"Nuclear deterrent missile": what are the advantages of the Russian strategic complex "Yars"

The 29th Guards Division of the Strategic Missile Forces (Irkutsk Region) has been completely re-equipped with the mobile complexes "Yars" with the RS-24 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

This was reported by the press service of the Russian Defense Ministry.

As follows from the information of the military department, the compound previously operated the Topol system with the RS-12M strategic ammunition.

“The delegation of the Public Council under the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation made a working trip to the easternmost unit of the Strategic Missile Forces - the Irkutsk Missile Division.

This unit has been fully re-equipped with the Yars mobile missile system, says the website of the Russian Ministry of Defense.

This system is an improved version of the Topol-M complex, which was adopted by the Russian Federation in 1997.

The creation of both products was carried out by specialists from the Moscow Institute of Heat Engineering (MIT) with the participation of the renowned Russian scientist, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Yuri Solomonov.

Since 1997, he has been holding the position of General Designer of MIT.

Enhance combat capabilities

As the commander of the Strategic Missile Forces Sergei Karakaev told at the end of 2019 in an interview with the Zvezda TV channel, the name of the Yars complex stands for "nuclear deterrent missile."

Russian troops operate new ICBMs in mine and mobile versions.

“Different types of ICBMs have their own advantages.

For example, mines are certainly better protected from being hit by cruise missiles or other air attacks.

The rocket is located at a considerable depth and is protected by reinforced concrete caps, "said Alexei Podberezkin, director of the Center for Military-Political Research at MGIMO, in a conversation with RT.

• Departure of "Yars" from the storage hangar

• © Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation

The RF Ministry of Defense believes that the Yars supplies should strengthen "the combat capabilities of the Strategic Missile Forces strike group to overcome anti-missile defense systems."

The RS-24 is designed to engage strategic targets at a range of up to 11,000 km.

The missile is equipped with a multiple warhead with individually guided maneuvering units.

The flight of an ICBM is provided by several stages of solid propellant engines.

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation does not disclose more accurate information about the characteristics of the rocket.

But in a number of sources, one can find data that the power of the RS-24 warhead is about 150 kilotons.

The length of the ICBM is estimated at 21.9 m, the mass is 46.5 tons, the circular probable deviation from the target (error on hit) is 150 m.

Experts note that the solid-propellant RS-24 is noticeably lighter than liquid-propellant ICBMs, which are located in stationary launchers, due to the need for its transportation.

The brainchild of MIT differs from its counterparts in a smaller payload, but the destructive power of the rocket is quite enough to perform a combat mission.

“The power of the RS-24 parts can be different and vary from 50 to 500 kilotons.

This is enough to cause irreparable damage to the enemy.

At the same time, "Yars" is very mobile and it is difficult for the enemy's reconnaissance means to track its movement, especially in wooded areas, "Podberezkin noted.

The assembly of the RS-24 is carried out at the Votkinsk machine-building plant (Udmurtia), the manufacture of noise-immune automatic control systems is carried out at NPO Impulse (St. Petersburg), the manufacture of equipment for hydraulic systems of launchers is carried out at the Podolsk electromechanical plant.

Volgograd Central Design Bureau "Titan" produces 15М69 engineering support and camouflage vehicles.

This technique prepares the positional area for the placement of launchers of the strategic complex on the routes of combat duty.

The only imported element in the Yars is a chassis with a wheel arrangement of 16 × 16, which is produced by the Minsk Wheel Tractor Plant (MZKT).

However, as an alternative to Belarusian products, Russian engineers are developing a more technologically advanced platform-O product.

Meets the most advanced requirements

In a conversation last year with journalist Andrei Uglanov, Yuri Solomonov described his creation as "the most modern Russian weaponry."

According to the General Designer of MIT, "Yars" meets "the most stringent, most advanced requirements for weapons of this class."

In an interview with Zvezda in December 2019, Solomonov said that thanks to the commissioning of Yars, the Russian army managed to get ahead in strategic ground weapons.

“In the United States, the last modernization took place 10-15 years ago.

Their grouping is very old, since 1960 ... They at one time had attempts to create a mobile ground-based missile system, there was a low-weight mobile-based Midgetman rocket in the 1980s ... But this business is associated with huge financial costs.

And they don’t go for it, ”Solomonov said.

According to the scientist, the main advantage of the Yars is the short active phase of the flight, which ensures the high survivability of the ICBM.

The general designer of MIT also referred to the advantages of the complex as new propulsion systems and combat equipment, which "has significantly higher characteristics."

• Complex "Yars" with camouflage cover

• © Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation

In addition, the Yars is distinguished by its increased autonomy, which makes it possible to increase the duration of the combat exit of the Yars crews.

According to official data, this period can be up to 40 days.

For such a "journey" the complex is equipped with a powerful diesel power plant, a kitchen and sleeping quarters of the type of a compartment.

While driving, a driver, a signalman and a commander are constantly in the cab.

To repel an attack from a sabotage and reconnaissance group (DRG), the crew can use a machine gun.

However, as experts point out, the RS-24 launcher is generally reliably covered by a "retinue" consisting of modern military equipment.

Thus, the “Foliage” remote mine clearance machine is responsible for ensuring mine safety of combat patrol routes.

Its unique equipment is capable of neutralizing explosive devices with metal elements, engineering ammunition and improvised bombs with electronic components at a distance of up to 70 m.

The function of detecting and eliminating DRGs is performed by the Typhoon-M anti-sabotage vehicle, designed on the BTR-82 chassis.

This complex is equipped with a reconnaissance and surveillance UAV "Eleron-3SV", a remotely controlled 6S21 turret, a radar, a thermal imager, a satellite navigation set and means of countering radio-controlled explosive devices.

"Element of the nuclear triad"

Experts believe that in the process of creating Yars, MIT designers were able to significantly improve the characteristics of its predecessor, Topol-M.

In particular, Moscow specialists have increased the reliability of the complex, the level of security and the accuracy of the missile.

The analysts also praised the chassis supplied by MZKT.

Yars is an organic continuation of our legendary Topol intercontinental ballistic missile.

The difference is that almost all its main elements have been significantly improved, ”Podberezkin said.  

The editor-in-chief of the National Defense magazine Igor Korotchenko adheres to a similar point of view.

In the RT commentary, the expert noted that Yars is unified with the Topol family and this has reduced the cost of production and operation of the latest complexes.

Korotchenko believes that due to its high characteristics, the brainchild of MIT has earned the status of a new generation of Russian ICBMs.

According to the analyst, the regiments armed with Yars are making a significant contribution to ensuring the strike potential of the Strategic Missile Forces.

Yars is an important element of the nuclear triad, the nuclear deterrent system.

The key quality of the complex is the ability to break the missile defense ... In addition, the designers have increased the accuracy of hitting the target.

All this favorably distinguishes Yars from its predecessors, "Korotchenko summed up.