Russia tests upgraded intercontinental ballistic missile system
A Topol mobile intercontinental ballistic missile equipped with new technology was launched from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in the Arkhangelsk Oblast of Russia, according to a statement released by representatives of the Russian Defense Ministry’s Department of Information.
As noted in the statement, the experimental missile accurately hit the target at the Kura Missile Test Range in Kamchatka. The launch aimed to confirm the tactical and technical specifications of the missile and also to show its ability to overcome modern missile defense systems.
Various types of new combat equipment for intercontinental ballistic missiles are currently being developed in Russia, including maneuvering warheads and new technology to help counter missile defense systems.
The RT-2PM Topol strategic missile system with a solid-fuel intercontinental 15Zh58 ballistic missile was first designed in 1975. The three-stage rocket is able to carry about 1 ton of payload at a distance of up to 11,000 kilometers.