Rocket weight yars. Yars rocket: technical characteristics and photos
"Yars" is the newest domestic missile system, put into combat operation 5 years ago. Most of the information about the RS-24 Yars missile is still a state secret.
Following "Topol"
Launch silo RS-24 "Yars"
RS-24 "Yars" is a further development of the theme of mobile ground-based missile systems, which the Moscow Institute of Thermal Engineering, headed by Academician Yuri Solomonov for many years, began to develop. The first experience turned out to be extremely successful. Its result is well known today - this is the Topol-M complex, which has been an integral component of nuclear parity for more than 20 years.
Like the Topol, the Yars was created in two versions - mobile and stationary mine. The Russian Army command plans to gradually replace (as its service life expires) the RS-18 and Topol-M systems in service with Yars. In 3 years, the strategic missile group will be replenished with new Sarmat complexes.
Increased Power
For each version of the Yars, corresponding types of missiles have been developed - 15Zh67 for the mobile and 15Zh55M for the silo complex. Both rockets are three-stage solid fuel. Compared to the RS-12M2 (Topol-M) missile, the RS-24 is equipped with a more advanced warhead deployment system and a modified control system. The missiles of the complex are also constantly located in the transport and launch container.
Thanks to special coatings, the products are reliably protected from the damaging effects of a nuclear explosion and remain invisible to radar. The rocket's autonomy in flight is ensured by the on-board digital computer. During the final phase of the flight, the combat units are separated, which, as a result of complex maneuvering, become inaccessible to missile defense systems.
The RS-24 missile hits enemy strategic targets located 12 thousand km away. possible deviation of no more than 150 meters. Possible combat equipment options are 4 individual targeting units of 300 kt or 6 of 150 kt.
Support systems
The mobile version of the Yars is installed on a 15U175M tractor with a multi-axle chassis MZKT-79221. It is equipped with an 800-horsepower YaMZ-847 diesel engine. The mobile launcher is equipped with a navigation system, a communication system, launch control equipment, an autonomous power system, a hydraulic leveling system, and a container placement boom.
The tractor has an 18-meter turning radius and can ford a depth of more than a meter. It moves at a speed of 45 km/h and can make a 500-kilometer march. The length of the rocket is 22 meters, the launch weight is about 47 tons, the weight of the delivered charges is about 1.2 tons.
Focus on new generation weapons
Currently, 58 RS-24 Yars intercontinental ballistic missile systems are deployed in Russian military units. Launches for training purposes are carried out regularly with consistently high accuracy. The last successful launch took place on December 26, 2014. It is planned to increase the number of new strategic complexes to 80% by 2016, which, along with Topol-M, also includes Yarsy.
Presumably, the RS-24 appeared as a result of work on the 15Zh65 missile for the Topol-M complex with a special platform for placing warheads of a new type. 15Zh65 – joint development of Yuzhnoye Design Bureau and MIT. The beginning of development is the decision of the Military-Industrial Complex of September 9, 1989 No. 323. The topic of development is R&D “universal”. The missile, designed to launch warheads with a solid fuel jet engine without complex means to overcome missile defense, was created by MIT. The complex was developed as a mobile solution.
The same platform, but with a single-fuel liquid engine and a missile defense penetration system, was created by Yuzhnoye Design Bureau.
The first stage of the common platform was designed by Yuzhnoye Design Bureau, the second and third stages were designed by MIT.
The “1L” sample created by the Yuzhnoye Design Bureau was ready to be tested at the Plesetsk test site at the end of 1991. However, then the commander in chief of the Strategic Missile Forces cancels the tests. In 1992, there was an attempt to create a joint Russian-Ukrainian enterprise to continue work on creating a rocket. But no decision was made on this issue. By mid-1992, the Yuzhnoye Design Bureau completely ceased participation in the ICBM creation project. All design documentation is transferred to the Russian MIT, the test model “1L” was also transferred to Russia at the beginning of 1995.
Information about the service of the Republic of Kazakhstan "Yars"
First appearance in the armed forces - December 2009, experimental combat duty of "Yars" as part of the 1st division, took place in the Teikovsky division.
End of November 2010, the head of the Strategic Missile Forces announces gradual rearmament - Topol-M will be replaced by Yars complexes.
December 2010, the 2nd division, consisting of three SPUs, is part of the Teikovsky division.
March 2011, the first regiment armed with the RS-24 Yars missile, from the Teikov division, was officially announced for combat duty.
