The “Sarmat” missile

"Sarmat" missile
(Picture 1)

Kimmo Huosionmaa

“Sarmat” is nothing like any other ICBM. This weapon is mobilized version of the SS-18 (R36) missile, what was the largest thermonuclear weapon in the world. It has more warheads and capacity to raise those weapons in the orbital trajectory. This weapon is actually FOBS (Fractional Orbital Bombardment System”, what is tested by the Soviet Union and the possible USA in 1960’s. Those weapons have huge weapons load, what makes them very terrible. In those weapons is MIRV (Multiple Independently Targeted Reentry Vehicles) what can be targeted to same target or different places around the world. This kind of FOBS-weapons can send to orbital trajectory weeks or even years before shooting order.


They can play normal satellites, and when the order of action comes, the satellite would start to drop nuclear weapons to their targets. This eliminates the way to locate those weapons by using its communication signals as the tip. If those weapons could be located, there is the way to target them with high-altitude ASAT systems. The thing why those nuclear weapons would not locate very easily is that they can work with the normal satellites. And when those weapons are needed, the programs of the computers must only change, what makes those satellites the ultimate killers.


Those warheads are actually independently targeted and they can use like carpets, where all warheads would be put in the same place. But those FOBS weapons have the very frightened capacity, that they could be sent to the orbital trajectory, and then dropped one by one in many targets, what is separated from together. Also “Sarmat” can drop one warhead and leave other to MIRV-bus waiting for next target. Those weapons can be programmed to explode in the orbital trajectory, in the atmosphere or they can program to hit the ground in the line, and that kind of weapons can destroy even the command center of NORAD.


FOBS capacity makes that weapon so terrible. It can be used against highly mobile targets, and it can threat also U.S task fleet and submarines. Those weapons would be used with reconnaissance satellites, what are looking for “hard to find easy to kill” targets for that weapon. The capacity to use one warhead by one is because this weapon must find those highly mobile targets before it can take effect to them.

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fractional_Orbital_Bombardment_System

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R-36_(missile)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RS-28_Sarmat

Picture 1.

https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/PC-24_%C2%AB%D0%AF%D1%80%D1%81%C2%BB-1024x684.jpg