MOSCOW (Al Jazeera) – Russia plans to deploy its newly tested Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile, which is capable of mounting nuclear strikes on the United States, by the autumn.
Dmitry Rogozin, head of the Roscosmos space agency, said on Saturday that the target deployment date for the new missile was an ambitious one.
“We plan to do it no later than autumn,” he told the Rossiya 24 TV channel.
Russia reported its first test launch of the Sarmat on Wednesday.
Rogozin said the launch of the Russian “super weapon” was a historic event that would guarantee the security of Russia’s children and grandchildren for the next 30-40 years.
The missiles will be deployed in the Krasnoyarsk region of Siberia, about 3,000km (1,860 miles) east of Moscow, and placed at the same sites and in the same silos as the Soviet-era Voyevoda missiles they are replacing, something that would save “colossal resources and time”, Rogozin said.
This week’s test of the new intercontinental ballistic missile marks a show of strength by Russia at a time of increased tensions with the U.S. and its allies over the war in Ukraine.
The Sarmat’s range, which according to some experts is as much as 35,000km (22,000 miles), allows it to fly the long way around to its intended target, bypassing likely radar and missile systems, and striking from an unexpected direction.
A Sarmat missile can carry up to 15 nuclear warheads.
Russia has also developed hypersonic missiles such as the Kinzhal (Dagger).