R-36MU 15A18
Missile · Ukraine
Original archive entry. The text, images and links below are kept as they were written.
Ukrainian intercontinental ballistic missile. Improved version of the R-36M with a new ten warhead MIRV bus, better guidance system, increased throw-weight, and increased range.
The decree for an improved version of the R-36M with a new ten warhead MIRV bus, better guidance system, increased throw-weight, and increased range was issued on 16 August 1976. The draft project was completed in December 1976. A revised decree of 16 August 1977 may have included engine fixes urgently required for the deployed base of R-36M's. Flight trials began on 31 October 1977 and those with the new 15F183 warhead were completed in November 1979. On 18 September 1979 the first missiles were installed in replacement of R-36M's at Dombarovskiy, Uzhur, and Zhangiz-Tobe. On 17 December 1980 the first variant with the 15F183 bus was put into service. By 1983 all earlier R-36 and R-36M's had been replaced, and the R-36MUTTKh reached its peak deployment of 308 missiles. It seems a single-warhead version was never deployed. The R-36M was to have been replaced by a new missile in the 1990's, but the break-up of the Soviet Union resulted in severe financial constraints. Therefore, although the original rated storage life was ten years, evaluation of in-service rockets resulted in continual extension, to as much as 23 years. A test firing of an R-36MU that was 19 years 6 months old was made on 17 April 1997. On 21 April 1999 an R-36MU that had been stored for 20 years 9 months was successfully fired as a Dnepr space booster.
The 15F183 bus was 2.9 m in diameter and 8.1 m long and powered by a four-chamber liquid propellant engine.
Maximum range: 11,500 km (7,100 mi). Number Standard Warheads: 8. Standard RV: 15F183. Warhead yield: 500 KT. CEP: 0.26 km (0.16 mi). Boost Propulsion: Storable liquid rocket, N2O4/UDMH. Cruise Thrust: 755.000 kN (169,730 lbf). Cruise Thrust: 77,000 kgf. Cruise engine: RD-0228. Initial Operational Capability: 1979.
Related
Chronology
62 events
1977 October 31
Launch Site: Baikonur. LV Family: R-36M. Launch Vehicle: R-36MU 15A18.1978
Launch Site: Baikonur. LV Family: R-36M. Launch Vehicle: R-36MU 15A18.1978
Launch Site: Baikonur. LV Family: R-36M. Launch Vehicle: R-36MU 15A18.1978
Launch Site: Baikonur. LV Family: R-36M. Launch Vehicle: R-36MU 15A18.1978
Launch Site: Baikonur. LV Family: R-36M. Launch Vehicle: R-36MU 15A18.1978
Launch Site: Baikonur. LV Family: R-36M. Launch Vehicle: R-36MU 15A18.1978
Launch Site: Baikonur. LV Family: R-36M. Launch Vehicle: R-36MU 15A18.1978
Launch Site: Baikonur. LV Family: R-36M. Launch Vehicle: R-36MU 15A18.1978
Launch Site: Baikonur. LV Family: R-36M. Launch Vehicle: R-36MU 15A18.1978
Launch Site: Baikonur. LV Family: R-36M. Launch Vehicle: R-36MU 15A18.1978
Launch Site: Baikonur. LV Family: R-36M. Launch Vehicle: R-36MU 15A18.1978 June 30
Launch Site: Baikonur. LV Family: R-36M. Launch Vehicle: R-36MU 15A18. FAILURE: Failure.1978 September 29
Launch Site: Baikonur. LV Family: R-36M. Launch Vehicle: R-36MU 15A18. FAILURE: Failure.1979
Launch Site: Baikonur. LV Family: R-36M. Launch Vehicle: R-36MU 15A18.1979
Launch Site: Baikonur. LV Family: R-36M. Launch Vehicle: R-36MU 15A18.1979
Launch Site: Baikonur. LV Family: R-36M. Launch Vehicle: R-36MU 15A18.1979
Launch Site: Baikonur. LV Family: R-36M. Launch Vehicle: R-36MU 15A18.1979
Launch Site: Baikonur. LV Family: R-36M. Launch Vehicle: R-36MU 15A18.1979
Launch Site: Baikonur. LV Family: R-36M. Launch Vehicle: R-36MU 15A18.1979
Launch Site: Baikonur. LV Family: R-36M. Launch Vehicle: R-36MU 15A18.1979
Launch Site: Baikonur. LV Family: R-36M. Launch Vehicle: R-36MU 15A18.1979
Launch Site: Baikonur. LV Family: R-36M. Launch Vehicle: R-36MU 15A18.1980
Launch Site: Baikonur. LV Family: R-36M. Launch Vehicle: R-36MU 15A18.1980
Launch Site: Baikonur. LV Family: R-36M. Launch Vehicle: R-36MU 15A18.1980
Launch Site: Baikonur. LV Family: R-36M. Launch Vehicle: R-36MU 15A18.1980
Launch Site: Baikonur. LV Family: R-36M. Launch Vehicle: R-36MU 15A18.1981
Launch Site: Baikonur. LV Family: R-36M. Launch Vehicle: R-36MU 15A18.1981
Launch Site: Baikonur. LV Family: R-36M. Launch Vehicle: R-36MU 15A18.1981
Launch Site: Baikonur. LV Family: R-36M. Launch Vehicle: R-36MU 15A18.1981
Launch Site: Kartaly. LV Family: R-36M. Launch Vehicle: R-36MU 15A18.1981
Launch Site: Baikonur. LV Family: R-36M. Launch Vehicle: R-36MU 15A18.1981 November 27
Launch Site: Baikonur. LV Family: R-36M. Launch Vehicle: R-36MU 15A18.- ICBM operational test launch from missile base silo - . Nation: Kazakhstan. Agency: RVSN. Apogee: 1,000 km (600 mi).
