Russia successfully tests hypersonic ICBM

rediff.com ^ | December 24, 2004

[sully777]

Russia on Saturday successfully tested its Generation-next hypersonic inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of dodging any future missile shield.

In the presence of Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov and Economic Development Minister Gherman Gref, a RS12M2 Topol-M mobile ICBM was test launched at 1239 hours (1509 IST) from the cosmodrome Plisetsk in north Russia.

Twenty-five minutes later it scored a bulls-eye 6,000 kilometres away at the Kura range in Kamchatka in the far east, the defence ministry said.

This was the fourth successful test of the new missile before its induction in 2005.

Topol-M ICBMs will become the 'backbone' of the Russian nuclear missile forces by 2015 and are expected to be in service till 2040. Equipped with three powerful engines, they are capable of penetrating through multi-layered enemy missile defences. More News Reports

In November, addressing his top generals, President Vladimir Putin had shocked the world by announcing plans to shortly deploy 'unique missiles capable of penetrating any future missile defence systems under development' in the US. In the late 1980s, responding to US president Ronald Regan's 'Star Wars' plans, the then Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev had cautioned that the USSR will take 'asymmetrical' measures, which would turn the US missile shield costing hundreds of billion dollars into a 'useless toy'.

[sully777]

And to think, we propped up the drunken sod Yeltsin, and invited Putin to Crawford.

[stm]

Great, well their sagging economy can only afford one of them anyway and they already shot it. Oh well.

[sully777]

Oil rev (oil co. now state controlled) and new taxation laws are making their coffers full of rubles these days.

Problem with all this crap is the poss. of technology spirited away to a rogue nations.

[okie01]

Are not all ICBMs "hypersonic"? I fail to grasp what it is about the Topol-M that makes it impervious to missile defense shields.

[BladeLWS]

Capable of dodging ANY future missile shield? I'll believe it when I see it.

[demlosers]

Are not all ICBMs "hypersonic"?

I think so...speeds reaching mach 4 or 5.

[BladeLWS]

Ok I just read here: http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/world/russia/rt-2pmu.htm Thats its comparable to our Minuteman-3 missile. It can still be brought down, but its land mobile, so thats what makes it hard to take out.

[Truth666]

Last survivor of 'Christmas truce' tells of his sorrow (1914 - 1942 - 2004)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1307843/posts

[jrfaug06]

I think they are speaking of a low trajectory where it doesn't leave atmosphere. Also would be used in cruise missiles which are now subsonic.

John

[olrtex]

Never, ever trust a Rooskie!!

[SolutionsOnly]

I fail to grasp what it is about the Topol-M that makes it impervious to missile defense shields

I'm with you on that. Especially when lasers are deployed - where the suffix 'sonic' essentially means 'glacial'

[Final Authority]

They are all hypersonic during the reentry phase but I think the innovative design of this is that it does not follow a ballistic trajectory that can be predicted, that is to say, the trajectory detected of a ballistic nature determines the future position. In the MX RV, great effort was expended to control the centers of mass so that a true ballistic reentry could be expected. This and other technology allows the MK 21 RV of the MX to have the highest CEP of any current ICBM, it is unfortunate however that GWB and Rumsfeld are determined to eliminate the MX from the arsenal as it is the only true first strike weapon on any side of the oceans.

I suspect that the way they can alter the course of the RV is to change the mass properties in flight. It is unlikely however that such a weapon system can achieve any great accuracy but if the intent is to defeat defense systems, they might have something.

[Dont_Tread_On_Me_888]

Are not all ICBMs "hypersonic"? I fail to grasp what it is about the Topol-M that makes it impervious to missile defense shields.

Yes, but these are hypersonic rockets, not missiles. This new advance has them using a hypersonic missile.

ICBMs have always been powered by rockets (non-airbreathing). Russia has developed an airbreating missile (not a rocket) that is being put on the final stage and perhaps the warhead on this TOPOL-M.

This uses "scramjet" technology. They are making the final stage and/or the warhead itself manueverable.

Before, the rocket would simply go in an arc as well as the warhead. What they are saying here is that the trajectory will no longer be predictable once it is picked up on radar. They believe that by having maneuverable warheads or maneuverable final stages of the launch vehicle, that it will be impossible to shoot them down.

While we spend biillions on global welfare and nation building (we just authorized $300 million for Sudan), Russia and China develop strategic weaponry more advanced than our own.

[nw_arizona_granny]

Ping

[maestro]

Topol-M ICBMs will become the 'backbone' of the Russian nuclear missile forces by 2015 and are expected to be in service till 2040. Equipped with three powerful engines, they are capable of penetrating through multi-layered enemy missile defences. More News Reports

..............2015 is too late!

/sarcasm

[KC_for_Freedom]

Capable of dodging ANY future missile shield? I'll believe it when I see it.

Well, hypersonic is not balistic, which our anti-missile software is based on, but we were not trying to invent a shield for Russia anyway. We hold them at bay with the knowledge that we will glass their country if they attack first. MAD.

[sukhoi-30mki]

The Russians have been having supersonic cruise missiles since the 1980s.

[stm]

I don't consider the Russians a threat with this missile. I consider anyone in the Middle East that they sell the technology to a threat.