| Country: |
Russian Federation |
| Alternate Name: |
Sark, R-21 |
| Class: |
SLBM |
| Basing: |
Submarine launched |
| Length: |
14.21 m |
| Diameter: |
1.30 m |
| Launch Weight: |
19653 kg |
| Payload: |
Single warhead, 1,180 kg |
| Warhead: |
Nuclear 800 kT or 1 MT |
| Propulsion: |
Single-stage liquid |
| Range: |
1420 km |
| Status: |
Obsolete |
| In Service: |
1963-1988 |
Details
Russian Designation: R-21
The SS-N-5 was a short-range, submarine-launched, liquid propellant ballistic missile. It was a second generation Soviet Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM) and was the first Russian missile capable of being launched from a submarine beneath the surface of the water. It utilized a derivation of the cold launch technique and had an inertial guidance system.
The SS-N-5 greatly increased the Soviet Union’s seaborne nuclear force. The advent of the underwater launch technology allowed the submarine to fire its missiles while maintaining its concealment. This decreased the warning from a surprise attack and made an effective response nearly impossible. The increased range from previous designs increased number of military and civilian targets available, increasing the threat of a Soviet nuclear reprisal and increasing the damage from a pre-emptive strike. The accuracy was sufficient to destroy a city but not a hardened military target. The increased range and introduction of underwater launch also increased the ability of the submarine to avoid anti-submarine missile defenses.
The SS-N-5 had a maximum range of 1,420 km (882 miles) and a payload of 1,180 kg. It could be equipped with either an 800 kT or a 1 MT yield on a single reentry vehicle. It had an estimated accuracy limit of 2,800 m CEP. It had a launch weight of 19,653 kg. It had a single-stage liquid propellant engine and a length of 14.21 m with a width of 1.3 m.
The development of the SS-N-5 started in 1955 with the goal of underwater launch in mind. Flight tests started in 1962. It entered service in the Soviet Union in 1963. It was initially placed on later ‘Golf’ class diesel submarines and the later ‘Hotel’ class boats, Russia’s first nuclear submarine. Though it did not violate the 1987 Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, it is believed that the missiles and submarines were beginning to be replaced by 1983. There were no SS-N-5 missiles left in service by 1988.(1)
Footnotes
- Duncan Lennox, Jane’s Strategic Weapons Systems 46 (Surrey: Jane’s Information Group, January 2007), 582.
Russia to Conduct Topol Exercises in Mid-October
October 9, 2006 :: Interfax :: News
Interfax reports that the Russian Strategic Missile Troops will conduct major exercises in mid-October. Colonel-General Nikolay Solovtsov, commander of the Strategic Missile Troops, will lead a four-day command-post exercise of the Omsk missile formation, which is armed with SS-25 “Sickle” (RS-12M Topol) and SS-18 “Satan” (RS-20 Voyevoda) intercontinental ballistic missiles. According to a spokesman for the Strategic Missile Troops, regiment subunits will practice the deployment of mobile SS-25 missile systems and perform simulated missile launches. The exercises will involve over 2,000 troops and more than 400 pieces of hardware. In addition, the Barnaul and the Novosibirsk missile formations will conduct an exercise of reserve reconnaissance and security units. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Russia
» Missile details: SS-N-5, SS-20
Russia Test Launches SS-25 Topol ICBM
August 3, 2006 :: MosNews :: News
Russia today test launched a road-mobile SS-25 Topol (RS-12M) intercontinental ballistic missile from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northwestern Russia, according to Russian media sources. Major General Vitaly Seliverstov, deputy head of the Strategic Rocket Forces’ armament department, told Interfax that “the missile was test-fired to confirm the stability of its flight and technical characteristics during the extended period of operation.” Itar-Tass reports that the missile was fired from a mobile launcher. It is believed that the launch and flight of the Topol met all necessary standards, and that the missile hit its designated target on the Kamchtaka Peninsula at the scheduled time.
