On December 17, in Russia, the professional holiday is celebrated by servicemen of the Strategic Missile Forces.

This type of sun was created in 1959.

For over 60 years, it has served as one of the main components of the US strategic deterrence.

More than two-thirds of the atomic carriers of Russia's strategic nuclear triad are concentrated in the strategic missile forces.

This type of troops includes three rocket armies and 12 divisions.

Four connections are equipped with complexes with silo launchers, the rest are equipped with mobile soil systems.

Invulnerable weapon

In the Russian army, the Strategic Missile Forces are leading in terms of the share of modern and modernized weapons: by the end of 2020, this figure reached 81%.

It is expected that by 2024, the "strategists" will be equipped with modern technology by 100%.

As noted in the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, high rates of rearmament are ensured primarily due to the supply of Yars complexes with a solid-propellant intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) RS-24.

The system is the brainchild of the Moscow Institute of Thermal Engineering (MIT).

It enters the troops in mine and ground versions.

At present, Yars has rearmed five of the eight mobile and stationary missile divisions.

In the coming years, the complex will completely replace the Topol system in three connections deployed in the Altai Territory, Tver and Kaluga regions.

  • Launcher complex "Yars"

  • RIA News

  • © Ramil Sitdikov

From the point of view of the military department, the transition to "Yarsy" should strengthen "the combat capabilities of the strike group of the Strategic Missile Forces to overcome anti-missile defense systems."

The advantages of this ICBM include new propulsion systems, modern combat equipment, a short active flight phase, high accuracy, increased mobility, autonomy and maneuverability (in a ground version).

The missile is capable of hitting objects at a distance of up to 11 thousand km.

The payload of the RS-24 is significantly less than that of liquid-based counterparts, however, as experts note, the power of the warheads is quite sufficient to destroy strategically important targets on enemy territory.

The general designer of the Moscow Institute of Heat Engineering (MIT), Yuri Solomonov, believes that his brainchild meets "the most advanced requirements."

According to the scientist, the creation of "Yars" allowed Russia to get ahead in strategic ground weapons.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation does not abandon the operation of liquid products.

A novelty of the Strategic Missile Forces is the heavy 200-ton RS-28 Sarmat missile.

The complexes will be located in the same silos as the Soviet R-36M2 Voyevoda ICBMs.

This approach will save on the arrangement of the infrastructure for operation.

The uniqueness of the RS-28 lies in the fact that the missile is capable of hitting targets both through the North and through the South Pole.

In addition, the "Sarmat" surpasses the "Voevoda" in terms of payload - the newest complex is capable of carrying up to 20 warheads of small, medium and high power classes.

Preparations for flight tests of the RS-28 are underway.

Production of "Sarmat" will be deployed at the Krasnoyarsk Machine-Building Plant (part of the state corporation "Roscosmos").

At the end of March, at a meeting of the Federation Council, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced the completion of the modernization of the base to establish the serial production of Sarmat.

The first recipient of the unique weapon will be the Uzhur missile formation.

As the commander of the Strategic Missile Forces, Colonel-General Sergei Karakaev, told the Krasnaya Zvezda newspaper on December 16, work is underway to prepare for the rearmament of the head missile regiment on the RS-28.

The ICBM is scheduled to be put on alert in 2022.

The Sarmat missiles will be equipped with the Avangard hypersonic winged units.

The product is capable of speeds up to 27 Mach numbers.

Since December 2019, it has been in service with the 13th missile division stationed in the Orenburg region.

According to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Avangard is an invulnerable weapon for modern and advanced air defense missile defense systems.

In addition to the incredible high-speed qualities, the head of state considers the advantage of the block to be "deep maneuvering" - on the way to the goal, the product can move several thousand kilometers.

The creator of Avangard is Herbert Efremov, who currently holds the post of Honorary General Designer of NPO Mashinostroyenia (Reutov).

The scientist is sure that his brainchild nullifies the capabilities of any missile defense system, since the flight trajectory of the winged unit cannot be predicted.

According to Sergei Karakaev, the creation of Avangard opens up “broad opportunities for further development” for the Strategic Missile Forces.

According to him, with the advent of the winged unit, the role of the Strategic Missile Forces in the nuclear triad may increase.

“The Avangard missile system will undoubtedly effectively complement the structure of the Strategic Missile Forces weapons system, expand the combat capabilities of the grouping, and also create conditions for the development of new types of combat equipment for modern and promising strategic missiles,” Karakaev said.

Planned rearmament

As Karakaev emphasized, today the Strategic Missile Forces formations have "the widest range of combat equipment", which allows solving a significant part of strategic deterrence tasks.

In addition to new ICBMs, the arsenal of troops is being updated due to combat control and communication systems.

"Strategic missile forces are ready to participate in any of the options for Russia's response - a high combat readiness of strategic weapons is maintained, the planned rearmament of the missile group with modern missile systems continues, there is a potential for building up the combat capabilities of the group to adequately respond to emerging military-technical threats," said Karakaev.

In a commentary on RT, the ex-chief of the main headquarters of the Strategic Missile Forces, retired Colonel-General Viktor Esin, emphasized that the quality of equipping the Strategic Missile Forces has always given priority attention to the Russian leadership, realizing their leading role in ensuring the national security of the Russian Federation.

“Within the framework of the general rearmament of the Armed Forces, the Strategic Missile Forces are in the foreground.

It is their power that constitutes the main factor that contributes to the implementation of nuclear deterrence by Russia of any aggressor, ”Yesin said.

According to the officer, the program for the modernization of weapons and the Strategic Missile Forces is being carried out "on schedule."

According to Esin, a special role for the troops is played by the deliveries of the Avangard and the upcoming arrival of the Sarmat.

“The mobile group of missile complexes“ Yars ”is growing.

But the most modern are the Sarmat and Avangard complexes, which have no analogues in the world, ”says Yesin.

In an interview with RT, Alexey Podberezkin, director of the Center for Military-Political Research at MGIMO, said that the Strategic Missile Forces are successfully rearming themselves with new models of equipment, moreover, within the limits prescribed in START III.

The purpose of updating the arsenal, according to the expert, is to guarantee the overcoming of any missile defense systems.

“For example,“ Sarmat ”and“ Avangard ”are completely new complexes of a fundamentally different quality.

They are designed to guarantee the overcoming of the missile defense, which the United States has been improving for decades.

And in general, these complexes devalue the missile defense potential that the Americans are rapidly developing, ”Podberezkin summed up.