Russia tests Topol-M missile to subdue USA's $50-billion air defense

Pravda.ru ^ | November 2, 2005

[RDTF]

The unpredictable flight trajectory of the Russian missile makes it immune to destruction

The successful test launch of the Topol-M missile has proved that the up-to-date Russian warhead is capable of subduing the USA's air defense, Russian military specialists say.

Russian strategic troops performed the test launch of the intercontinental ballistic missile RS-12M Topol on November 1. The chairman of the press service of the troops, Colonel Alexander Vovk, stated after the test launch that the missile successfully hit the conditional target on the Balkhash range ground in Kazakhstan.

It is worthy of note that yesterday's launch of the Topol-M missile became the sixth test of the system, which was created to subdue the US air defense. The Russian military command was keeping the entire flight data under control during the launch of the missile. The test showed that the maneuver, as performed by the missile on its flight trajectory, would not let foreign air defense troops intercept and destroy the missile.

According to the information obtained from the open sources, the arsenal of the Russian strategic troops currently has stationary Topol-M missile systems. It is planned to use the systems on both shaft and mobile bases in the future.

First shaft-based missile complexes RS-12M Topol-M (SS-X27 under the NATO classification) were added to the Russian defense arsenal in 1997. There are currently four missile units in the Russian troops working with Topol-M systems. Each of the units has up to ten intercontinental ballistic missiles, official sources say.

[Liberate California]

<> If we used our technology only and ignored all these hippie liberals, we would be soooo much further along in weapons research than we are. Can we use unemployed libs for nuclear testing? They'll at least earn their welfare checks.

[dr_who_2]

Topol.
"If I were a rich man...yadidadda yadidadda yadidadda bum"...

[Daniel Ramsey]

Well if I was the POTUS I would get a dark project underway to land a series of nuclear powered propulsion systems on several sizable asteroids that can be shifted to strike the earth, sizable enough to actually wipe out a small country but not planet killers.
Even an impact of an object 500 feet in diameter at over 15000mph is bigger than most thermonukes, I think the meteorite that hit Russia in the early 1900's was roughly that size, correct me somebody but wasn't it equal to a medium sized nuke?
Best part of it is nobody can stop them or figure who may be directing the trajectory.
Its almost like the rumors that the recent earthquake in Pakastan was created by a top secret Tesla generator....
Use a natural disaster as a cover, complete deniability.

[GarySpFc]

Remember what Russian weapons turned out being in 99 out of a 100 times. Junk.

I disagree. As but one example, their SU-30MK is an awesome fighter, and the only thing we have comparable is the F-22, which beats the Russian plane because of its stealth and our AWACS. The Russian plane is at least a generation ahead in thrust vectoring.

[RusIvan]

I thought new warheads were prohibited by the arms control treaties with the Russians.==

Salt-2 was expired automatically at moment when anti-missile treaty expired in 2003.

[Americanexpat]

That said, Russia is not the country we are worried about.

-------


With the Russians selling arms and helping our enemies build their nuclear programs I think they are the country we need to worry about.

[EQAndyBuzz]

I wrote BAL on big iron in the early 80's. I stopped when we moved over to the 4300 series. Started writing COBOL after that.

A few R&D's I worked for went to PL1 and the RS6000 predecessors.

[robertpaulsen]

Hey! Take control a dis!

Nose Cone, Pigeon-Guided Missile, 1944

From Pavlov's dogs to Skinner's pigeons
This experimental device was developed during World War II by behavioral psychologist B.F. Skinner, who experimented with harnessing pigeons' pecking movements to steer missiles. Skinner divided this nose cone into three compartments, and proposed strapping a pigeon in each one. As a bomb headed towards earth, each pigeon would see the target on its screen. By pecking at the image, the birds would activate a guidance system that would keep the bomb on the right path until impact. Skinner's idea received initial support, but the U.S. military finally dismissed it as impractical

[GarySpFc]

With the Russians selling arms and helping our enemies build their nuclear programs I think they are the country we need to worry about.

Firstly, all hell has been raised in the press and on FR about Russia selling a nuclear reactor to Iran. However, it is very important to note that is a light-water reactor, which is exactly what we gave the North Koreans. The Iranians will not have the capability to convert the fuel from that reactor to weapons grade for at least 100 years. It is only within the last couple of years the technology has been available, and only 2 countries can do it now. It is the heavy water reactor they are building which is a concern.
Secondly, I am not happy to see Russia sell weapons to our enemies. However, most of the weapons Russia sells to these countries can be obtained from other sources. As an example, they sold 100,000 AK-47s to Chavez. Do you know how many countries make that rifle?
Fighter jets can be purchased from Europe and Brazil.

[Americanexpat]

I understand what your saying, however I still say that Russia has shown a willingness to sell arms to Syria and Iran, two countries we may have to go to war with some time in the next few years. If they sell this latest technology to Syria, Iran or North Korea they could be responsible for the deaths of millions of Americans and Europeans and they have shown in the past they really don't care what the US thinks.

[-YYZ-]

Ummm, last time I checked it was light-water reactors that required enriched uranium (although not weapons grade), while heavy-water reactors, like the CANDU, use unenriched uranium.

[ericthecurdog]

How unpredictable is it in the boost phase?

B...F...D.

[P8riot]

Do you know what those things can do? Suck the paint off your house and give your family a permanent orange afro.

