Novator 9M729

Last updated

The Novator 9M729 (SSC-8) [1] is a cruise missile developed by NPO Novator in Russia. [2] [3] [4] It gained significant attention when it led to the denunciation of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF Treaty) by the United States secretary of state Mike Pompeo in August 2019. [5]

Contents

History

The 9M729 missile class was initially banned by the INF Treaty, which was signed in December 1987. [6] By November 1990, six launchers containing 84 missiles were deployed at the Missile/Launcher Storage in Jelgava, located in still Soviet-occupied Latvia. However, these launchers and missiles were subsequently destroyed. [7] [8] [9]

In early 2017, US officials, along with analyst Jeffrey Lewis, alleged that Russia was violating the INF Treaty through the deployment of the 9M728 (SSC-7) and 9M729 (SSC-8) [10] missiles as part of the Iskander missile system. These missiles were regarded as variants of the earlier SS-C-4. According to US officials, two missile battalions equipped with the SSC-8 missiles were deployed by February 14, 2017, in violation of the INF Treaty. [8] [11] [12] Each battalion was composed of four launchers, with each launcher carrying potentially nuclear-tipped cruise missiles. One battalion was believed to be stationed at Kapustin Yar near Volgograd, while the location of the other battalion remained unknown at the time.

In February 2019, the German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reported that, in addition to the known missile and battalion locations, namely the launch pad at Kapustin Yar and Yekaterinburg, two more sites were equipped with these missiles: Mozdok in North Ossetia and Shuya near Moscow. Each of the four battalions was equipped with four-axle Transporter Erector Launchers (TELs), with each TEL carrying four missiles. Consequently, Russia was believed to possess a total of 64 SSC-8 missiles that could be armed with either conventional or nuclear warheads. [13]

In December 2017, the US National Security Council claimed that the 9M729 cruise missile produced by Novator was believed to be in violation of the INF Treaty. [3] [4] [14] Donald Trump would later abandon compliance with the treaty by the United States in October 2018. [15] [16] [17] [18]

Description

The 9M729 missile may utilize the Transporter Erector Launcher (TEL) of the 9K720 Iskander missile system, where the system might be referred to as Iskander-K; K referring to the Russian phrase for cruise missile; крылатая ракета. [19] Other reports suggest that six missiles are carried on the MAZ 543 launcher, which is associated with the R-17 (SS-1 'Scud B'). [20]

It is believed that the 9M729 is a land-based variant of the Novator Kalibr cruise missile employed by the Russian Navy. [19]

Russia states a range of less than 500km, [21] armyrecognition claims the missile has a range of 2,350 kilometers, however, when equipped with a conventional warhead weighing 500 kilograms, its range is reduced to 2,000 kilometers. [13] The difference could be rooted in the Russian complaint about the Mk41 launcher in Poland and Romania. [22] The US denies the integration of the cruise missile, [23] Russia denies the range.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cruise missile</span> Guided missile with precision targeting capabilities and multiple launch platforms

A cruise missile is a guided missile used against terrestrial or naval targets, that remains in the atmosphere and flies the major portion of its flight path at an approximately constant speed. Cruise missiles are designed to deliver a large warhead over long distances with high precision. Modern cruise missiles are capable of traveling at high subsonic, supersonic, or hypersonic speeds, are self-navigating, and are able to fly on a non-ballistic, extremely low-altitude trajectory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">START I</span> 1991 Soviet Union–United States arms control treaty

START I was a bilateral treaty between the United States and the Soviet Union on the reduction and the limitation of strategic offensive arms. The treaty was signed on 31 July 1991 and entered into force on 5 December 1994. The treaty barred its signatories from deploying more than 6,000 nuclear warheads and a total of 1,600 intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and bombers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty</span> US-Soviet/Russian treaty (1987–2019)

The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty was an arms control treaty between the United States and the Soviet Union. US President Ronald Reagan and Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev signed the treaty on 8 December 1987. The US Senate approved the treaty on 27 May 1988, and Reagan and Gorbachev ratified it on 1 June 1988.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RSD-10 Pioneer</span> Intermediate-range ballistic missile

The RSD-10 Pioneer was an intermediate-range ballistic missile with a nuclear warhead, deployed by the Soviet Union from 1976 to 1988. It carried GRAU designation 15Ж45 (15Zh45). Its NATO reporting name was SS-20 Saber.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RT-2PM Topol</span> Intercontinental ballistic missile

The RT-2PM Topol was a mobile intercontinental ballistic missile designed in the Soviet Union and in service with Russia's Strategic Missile Troops. As of 2014, Russia planned to replace all RT-2PM ICBMs with versions of Topol-M. In December 2023, last Topol regiment was taken off combat duty.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kh-55</span> Family of Soviet air-launched cruise missiles

