Russia test-fires Sarmat Intercontinental Ballistic Missile

Context

Russia has successfully test-fired the Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile.

Key-points

• The Sarmat is a Russian liquid-fueled intercontinental ballistic missile capable of nuclear charges.
• The missile was fired from the Plesetsk state test cosmodrome in northwest Russia's Arkhangelsk region.
• This multiple independently targetable reentry vehicle (MIRV)-equipped weapon can be deployed with 10 or more warheads on each missile.
• It is claimed that it has the longest range of destruction of targets in the world.
• Dubbed Satan-2 by Western analysts, Sarmat is designed to elude anti-missile defence systems with a short initial boost phase, giving enemy surveillance systems a tiny window to track.
• The RS-28 Sarmat (NATO name Satan-II) is reported to be able to carry ten or more warheads and decoys and has the capability of firing over either of the earth’s poles with a range of 11,000 to 18,000 km. 
  • An intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) is a missile with a minimum range of 5,500 kilometres primarily designed for nuclear weapons delivery (delivering one or more thermonuclear warheads).

Background

• The RS-28 Sarmat is a heavy liquid-propellant Inter Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) capable of carrying nuclear charges. 
• This missile has been under development in Russia since 2000ss. 
• The objective of this development is to replace the R-36M2 Voyevoda ICBM, which is Russia’s only Strategic Missile Force since 1988.