RT-2PM Topol
The RT-2PM Topol is a mobile intercontinental ballistic missile designed in the Soviet Union and in service with Russia. It was assigned the NATO reporting name SS-25 Sickle and carries the industry designation 15Zh58.
The RT-2PM is a Russian single-warhead ICBM. It was designed to be road mobile and is mounted on a heavy truck (MAZ-7310 or MAZ-7917). Development began in 1977, flight tests of the missile were conducted between 1983 and 1987. After the first series of tests, the first missiles became operational in 1985. Full deployment of 360 missiles was achieved in 1996, at present (2005) 300 remain on duty.
The missile uses three stages, with solid fuel permanently stored inside them. It is 21.5 m long and weights 45.1 t. The launch preparations take approximately two minutes. It carries a single warhead of yield 550 kT that weighs about one ton. Range of the missile is 10,500 km. The missile is equipped with a variety of features designed to defeat a potential enemy's ABM systems. The complex is fully automated from preparation for launch to in-flight control.
The missile was the only road-mobile ICBM deployed during the Cold War. The United States considered developing their own road-mobile ICBM called the Midgetman, but it eventually dropped the idea.
Before the collapse of the Soviet Union 81 launchers were deployed in Belarus. They were all returned to Russia by November 27, 1996.
A commercial space launch vehicle derived from the missile called "Start" was developed.
As the lifetime of the SS-25 was designed to be about 10 to 15 years, the missile will be progressively retired over the next decade. It will be replaced by the road mobile version of the Topol-M (SS-27) missile.