Russia deploys Sarmat ICBM that Vladimir Putin says will make enemies ‘think twice’
- The nuclear-capable missiles have a short initial launch phase, allowing little time for surveillance systems to track them
- The Sarmat, which Russia’s space agency chief says has been placed on combat duty, is intended to replace the R-36 ‘Satan’ ICBMs
The head of Russia’s Roscosmos space agency said on Friday that the country has deployed an advanced intercontinental ballistic missile that President Vladimir Putin once said will make Russia’s enemies “think twice”.
Agency head Yuri Borisov said Sarmat missiles have been placed on combat duty, according to Russian news agencies. Further details were not reported.
The Sarmat is one of several advanced weapons whose development Putin announced in 2018. The silo-based missile, capable of carrying multiple nuclear warheads, is intended to replace the R-36 ICBMs that are known by the Nato reporting name of Satan.
The Sarmat reportedly has a short initial launch phase, allowing little time for surveillance systems to track it.
In a March 2018 speech to reveal the ICBM, the Russian president touted a series of new modern weapons that he said were capable of rendering US missile defences “ineffective”.
He called Sarmat a “unique weapon”, and a video presentation during his speech appeared to show warheads closing in on a map of South Florida.