The RT-2 was an intercontinental ballistic missile

Intercontinental ballistic missile

An intercontinental ballistic missile is a ballistic missile with a long range typically designed for nuclear weapons delivery...

 deployed by the Soviet Union

Soviet Union

The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....

 from 1969 through 1996. It was assigned the NATO reporting name

NATO reporting name

NATO reporting names are classified code names for military equipment of the Eastern Bloc...

 SS-13 Savage and carried the industry designation 8K98. It was probably designed by the V.N. Nadiradze Missile Design Bureau and about 60 were built by 1972.

History

The RT-2 was the first solid-propellant ICBM in Soviet service, and was a development of the earlier RT-1 series. It was a three-stage inertially-guided missile that is comparable to the American Minuteman III. It was armed with a single 600 kiloton warhead

Warhead

The term warhead refers to the explosive material and detonator that is delivered by a missile, rocket, or torpedo.- Etymology :During the early development of naval torpedoes, they could be equipped with an inert payload that was intended for use during training, test firing and exercises. This...

 and was silo-launched, although a rail-based version was contemplated by Soviet planners. It was deployed in the Yoshkar-Ola

Yoshkar-Ola

Yoshkar-Ola is the capital city of the Mari El Republic, Russia. Population: Yoshkar-Ola means red city in Mari. The current name is the third to have been given to the city. The city was known as Tsaryovokokshaysk before 1919 and as Krasnokokshaysk between 1919 and 1927...

 missile field.

The two upper stages of the RT-2 were used to develop the RT-15

RT-15

The RT-15 was a mobile theatre ballistic missile deployed by the Soviet Union during the Cold War. It was assigned the NATO reporting name SS-14 Scamp and carried the industry designation 8K96....

 mobile IRBM system. The RT-2PM Topol is supposedly a modernized version of the RT-2

Operations

The RT-2 was capable of delivering a 1200 lb (544.3 kg) class payload to a maximum operational range of approximately 5,500 nautical miles

Command and Control

Numbers of launchers were monitored by a single launch control center

Launch control center (ICBM)

A launch control center , in the United States, is the main control facility for intercontinental ballistic missiles . A launch control center monitors and controls missile launch facilities. From a launch control center, the missile combat crew can monitor the complex, launch the missile, or relax...

 (LCC). The hardened and dispersed silo concept increased system survivability and provided steady environmental controls from the solid-propellant motors. Normal control of the RT-2 missile force was exercised by Headquarters RVSN

Strategic Rocket Forces

The Strategic Missile Troops or Strategic Rocket Forces of the Russian Federation or RVSN RF , transliteration: Raketnye voyska strategicheskogo naznacheniya Rossiyskoy Federatsii, literally Missile Troops of Strategic Designation of the Russian Federation) are a military branch of the Russian...

, through an intermediate RVSN Army and launch complex headquarters (HCC). A launch complex consisted of an HCC and several LCCs, monitoring numerous underground launchers.

Test Launches

RT-2 Test Launches
Date	System	Location	Range (NM)	Note
26 Feb 1966	RT-2 Mod	Kapustin Yar

General Characteristics

• Length: 20m (65.6ft)
• Diameter: 1.7m (5.57ft)
• Launch Weight: 34,000 kg (33.46 tons)
• Guidance: inertial
• Propulsion: solid, three-stage
• Warhead: 600kt nuclear
• Range: 8000 km (4,971 mi)

Photo gallery

File:RT-2 maximum range coverage of United States.PNG|RT-2 coverage of United States
File:RT-2 possible launch facility configuration.PNG|RT-2 launch facility configuration
File:RT-2 typical deployment complex.PNG|RT-2 missile complex configuration

External links