group, January 2007) 567-568.
