R-36M2

Intercontinental ballistic missile. Year: 1988. IOC: 1988. Family: R-36. Country: Ukraine. Other Designations: RS-20V. Department of Defence Designation: SS-18 Mod.5 and 6. ASCC Reporting Name: Satan. Article Number: 15A18M2. Manufacturer's Designation: R-36M2. Alternate Designation: Voevoda. Complex: 15A18M2.

The R-36M2 was the Soviet Union's answer to the American 'Star Wars' anti-ballistic missile system. It was unusually named 'Voevoda' (an old Russian word for the leader of an army) in recognition of its planned role. In the end, it was only deployed in very limited numbers before the end of the Cold War.

A tactical-technical specification was issued on July 1979 for a fourth generation heavy ICBM to replace the R-36MUTTKh and be capable of defeating future anticipated American anti-ballistic missile defences. The draft project was completed in June 1982 and featured uprated engines better resistant to nearby nuclear blasts. Decrees authorising development of the improved RD-263F booster engines was issued in December 1980. The draft project for the redesignated RD-274 engines was completed in December 1982. Development of the RD-274 was completed in May 1985 and the design passed to Yuzhnoye for production (some sources say that problems with turbine balance in the development of the RD-274 could not be resolved, and that the older RD-264 was installed in the production R-36M2).

A formal decree authorising development of the entire missile was issued on 9 August 1983. This included the RD-0255 upper stage engine and the four second-stage verniers. The missile would feature a new cold-launch gas generator designed by Zhukov at FTDT Soyuz. Flight trials of the missile with the 15F173 multiple-warhead bus began on 23 March 1986. The first launch was a tremendous failure. The cold-launch mortar fired, but the rest of the launch sequence failed. The missile exploded in the silo, blowing the 100 tonne silo lid far into the air and leaving only a huge crater at LC-101 Baikonur where the silo once was. The silo was beyond repair.

In May 1986 came one of many steps that seemed to indicate anticipation of the disintegration of the Soviet Union. It was decided the alternate 15F175 single-warhead bus, already designed by Yuzhnoye, would be built instead by a Russian enterprise.

Test flights with the Ukrainian 15F173 payload were completed in March 1988. The first test with the Russian 15F175 came a month later, and were completed in September 1989. On 11 August 1988 the R-36M2 and 15F173 warhead were accepted for military service, followed by the 15F175 warhead on 23 August 1990. The missile entered service at Dombarovskiy in December 1988, and at Uzhur and Derzhavinsk in 1990. A total of about 190 were built. Although Yuzhnoye developed life extension programmes to keep the missile in service for 15, 18, and 20 years, the missile itself was prohibited in in the START-2 arms reduction agreement. Replacement with the all-Russian Topol-M began in 1992 and by 1998 a total of only 58 silos were loaded with the R-36M2. The 150 missiles remaining had to be destroyed under treaty terms by 2007. Russia marketed them as the 'Dnepr' commercial launch vehicle.

The missile used a propellant utilisation system to minimise residuals. This gave it a total throw weight of 8.8 tonnes, matching that of the US Peacekeeper (an important issue driving its development). The multiple-warhead version could carry up to 20-36 independently-targeted warheads, although no more than ten were planned in service. They were arranged on a special frame in two 'circles of death'. The post-boost bus had four gimballed chambers, which fired continuously during the warhead dispensing process, making it extremely agile in flight.

The missile was equipped with a completely new set of countermeasures, considered more than adequate to counter America's Strategic Defense Initiative. The inertial guidance system was by Vladimir Sergeyev at NII-692/NPO Kharton. The systems were hardened for improved resistance to nuclear radiation or particle beams - the missile could be launched even after near-hits by enemy nuclear warheads. The entire rocket was encased in a heat shield against blasts or laser. The guidance system was equipped with sensors to detect gamma-rays and neutron fluxes and manoeuvre the missile during ascent away from nuclear explosions.

The development was completed on the guidance/countermeasures system for the single-warhead 15F173 dispenser in July 1987, and for the 15F175 multi-warhead dispenser in April 1988.

Manufacturer: Yangel. Launches: 44. Failures: 7. Success Rate: 84.09%. First Launch Date: 1986-03-23. Last Launch Date: 2007-06-15. Launch data is: continuing. Associated Spacecraft: MegSat, Microsat SSTL, Minisat SSTL, SaudiSat, UniSat, Ekol. Liftoff Thrust: 4,452.000 kN (1,000,849 lbf). Total Mass: 211,100 kg (465,300 lb). Core Diameter: 3.00 m (9.80 ft). Total Length: 35.06 m (115.02 ft). Span: 3.05 m (10.00 ft). Standard warhead mass: 8,800 kg (19,400 lb). Maximum range: 11,000 km (6,000 mi). Number Standard Warheads: 10. Standard RV: 15F173. Standard warhead yield: 550 KT. Standard warhead CEP: 0.26 km (0.16 mi). Alternate warhead mass: 8,800 kg (19,400 lb). Maximum range with alternate warhead: 15,000 km (9,000 mi). Number Alternate Warheads: 1. Alternate RV: 15F175. Alternate warhead yield: 20,000 KT. Alternate warhead CEP: 0.26 km (0.16 mi). Boost Propulsion: Storable liquid rocket, N2O4/UDMH. Boost engine: RD-274. Cruise Propulsion: Storable liquid rocket, N2O4/UDMH. Cruise engine: RD-0255. Cruise Thrust: 755.000 kN (169,730 lbf). Stage 3 Engine: RD-869. Stage 3 Propellants: Storable liquid rocket, N2O4/UDMH. Stage 3 Thrust: 34.300 kN (7,711 lbf). Guidance: Inertial. Total Number Built: 190.

