Russia Test-Fires Massive ICBM: Reports

The Topol ICBM (Vitaly V. Kuzmin via Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.)

Russia has test-fired its Topol intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) equipped with a new, advanced warhead, state media reported.

The RS-12M Topol launch was carried out at the Kapustin Yar range in Russia’s southern Astrakhan Region and the warhead hit its target in a range in Kazakhstan, the Russian Defense Ministry told the state-run TASS.

“A combat union of the Russian Strategic Missile Forces test-launched an intercontinental ballistic missile Topol RS-12M from the Kapustin Yar state central range in the Astrakhan region,” a Defense Ministry spokesman told TASS. “The goal of the launch was to test advanced ballistic missile warheads.”

The data collected in the Topol launch will be used to develop anti-missile penetration aids, the ministry added.

The RS-12M Topol is a single-warhead ICBM that entered service in 1985. It has a maximum range of 6,125 miles with a yield of 550 kilotons.

Last week, the Russian Strategic Missile Force tested its modern Yars ICBM. A week before that, the military carried out another Yars missile launch.

In October, Russia will test its RS-28 Sarmat super-heavy thermonuclear missile, known by NATO as the “SS-X-30 Satan 2,” state-run TASS reported.

Top photo credit: Vitaly V. Kuzmin via Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.