R-16U
Missile · Ukraine
Original archive entry. The text, images and links below are kept as they were written.
Credit: Ukrainian Space Agency
Ukrainian intercontinental ballistic missile. Standardized version of R-16, for either pad or silo launch.
Development of the R-16U universal version of the missile, for either pad or silo launch, and the 8P764 launch silo, was begun in March 1960. The silo was designed by KBTM Leningrad, the first missile silo handled by this design bureau. Modifications to the missile for silo launch included the use of inert nitrogen gas propellant tank pressurization and modifications to the vernier steering engines of the first stage. Test launches of the R-16U began in February 1962 from an open launch pad. The first silo, 'Object 310', was built at LC-60 at Baikonur with the first launch on 13 June 1962. On this launch the missile cleared the silo, but failed to guide in flight. There were several more failures until a solution was found, a heat-resistant fabric cover to protect the verniers from the hot gases during silo launch. The 8S81U and 8S81UFS first and second stages of the missile used the same engines as the basic R-16, but the first stage engines were tweaked to provide 2% greater thrust on lift-off.
Four variant silo designs were studied, the draft projects for them being completed in Mach 1960, October 1960, and the final one in March 1961. The selected 'Sheksna-V' complex consisted of three silos, a common propellant storage bunker, and a hardened command bunker with its own electrical generator for sustained autonomous operation. The first R-16U silo regiment became operational at Nizhniy Tagil on 5 February 1963. The Third Rocket Division was activated at Plesetsk on 30 March 1963 at LC-9, LC-10, and LC-11 at Plesetsk, In May 1963 the salvo launch of three R-16U's was demonstrated. The R-16U and its silo complex were officially accepted by the military on 15 July 1963. R-16U's also took part in the massive Operation Groza, with the R-16U being the first Soviet ICBM launched from a silo during such an exercise on 8 October 1963.
The R-16U was deployed to Bershet, Nizhniy Tagil, Bologoye, Itatka, Yoshkar-Ola, Novosibirsk, Shadrinsk, and Yurya. The missile was accepted for military service on 15 July 1963 and last finally withdrawn from service under the SALT-1 treaty in 1978.
Maximum range: 13,000 km (8,000 mi).
Related
- Family
- ICBM
- Country
- Ukraine
- Launch Sites
- Baikonur, Plesetsk, Baikonur LC41/3, Baikonur LC41/4, Baikonur LC60/8, Baikonur LC60/6, Baikonur LC60/7, Baikonur LC41/15, Plesetsk PU11
- Agency
- Yuzhnoye
Chronology
361 events
1961 October 9
Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC41/4. LV Family: R-16. Launch Vehicle: R-16U.1961 October 11
Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC41/4. LV Family: R-16. Launch Vehicle: R-16U. FAILURE: Failure.1961 October 15
Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC41/4. Launch Pad: LC41/pad?. LV Family: R-16. Launch Vehicle: R-16U.1961 October 22
Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC41/4. Launch Pad: LC41/pad?. LV Family: R-16. Launch Vehicle: R-16U.1961 October 28
Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC41/4. Launch Pad: LC41/pad?. LV Family: R-16. Launch Vehicle: R-16U.1962 January 4
Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC41/4. LV Family: R-16. Launch Vehicle: R-16U.1962 January 13
Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC41/4. LV Family: R-16. Launch Vehicle: R-16U.1962 January 16
Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC41/4. LV Family: R-16. Launch Vehicle: R-16U.1962 January 17
Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC41/4. LV Family: R-16. Launch Vehicle: R-16U.1962 January 25
Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC41/4. LV Family: R-16. Launch Vehicle: R-16U.1962 March 3
Launch Site: Baikonur. LV Family: R-16. Launch Vehicle: R-16U.1962 June 1
Launch Site: Baikonur. LV Family: R-16. Launch Vehicle: R-16U.1962 June 7
Launch Site: Baikonur. LV Family: R-16. Launch Vehicle: R-16U.1962 July 13
Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC60/8. LV Family: R-16. Launch Vehicle: R-16U. FAILURE: Failure.1962 July 21
Launch Site: Baikonur. LV Family: R-16. Launch Vehicle: R-16U.1962 July 31
Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC60/8. LV Family: R-16. Launch Vehicle: R-16U.1962 August 8
Launch Site: Baikonur. LV Family: R-16. Launch Vehicle: R-16U.1962 September 27
Launch Site: Baikonur. LV Family: R-16. Launch Vehicle: R-16U.1962 October 5
Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC41/4. LV Family: R-16. Launch Vehicle: R-16U.1962 October 5
Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC60/8. Launch Pad: LC60/8?. LV Family: R-16. Launch Vehicle: R-16U.1962 October 11
Launch Site: Baikonur. LV Family: R-16. Launch Vehicle: R-16U.1962 October 11
Launch Site: Baikonur. LV Family: R-16. Launch Vehicle: R-16U.1962 October 16
Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC60/8. Launch Pad: LC60/8?. LV Family: R-16. Launch Vehicle: R-16U.1962 October 17
Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC41/4. LV Family: R-16. Launch Vehicle: R-16U.1962 November 3
Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC41/4. LV Family: R-16. Launch Vehicle: R-16U.1962 November 22
Launch Site: Baikonur. LV Family: R-16. Launch Vehicle: R-16U.1962 November 24
Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC41/4. LV Family: R-16. Launch Vehicle: R-16U.1962 November 25
Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC41/4. LV Family: R-16. Launch Vehicle: R-16U. FAILURE: Failure.1962 December 12
Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC41/4. LV Family: R-16. Launch Vehicle: R-16U.1962 December 13
Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC41/4. LV Family: R-16. Launch Vehicle: R-16U.1962 December 17
Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC41/4. LV Family: R-16. Launch Vehicle: R-16U.1963 March 4
Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC41/4. LV Family: R-16. Launch Vehicle: R-16U.1963 March 30
Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC41/4. LV Family: R-16. Launch Vehicle: R-16U.1963 April 26
Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC41/4. LV Family: R-16. Launch Vehicle: R-16U.1963 May 18
Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC60/7. LV Family: R-16. Launch Vehicle: R-16U. FAILURE: Failure.1963 May 18
Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC60/8. LV Family: R-16. Launch Vehicle: R-16U.1963 May 18
Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC60/6. LV Family: R-16. Launch Vehicle: R-16U.1963 May 25
Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC41/15. LV Family: R-16. Launch Vehicle: R-16U.1963 June 1
Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC41/15. LV Family: R-16. Launch Vehicle: R-16U. FAILURE: Failure.1963 June 21
Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC41/15. LV Family: R-16. Launch Vehicle: R-16U. FAILURE: Failure.1963 June 28
Launch Site: Teikovo. LV Family: R-16. Launch Vehicle: R-16U.1963 June 28
Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC41/15. LV Family: R-16. Launch Vehicle: R-16U.1963 June 30
Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC60/7. LV Family: R-16. Launch Vehicle: R-16U.1963 July 8
Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC41/15. LV Family: R-16. Launch Vehicle: R-16U.1963 July 9
Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC41/15. LV Family: R-16. Launch Vehicle: R-16U.1963 July 27
Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC41/15. LV Family: R-16. Launch Vehicle: R-16U.1963 August 13
04:59 GMT - . Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC41/15. LV Family: R-16. Launch Vehicle: R-16U.1963 August 20
Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC60/8. LV Family: R-16. Launch Vehicle: R-16U.1963 August 30
Launch Site: Teikovo. LV Family: R-16. Launch Vehicle: R-16U.1963 August 30
06:30 GMT - . Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC41/3. LV Family: R-16. Launch Vehicle: R-16U.1963 September 4
Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC41/3. LV Family: R-16. Launch Vehicle: R-16U.1963 September 10
Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC41/3. LV Family: R-16. Launch Vehicle: R-16U.1963 September 26
Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC41/3. LV Family: R-16. Launch Vehicle: R-16U.1963 October 1
Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC41/3. LV Family: R-16. Launch Vehicle: R-16U.1963 October 22
Launch Site: Plesetsk. Launch Complex: Plesetsk PU11. LV Family: R-16. Launch Vehicle: R-16U.1963 October 23
Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC41/3. LV Family: R-16. Launch Vehicle: R-16U.1963 November 22
Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC41/3. LV Family: R-16. Launch Vehicle: R-16U.1963 November 23
Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC41/4. LV Family: R-16. Launch Vehicle: R-16U.1963 December 12
Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC41/3. LV Family: R-16. Launch Vehicle: R-16U.1963 December 20
Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC41/3. LV Family: R-16. Launch Vehicle: R-16U.1964 February 2
Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC60/8. Launch Pad: LC60/8?. LV Family: R-16. Launch Vehicle: R-16U.1964 February 6
Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC41/3. LV Family: R-16. Launch Vehicle: R-16U.1964 February 26
Launch Site: Baikonur. LV Family: R-16. Launch Vehicle: R-16U. FAILURE: Failure.1964 March 3
Launch Site: Baikonur. LV Family: R-16. Launch Vehicle: R-16U.1964 March 4
Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC41/4. Launch Pad: LC41/4?. LV Family: R-16. Launch Vehicle: R-16U.1964 March 25
Launch Site: Teikovo. LV Family: R-16. Launch Vehicle: R-16U.1964 April 15
Launch Site: Nizhniy Tagil. LV Family: R-16. Launch Vehicle: R-16U.1964 May 30
Launch Site: Gladkaya. LV Family: R-16. Launch Vehicle: R-16U.1964 May 30
Launch Site: Baikonur. LV Family: R-16. Launch Vehicle: R-16U.1964 June 7
Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC41/4. LV Family: R-16. Launch Vehicle: R-16U.1964 July 1
Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC41/4. LV Family: R-16. Launch Vehicle: R-16U.1964 July 21
Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC41/4. LV Family: R-16. Launch Vehicle: R-16U.1964 July 31
Launch Site: Baikonur. LV Family: R-16. Launch Vehicle: R-16U.1964 August 9
Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC41/4. LV Family: R-16. Launch Vehicle: R-16U.1964 September 10
Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC41/3. LV Family: R-16. Launch Vehicle: R-16U.1964 September 25
Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC60/8. LV Family: R-16. Launch Vehicle: R-16U.- UBP Kedr operational test launch - . Nation: Russia. Agency: RVSN. Apogee: 1,210 km (750 mi). Demonstration launch witnessed by Khrushchev..