Model: Dnepr. Family: R-36. Country: Ukraine. Other Designations: RS-20K. Article Number: 15A18M2. Popular Name: Ikar. Complex: 15A18M2.

Launch vehicle based on decommissioned R-36M2 ICBMs.

A commercial use was sought for approximately 150 R-36M2 ICBM's which were to be destroyed by 2007 under the START-2 treaty. During the 1990's a variety of civilian versions of the R-36M and R-36M2 were promoted as commercial launchers. Civilian or uprated versions of the MIRV dispenser buses were considered, dubbed Frakht and Lift. Straight use of surplus ICBM's was marketed under the designation RS-20K Konversiya. Under the 'Dnepr' code-name more radical modifications were considered, including converting the missile to a pad-launched booster using liquid oxygen/kerosene propellants. In the end commercial interest was minimal, and the Dnepr designation was used for launches using relatively unmodified surplus R-36M2 military rockets, launched to orbit from silos at Baikonur or ICBM bases in the standard manner.

The Dnepr launch vehicle could make timely, highly accurate injection of a single spacecraft or (using the ICBM's multiple warhead dispenser bus) multiple spacecraft with a total mass of up to 3.7 tonnes into low Earth orbits of 300-900 km altitude and 50.5°, 64.5°, 87.3°and 98° inclinations. The booster reliability of 97% had been confirmed by 157 test launches of the ICBM over its lifetime. The cold-launch and quick containerized reload features of the ICBM system meant that the existing launch complex could accomplish up to 25 launches per year. Within the standard missile shroud payloads of up to 2.5 m diameter could be accommodated. Injection accuracy to a 300 km circular orbit was 4.0 km in altitude, 3.0 seconds in orbital period, and 0.05 degrees in right ascension.

Manufacturer: Yangel. LEO Payload: 4,500 kg (9,900 lb). to: 200 km Orbit. at: 46.20 degrees. Payload: 3,200 kg (7,000 lb). to a: Space station orbit, 407 km, 50.5 deg inclination trajectory. Liftoff Thrust: 4,525.000 kN (1,017,260 lbf). Total Mass: 208,900 kg (460,500 lb). Core Diameter: 3.00 m (9.80 ft). Total Length: 34.30 m (112.50 ft). Span: 3.05 m (10.00 ft). Boost Propulsion: Storable liquid rocket, N2O4/UDMH. Boost engine: RD-274. Cruise Propulsion: Storable liquid rocket, N2O4/UDMH. Cruise engine: RD-0255. Cruise Thrust: 755.000 kN (169,730 lbf). Guidance: Inertial.

Stage Data - R-36M2

Stage Number: 1. 1 x Stage: R-36M2-1. Gross Mass: 161,520 kg (356,090 lb). Empty Mass: 13,620 kg (30,020 lb). Thrust (vac): 4,523.000 kN (1,016,810 lbf). Isp: 318 sec. Burn time: 130 sec. Isp(sl): 293 sec. Diameter: 3.00 m (9.80 ft). Span: 3.00 m (9.80 ft). Length: 22.30 m (73.10 ft). Propellants: N2O4/UDMH. No Engines: 1. Engine: RD-264. Other designations: SS-18 Satan; RS-20. Surplus ICBMs; failures based on ICBM tests through 1994.

Stage Number: 2. 1 x Stage: R-36M2-2. Gross Mass: 41,114 kg (90,640 lb). Empty Mass: 4,374 kg (9,643 lb). Thrust (vac): 760.000 kN (170,850 lbf). Isp: 340 sec. Burn time: 190 sec. Diameter: 3.00 m (9.80 ft). Span: 3.00 m (9.80 ft). Length: 5.70 m (18.70 ft). Propellants: N2O4/UDMH. No Engines: 1. Engine: RD-0255. Surplus ICBMs; failures based on ICBM tests through 1994.

Stage Number: 3. 1 x Stage: R-36M2-3. Gross Mass: 4,266 kg (9,404 lb). Empty Mass: 2,356 kg (5,194 lb). Thrust (vac): 18.600 kN (4,181 lbf). Isp: 317 sec. Burn time: 1,000 sec. Diameter: 3.00 m (9.80 ft). Span: 3.00 m (9.80 ft). Length: 1.00 m (3.20 ft). Propellants: N2O4/UDMH. No Engines: 1. Engine: RD-869. Main engine could be throttled to 800 kgf.

R-36M2 Chronology

1986 March 23 - Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Vehicle: R-36M2. Model: R-36M2 15A18M. FAILURE: Failure.

Joint flight trials launch Nation: USSR. Agency: RVSN. References: 1180.

1986 August 21 - Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Vehicle: R-36M2. Model: R-36M2 15A18M. FAILURE: Failure.

Joint flight trials launch Nation: USSR. Agency: RVSN.

1986 November 27 - Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Vehicle: R-36M2. Model: R-36M2 15A18M. FAILURE: Failure.

Joint flight trials launch Nation: USSR. Agency: RVSN.