RS-28 Sarmat

Following a recent verbal dispute between US President Donald Trump and former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, Russia has highlighted its new RS-28 Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), a strategic weapon nicknamed ‘Satan 2’ by NATO. Russian President Vladimir Putin views the missile as a cornerstone of the nation’s nuclear deterrent.

Key Features of the RS-28 Sarmat

• Overcoming Defenses: The RS-28 Sarmat is engineered to surpass US and Chinese missile systems in both range and destructive capability. Russia claims it can render Western missile shields “obsolete.”
• Technological Leap: Developed by the Makeyev Rocket Design Bureau, the Sarmat is a technological leap in missile warfare, intended to replace the aging Soviet-era R-36M (SS-18 ‘Satan’) missile.
• Unprecedented Range: With an estimated range of 18,000 kilometers, the missile can bypass traditional flight paths by being launched over the North or South Pole, effectively evading radar and missile defense systems.
• Payload: The 208-tonne, 35-meter-long missile is designed to carry 10 to 15 nuclear warheads using a Multiple Independently Targetable Reentry Vehicle (MIRV) system.