The Kh-55 is a Soviet/Russian subsonic air-launched cruise missile, designed by MKB Raduga in the 1970s. It has a range of up to 2,500 km (1,350 nmi) and can carry nuclear warheads. Kh-55 is launched exclusively from bomber aircraft and has spawned a number of conventionally armed variants mainly for tactical use, such as the Kh-65SE and Kh-SD, but only the Kh-101 and Kh-555 appear to have been put into service. The Kh-55 was not the basis of the submarine and ground-launched S-10 Granat or RK-55 Relief designed by NPO Novator. The RK-55 is very similar to the air-launched Kh-55 but the Kh-55 has a drop-down turbofan engine and was designed by MKB Raduga.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">R-12 Dvina</span> Medium-range ballistic missile

The R-12 Dvina was a theatre ballistic missile developed and deployed by the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Its GRAU designation was 8K63, and it was given the NATO reporting name of SS-4 Sandal. The R-12 rocket provided the Soviet Union with the capability to attack targets at medium ranges with a megaton-class thermonuclear warhead and constituted the bulk of the Soviet offensive missile threat to Western Europe. Deployments of the R-12 missile in Cuba caused the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962. A total of 2335 missiles were produced; all were destroyed in 1993 under the START II treaty.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BGM-109G Ground Launched Cruise Missile</span> Long-range, all-weather, subsonic tactical/strategic cruise missile

The Ground Launched Cruise Missile, or GLCM, was a ground-launched cruise missile developed by the United States Air Force in the last decade of the Cold War and disarmed under the INF Treaty.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">9K720 Iskander</span> Russian short-range ballistic missile

The 9K720 Iskander is a mobile short-range ballistic missile system produced and deployed by the Russian military. They travel at a terminal hypersonic speed of 2100–2600 m/s and can reach an altitude of 50 km as they range up to 500 km. The missile systems (Искандер-М) were intended to replace by 2020 the supposedly-obsolete OTR-21 Tochka systems in the Russian military.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nuclear triad</span> Set of three types of nuclear-strike weapons

A nuclear triad is a three-pronged military force structure of land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs), and strategic bombers with nuclear bombs and missiles. Countries build nuclear triads to eliminate an enemy's ability to destroy a nation's nuclear forces in a first-strike attack, which preserves their own ability to launch a second strike and therefore increases their nuclear deterrence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kalibr (missile family)</span> Family of Russian missiles

The Novator Kalibr, also referred to as 3M54-1 Kalibr, 3M14 Biryuza, is a family of Russian cruise missiles developed by NPO Novator (OKB-8). It first saw service in 1994. There are ship-launched, submarine-launched and air-launched versions of the missile, and variants for anti-ship, anti-submarine and land attack use. Some versions have a second propulsion stage that initiates a supersonic sprint in the terminal approach to the target, reducing the time that air defense systems have to react, while subsonic versions have greater range than the supersonic variants. The missile can carry a warhead weighing up to 500 kilograms (1,100 lb) of explosive or a thermonuclear warhead.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NPO Novator</span>

NPO Novator is a Russian company that designs long-range anti-aircraft missiles. It was established in 1947 as OKB-8 in Sverdlovsk, became independent in 1991, and then became part of the Almaz-Antey conglomerate. It is perhaps best known for designing the 9M82 and 9M83 missiles of the S-300V SAM system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RS-24 Yars</span> Intercontinental Ballistic Missile

The RS-24 Yars also known as Topol-MR, NATO reporting name SS-29 or SS-27 Mod 2), is a Russian MIRV-equipped, thermonuclear armed intercontinental ballistic missile first tested on May 29, 2007, after a secret military R&D project.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RK-55</span> Russian surface and submarine-launched nuclear cruise missile

The Novator RK-55 Relief is a Russian Navy cruise missile that is launched either from submarines (SLCM) or from surface ships. It can have a nuclear warhead developed in the Soviet Union. A version launched from submarine torpedo tubes, the S-10 Granat, has apparently been converted to carry conventional warheads and continues in service to this day. The Russian Federation was reported to have deployed the derivative SS-CX-7/SS-CX-8 systems on 14 February 2017. The land launched version is called the Novator 9M729.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New START</span> 2010 nuclear arms reduction treaty between the United States and the Russian Federation

New START is a nuclear arms reduction treaty between the United States and the Russian Federation with the formal name of Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms. It was signed on 8 April 2010 in Prague, and after ratification it entered into force on 5 February 2011.

