Russia launches missile capable of carrying 10 thermonuclear warheads

Russia's new intercontinental ballistic missile was successfully test-launched, hitting simulated targets on the Kamchatka Peninsula.

Russia's Yars missile complex. Photo: Sputnik

Russia's Strategic Missile Forces recently successfully launched a multi-warhead RS-24 Yars intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) from the launch pad at the Plesetsk space center in the north of the country, according to Sputnik.

The Russian Defense Ministry said the test launch was aimed at assessing the missile's combat capabilities and reliability in real combat situations. The test warheads hit the designated target at the Kura range on the Kamchatka Peninsula.

Previously, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that the country's military is switching to using the Yars missile system, with the proportion of its strategic missile force expected to reach 72% by the end of this year.

The RS-24 Yars is Russia's latest three-stage ICBM. The system was first tested in 2007.

Russian media reports show that the RS-24 Yars can carry 10 thermonuclear warheads with an explosive yield of 300 kilotons (equivalent to 300,000 tons of TNT) with a maximum range of up to 12,000 km.

The RS-24 Yars uses solid fuel and has a shorter launch phase than other generations of missiles. The RS-24 Yars is capable of penetrating missile shields. The nuclear warhead ofRS-24 YarsIt is mobile, making it difficult to intercept.

According to VNE