MOSCOW. Nov 30 (Interfax-AVN) - Nine Topol (SS-25 Sickle) missile launchers have been scrapped at the Pibanshur weapons disposal site in the Russian internal republic of Udmurtia, the Russian Defense Ministry told Interfax-Military News Agency on Wednesday.
"The Strategic Missile Forces had them in their arsenals for over 20 years, even though their initial service life was set at 10 years. The launchers were scrapped according to START Treaty procedures and were verified by a U.S. inspection group," a ministry spokesman said.
Strategic Missile Forces Commander Nikolai Solovtsov earlier told Interfax-AVN that a total of 27 Topol launchers will be scrapped in 2005. The missile launchers scrapping is conducted in strict compliance with safety rules and environmental requirements, meeting all international standards.
Missiles proper are scrapped at a plant in the Perm region.
Missile launchers of railway missile systems, which left the inventory of the Strategic Missile Forces, are scrapped at the Bryansk-based Central Repair Plant of the Strategic Missile Forces.
The feasibility study and the project of the Pibanshur base reconstruction have been developed by the Transport and Chemical Machine Building Design Bureau.
The RS-12M Topol mobile missile system was developed in the Moscow institute of thermal equipment. Topol, or SS-25 in NATO terms, is a three-stage solid-propellant intercontinental ballistics missile featuring a number of systems enabling it to penetrate enemy missile defenses. It has a max range of 10,000 km, launch weight of 45 tonnes, warhead weight of 1 tonne, and combat patrolling area of 125,000 square kilometers. The launcher is mounted on a seven-axis towing chassis.
According to earlier reports, a total of 312 Topols were in service of the SMF at the beginning of 2004. Each has a single-warhead with the yield of 559 kilotonnes.
Initially, the missile had a guaranteed service life of ten years. However, the service life was extended several times. Nine regiments of Topols with 81 launchers in inventories were based in Belarus before the collapse of the USSR, after which they were withdrawn to Russia during the period from 1993 until 1996.
The first launch was made at the Plesetsk testing ground in the Arkhangelsk region on February 8, 1983. The first regiment of mobile Topols was put on combat duty on July 23, 1985.