The intercontinental ballistic missile Sarmat, one of Russia’s most capable nuclear weapons, has been approved for active duty, Yury Borisov, the head of the space agency Roscosmos, has announced.
The development was revealed by Borisov on Friday during a Roscosmos event. The weapon is believed to be the longest-range and heaviest in the Russian nuclear arsenal. Its final test stage was reported last year.
The liquid-fueled silo-based delivery vehicle is the intended replacement for the aging R-36M2 Voevoda missiles. Its range is estimated at at least 11,000km, while the payload weighs around 10 tons.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has touted the Sarmat as highly capable in defeating anti-ballistic missile systems, particularly because it can be routed via various directions. Shorter-range ICBMs can only reach the US from Russia by flying over the Arctic, and the US has ground-based interceptors situated for such a flight path.
Putin has repeatedly stressed that Russia was forced to develop the new system after the US reneged on its commitment not to build ABM systems.
Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu reported last December that deployment of the Sarmat had started and that the missile would be ready for service in 2023.