Russia conducted on Monday a successful test launch of a silo-based Topol-M intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) from the Plesetsk launch site, the Russian Defense Ministry said.
According to the document, the test launch was carried out to confirm combat capabilities and reliability of Topol-M ICBMs.
“The simulated warhead hit a designated target at a firing range on the Kamchatka peninsula with high precision,” the Ministry said in a press release.
The Topol-M single-warhead ICBM (NATO reporting name SS-27) is an upgraded version of the RS-12M Topol missile. The development of the Topol-M was initiated by the Moscow Institute of Thermal Technology (MITT) in late 1980s. The first missile was test fired in December 1994.
The ballistic missile has a maximum range of about 11,000 kilometers (6,835 miles) and can carry a nuclear warhead with a yield of up to 550 kilotons. The missile can be deployed on both silo-based and mobile land-based launch platforms.
The Topol entered service with the Russian Strategic Missile Forces in 1988 and is being gradually replaced with more advanced Topol-M and Yars mobile missile systems.