August 2011, the 3rd Yarsov division is part of the Teikov division. A full-fledged 3-divisional missile regiment with the latest weapons - the Yars ICBM - is being formed.
September 2011, the Russian military department announces the formation and entry into combat duty of the 2nd regiment with Yars missiles by the end of 2011.
Beginning of December 2011, the 2nd promised “Yarsov” regiment takes up duty (experimental combat) in the Teikov division. The regiment consists of a mobile command post of the regiment and the 1st division with three SPU.
Mid-December 2011, they officially announce the rearmament of one regiment of the Glukhov division in 2012 with Yars complexes.
The end of December 2011, the second regiment of the Teikov division with Yars missiles officially goes on combat duty.
Missiles RS-24 - 15Zh67 and silo 15Zh55M:
Structurally, the RS-24 is similar to the Topol-M and has three stages. It differs from the RS-12M2 in its new platform for disengaging warheads and the re-equipment of some part of the control system. Increased payload. The missile enters service in a factory transport and launch container, in which it spends its entire service. The body of the missile product is coated with special compounds to reduce the effects of a nuclear explosion. Probably, an additional composition was applied using stealth technology.
Guidance and control system
From the available information - an autonomous inertial control system with an onboard digital computer; astrocorrection is probably used. The proposed developer of the control system is the Moscow Research and Production Center for Instrument Engineering and Automation.
The use of the active trajectory section has been reduced. To improve the speed characteristics at the end of the third stage, it is possible to use a turn with a direction of zero increment of distance until the last stage's fuel reserve is fully exhausted. The instrumentation compartment is completely sealed. The rocket is capable of overcoming the cloud of a nuclear explosion at launch and performing a program maneuver.
For testing, the rocket will most likely be equipped with a telemetry system - the T-737 Triad receiver and indicator.
To counter missile defense systems, the missile is equipped with a countermeasures system.
From November 2005 to December 2010, tests of anti-missile defense systems were carried out using Topol and K65M-R missiles.
Stages of the Yars ICBM
The stages are solid fuel rocket engines.
Fuel for the Yars stages developed by the Federal State Unitary Enterprise "Soyuz" in the city of Dzerzhinsk.
The first stage is an engine developed by the Perm NPO Iskra, presumably using T-9BK-8E fuel.
The second stage probably uses sliding nozzles on the stage engine nozzle, the supposed developer is MIT. The fuel used is AP-65.
The third stage - probably uses expandable nozzles on the stage engine nozzle, the presumed developer is MIT. The fuel used is AP-65.
Perhaps the 2nd and 3rd stages use the technology of expanding the nozzles of the stage engines, developed back in the 80s by the Dnepropetrovsk Yuzhnoye Design Bureau - the expansion occurs with the products of the development of engines of the 2nd and 3rd stages.
The warhead breeding platform likely uses a specialized variable-thrust engine. The platform fuel is developed by the Federal State Unitary Enterprise "Soyuz" in the city of Dzerzhinsk.
There is a possibility of using the engine for the development platform of the Dnepropetrovsk Design Bureau "Yuzhnoye" prototype, which was used on the first sample - "1L".
The engine ran on Pronit fuel, adjustable thrust - large 300 kilograms in airless space and small, respectively, 3-6 kilograms.
Presumably it is 15Zh67 that is installed on the mobile APU 15U175M. Chassis – multi-axle MZKT-79221.
The APU corresponds to the used Topol-M APU. The chassis will probably be modified over time. Topographical reference is carried out at any location of the APU, for which an ANN with satellite correction is used. There is evidence of differences between the Yars topographical reference system and Topol-M.
Navigation system with a task recalculation complex;
Integrated communication equipment to ensure high-quality signal reception from the VZU and transmission of information about the state of the installation;
Combat launch control equipment;
Autonomous power supply system;
Arrow for placing a container with a rocket;
Hydraulic system for controlling APU leveling;
Control system for temperature and humidity conditions in the container and ground equipment;
Ground control system;
Aiming complex.
Main characteristics:
Cold start with PAD;
Wheel formula 16 by 16;
Engine YaMZ-847.10 diesel version with 800 hp;
Length 22.65 meters;
Width 3.35 meters;
Height 3.27 meters;
Turning radius 18 meters;
Overcoming a ford up to 110 centimeters;
Tires VI-178A / AU adjustable pressure;
Weight 44 tons;
Fuel filling 0.82 tons;
Travel speed is 45 kilometers per hour;
The range is half a thousand kilometers.
