| Country: |
Russian Federation |
| Alternate Name: |
Serb, R-27 |
| Class: |
SLBM |
| Basing: |
Submarine launched |
| Length: |
9.00 m |
| Diameter: |
1.50 m |
| Launch Weight: |
14200 kg |
| Payload: |
Single warhead (Mod 1 and 2); 3 MRV (Mod 3) |
| Warhead: |
Nuclear 1 MT (Mod 1 and 2); 3 at 200 kT (Mod 3). |
| Propulsion: |
2-stage liquid |
| Range: |
Mod 1 - 2500 km, Mod 2/3 - 3000 km |
| Status: |
Obsolete |
| In Service: |
1968-1996 |
Details
Russian Designation: R-27
The SS-N-6 was an intermediate-range, submarine-launched, liquid propellant ballistic missile. It represented a considerable leap forward in the Soviet Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM), incorporating a second-stage engine, vastly superior range and accuracy, and Multiple Re-entry Vehicles (MRV). It used storable liquid propellants with a pre-launch time of roughly 10 minutes and a missile that could be launched from a submarine with an interval of 8 seconds between launches. It used an inertial guidance system.
There were three major versions of the SS-N-6, with a fourth version designed for attacking ship surveillance radars that was cancelled during the design phase. Like all SLBMs, the purpose of the SS-N-6 was to place hidden nuclear missiles within close range of their targets while maintaining secrecy. The SS-N-6 was designed to destroy strategic land targets, but with its relatively limited (but still greatly improved) accuracy it could only really engage cities and other soft targets. The longer range enabled the submarine to strike US targets from well outside the range of anti-submarine defenses, even as far as some Russian territorial waters. It provided an effective pre-emptive and reprisal nuclear force.
The SS-N-6 had a launch weight of 14,200 and carried a payload of 650 kg. It was 9.0 m long and 1.5 m wide. The Mod 1 and 2 were equipped with single nuclear warheads with 1 MT yields. The Mod 3 could deploy three 200 kT MRV warheads against a target area. The Mod 1 had a range of 2,500 km and an accuracy limitation of 1,900 m CEP. The Mod 2 and 3 used a superior design that increased the range to 3,000 km (1,864 miles) and the accuracy to 1,300 m CEP. The SS-N-6 used a two-stage liquid propellant engine according to some accounts, a single stage by others.
Development on the SS-N-6 began in 1962 with flight tests beginning in 1966. The SS-N-6 Mod 1 entered service in the Soviet Union in 1968, with the Mod 2 and 3 entering in 1974. A total of 600 missiles were built and at their peak SS-N-6 missiles were carried on 34 boats. The SS-N-6 missiles were deployed on ‘Yankee 1’ submarines. This had been reduced to 12 boats and 192 missiles by 1991, and two boats and 32 missiles by December 1994. The last SS-N-6 compatible submarine was decommissioned in 1996.(1)
Footnotes
- Jane’s Strategic Weapons Systems, Issue 46, ed. Duncan Lennox, (Surrey: Jane’s Information Group, January 2007) 583.
Russia to Deploy Fifth Topol-M Ballistic Missile Regiment
November 1, 2003 :: Jane's Information Group :: News
Janes Missiles and Rockets reports that Russia will be deploying a fifth regiment of the Topol-M ICBMs. The regiment will have the RS-12M2 Topol-M (SS-X-27) and is set to become operational in December 2003.
According to Janes, Russia’s original plan to deploy one additional Topol-M regiment every year, to replace the older SS-17 and SS-18s, was not feasible—hence, one may infer, the recent testing and announcements to extend the service lives of the SS-17s and SS-18s for as much as fifteen years. The rate is now set to about one every 24-30 months. (Link)
» More stories on: Proliferation, Russia
» Missile details: SS-N-6
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