Russia Conducts Firing Test With New Version of Topol ICBM InterContinental Ballistic Missile.

Conducted from the Kapustin Yar Cosmodrome on April 12, 2024, the test demonstrated "the high reliability of the missiles, ensuring the country's strategic security," the Defense Ministry praised. However, the Russian military did not provide details on the type of system used, merely stating that it was a "mobile ground system." Citing open-source information, it could be a new version of the Topol, ICBM (InterContinental Ballistic Missile). 
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ICBM test on Kapustin Yar Cosmodrome on April 13, 2024 (Picture source Russian Ministry of defense / Strategic Forces)

Multiple sources indicate that this launched missile could be a recent improvement of the Topol missile without certitude. The trajectory taken by this missile is characteristic of high-altitude missiles, designed to limit trajectory calculations and impact zones. During its flight, the missile performs sudden and random course changes, resulting in a zigzag pattern. This technique is used by all nations possessing this vector technology. Recent attacks by Iran on Israel, however, show the limitations of this technique, given the large number of ballistic missiles intercepted.

The Topol missile, also known as the RT-2 PM Topol (NATO code: SS-25 Sickle), is a mobile intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) developed by the Soviet Union and entered service in 1985. This three-stage missile is propelled by solid propellant, which allows for rapid deployment and makes it less vulnerable to preemptive strikes compared to liquid propellant systems. The Topol has an approximate range of 10,000 kilometers and can carry a payload of a nuclear warhead with a power of 800 kilotons. It is designed to be launched from mobile launch vehicles, increasing its survivability in a nuclear conflict due to its ability to be deployed in various undetectable locations beforehand.

In terms of developments, the Topol missile served as the basis for the development of the Topol-M (RT-2PM2), which features significant improvements in survivability against missile defense systems. The Topol-M is equipped with advanced stealth technology to avoid radar detection and sophisticated countermeasures to evade missile defense systems. The deployment of these missiles continues to play a key role in the modernization of the Russian nuclear arsenal, thus ensuring the credibility of the country's nuclear deterrence against international technological developments in missile defense.

Currently, Moscow uses the RS-24 Yars as a means of mobile nuclear deterrence.

The RS-24 Yars missile, also known as the SS-27 Mod 2 by NATO, is an advanced intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) that represents a major evolution of the Russian nuclear program. Introduced in 2010, the Yars is designed to surpass missile defense systems with its ability to carry multiple independently targetable nuclear warheads (MIRV). Each missile can be equipped with up to four nuclear warheads, enabling it to strike multiple targets simultaneously. This mobile system, mounted on trucks or deployed in silos, is powered by a solid propellant engine and has an estimated range of about 12,000 kilometers, allowing it to strike targets on almost any continent.

The developments of the Yars missile include enhancements in its ability to evade radars and other detection systems through more sophisticated stealth technologies, as well as the integration of advanced electronic countermeasures to protect against missile defense systems. These technological developments are designed to maintain the effectiveness of Russia's strategic capabilities in the face of improving missile defense technologies, particularly those deployed by the United States and NATO, thus ensuring the maintenance of a global strategic balance.

But it has already developed the successor, the Sarmat, called Satan-2 by NATO, presented as capable of "evading all anti-air systems."

The latest in intercontinental ballistic missiles, with a range of 18,000 km, Putin described it as "invincible": "It will make those trying to threaten Russia think twice." This missile is part of the Russian nuclear deterrence discourse, the Satan-2 missile is among the weapons that reverse the course of the battle presented in 2019. These weapons, which include, among others, the SU-57, the Kinzhal missile, and the Zircon missile, serve the Kremlin's rhetoric without their use and effectiveness being tested.

Missile flight in High altitude seen on ground (Picture source OSINT)

Defense News April 2024