[P8riot]

Doctor

Doctor

Doctor

Doctor

Doctor

Doctor

Doctor

Doctor

and Doctor

[GarySpFc]

Ummm, last time I checked it was light-water reactors that required enriched uranium (although not weapons grade), while heavy-water reactors, like the CANDU, use unenriched uranium.

You are correct. The heavy water reactors use unenriched uranium, and that is why they are needed to make nuclear weapons. http://www.uic.com.au/nip18.htm

Also

CANADIAN DEUTERIUM - URANIUM REACTOR (CANDU): A Canadian designed power reactor that uses natural uranium fuel and heavy water as a moderator and coolant. CANDU reactors are in service in Canada, Argentina and Pakistan. This reactor can be refueled while on-line, an attractive feature, especially for small power grids. Of possible proliferation concern is the operator's ability to produce weapons-grade plutonium by controlling the amount of time the fuel spends in the reactor, and removing this spent-fuel without having to shut down the reactor.

[-YYZ-]

Yeah, but light water reactors used enriched uranium which is alrady well on the way to being suitable bomb material, do they not? A country capable of running a CANDU reactor and reprocessing enough fuel often enough to produce a significant quantity of weapons-grade plutonium surely has the technical and financial resources to do further enrichment of already-enriched uranium fuel.

[nativeRussian]

Please, listen to me and don't worry…
The USSR made many variety sorts of rockets but.. Many plants making some parts of rockets also jet-engines were in former republics (mainly in Ukraine which became denuclearized). After collapse of the USSR, Russia could not make even one sort of rocket from beginning up to the end. "Topol" became firs strategic rocket made in Russia completely. Moreover, almost all soviet rockets had liquid-fuel engine though solid-fuel rockets are more convenient in the service. "Topol" became firs solid-fuel rocket (may be Russian constructors have overtaken the American competitors?!). Undoubtedly "Topol" not to be compared with such monster as "Satan" but serviceable life of the last will finish soon. Moreover, submarine-based rockets will be replaced by "Bulava" made on the base of "Topol". Testing new system will go on up to 2008. "Topol" was launched Nov.1. You discussed information Nov.2. Minister of defense and Chief of the general staff were received by President Putin at Nov.3 and got additional money on the program "Topol" and "Bulava". There are many other problems for instance, the manufacturer of carbon fabric (material for fuel tank of rocket) "Organic synthesis"-plant in Saratov-city is not working during last seven years… Perhaps additional money can give opportunity to start military industry again? Anyway, all military secrets were sold out in the times of Gorbatchev and Yeltsin. In particular, "Topol" and "Bulava" are parts of the nuclear-rocket shield. America has the same. If such complete scoundrels as communists were, never used nuclear weapons, they successors (all former communists too) perverted by corruption…
Each transfer of they money stolen in Russia was traced.. any of them can be arrested at any time in any place of the world, for example, like Borodin in the USA or former Minister of nuclear energy in the Switzerland… They understood, that only state with army, industry, people and so on can guarantee them a safety of their money. Otherwise, any gangster can withdraw any stolen money because personally, any man, without state behind him, are defenseless in the world.
In brief, dear Americans, don't worry.. be happy!

[GarySpFc]

Yeah, but light water reactors used enriched uranium which is alrady well on the way to being suitable bomb material, do they not? A country capable of running a CANDU reactor and reprocessing enough fuel often enough to produce a significant quantity of weapons-grade plutonium surely has the technical and financial resources to do further enrichment of already-enriched uranium fuel.

You are really mixing apples and oranges. A CANDU reactor is a HEAVY WATER reactor, which is what is needed for weapons grade plutonium. Mind you, I am not saying weapons grade plutonium cannot be obtained from a LW reactor, but reprocessing it is extremely difficult, and neither North Korea or Iran has or will have that capability.

see http://www.nautilus.org/DPRKBriefingBook/nuclearweapons/solvingDPRKnuclearpuzzle.html

Many advanced industrialized countries, such as Britain and France, experienced many difficulties in making the jump to facilities that could reprocess irradiated fuel from LWRs, even after they had accumulated years of experience reprocessing irradiated fuel from gas-graphite reactors like those built by North Korea.

North Korea does not have a suitable plant to separate plutonium produced in LWRs. Moreover, the construction of such a plant would violate the Agreed Framework. Building one large enough to separate the annual plutonium discharges from the LWRs would be difficult to build and easy to detect. North Korea could build a small, clandestine plant to reprocess LWR fuel, but again the diversion of a significant quantity of irradiated fuel from the LWRs would be straightforward to detect. If diversion was detected or suspected, the United States can insist that KEDO withdraw irradiated fuel from North Korea. Under Article VIII of the supply agreement, if KEDO requests, North Korea must relinquish ownership of the LWR spent fuel and transfer it out of the country as soon as technically possible after the fuel is discharged, through appropriate commercial contracts.

Instead of reactor-grade plutonium, a LWR could produce significant quantities of weapon-grade plutonium. To do so on any large scale, however, the reactors would need to be run at less-than-economically optimized levels. For example, once the reactors were operating, each reactor could discharge about 40 kilograms of weapon-grade plutonium by under-irradiating fresh fuel, in essence unloading replacement fuel soon after it was inserted into the reactor. This type of activity would be easy to detect by IAEA safeguards and unlikely to be repeated.