November
14, 2006: Russia carried out a successful test launch of an SS-19 (RS-18 in
Russian) ICBM on November 9th. Russia still has 140 (out of a 1980s peak of
360) SS-19s in service, and now expects to keep them active until 2010. The
test firings for the last two years have been successful, and other
quality-control tests have come back positive. The 106 ton, 76 foot long
missile uses storable liquid fuel, meaning that the missile is inherently more
complex than a solid fuel missile. Russia was late to perfecting solid fuel
rocket technology. The SS-19 entered service in 1975, and it wasn't until the
1980s that decade that Russia began producing reliable solid fuel rocket
motors, large enough for ICBMs. The last SS-19s were manufactured in 1990, and
Russia expects each of them to have a useful life of 30 years. This is
confirmed each year with the test launches.
The
SS-19 (and a similar missile, the SS-17) were developed as a "light" ICBM, in
effect, a competitor for the U.S. Minuteman series. The SS-18 was the first
Russian ICBM to carry MIRV (Multiple, Independent Reentry Vehicles). That means
each warhead had its own guidance system. The SS-19 carries six warheads, and
has a range of 10,000 kilometers. The SS-19s are being replaced by the SS-27
(Topol-M), a solid fuel missile. The current plan is to take some, or all, of
the retired SS-19s and convert them (by adding a third stage) to satellite
launchers. This has already been done, and the converted missile can lift 1.8
tons into orbit. Current technology enables small satellites (as small as 200
pounds) to do useful work. The civilianized SS-19s are perfect for launching
these military states.
Russia
is also extending the life of its heavier SS-18 (RS-20) ICBMs to 30 years. This
missile carries ten warheads.