The SS-25 Topol was the first fully road mobile intercontinental ballistic missile commissioned by the Soviet Union. The Topol has a high rate of survivability, as it is difficult to locate and destroy a properly hidden road mobile system. MosNews reports that 300 missiles remained on duty as of 2005. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Russia, Testing - Foreign
» Missile details: SS-N-5
» Missile system details for: Plesetsk Cosmodrome
Russia’s Strategic Missile Troops Holding War Game
March 16, 2006 :: RIA-Novosti :: News
Russia’s Strategic Missile Troops are conducting wargames that include the deployment of mobile ground-based missile systems, according to Russian news sources. Over 2,000 troops and 400 pieces of equipment are taking part in the exercise, which will include the deployment of SS-25 Sickle missile systems and SS-18 Satan heavy missiles. According to the SMT, the purpose of the exercise is to improve cooperation between command and control elements while fighting off an enemy attack. The wargames will run from March 14 through 18. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Russia
» Missile details: SS-18 Mod 4, SS-N-5
Russia Tests Topol SS-25; Service Life Extensions to Yield Savings
November 30, 2005 :: News
On November 29, Russia tested fired one of its aging “Topol” ballistic missiles, which have been in service since the 1980s. The RS-12M missile, SS-25 in the NATO designation, was successfully launched from a mobile launcher located at the Plesetsk cosmodrome in the Arkhangelsk Region. The missile traveled east, with the warhead or warheads being delivered to the designated target at the testing ground of the Kamchatka Peninsula.
The launch was part of an ongoing plan to extend the service lives of the SS-25, which shores up the strength of Russia’s offensive nuclear forces. Russia’s project to extend the service lives of Cold War workhorses such as the SS-18 and also the SS-25 helps to save or at least delay the costs associated with replacing them with newer ICBMS, such as, for example, the Topol-M (SS-27) which would otherwise be necessary to retain Russia’s sizable nuclear arsenal.
The SS-25 Topol missiles have already exceeded the period through which they were expected to be operable. A statement by Colonel Aleksey Kuznetsov, head of the Space Troops’ press service, is quoted by the Russian Interfax news agency: “The purpose of the launch is to confirm the flight, technical and operation characteristics of the mobile ground-based Topol missile complex so that its service life can be extended to 20 years.” (Meanwhile, the Associated Press quoted the statement as saying the missiles could be extended to a life of 23 years, and RIA Novosti that it was 19.) To clarify, the service lives of specific missiles means that while some Topols were first introduced around the late-1980s, others which were built and deployed later could still be in service for some time, while still having the same overall “service life.” RIA Novosti explained that some Topol missiles could still be operational until 2016-2018.
Russian Channel One TV notes that when the Topol missiles were introduced, they were expected to have a life for only ten years, which they have already almost doubled. It is however, worthy of notice that the Channel One report discussed the relation of the Topol and the newer Topol-M to missile defense, and specifically American missile defense capabilities. The Russian press, like the Russian military, is remarkably blunt in their desire to retain the means to deliver nuclear weapons to America, even so far as specifying that America is among its “likely enemies.”
…the launch from Plesetsk today of the oldest missile, and from the first batch, proved that they can maintain complete combat readiness for at least twice as long as this. A rocket usually becomes old when the opponent learns how to intercept it, but our likely enemies have not known what to do about the Topol, nor know so far.
The army is unlikely to keep the Topol missiles in service for longer than 23 years. A new weapon is on its way. …
[Gennadiy Yasinskiy, captioned as first deputy constructor at the Moscow institute of thermal technology] This missile is coming to the end of its service life. I don’t think the Americans will come up with anything special with their air defense [missile defense] system over these three years, whereas our modernized Topol-M missile [the SS-27] has all the elements required to overcome the US system being developed today.
[Correspondent] It was precisely in an attempt to catch up with the Topol that the Americans built the terribly expensive B-2 stealth bomber, each costing two billion dollars. But the outlay turned out to be justified: once in the air, this missile—the foundation of our nuclear shield—is completely unassailable for any air defense [missile defense] system.
