Russia is reportedly nearing the completion of the development of the next-generation intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) R-28 'Sarmat,' capable of carrying multiple nuclear warheads, according to TASS news agency on the 16th (local time).
Test launch footage of Sarmat released by the Russian Ministry of Defense through its official YouTube account in 2018 [Image source=Yonhap News]
According to the report, Colonel Sergey Karayev, commander of the Russian Strategic Missile Forces, stated, "The development of the fixed missile system Sarmat has been practically completed," adding that "it reflects the advanced achievements of Russia's rocket and space industry."
The Sarmat is a silo-launched, three-stage liquid-fueled rocket ICBM developed since 2009 by the Makeyev Rocket Design Bureau in Chelyabinsk Oblast near the Ural Mountains. Russia has been focusing on developing the Sarmat to replace the Soviet-era ICBM R-36M 'Voyevoda.'
The Sarmat reportedly has a maximum range of 18,000 km and can carry what is known as a Multiple Independently targetable Reentry Vehicle (MIRV). MIRV is a weapon system where multiple warheads separated from the missile body can simultaneously target multiple objectives. It can carry up to 15 nuclear warheads.
Russian President Vladimir Putin declared in February that the development of the Sarmat would be completed within the year and that it would be deployed for combat missions.
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