MOSCOW, May 13. /TASS/. Russia’s Sarmat heavy liquid-fueled intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) can wipe out an entire enemy country in one fell swoop, director of the Center for Analysis of World Arms Trade (CAWAT), editor-in-chief of National Defense magazine, military analyst Igor Korotchenko said in an interview with TASS.
"The missile’s capabilities allow it to be considered as a retaliatory and launch-on warning weapon, since just one missile is enough to completely destroy enemy countries such as, for example, Great Britain or France," he noted.
Korotchenko said that the Sarmat ICBM is capable of carrying 10 or more high-yield nuclear warheads and has a sophisticated suite of missile defense penetration capabilities. The latest missile’s range also allows it to attack a potential enemy over both the North and South Poles.
The military analyst noted that the Sarmat is a silo-based liquid-fueled intercontinental ballistic missile and represents a new generation of Russian heavy-class ICBMs. Accordingly, the analyst added, it will be deployed with the Strategic Missile Forces.
On Tuesday, Strategic Missile Forces Commander Sergey Karakayev reported to Russian President Vladimir Putin on the successful test of the Sarmat ICBM. The Russian Armed Forces plan to deploy the first regiment equipped with this ICBM by the end of the year.
Putin noted that the Sarmat is the most powerful missile system in the world--four times more powerful than the most capable Western counterparts. Its range exceeds 35,000 km. The missile can travel not only on a ballistic but also a suborbital trajectory, penetrating all existing and prospective missile defense systems.