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Russia’s longest-range nuclear missile goes into service – space chief | |
(32 minutes later) | |
The Sarmat ICBM has been approved for combat duty, Roscosmos head Yury Borisov has announced | |
The intercontinental ballistic missile Sarmat, one of Russia's most capable nuclear weapons, has been approved for active duty, Yury Borisov, the head of the space agency Roscosmos, has announced. | |
The development was revealed by Borisov on Friday during a Roscosmos event. The weapon is believed to be the longest-range and heaviest in the Russian nuclear arsenal. Its final test stage was reported last year. | |
The liquid-fueled silo-based delivery vehicle is the intended replacement for the aging R-36M2 Voevoda missiles. Its range is estimated at at least 11,000km, while the payload weighs around 10 tons. | |
Russian President Vladimir Putin has touted the Sarmat as highly capable in defeating anti-ballistic missile systems, particularly because it can be routed via various directions. Shorter-range ICBMs can only reach the US from Russia by flying over the Arctic, and the US has ground-based interceptors situated for such a flight path. | |
Putin has repeatedly stressed that Russia was forced to develop the new system after the US reneged on its commitment not to build ABM systems. | |
Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu reported last December that deployment of the Sarmat had started and that the missile would be ready for service in 2023. |