15Zh55M is used in a mine version of the separate start type. The missile will probably be installed in the silos of the RS-20, RT-2PM2 and RS-18 missiles.
Rocket characteristics:
Length 22 meters;
Step length 8 meters;
The diameter of the 2nd and 3rd stages is 158 centimeters;
Warhead weight 1.2 tons;
Application range up to 12 thousand kilometers;
OUT time is no more than 200 seconds;
Deviation up to 150 meters (KVO);
Guaranteed service life of more than 10 years;
Possible warhead options:
Up to four MIRVs up to 300 kilotons;
Six MIRVs of 150 kilotons;
Active development of new maneuvering guided warheads is underway, probably using the developments of the Albatross research project.
The missile defense system is supposedly created on the basis of the Sura missile defense system.
Structure:
One Yars division consists of three self-propelled launchers and one CP on the MKZT chassis.
December 91 – the first prototype “1L” is ready for testing;
May 2007 – 1st launch of the Yars ICBM;
December 2007 – 2nd launch of the Yars ICBM;
November 2008 – 3rd launch of the Yars ICBM.
Up to six thermonuclear warheads of 300 kilotons each, a range comparable to the diameter of the Earth and accuracy that allows the charges to be placed in a circle with a radius of 150 meters - the Strategic Missile Forces (Strategic Missile Forces) continue to rearm with the latest complex with the RS-24 Yars ICBM. In particular, the Glukhovskaya division in Western Siberia will switch to new missiles by the end of 2017, the commander of the guard formation, Major General Pavel Burkov, said on Friday.
He noted that there were no problems with the development of the RS-24 in the Glukhov division, since it was there that the complexes underwent state tests, and representatives of the defense industry managed to train the personnel. "Yars" are supplied to the Tagil, Novosibirsk and Kozelsk missile formations. Read about why ground-based solid-fuel missiles are given a special role in updating Russia's nuclear deterrent forces in the RIA Novosti material.
Eternal dispute
If you look at the history of the development of ballistic missiles, then since the 1950s the USSR began to create engines using liquid fuel, pushing aside solid fuel ones. The United States, on the contrary, threw all its efforts into solid fuel and achieved serious success in this, significantly ahead of Soviet scientists.
The developed technologies were successfully used by the Americans even in civilian space; in particular, solid fuel side boosters were used in the Space Shuttle program and provided more than 80 percent of the launch thrust. To put it simply, a solid propellant rocket engine (solid fuel rocket engine) is a dry cylindrical block with a narrow channel along its entire length, in which the combustion process starts. There are no sealed tanks with fuel and oxidizer, valve systems or turbopump units.
The Soviet Union made up for lost time only in the late 1980s, creating a solid-fuel three-stage intercontinental ballistic missile RT-23UTTH (according to NATO classification - “Scalpel”) for a combat railway missile system. In terms of combat characteristics, it was not only not inferior, but also superior to American ICBMs.
Solid decision
The number of solid-fuel nuclear weapons carriers in Soviet troops began to grow in the 1980s. According to open data, if in 1980 they contained less than one percent of warheads, then by the beginning of the 1990s, a third of the entire arsenal had already been converted to solid fuel. The United States began arming itself with “hard” missiles in the 1960s and has maintained this policy ever since.
Disputes among specialized design bureaus about the advantages and disadvantages of “solid” and “liquid” missiles continue, and no one has come to a consensus. However, the former have several undeniable advantages, including in terms of combat capabilities.
Firstly, the dynamics of gaining speed and altitude are incomparable with “liquid” missiles, which significantly reduces the duration of the so-called active phase (with the engines running) and reduces the likelihood of interception by missile defense systems. Considering the pace of development of the US global missile defense system, this is a valuable quality that directly affects the survivability of the missile.
Secondly, due to the absence of moving units and pipelines, a solid rocket engine is much easier to manufacture and more reliable than a liquid one. To achieve maximum jet thrust, it does not require automatic control systems that take into account hundreds of parameters, but rather just select the correct composition of the combustible mixture and “play” with the shape of the nozzle and combustion chamber.
Thirdly, solid-fuel missiles are usually lighter and more compact than 100-ton liquid “monsters”; they are more convenient to transport, store and camouflage from reconnaissance satellites. In addition, there are higher chances that a “solid” ICBM, due to the simplicity of its design, will “survive” an enemy nuclear strike on the base area and will be able to “hit hard” in response.