1982
Launch Site: Baikonur. LV Family: R-36M. Launch Vehicle: R-36MU 15A18.1982
Launch Site: Kartaly. LV Family: R-36M. Launch Vehicle: R-36MU 15A18.1982
Launch Site: Baikonur. LV Family: R-36M. Launch Vehicle: R-36MU 15A18.1982 June 28
Launch Site: Baikonur. LV Family: R-36M. Launch Vehicle: R-36MU 15A18.- ICBM operational test launch from missile base silo - . Nation: Kazakhstan. Agency: RVSN. Apogee: 1,000 km (600 mi).
1983
Launch Site: Baikonur. LV Family: R-36M. Launch Vehicle: R-36MU 15A18.1983
Launch Site: Baikonur. LV Family: R-36M. Launch Vehicle: R-36MU 15A18.1983
Launch Site: Baikonur. LV Family: R-36M. Launch Vehicle: R-36MU 15A18.1983
Launch Site: Baikonur. LV Family: R-36M. Launch Vehicle: R-36MU 15A18.1984 April 27
Launch Site: Baikonur. LV Family: R-36M. Launch Vehicle: R-36MU 15A18.- ICBM operational test launch from missile base silo - . Nation: Kazakhstan. Agency: RVSN. Apogee: 1,000 km (600 mi).
1984 November 13
Launch Site: Baikonur. LV Family: R-36M. Launch Vehicle: R-36MU 15A18.1985 September 20
Launch Site: Uzhur. LV Family: R-36M. Launch Vehicle: R-36MU 15A18.- ICBM operational test launch from missile base silo - . Nation: Russia. Agency: RVSN. Apogee: 1,000 km (600 mi).
1986
Launch Site: Baikonur. LV Family: R-36M. Launch Vehicle: R-36MU 15A18.1986
Launch Site: Derzhavinsk. LV Family: R-36M. Launch Vehicle: R-36MU 15A18.- ICBM operational test launch from missile base silo - . Nation: Kazakhstan. Agency: RVSN. Apogee: 1,000 km (600 mi).
1986 September 14
Launch Site: Uzhur. LV Family: R-36M. Launch Vehicle: R-36MU 15A18.- ICBM operational test launch from missile base silo - . Nation: Russia. Agency: RVSN. Apogee: 1,000 km (600 mi).
1987
Launch Site: Baikonur. LV Family: R-36M. Launch Vehicle: R-36MU 15A18.1987
Launch Site: Baikonur. LV Family: R-36M. Launch Vehicle: R-36MU 15A18.1987 January 16
Launch Site: Baikonur. LV Family: R-36M. Launch Vehicle: R-36MU 15A18. FAILURE: Failure.1987 Jul
Launch Site: Uzhur. LV Family: R-36M. Launch Vehicle: R-36MU 15A18.- ICBM operational test launch from missile base silo - . Nation: Russia. Agency: RVSN. Apogee: 1,000 km (600 mi).
1987 July 23
Launch Site: Uzhur. LV Family: R-36M. Launch Vehicle: R-36MU 15A18.- ICBM operational test launch from missile base silo - . Nation: Russia. Agency: RVSN. Apogee: 1,000 km (600 mi).
1987 October 2
Launch Site: Baikonur. LV Family: R-36M. Launch Vehicle: R-36MU 15A18.1988
Launch Site: Baikonur. LV Family: R-36M. Launch Vehicle: R-36MU 15A18.1988
Launch Site: Baikonur. LV Family: R-36M. Launch Vehicle: R-36MU 15A18.1988
Launch Site: Baikonur. LV Family: R-36M. Launch Vehicle: R-36MU 15A18.1988 July 18
Launch Site: Derzhavinsk. LV Family: R-36M. Launch Vehicle: R-36MU 15A18.- ICBM operational test launch from missile base silo - . Nation: Kazakhstan. Agency: RVSN. Apogee: 1,000 km (600 mi).
1988 December 19
Launch Site: Derzhavinsk. LV Family: R-36M. Launch Vehicle: R-36MU 15A18.- ICBM operational test launch from missile base silo - . Nation: Kazakhstan. Agency: RVSN. Apogee: 1,000 km (600 mi).