Russia’s Strategic Missile Forces have reported a successful launch of a next-generation ICBM that can supposedly pierce any anti-ballistic missile (ABM) system. The test came after the US announced it would resume its ABM program in Europe.
The test missile launched from a mobile pad at 9:45pm (17:45 GMT)
on Thursday, the Defense Ministry said Friday. The test was
carried out in the Astrakhan region, deep inside Russian
territory, and the prototype’s payload successfully hit the
Balkhash range in Kazakhstan.
“The test launch was a success as the [simulated] warhead hit
a designated target within the set timeframe,” the Russian
Defense Ministry statement said. “This test launch was
intended to confirm technical characteristics of the missile, as
well as to check the safety of the launch procedures and
equipment.”
The launch was the third successful test of the prototype ICBM.
The development of a new solid-fuel ICBM was officially announced
in 2012, and is set to gradually replace the existing Topol-M and
later the recently developed Yars missile complex. Strategic
Missile Forces expect to finalize testing by the end of 2013 and
put the new missile into production in 2014.
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin welcomed the test,
calling the new ICBM a “missile defense killer… Neither
current nor future American missile defense systems will be able
to prevent that missile from hitting a target dead on.”
Russia maintains at least 58 silo-based Soviet-made P36M (‘SS-18
Satan’ NATO classification) ballistic missiles, believed to be
the most powerful in the world with up to 10 megaton-class
warheads. The Strategic Missile Forces have 160 mobile Topol-M
(‘SS-25 Sickle’) missile systems, 50 silo-based and 18
road-mobile Topol-M (‘SS-27 Sickle B’) systems, and 18 RS-24 Yars
systems.
In recent years, two missile divisions were rearmed with the
newest Topol-M and Yars systems, and more will follow in 2013.
The Defense Ministry is also preparing to introduce the latest
automated battle management system (ASBU), enabling rapid
retargeting of ICBMs.
Russia sped up development of new intercontinental ballistic
missile systems after the US announced plans to continue
deploying its missile defense system in Eastern Europe, near
Russian borders.
The issue of the US missile shield in Europe has become a major
stumbling block in Russia-US relations. Moscow has demanded legal
guarantees from Washington that missile defense systems deployed
in Europe would not target Russia’s strategic nuclear deterrence
capabilities. But Washington refused, citing a need to protect
Europe from ‘rogue states’ like Iran and North Korea.
In mid-March of 2013, Washington attempted to engage Moscow in
new talks about further nuclear arms reduction, after presidents
Barack Obama and Dmitry Medvedev agreed to reduce their nuclear
stocks with the New START arms reduction treaty. The US said it
would no longer deploy SM-3 IIB ballistic missile interceptors in
Poland until 2022.
Nevertheless, Moscow still demands legally binding guarantees
from Washington that the system’s intentions are peaceful.
On Monday, US Secretary of State John Kerry met with the Polish
Foreign Minister, and committed to deploy missile defenses in
Poland by 2018 as planned. “We are on track to deploy a
missile defense site in Poland by 2018 as part of NATO’s
modernized approach to our security,” Kerry said.
This article originally appeared on: RT