R-29RMU Sineva
| R-29RMU | |
|---|---|
| Type | Strategic SLBM |
| Place of origin | Russia |
| Service history | |
| In service | 2007–present |
| Used by | Russian Navy |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Makeyev Rocket Design Bureau |
| Manufacturer | ZMZ / KMZ |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 40.3 tonnes |
| Length | 14.8 meters |
| Diameter | 1.9 m |
| Warhead | 4 MIRV or 8 MIRV with smaller yield |
|
|
|
| Engine | three-stage liquid propellant |
|
Operational
range |
8,300 km (max range), longest distance ever reached with least payload is 11,547 km (7,174 miles) |
|
Guidance
system |
Astroinertial |
| Accuracy | 500 meters |
The R-29RMU Sineva (Russian: Синева, lit. "blueness"), code RSM-54, is a Russian liquid-fueled submarine-launched ballistic missile with GRAU index 3M27, designation SS-N-23A Skiff. It can carry four warheads and is designed to be launched from Delta IV class submarines, which are armed with 16 missiles each.
The first full-range test was reportedly conducted on October 11, 2008; the reported range was 11,547 kilometers (7,174 miles). The R-29RMU entered service in 2007 and is expected to remain in service until at least 2030.
Current plans call for the construction of approximately 100 such missiles.
The Sineva missile has reportedly been modified into R-29RMU2.1 "Liner" missile as of 2012.
At its height in 1984, the Soviet Navy conducted over 100 SSBN patrols. The Russian Navy declined during the 1990s, with no SSBN patrols carried out in 2001–2002. The development of the Sineva is part of a program tasked with "preventing the weakening of Russia's nuclear deterrent."
The R-29RMU Sineva is seen as a rival to the solid propellant Bulava SLBM. Originally, the Russian Navy was slated to receive the Sineva missile in 2002, but the first test was conducted only in 2004. The missile was eventually commissioned in 2007.
Failed Sineva test launches took place during the strategic command exercise “Security-2004” (held 10–18 February 2004), which also included the launch of a Molniya communication satellite and an R-36 missile. The launch failures involving nuclear submarines Novomoskovsk and Karelia may have been caused by a military satellite blocking the launch signal; this incident did not lead to any serious consequences for the K-407 Novomoskovsk strategic nuclear submarine. March 1, 2004 saw then Russian president Vladimir Putin instructing the acting defence minister to carry out an investigation in order to determine the reason of the launch failures of the three RSM-54 missiles in mid-February.
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Wikipedia