| Country: |
Russian Federation |
| Alternate Name: |
Sturgeon, RSM-52, R-39 |
| Class: |
SLBM |
| Basing: |
Submarine launched |
| Length: |
16.10 m |
| Diameter: |
2.40 m |
| Launch Weight: |
87600 kg |
| Payload: |
10 MIRV warheads |
| Warhead: |
Nuclear 200 kT |
| Propulsion: |
3-stage solid |
| Range: |
8300 km |
| Status: |
Operational |
| In Service: |
1983 |
Details
Russian Designation: RSM-52, R-39
The SS-N-20 is an intercontinental-range, submarine-based, solid propellant ballistic missile developed for deployment in the Russian ‘Typhoon’ class submarines. Each missile carries a payload of ten Multiple Independent Reentry Vehicles (MIRV) warheads, giving it an unprecedented amount of power for a Soviet naval missile. The missile is currently on its way out of service, due to the high cost of maintaining ‘Typhoon’ class submarines, though the People’s Republic of China (PRC) will likely acquire them.
The SS-N-20 is a strategic system designed to strike a large number of targets. Rather than decreasing the number of warheads to increase the yield, the ability to strike multiple targets is given priority. The accuracy of the system gives it moderate effectiveness against hard targets, but not sufficiently to destroy hardened silos. While each warhead inflicts limited damage and loss of life compared to larger warheads, the use of smaller warheads results in the ability to strike 200 targets from a single submarine. By targeting areas with the highest population density, the total number of casualties inflicted by a single missile is tremendous and enables the submarine-based missile forces to compensate for any destroyed land-based forces. As submarines are extremely difficult to track, and can maintain secrecy up until actually firing, SS-N-20 missiles would be almost certain to be successfully launched during a nuclear war. In addition, the mobility of submarines enables any target in the world to be within range and decreases the amount of warning time a country will have.
The SS-N-20 can be launched at 15 second intervals with an accuracy of 500 m CEP and a range of 8,300 km (5,157 miles). It has a payload of 2,550 kg which is equipped with ten MIRV warheads. Each of these warheads are claimed by Russian sources to have a 100 kT yield, though Western sources state 200 kT each.(1) It uses an inertial navigation system coupled with a stellar reference system. The SS-N-20 is 16.1 m long, with a 2.4 maximum body diameter and a launch weight of 87,600 kg. The third-stage engine has been placed on the post-boost bus that carries the MIRV warheads. This feature makes the missile more maneuverable than the average three-stage rocket but also increases the likelihood of the MIRV being detected. The system uses a three-stage solid propellant engine.
Development began in 1972 and the first flight-testing began in January of 1980. The missile first entered service in 1983 and was deployed in six ‘Typhoon’ class submarines in 1991 for a total of 120 missiles. At present, only three ‘Typhoon’ submarines remain in service with the Russian navy; they will probably remain in service until 2010 or 2015. The high maintenance cost of the double hull design makes the submarine financially difficult to justify. The SS-N-20 will likely be replaced by the SS-NX-30 missile, a variant of the SS-27, and one of the ‘Typhoon’ submarines is currently acting as a SS-NX-30 test vehicle. In 2005 approximately 40 missiles remained and 20 more may be in storage.
In 1993 it was proposed to modify an SS-N-20 missile’s first stage to carry the three stages of an SS-N-23 ‘Skiff’ to make a civil satellite launcher to be known as ‘Surf.’ This would have had the capacity to carry a 2,000 kg payload in low Earth orbit, but the project was delayed and may have been terminated.
The PRC is reported to have shown interest in buying two of the four withdrawn ‘Typhoon’ submarines with SS-N-20 missiles, but there has not been a confirmed order. The PRC has however recently bought other submarines and destroyers from the Russian Federation to augment their navy, thus it seems likely that buying or leasing ‘Typhoon’ missile submarines is a likely future possibility. This would significantly increase the naval ballistic missile force available to the PRC, especially if the Russians also sell SS-N-20 missiles along with the submarines.(2)
Footnotes
- Pavel Podvig, ed., Russian Strategic Nuclear Forces (Cambridge: The MIT Press, 2001).
- Duncan Lennox, Jane’s Strategic Weapons Systems 46 (Surrey: Jane’s Information Group, January 2007), 154-155.
Russia Tests RSM-50 (SS-N-18) SLBM; Second Test in Four Days
September 30, 2005 :: Itar-Tass :: News
Russia today conducted a test launch of a submarine-launched ballistic missile from the St. George the Victorious nuclear submarine. The missile was launched from the Sea of Okhotsk and the warheads traveled to their targets at the Chizh range near the White Sea.
The Sea of Ohtotsk is in the Pacific Ocean, near the far eastern Kamchatka Peninsula. The targets are said to have traveled to cape Kanin Nos, on the island of Kanin. The White Sea is in the far north, almost directly due north of Moscow.
“The RSM-50 submarine-based missile was launched from submerged position from a depth of about 30 meters,” a Defense Ministry source is quoted by Itar Tass as saying, adding that “This is the first launch of an inter-continental ballistic missile by Russia’s Pacific Fleet this year. The previous missile launch from the same submarine was carried out on November 2, 2004.”
The St. George is identified by the Moscow News as a Delta-III-class submarine equipped to carry 16 R-29R nuclear-tipped missiles. The missile fired today, however, was identified as an RS-50, both of which designations refer to versions of the SS-N-18 SLBM.
The test follows upon the September 27 test of Russia’s new submarine-launched SS-NX-30, or Bulava, missile. (Article, Link)
» Sep. 30, 2005: Moscow News on SLBM launch
» Itar Tass on missile test
» More stories on: Russia, Testing - Foreign
» Missile details: SS-N-20, SS-N-23, SS-NX-30
