“Without the new “Sarmat”, the Russian Federation will have to rely on old missiles, extending their service life, but this cannot last indefinitely, the publication stressed.β, β write: www.unian.ua
Without the new “Sarmat”, the Russian Federation will have to rely on old missiles, extending their service life, but this cannot last indefinitely, the publication stressed.
Due to the delay with “Sarmat”, Russia has to continue using old systems / UNIAN collage, screenshot, photo of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian FederationRussia is experiencing serious difficulties launching its latest intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), the RS-28 Sarmat. In this regard, it depends on old, weaker missiles while other major powers are modernizing their nuclear forces, Business Insider stated.The publication recalled how, amid many other problems, “Sarmat” failed during tests in September 2024.
A missile expert at the Oslo Nuclear Project, Fabian, said the tests were “disastrous”:
“It’s not even that the missile failed to hit the target, and you can say, ‘Oh, the guidance system didn’t really work.’ so if I were Russia, I think I’d be worried about that at the moment.”
Without the new Sarmat, the Russian Federation will have to rely on old missiles, extending their service life, but this cannot last indefinitely, the publication emphasizes:
“Delaying Sarmat, or even canceling the program, would mean Russia would have to continue using older systems as countries like China field new DF-41 ICBMs and the US moves to modernize its ICBM force through the Sentinel program.”
It is noted that “Sarmat” is designed to replace the Soviet R-36 missile (according to the NATO classification – SS-18 “Satan”). As Timothy Wright, an expert in missile technology at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said about the R-36 missile, its service life “has really ended”, but the Russians have to extend it.
“There’s not much they can do. At some point the parts will start to fail … and they don’t make them anymore,” he said.
Wright suggested that Russia “will have to start dismantling existing missiles, decommissioning them, decommissioning or removing them from the so-called combat duty.”
He also noted that it is unlikely that Russia decided to cancel the Sarmat program, because Putin “put a lot of propaganda into this system.”
However, long delays in putting the Sarmat into operation will likely create problems for Russia, as there is nothing to replace it, the publication added.
Russian missile “Sarmat – what is knownAccording to data from open sources, it is assumed that the flight range of “Sarmata” can be up to 18 thousand kilometers, the starting weight is about 208 tons. And it will be able to carry up to 16 nuclear warheads of individual guidance, as well as “Avangard” hypersonic gliding warheads.
According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), as of May 2023, Russia had deployed 1,674 warheads, with a total stockpile of 4,489.
We will remind, earlier it was reported that on September 22, an intercontinental ballistic missile RS-28 “Sarmat” exploded in Russia during a test. She detonated in the mine.
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