The role of "Yars"
Currently, the Russian Strategic Missile Forces are armed with five types of missile systems: RS-20M Voevoda, RS-18A, RS-12M Topol, RS-12M2 Topol-M and RS-24 Yars. It is interesting that the American publication Business Insider included the solid-fuel Yars, along with the promising heavy liquid-fueled RS-28 Sarmat ICBM, in the list of the deadliest Russian weapons.
The PC-24 ICBM with multiple warheads (MIRV type) was developed by the Moscow Institute of Thermal Engineering under the leadership of Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Yuri Solomonov. In September 2017, another successful test launch of the Yars silo version was carried out from the Plesetsk cosmodrome, as a result of which the warheads “landed” in the design area of the Kamchatka Kura test site. It is the Yars, together with the Sarmat and Topol-M, that in the near future will become the basis of the ground component of the Russian nuclear triad.
Russia is making its key bet on Yarsy today. Vladimir Dvorkin, chief researcher at IMEMO RAS, previously told reporters that these complexes with multiple individually targeted units could help Russia partially counter the American “return potential” policy. Let us remember that it consists in reducing nuclear potential not by destroying the components of ICBMs and warheads, but by storing them.
“You can load more Yars-type missiles, bringing their equipment to six warheads. In addition, you can equip Sinev carriers with lighter units, and also start producing more missiles. But this is still not comparable with the capabilities available to the United States,” - Dworkin admitted.
The expert cited the example of the American Minuteman-3 missile, which can carry three warheads instead of one. And on the Trident-T5, instead of four, you can install either eight powerful units or 12 weak warheads.
Less than 4 months have passed since I was honored to write this report :)
So Yars.
What is Yars? Yars is almost like Topol-M, only Yars.
As the military says, Yars is almost a complete analogue of the Topol-M, but with the difference that the Yars have a multiple warhead. At the same time, the characteristics are not officially disclosed. The Yars do not have a clear opinion about the number of separating parts. According to this site, at the end of 2010 there were three Yars missiles in service, with three warheads each. It can be assumed that the new missiles also have three warheads. It is also stated that Yars are better at overcoming missile defenses, but it is not said how this is achieved.
I think organizational issues are of little interest to anyone, so I won’t describe them in detail. Let me just say that it turned out to be a killer day. Getting up at 3:30 a.m., returning home at 1.30 a.m., a total of 22 hours... The journey ahead was quite long - to the Teykovo area (54th Guards Rocket Division), where Yarsa and Topol-M are now on combat duty. This year it seems they are still planning to install it in the Kozklsk area. Thanks for the organization pressclub_mo , and special thanks to the command of the division in which we were. Everything is clear, competent, without any special delays or jambs.
On November 29, when there was no hint of winter in Moscow, in the Ivanovo region it was already real winter, with snow, snowdrifts and light frost. 5 hours on the road, waiting for all the formalities and here we are, in military PAZs, entering the territory where mobile complexes with nuclear missiles are based. First of all, we are shown the departure of Yars himself from the special hangar. The hangars are special, with a sliding roof, so that if something happens, a rocket towards the United States can be launched directly from there, without leaving.
Yars (like poplars, all the same) follow in a strict column. An armored personnel carrier drives ahead, then the launch vehicle itself, then a tank with a diesel fuel tank (and it’s not surprising, because diesel fuel is consumed by such a column in astronomical quantities), then an interesting vehicle - a command post, and all this is completed by another escort armored personnel carrier. At the sites, all these cars are parked in strict order. The entire process of check-out and check-in is fine-tuned down to the smallest detail.
I filmed the departure itself, because in the photo it is not so impressive. Look at the end of the post. After all the cars lined up in a column, they stopped. It was possible to film cars, and the soldiers gave interviews. By the way, they were allowed to film from all sides except the starboard side. The fact is that there is some secret equipment on the right. Most likely, this is some kind of navigation and topographical reference system, which is necessary for the missile to fly where it needs to, since all ICBMs fly on inertial navigation systems and they need to know exactly the launch location to calculate the trajectory. The secret crap has very impressive spikes that are visible even from the other side. Obviously, when necessary, it lowers and sticks into the ground.
