R-36M / RS-20 (SS-18 Mod. 1-4 SATAN)

The Soviet intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) “R-36M” or “RS-20” (“SS-18 Satan” according to NATO designation) is one of the most destructive weapons ever built and fits perfectly within its Western nickname “Satan”. This missile allowed, for the first time, the USSR to be ahead of the United States with respect to first-strike capability, that is, the possibility of destroying American ICBM missile silos and command centers before they could retaliate. It was a derivative of the previous “R-36” (“SS-9 Scarp“) ICBM missile and thanks to their warheads equipped with up to 10 high-yield Multiple Independently Targetable Reentry Vehicles (MIRV) and a good number of decoys, they allowed several different objectives to be attacked with a high chance of success.

R-36M / RS-20 (SS-18 Mod. 1-4 SATAN) gallery and more info

Categoría:

Información adicional

Ficha Completa
Country of origin

Soviet Union

Builder

Yuzhny Machine Building Plant

Type

Intercontinental ballistic missile

Entered service

R-36M (SS-18 Mod 1): 1975 – R-36M (SS-18 Mod 2): 1977 – R-36MUTTKh (SS-18 Mod 3 & 4): 1979

Missile/bomb dimensions, (length x diameter)

R-36M (SS-18 Mod 1-3): 33.60 x 3.00 meters – R-36MUTTKh (SS-18 Mod 4): 34.30 x 3.00 meters

Missile/bomb weight

R-36M (SS-18 Mod 1): 209,200 kg – R-36M (SS-18 Mod 2): 208,300 kg – R-36MUTTKh (SS-18 Mod 3): 210,400 kg – R-36MUTTKh (SS-18 Mod 4): 211,100 kg

Missile range

R-36M (SS-18 Mod 1): 11,200 km – R-36M (SS-18 Mod 2): 16,000 km – R-36MUTTKh (SS-18 Mod 3): 10,500 km – R-36MUTTKh (SS-18 Mod 4): 11,000 km

Guidance system

Autonomous inertial control system

Warhead, (explosive charge)

R-36M (SS-18 Mod 1): 1 x 15F141 thermonuclear – R-36M (SS-18 Mod 2): 1 x 15F142 thermonuclear
R-36MUTTKh (SS-18 Mod 3): 4-8 x 15F158U or 10 x 15F158U – R-36MUTTKh (SS-18 Mod 4): 10 x 15F183

Yield, (maximum)

R-36M (SS-18 Mod 1): 20 Mt – R-36M (SS-18 Mod 2): 8 Mt – R-36MUTTKh (SS-18 Mod 3): 1.6-3.2 Mt or 4 Mt – R-36MUTTKh (SS-18 Mod 4): 5.5 Mt

C.E.P., (circular error probability)

R-36M (SS-18 Mod 1-3): 1,000 meters – R-36MUTTKh (SS-18 Mod 4): 650 meters

Production

R-36M (SS-18 Mod 1): 36 – R-36M (SS-18 Mod 2): 162 – R-36MUTTKh (SS-18 Mod 3): 26 – R-36MUTTKh (SS-18 Mod 4): 308