Given the fungibility of money, Russia can allocate resources in its growing military budget to other programs. As RIA Novosti noted, “This measure will allow Russia to keep the infrastructure of missile deployment areas for new mobile ground-based missile systems as it continues to commission modernized Topol-M versions according to schedule.” (Article, Link)
» Russian Channel One TV description of Topol test
» More stories on: Russia, Testing - Foreign
» Missile details: SS-N-5
» Missile system details for: Plesetsk Cosmodrome
Overall Status and Numbers of Russian Forces
October 11, 2005 :: News
Russianforces.org reports on the recent START exchange data supplied by Russia on its ballistic missiles still in service:
In October 2005 the Russian strategic forces included 815 strategic delivery platforms, which can carry up to 3479 nuclear warheads.
[The] Strategic Rocket Forces have 545 operational missile systems that include missiles that can carry 1955 warheads. These include 85 R-36MUTTH and R-36M2 (SS-18) missiles, 129 UR-100NUTTH (SS-19) missiles, 291 road-mobile Topol (SS-25) systems, and 40 silo-based Topol-M (SS-27) systems.
There are, besides these, a number of sea-based missiles. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Nuclear Weapons, Russia
» Missile details: SS-19 Mod 2, SS-20, SS-21 B, SS-N-5, SS-N-6
Jane’s: North Korea Deploying 2,500km Range Missile, Capable of Ship-Launch
August 3, 2004 :: Jane's Information Group :: News
Jane’s Defense Weekly reports that North Korea is deploying two different forms of a new missile system, with capabilities to strike both U.S military forces in Guam and Japan and also the continental United States. The new missile is believed to be based primarily upon the Russian R-27/SS-N-6 submarine launched missile, as well as some SS-N-5 technology and assistance from the Russian missile manufacturer VP Makeyev Design Bureau. The land-based mobile version of the missile has an estimated range of missile 2,500-4,000 km, and the submarine- or ship-based version some 2,500 or more.
Besides the indication of Russian proliferation, the significance of such a ship-launched missile to North Korea is the very scenario so often discussed here on Missilethreat.com: a ship-launched ballistic missile attack upon the United States. Defense Secretary Rumsfeld spoke of such a threat in October 2001, and Assistant Secretary of Defense Wolfowitz has since warned of the same. Such a prospect points to the need for a much more robust missile defense architecture, which includes space based systems. The long range midcourse interceptors to be deployed in Alaska and California would not have sufficient time to meet and destroy such a missile. A space based laser, reacting at the speed of light, is one serious alternative.
Update: August 4: The Russian Interfax news agency quotes “Admiral Eduard Baltin, ex-commander of the Black Sea Fleet, Hero of the Soviet Union,” as having “ruled out” the possibility of the transfer of Russian SS-N-6 missile technology to North Korea, and calling the reported transfers “absurd.”
Update: August 5: New York Times coverage of the story cites an unnamed official dismissing concern about the newly deployed missiles: “There is no way this can hit the mainland.” The story improperly dismisses the sea-launched version of the missile, weakly citing “doubts” that its purpose was to be launched from a freighter, and pointing out that North Korea has no submarines. Such slight of hand ignores entirely that there are two versions of the missile, one of which is designed to be launched by sea. The initial report by Jane’s Defense Weekly, cited by the New York Times, had correctly observed that “Both these new land- and sea-based systems appreciably expand the DPRK’s ballistic missile threat…The missile capable of being launched from submarines of ships is potentially the most dangerous.” (Article, Link)
» AFP summary of Jane’s report
» Globalsecurity.org description of “No Dong B”
» More stories on: North Korea, Proliferation, Russia
» Missile details: SS-N-5, SS-N-6
Russian Gearing Up for 10 ICBM tests in 2004
February 12, 2004 :: CNS News :: News
Russian Strategic Missile Forces head Nikolai Solovtsov is said to have told the official Rossiiskaya Gazeta daily newspaper that a total of ten “test-combat” missile launches were planned for 2004. It is as yet unclear how many of these were part of the February war games. However, so far the exercises have included two SLBM abortive launches, a Topol SS-25, an SS-19, and the launch of a military communications satellite. (Article, Link)
» Dec. 26, 2003: Russia tests SLBM, its third missile this month
» More stories on: Russia, Testing - Foreign
» Missile details: SS-21 B, SS-N-5
