Russia to Ready New ICBM by 2013
Friday, March 18, 2011
Russia is expected by 2013 to finish preparation of a next-generation ICBM, Moscow Institute of Thermal Technology chief Yuri Solomonov said on Thursday (see GSN, Jan. 18). "I cannot be specific about the details but new design solutions will significantly boost the fire control and communications components of the system," the senior missile designer said in a RIA Novosti report (RIA Novosti I, March 17). The weapon's development would be funded under a massive military modernization plan, Russia Today reported. The plan -- reported previously to have a projected cost of $650 billion -- also calls for development of ICBMs capable of penetrating present-day missile defenses (see GSN, Feb. 24).
“We already have lots of ideas for the construction of these weapons,” Solomonov said. “All the decisions were approved by Russia’s Defense Ministry.” Still, some Russian experts have questioned elements of the defense initiative (Russia Today, March 17). Solomonov himself on Thursday criticized Moscow's plan to create a liquid-fueled successor to the aging RS-20 ICBM, Interfax reported. "This is an absolutely far-fetched decision, which has been made to please some high-ranking persons," he said. The expert said he was aware of the officials responsible for the decision, but declined to identify them. Developing the new missile would be "an absolutely pointless pursuit," because it would rely on antiquated systems, Solomonov said. "I can assure you that the missile would employ a 30-year-old technology," he said. The specialist also questioned "the very principle used in building this missile system, which is not viable enough in a retaliatory strike." Long liftoff phases and high altitudes mean liquid-fuel missiles are "not adaptive to modern missile defense systems having space-based elements," Solomonov said. "This problem simply cannot be resolved using liquid-fueled missiles" (Interfax I, March 17).
Solomonov criticized Russia's wider military modernization plan as "senseless spending" seeking to "reproduce things that were made decades ago for absolutely unlikely scenarios," Agence France-Presse reported (Agence France-Presse/Spacewar.com, March 17).
Another expert said a next-generation heavy ICBM would scuttle any opportunity to establish a unified European antimissile framework (see GSN, March 16). "If we go far enough with a new heavy missile, we can forget about a new common missile defense system, if only because a new heavy missile implies a failure of negotiations on a missile defense system," said Alexei Arbatov, who heads the Russian Academy of Sciences' International Security Center. "If the new heavy missile gains momentum, there's going to be no missile defense agreement," Arbatov said, adding Washington "will interpret this new heavy missile as a return to the Cold War times."
Possible alternatives to the preparation of a new heavy ICBM include producing additional Topol-M and Yars missile systems, or negotiating further strategic arsenal cuts with the United States, he said (Interfax II, March 17). Meanwhile, Solomonov said Russia would in June conduct the 15th test flight of its Bulava submarine-launched ballistic missile, RIA Novosti reported (see GSN, Feb. 28). The Bulava is designed to carry multiple nuclear warheads as far as 5,000 miles. Seven of the missile's 14 trial launches to date have been successes, including two tests conducted in October (RIA Novosti II, March 17).
"We hope to finish testing the missile this year," Interfax quoted him as saying. Russia could place the missile on active duty next year if it performs as expected in the trial flights, he said. The Bulava trials would take place during preparation of the ballistic-missile Yuri Dolgoruky, Solomonov added (see GSN, Dec. 14, 2010). "These projects should converge at one point by the end of the year," the expert said (Interfax III, March 17).
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This is not the RS-24 or the RS-20 (R-36M, SS-18) replacement but ANOTHER brand new ICBM? What am I reading an old copy of "Soviet Military Power" from the 80's cause that's the last time, if you include SSBN, SLBM, Backfire upgrades, PAK-DA (new bomber), I read about such an aggressive nuclear delivery system modernization program.