The RS-26 Rubezh SS-X-31 or SS-X-29B, is a Russian solid-fueled intercontinental ballistic missile, equipped with a thermonuclear MIRV or MaRV payload. The missile is also intended to be capable of carrying the Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle. The RS-26 is based on RS-24 Yars, and constitutes a shorter version of the RS-24 with one fewer stages. The development process of the RS-26 has been largely comparable to that of the RSD-10 Pioneer, a shortened derivative of the RT-21 Temp 2S. Deployment of the RS-26 is speculated to have a similar strategic impact as the RSD-10.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pershing II</span> American ballistic missile

The Pershing II Weapon System was a solid-fueled two-stage medium-range ballistic missile designed and built by Martin Marietta to replace the Pershing 1a Field Artillery Missile System as the United States Army's primary nuclear-capable theater-level weapon. The U.S. Army replaced the Pershing 1a with the Pershing II Weapon System in 1983, while the German Air Force retained Pershing 1a until all Pershings were eliminated in 1991. The U.S. Army Missile Command (MICOM) managed the development and improvements, while the Field Artillery Branch deployed the systems and developed tactical doctrine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018</span> United States Law

The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 is a United States federal law which specifies the budget, expenditures and policies of the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) for Fiscal Year 2018. Analogous NDAAs have been passed in previous and subsequent years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">9M730 Burevestnik</span> Nuclear-powered cruise missile

The 9M730 Burevestnik is a Russian nuclear-powered, nuclear-armed cruise missile under development for the Russian Armed Forces. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, the missile has an essentially unlimited range.

KN-23, officially the Hwasong-11Ga 《화성-11가》형 is a designation given to a North Korean solid-fueled tactical ballistic missile.

References

  1. ↑ "9M729 (SSC-8)". Missile Threat. Retrieved 2023-07-22.
  2. ↑ Borger, Julian (2 October 2018). "US Nato envoy's threat to Russia: stop developing missile or we'll 'take it out'". Guardian News & Media Limited.
  3. 1 2 Majumdar, Dave (7 December 2017). "Novator 9M729: The Russian Missile that Broke INF Treaty's Back?". Center for the National Interest.
  4. 1 2 Goncharenko, Roman (5 December 2018). "Russia's controversial 9M729 missile system". Deutsche Welle.
  5. ↑ "China will not join Russia-US disarmament talks". Artsakhpress.am. TASS. 8 November 2019.
  6. ↑ Thomson 1999, p. 131.
  7. ↑ Thomson 1999, p. 127.
  8. 1 2 Gordon, Michael R. (February 14, 2017). "Russia Deploys Missile, Violating Treaty and Challenging Trump". The New York Times. Retrieved 2018-10-22.
  9. ↑ "INF TREATY". www.bits.de. December 8, 1987. Retrieved 2018-10-22.
  10. ↑ Majumdar, Dave (2017-02-14). "Russia's Dangerous Nuclear Forces are Back". The National Interest. Retrieved 2018-10-22.
  11. ↑ Pike, John. "9M729 - SSC-X-8". www.globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 2018-10-22.
  12. ↑ Burns, Robert. "Official: Russia Has Deployed Missile in Violation of Treaty". Military.com. Retrieved 2018-10-22.
  13. 1 2 "Russia has more SSC-8 cruise missiles than expected, with conflictual range". Army Recognition. 11 February 2019.
  14. ↑ "The INF Treaty culprit identified. Now what?". Russian Strategic Nuclear Forces. 5 December 2017.
  15. ↑ Pengelly, Martin (20 October 2018). "Trump says US will withdraw from nuclear arms treaty with Russia". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
  16. ↑ Sanger, David E.; Broad, William J. (October 19, 2019). "U.S. to Tell Russia It Is Leaving Landmark I.N.F. Treaty". The New York Times . Retrieved May 21, 2020.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  17. ↑ "President Trump to pull US from Russia missile treaty". BBC. 20 October 2018. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
  18. ↑ "Trump: U.S. to exit nuclear treaty, citing Russian violations". Reuters. October 20, 2019.
  19. 1 2 "Russia's Deadly and Mysterious 9M729 Cruise Missile - What Can it Do and Why Does it Worry NATO?". Military Watch Magazine. 8 December 2018.
  20. ↑ "RK-55 (SSC-X-4 'Slingshot' and 3K10 Granat)", Jane's Strategic Weapon Systems, 2008-09-12, archived from the original on 2012-09-03, retrieved 2009-02-04
  21. ↑ https://www.ippnw.de/commonFiles/pdfs/Atomwaffen/a-z_glossarbegriffe.pdf
  22. ↑ https://www.romaniajournal.ro/society-people/us-mk-41-systems-deployment-in-romania-poland-contradicts-inf-treaty-russian-official-says/
  23. ↑ https://news.usni.org/2019/08/21/putin-pledges-russian-response-to-u-s-cruise-missile-test

Bibliography

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.