Yuzhnoye solid-propellant ICBM designed for mass production to counter US 'Star Wars' programme. Two built before break-up of Soviet Union. Some design features incorporated into all-Russian Topol-M.

Universal was a Yuzhnoye solid-propellant ICBM designed to be produced cheaply in mass quantities in order to overwhelm planned American Strategic Defense Initiative anti-ballistic missile systems. Work began on a crash basis in the late 1980's and the first missile was delivered to Plesetsk for flight tests on 30 December 1991. The project was cancelled on the break-up of the USSR. The two completed missiles were handed over to MIT for design of an all-Russian counterpart, the Topol-M.

Manufacturer: Yuzhnoye. Total Mass: 45,000 kg (99,000 lb).