Russia activates 208-ton RS-28 capable of wiping out France or Texas
In a strategic military move, Russia’s armed forces have successfully brought the newly developed RS-28 Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile system into operation. This significant event follows the earlier proclamation by President Vladimir Putin in February, wherein he had asserted that the system would commence its combat duty within the year.
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The top executive of Roscosmos, a significant state-owned enterprise in Russia, Yuri Borisov, has officially announced the commencement of operations for their novel missile system, the Sarmat. The inaugural test firing of the Sarmat system transpired in April in the year 2022.
This advanced system is poised to take over the position previously held by the R-36M2 Voyevoda system, a model that has been in active service since the year 1988.
‘A weapon that overcomes any air defense’
Former statements by President Putin elucidated the unparalleled capabilities of the missile, stating it as “a weapon capable of surmounting all contemporary methods of anti-missile defense. It possesses no equivalent globally and will remain so for an extended duration,” thereby categorizing it as an “exceptionally unique weapon set to augment the combat prowess of our military forces.” This sentiment reverberates across various individuals within the governmental and defense sectors.
Fortified silos
Laying claim to the title of the world’s heaviest, the new missile tips the scales at an astonishing 208 tons. Unlike its lighter counterpart, the Yars missile, which boasts the flexibility of being launched both from fortified silos and mobile launch vehicles, this behemoth is relegated to deployment from fortified silos. This is primarily attributable to its immense size, which is approximately four times that of the Yars missile.
The inauguration of the initial Sarmat unit, a significant milestone, arrives a substantial five and a half years after the system’s initial proclamation. This notable announcement was made in tandem with several other consequential asymmetric weapons systems by President Putin in the early days of March 2018. Alongside the Sarmat, the Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle, specifically engineered for the Sarmat, and the Voyevoda were also unveiled during this monumental declaration.
In the stratagem of global defense, Avangard vehicles occupy a distinguished position. These vehicles, deployed by missiles during their terminal stages, offer a cogent solution to reliably eluding interception. The uniqueness of this technological feat is underscored by the fact that no near-peer analogs exist anywhere else in the world.
A growing gap between Russia and the US
The commissioning of the Sarmat unit has precipitously amplified the disparities between the strategic missile forces of Russia and the United States. This development has left the American Intercontinental Ballistic Missile [ICBM] arsenal trailing significantly, as it is largely constituted by the markedly aged and comparatively rudimentary Minuteman III missiles, which date back to the 1970s and have undergone only minimal modernization efforts.
In a rapidly changing global landscape, the activation of the Sarmat unit has taken place amidst mounting alarm within the Western world. This concern emanates from the rising tensions between NATO and Russia, a situation that could potentially escalate into a more overt confrontation. The Western alliance’s ongoing augmentation of its military engagement in the Russian-Ukrainian War – ranging from the dispatching of active combat units to the frontlines to granting access to its expansive satellite network – underscores this escalating geopolitical tension.
About Sarmat
With an impressive range of 18,000 kilometers, the Sarmat missile system is a formidable force, capable of delivering up to 15 multiple independent reentry vehicles. This stands in stark contrast to the Yars system, which, with a significantly lower payload of just 4-6 warheads, is restricted by a drastically shorter range. Such limitations confine the trajectories on which it can approach the American mainland.
The destructive potential of a single Sarmat is immense, with the capability to devastate an area exceeding the size of France or Texas. This feature underscores the sheer power of this weapon system, offering a sobering reminder of the devastating impact of modern military technology.
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