If you look for photos of Yars and Poplars on the Internet, most of the photos will be from the left side, although there are a couple from the right side. What’s funny is that in the video that the soldiers gave us on discs there are a lot of shots of Poplars from the starboard side. And another interesting point - at the parade, instead of a rather sophisticated-looking device, there is a nondescript box hanging, and there are no signs of thorns at all :)
And here is the launcher itself in all its glory from the front.
And from behind.
APC support. Necessary on the march, for protection against saboteurs. Still, the nuclear charges are moving. As for Yars itself, it is declared that it is well protected from external influences. And any detonation and other bad things are excluded even in the event of severe fires.
And another view, completely from the front. It is no longer possible to go further to the left.
Column.
It's a big thing. 40 tons tractor, 40 tons TPK, 40 tons rocket. Now imagine where the center of gravity of this entire structure is. Even despite its size, this thing is relatively unstable. Somewhere I saw a picture of Poplar falling on its side. It’s just that there was no information by chance or on purpose.
But this machine was completely undeservedly forgotten by everyone; no one showed interest in it at all. But that’s where the button is pressed. Command post (although maybe the Strategic Missile Forces call it something else). We'll talk about the insides of this machine a little later.
Then we moved 150 meters away from the column to watch these colossuses pass by in motion. Watch the video at the end of the post. The photo shows another hangar with a sliding roof.
At this point the demonstration of the Yars complex itself ended and we were taken further to show all sorts of different things. First of all, they showed a training reflection of an attack by saboteurs. Some of it is on video; I didn’t take any pictures there. The thing was of course ostentatious, but quite interesting.
Then we went to the unit where we were fed (finally, because at that time everyone was already terribly hungry and quite tired. I must say that the food was very good, in the officers’ mess. Of course, everything looked a little ostentatious, but in general it was clear that it was usually The food there is good too.
Then they showed the soldiers' canteen. By the way, all the buildings are new, built less than a year ago. Apparently not everything has even been completed yet, but everything is already according to the regulations!
Soldiers waiting for lunch. As we were assured, this was their second lunch of the day.
Then they took us to show the classrooms. The classes are great. There are exercise machines everywhere, electronics everywhere. First they showed a simulator for the launch crew. There are two cabins, outside control panels which are located on the side at the launch site.
On the left, behind the computer, is the simulator operator. He sets various situations, watches how the personnel perform all the actions.
Then they showed the command post simulator. It is already prohibited to remove remote controls from the front here, but I can say that there is nothing special there. For example, the remote control for the S-400 is an order of magnitude more complex. However, this is not surprising, because here you essentially only need to launch a missile after receiving a command from a higher command post, while in air defense you need to directly guide and control the missile. A couple of LCD displays, a couple of dozen buttons and that’s it. In five minutes, before our eyes, they launched a rocket towards the United States a couple of times, unfortunately not a real one. By the way, contract soldiers drive cars and launch missiles.
The layout of a certain site, quite abstract and not secret.
And here are the conscripts. They are responsible for protecting the site and the perimeter. They are probably still doing something to maintain the equipment. There are simulators for site security here. If someone climbs over a fence somewhere, then an alarm will sound on such remote controls.
Upon a conditional alarm, the soldiers quickly grab their weapons and take predetermined places.
Don't joke with them!
Of course there should be a report :)
Then we went to the barracks. New, cubicle type. As the warriors said, it’s the first of its kind.
Everything according to the regulations!
These are the rooms for 8-10 people.
It was already late evening, everyone was pretty tired, and some of the journalists had already openly started whining. But the program did not end!
We were taken to look at the last simulator - for drivers. The photo was taken along the way; this formation had nothing to do with us.
The simulator is a complete copy of the MZKT-79221 cabin. The cabin is suspended on a special structure and can swing quite strongly from side to side. There are screens in front of the cabin and displays in the mirrors.
All this stuff is controlled by a special operator, in front of whom there are 4 monitors - a picture from a webcam in the cockpit, a three-dimensional picture with Yars, a complete copy of the dashboard with all indicators and a map showing the route.
The operator can set various training programs. Change weather conditions, simulate external attacks and a bunch of other things.
For example, I pressed a button and there was already chemical contamination, fire and other horrors all around.
There is also a second simulator of a slightly different design.
