R-16 (missile)

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R-16 (missile)

R-16U
R-16U

General Information
Type ICBM
Local name R-16, R-16U, 8K64, 8K64U
NATO designation SS-7 Saddler
Country of origin Soviet UnionSoviet Union Soviet Union
Manufacturer OKB-586 ( Jangel )
development 1956
Commissioning 1961
Working time 1976
Technical specifications
length 30.40 m
diameter 3,000 mm
Combat weight 146,600 kg
Drive
First stage
Second stage
Liquid
rocket engine. Liquid rocket engine
Range 11,000 km
Furnishing
steering Inertial navigation system
Warhead 1 nuclear warhead of 3.5, 5.0 or 6.0 MT
Detonator Programmed detonator
Weapon platforms Missile silo
CEP

2,700 - 4,300 m

Lists on the subject

The R-16 ( NATO code name SS-7 Saddler , GRAU index 8K64 ) was the first mass ICBM the USSR .

history

It was developed from 1957 , the test phase began in 1960 . The reasons for this were escalating technical, logistical and financial problems in the military use of the R-7 . The commissioning took place from 1962 and the inventory was a maximum of 202 in 1965. Starting in 1976 , their number was reduced, and finally they were decommissioned under the SALT-I agreement .

During the testing of the rocket, the Nedelin disaster occurred in 1960 , which is considered to be the greatest misfortune in rocket technology.

technology

The rocket was over 30 meters long, three meters in diameter and weighed 141 tons. The fuel used was the hypergolic combination of UDMH as fuel and the oxidizer nitric acid , a total of 124 tons. It could carry nuclear warheads with an explosive force of three to six megatons 11,000 to 13,000 km. The rockets were stored in hangars and could be positioned and filled within three hours. Standing in full readiness, the start could take place after 20 minutes after the gyroscopes of the control system had started. In refueled readiness, the missiles could only remain for a few days. Then the aggressive fuel had to be drained and the missiles had to be brought to the manufacturer's plant for revision.

Because of the long range of the R-16, the Soviet Union was able to hit the centers in the United States for the first time, provided that it flew over the North Pole . Their radius of scatter (CEP) was 2.7 km; this means that there was a 50% probability that a hit was within a 2.7 km radius. While the first stage was only carried ballistically towards the target, an on-board flight control system controlled the second stage, and ground-controlled corrections of the flight path were also possible. Due to the poor targeting accuracy, they were often equipped with warheads of 5 megatons.

Due to the fact that this model was not shown in parades in Moscow or other Soviet cities, the Western intelligence services had little data and often confused it with its successor, the R-9 (SS-8 Sasin) . A total of three different variants of the R-16 were built, with different loads and ranges. In addition, there were modifications that were suitable for stationing in silos , whereby the NATO assumed four different models of the same type.

1st generation ICBM in comparison

Country USSR United States
rocket R-7 / R-7A R-16 / R-16U R-9A SM-65 Atlas (-D / -E / -F) SM-68 Titan I
developer OKB-1 ( Korolev ) OKB-586 ( Jangel ) OKB-1 (Korolev) Convair Glenn L. Martin Company
Start of development 1954/1958 1956/1960 1959 1954 1958
first operational readiness 1959/1960 1961/1963 1964/1964 1959/1961/1962 1962
Retirement until 1968 1976/1976 1976 1964/1965/1965 1965
Range (km) 8,000 / 9,500-12,000 11,000-13,000 12,500 n / A 10,000
control radio-inertial inertial radio-inertial radio-inertial / inertial radio-inertial / inertial
CEP (km) 10 4.3 8-10 n / A <1.8
Takeoff mass (t) 280/276 141/147 80 118/122/122 103
stages 1.5 2 1.5 2
Fuel combination Kerosene / LOX UDMH / nitric acid Kerosene / LOX
Stationing type launch pad Launch ramp / silo Launch ramp / bunker / silo silo
maximum overpressure ( psi ; protection of the starting system in the event of an explosion) k. A. k. A. / 28 k. A. / 28 k. A. / 25/100 100
reaction time about 24 h Tens of minutes to several hours 20 min / 8-10 min 15-20 min
Warranty period (years at high alert) k. A. 30 days (fueled) 1 k. A. 5
Explosive strength of the warhead ( MT ) 3-5 3-6 5 1.44 / 3.75 / 3.75 3.75
Max. stationed number 6th 186 23 30/27/72 54

See also

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c P. Podvig (Ed.): Russian Strategic Nuclear Forces. MIT Press, 2004, ISBN 978-0-262-16202-9 .
  2. ↑ a b c S. J. Zaloga : The Kremlin's Nuclear Sword - The Rise and Fall of Russia's Strategic Nuclear Forces, 1945-2000. Smithsonian Institution Press, 2001, ISBN 1-58834-007-4 .
  3. ↑ a b c d e Nuclear Notebook: US and Soviet / Russian intercontinental ballistic missiles, 1959–2008
  4. ^ A b David Stumpf Titan II - A History of a Cold War Missile Program . University of Arkansas Press, 2000. ISBN 1-55728-601-9

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