Russia is about to test a super missile capable of penetrating the US shield

Russia is expected to test-launch a new generation RS-28 nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missile capable of penetrating modern US defense systems later this year.

The RS-28 Sarmat missile appeared at the Russian military parade at Red Square in Moscow in 2016. Photo: Getty

According toSputnikAfter several delays, Russia is expected to conduct a test launch of the RS-28 Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) at the Plesetsk test site in the country's northwest later this year. Previous tests were postponed due to unavailability of the launcher and missile systems.

According to the Russian military, if successfully tested, the RS-28 will begin to be put into use from 2019-2020. This is considered a super missile, capable of penetrating any missile defense system, including modern US missile shields, and can even "wipe out" an entire country.

The RS-28 has a flight speed of 7km/s and a range of up to 11,000km, meaning Russia can launch missiles to the UK and many other European countries, as well as cities on the east and west coasts of the US.

The RS-28 missile can carry warheads with a yield of up to 40 megatons, 2,000 times more powerful than the atomic bombs dropped by the US on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945.

The first tests of the RS-28 were scheduled to take place last year, but were postponed. Further delays followed in March and April this year. NATO calls the RS-28 Satan 2. These missiles are replacing the R-36 Voevoda missiles, which NATO has called Satan since the 1970s.

According to Dan Tri