I was lucky enough to “ride” in the first simulator. To manage the virtual Yars. The car is a beast. This is not a passenger car, here you can safely press the gas to the floor to start slowly accelerating :)
Feelings from the simulator are mixed. On the one hand, the cabin with all the details is completed, on the other hand, it certainly does not reach real controls. Rather, this simulator is suitable for practicing some specific actions in specific situations, rather than specifically for improving driving skills. Which, by the way, is also useful. I dream of someday driving, if not an MZKT-79221, then at least a MAZ-543 (which I have already driven several times :)).
By the way, after me, some blonde journalist got behind the wheel and managed to drive into a ditch, so much so that the military guy was never able to get out of there :)
And the promised videos. First, mine - there are three parts - the Yars itself, all sorts of maneuvers, then a demonstrative reflection of an attack by saboteurs, and in the end, a little video of the operation of a simulator for drivers, quite visual. The video does not have any artistic value; I did not cut it down much. But if you like the sound of a running 12-cylinder engine, then the video is for you :)
And the video that the warriors gave us on disk. Just a compilation of footage from many years. Underground workers/military workers - you might be interested, the film shows the UCP and all sorts of walkways/gemrma/mines and so on.
One of the priority areas for strengthening Russia's national security now is the modernization of its strategic nuclear forces. It is the preservation of parity in the field of nuclear weapons (a situation where states have comparable capabilities of nuclear strike forces) that is the guarantor of Russia’s sovereignty, the inviolability of its current borders and high status in the international arena.
However, the current state of Russian strategic nuclear forces raises serious concerns. The fact is that most of the carriers of nuclear weapons were developed and created during the times of the Soviet Union, and every year these weapons (once formidable and unparalleled in the world) are becoming more and more obsolete. This applies to all components of the “nuclear triad”: the Strategic Missile Forces (Strategic Missile Forces), missile submarines and strategic aviation. During the Soviet era, so many resources, both material and intellectual, were invested in strategic nuclear forces that we are still using this reserve - but everything comes to an end someday. And now the time has come for Russia to seriously begin modernizing its strategic nuclear forces.
The potential enemy wastes no time. The United States is actively developing the latest missile defense systems, and although they cannot yet provide full protection against Russian missiles, they are investing huge amounts of money in these programs. Also, in recent years, the United States has been actively developing the “Prompt Global Strike” program (lightning-fast global strike), which makes it possible to deliver a powerful blow to any point on the planet in the shortest possible time. In this case, high-precision, high-power non-nuclear weapons are used. The essence of the program comes down to the destruction of a significant part of the enemy’s nuclear arsenal before its possible use. The Americans are also actively improving and modernizing both nuclear charges and their delivery systems.
The main potential of Russian nuclear strategic weapons is located on ground-based nuclear missiles and belongs to the Strategic Missile Forces. These are stationary mine complexes and mobile launch complexes (“Topol”, “Topol-M”). The basis of Russian silo-based missiles are liquid-fuel missiles UR-100N UTTH (SS-19, Stiletto) and R-36M (SS-18 Satan). They are the ones who must deliver the maximum number of charges to enemy territory. During the Cold War, Americans were very afraid of these missiles. They have a high degree of readiness (refueled and have data on the target coordinates), good security, and carry several warheads capable of penetrating the missile defense system.
And these missiles themselves are highly reliable. But the service life of these missile systems is coming to an end. In addition, these missiles use a large number of components that are manufactured in Ukraine (SS-18 was generally made entirely in Dnepropetrovsk) and now Russia may have serious problems with their maintenance.
Recently, certain steps have been taken towards modernizing the Russian Strategic Missile Forces. One of the most important steps taken in recent years is the replacement of the outdated RS-18 and RS-20A with the new fifth-generation solid propellant missile RS-24 Yars.
History of the creation of the Yars rocket
In May 2007, the first test launch of the new R-24 missile was carried out, the second took place in December of the same year. Both launches were carried out from the Plesetsk test site and both of them were successful. The launches were carried out from the modernized Topol-M complex, which once again proves the high degree of unification of these systems. The third launch of the rocket took place at the beginning of 2008 and was also successful. The parameters and characteristics of the new missile were strictly tied to the technical characteristics of the Topol-M complex; there are no differences between the launch systems of these missiles. This should significantly reduce the cost of production. Some experts note the similarity of some characteristics of the R-24 Yars and the R-30 Bulava missile system.
The small number of test launches before the missile was handed over to the troops (compared to Soviet times) was also surprising. However, the developers of the complex stated that the new missiles are being tested according to a new program, with more active use of computer modeling, and this makes it possible to reduce the number of physical missile launches to a minimum. This approach is economically beneficial.
