R-36

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An R-36 in May 1984
An R-36 on a military parade in January 1977

The R-36 ( DIA Code : SS-9 NATO reporting name : Scarp ) was a silo -based ballistic intercontinental missile , which at the time of the Cold War in the Soviet Union was developed. It was the first of the third generation of Soviet ICBMs to build on the existing R-16 (SS-7 Saddler) and R-9 (SS-8 Sasin) designs. It is believed that it was originally designed to attack large area targets such as cities, but later versions were designed to destroy US Minuteman silos. Soviet sources only confirm the latter. The range allowed any destination within the US and Europe to be reached from bases in the Soviet Union. The R-36 used the storable liquid fuels 1,1-dimethylhydrazine and nitrogen tetroxide as fuel .

There were four versions of the R-36:

  • Model 1 with a standard nuclear warhead ( GRAY index 8K67)
  • Model 2 with a nuclear fusion warhead of 25 megatons TNT equivalent , twice the strength of model 1. This should be able to destroy the launch silos in the USA despite its poor accuracy.
  • Model 3 - also known as R-36-O or R-36orb (GRAU index 8K69). Here the FOBS system ( Fractional Orbital Bombardment System ) was used for the first time , which enabled the Soviet Union to attack the USA via the South Pole and thus bypass the North Pole- oriented radar warning chain in North America and Northern Europe. For this purpose, the warhead was brought into a low earth orbit , which was left again before the target area by brake rockets. So theoretically every point on earth could be shot at.
  • Model 4 used three separate warheads (English Multiple Reentry Vehicles, MRV ), steered by a common control system in order to avoid the possible missile defense in the final phase.

All versions were two-stage liquid fuel rockets and were launched from silos. Development of the R-36 began in 1962. Model 1 and 2 entered service in 1967 and Model 3 and 4 in 1968. In 1971 a maximum of 255 Model 1 to 3 rockets were stationed. In 1973, 100 pieces of model 4 were available. In 1979, all but Model 3 missiles were decommissioned. Model 3 then fell under the SALT II treaty, with the last rocket removed from the launch silo in February 1983. The successor to the SS-9 was the later R-36M (NATO code: Satan) .

The R-36 was the basis for the Raumflug- launcher of the type cyclone . The design took place in the design office of Mikhail Kuzmich Jangel , and the rocket was manufactured in Dnjepropetrovsk in Ukraine .

Technical specifications

system R-36 R-36Orb R-36P
Guided missile 8K67 8K69 8K67P
NATO code SS-9 Scarp mod 1 SS-9 Scarp mod 2 SS-9 Scarp mod 3 SS-9 Scarp mod 4
Introductory year 1966 1968 1970
drive 2 levels of liquid fuel (storable)
length 32.20 m 31.70 m 34.50 m 32.20 m
Hull diameter 3.0 m
Weight 183,900 kg 183,980 kg 180,000 kg 183,900 kg
payload 5825 kg 3950 kg 1770 kg 6000 kg
Warhead 1 RV nuclear 12 or 18 Mt 1 RV nuclear 25 Mt 1 FOBS nuclear 5M (OR-36) 3 MRV nuclear 2-3 Mt plus decoys
Operational range 10,500 km 15,200 km 40,000 km 12,000 km
Hit Accuracy ( CEP ) 5000 m 1890 m unknown 1850 m

See also

Web links and sources

Commons : R-36  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files