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Russia successfully conducts flight tests of Sarmat ICBM — commander

The Sarmat ICBM was first test-launched from the Plesetsk spaceport on April 20

MOSCOW, November 18. /TASS/. Russia’s Strategic Missile Force successfully conducted flight tests of the advanced RS-28 Sarmat silo-based intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), Strategic Missile Force Commander Colonel-General Sergey Karakayev said at an enlarged meeting of its Military Council on Friday.

"The Strategic Missile Force continues its rearmament for advanced missile systems. The flight tests of the Sarmat missile system have been successfully carried out. The Yars road-mobile missile system has also proven its capabilities by launches at the Plesetsk state testing spaceport," the Defense Ministry quoted the commander as saying.

The Russian Strategic Missile Force has assimilated new methods of maneuverable operations by missile regiments. In the 2022 training year, the Strategic Missile Force has conducted more than 550 marches, with over 50% of them at night, he said.

The level of troop preparedness has increased this year. The Omsk missile formation has been recognized as the best in the Russian Strategic Missile Force in the 2022 training year. The Yoshkar-Ola missile force has achieved the best results among road-mobile missile formations. The Uzhur missile unit has demonstrated the best results among formations armed with stationary missile systems, he said.

The RS-28 Sarmat is a Russian state-of-the art silo-based missile system armed with a heavy liquid-propellant orbital intercontinental ballistic missile capable of carrying nuclear charges. The missile has been in the process of its development at the Makeyev State Rocket Center (the town of Miass in the Chelyabinsk Region) since the 2000s to replace the R-36M2 Voyevoda ICBM operational in the Russian Strategic Missile Force since 1988.

The Sarmat ICBM was first test-launched from the Plesetsk spaceport on April 20. The advanced ICBM proved its designed characteristics at all the stages of its flight.

Based on experts’ estimates, the RS-28 Sarmat is capable of delivering a MIRVed warhead weighing up to 10 tons to any location worldwide both over the North and South Poles.

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