Initially, it was planned to deploy new missile systems in 2010. However, the supply of RS-24 to the Strategic Missile Forces began back in 2009. In 2010, the 54th Guards Missile Division (Ivanovo Region) received three new missile systems, Deputy Defense Minister Popovkin announced. At the end of the year, another RS-24 division (three complexes) entered service with the same division. In March 2011, it was officially announced that the RS-24 ICBM was on combat duty. In 2012, the re-equipment of the Kozelsk and Novosibirsk missile units with a new missile system began. At the beginning of 2014, the Russian special purpose missile forces were armed with 33 RS-24 missiles, each of them had four warheads.
The RS-2 ballistic missile is manufactured at the Votkinsk Machine-Building Plant, and the launcher for the mobile complex is mass-produced at the Volgograd Production Association "Barricades".
Design of the RS-24 ICBM
The RS-24 Yars intercontinental ballistic missile was created to destroy important enemy military-industrial centers. Its design is in many respects identical to the RS-12M2 Topol-M missile. Only the head part and the control system differ.
The RS-24 Yars is a three-stage solid-propellant missile. The rocket body is made of high-strength composite material based on aramid fiber. The rocket does not have stabilizers to control the flight; this function is performed by the engine nozzles of each stage. The nozzle nozzles and the bell of the nozzle blocks are also made of composite materials. The RS-24 uses solid fuel with high energy characteristics.
There is information that the warhead with the warhead disengagement system of the RS-24 Yars missile is very reminiscent of the Bulava warhead, which was also designed at the Moscow Institute of Thermal Engineering. Probably, Yars can deliver from three to six warheads with a capacity of up to 300 kilotons each to the affected area.
The flight control system is inertial. The information is processed by an on-board computer complex, which can correct the flight, taking into account information from GLONASS navigation satellites. An astronomical correction system may be installed. All missile electronics have increased resistance to the damaging factors of a nuclear explosion. The Yars navigation system provides it with high accuracy in hitting targets.
In connection with the improvement of potential enemy missile defense systems, changes were made to the Yars design to increase the survivability of the missile. The active flight phase (where the missile is most vulnerable) was significantly shortened. Thanks to more advanced engines, the RS-24 gains speed much faster than previous generation missiles. Moreover, the missile can perform maneuvers already at the initial stage of its trajectory, immediately after launch. The missile is equipped with a missile defense penetration complex (there is very little information about its characteristics); the missile throws out many decoys that are practically indistinguishable from real warheads in all parts of the electromagnetic spectrum. The warheads are coated with a substance that absorbs radar radiation and are practically invisible even to the most modern radars.
The developers stated that a new system for distributing ballistic-type warheads has been created for the Yars, which will guide each unit individually. But whether this system was tested and how successful they were is still unknown.
The RS-24 Yars has a more advanced thermonuclear charge, and it was created without field testing (nuclear testing has been prohibited since 1989).
The launch of the RS-24 missile, both silo-based and mobile-based, is a mortar launch using a powder battery. The rocket leaves the factory in a special fiberglass container.
Technical characteristics of RS-24
The table below shows the technical characteristics of the missile system. Many of them are unknown because they are classified.
Rocket | RS-24 |
Number of steps | 3 |
Maximum flight range, km (estimated) | 11-12 |
Maximum launch weight, kg (estimated) | 46500-47200 |
Warhead charge power, Mt | 0.15, 0.3 |
Head mass, t | 1,2-1,3 |
Dimensions, m: length (estimated) first stage diameter, m second stage diameter, m third stage diameter, m | 21,9-22,51,85 |
KVO, m | 150 |
Guaranteed shelf life, years | 15 |
Control system | Inertial, possibly with astro correction |
Basing | Mine, mobile |
In 2019, the creation of the Barguzin railway missile system began, which they plan to equip with Yars missiles. In the USSR there was a similar railway complex “Molodets”, but according to the SVN-2 agreement (1993) it was withdrawn from service. "Barguzin" is planned to be put into service by 2020.
In the next decade, the RS-24 missile system should completely replace the RS-18 and RS-20A Voevoda missiles. And together with the Topol-M missile, it will become the basis of the Russian Strategic Missile Forces.
In 2019, they plan to put 24 Yars missile systems into service with the Strategic Missile Forces.
Video about RS-24
If you have any questions, leave them in the comments below the article. We or our visitors will be happy to answer them