On May 12, Russia conducted successful tests of the world's most powerful intercontinental ballistic missile, the "Sarmat," which will enter service in the Russian Strategic Missile Forces by the end of the year.
Russian military expert Alexei Leonkov announced that the Russian ballistic missile system "Sarmat" cannot be intercepted by current air and missile defense systems in the West, noting that the missile's unique range reaches 35,000 kilometers, according to the commander of the Russian Strategic Missile Forces, a range that approaches the Earth's circumference of about 40,000 kilometers, allowing it to fly across the North and South Poles.
Leonkov said, "The West has nothing to counter our Sarmat missile."
The development of the Sarmat RS-28 intercontinental ballistic missile, known to NATO as the SS-X-30 Satan 2, began at the start of the new millennium. It was developed by the Makeyev State Rocket Center to replace the Soviet Voevoda missile, known in the West as the Satan, which possessed exceptional capabilities.
The Voevoda missile was still in combat service, with a launch weight of 211 tons and a length of 34 meters, while its warhead carried a payload of 9 tons. It also had a range that allowed it to hit targets anywhere on Earth within about half an hour, with an accuracy of up to 500 meters.
But after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the launch platforms and warheads remained in Russia, while the technical expertise and documentation remained in Ukraine, where the missile was being produced at the Yuzhmash plant in Dnipropetrovsk. Therefore, Moscow decided to develop a new missile superior to the Voevoda, a goal achieved through the Sarmat project.
In 2013, the first official statements regarding the development of "Sarmat" appeared, while actual tests of the missile began in December 2017. In April 2022, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced the first successful launch of the missile from the "Plesetsk" spaceport.
According to experts, "Sarmat" has capabilities that surpass its predecessor "Voevoda" in terms of range, combat payload, readiness to launch, and means of penetrating current and future missile defense systems.
The first missile regiment equipped with Sarmat missiles is scheduled to enter combat service by the end of this year. Experts confirm that the missile possesses unique characteristics that are difficult to replicate globally, as it can fly a distance exceeding 35,000 kilometers, compared to approximately 13,000 kilometers for the American Minuteman III missile.
Sarmat can also fly in ballistic and suborbital trajectories, with the ability to hit targets with a deviation of no more than 10 meters, an accuracy comparable to cruise missiles.
Leonkov noted that the missile is equipped with several payload options, including hypersonic maneuvering units, multiple independently guided nuclear warheads, and advanced systems for penetrating air and missile defenses.
He added that "the United States' withdrawal from the missile defense treaty and its announcement of the Golden Dome project prompted Russia to develop a system capable of overcoming all modern missile defense systems, and we have succeeded in that."
The military expert confirmed that "Sarmat" is capable of penetrating any defense system, adding that its destructive power, estimated at tens of megatons, is capable of wiping out a major city and its suburbs completely.
Developer: Makeyev State Center
Manufacturer: Krasnoyarsk Plant
Number of stages: 3 stages
Length: 35.5 meters
Diameter: 3 meters
Launch weight: 208.1 tons
Combat payload: up to 10 tons
Speed: Over Mach 20
Fuel type: Composite liquid fuel
Range: 35,000 kilometers
Combat head type: Multi-guided segmented
warhead
Method of release: From ground silos
