Missile SS-25 Sickle / RT-2PM Topol

The RT-2PM2 Topol-M, known by its NATO designation SS-27 "Sickle B", represents Russia's first intercontinental ballistic missile developed entirely after the Soviet era. Its design, an evolution of the earlier RT-2PM Topol, commenced in the late 1980s, spearheaded by the Moscow Institute of Thermal Technology under principal designer Yuri Solomonov, with production undertaken by the Votkinsk Machine Building Plant. The program aimed to create a modern solid-fuel rocket, as indicated by its Russian designation which reflects improved tactical and technical characteristics. Following a redesign in the early 1990s, the missile underwent its initial flight test in late 1994. Experimental combat duty began with a small number of units towards the end of 1997. After a series of evaluations, the silo-based variant officially entered service by presidential decree in mid-2000, marking a significant step in Russia's strategic deterrent modernization.

The Topol-M is a three-stage, solid-propellant intercontinental ballistic missile, notable for its rapid acceleration phase provided by advanced first-stage rocket motors, contributing to a flatter flight trajectory. This characteristic, combined with a short engine burn time, is intended to enhance survivability against satellite detection and missile defense systems. The system is designed to carry a single powerful warhead, although its architecture is compatible with multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicles and includes provisions for decoys and countermeasures. It employs an inertial guidance system augmented by GLONASS for high precision. The missile's solid-fuel nature allows for prolonged states of readiness and rapid launch capability, while its construction incorporates carbon fiber winding. It is reportedly engineered with features for evasive maneuvering to counter adversary interceptor systems, including the ability for its payload to alter course post-separation.

Operated exclusively by the Russian Strategic Rocket Forces, the Topol-M system has been in active service since December 2000. It offers versatile basing options, deployable from reinforced missile silos or via road-mobile transporter-erector-launchers, with distinct designations for each configuration. Initial deployments saw missiles placed on combat duty in the late 1990s, with silo-based regiments progressively established in the early 2000s. The first mobile Topol-M systems became operational in the mid-2000s, stationed with units such as the missile division near Teykovo. By the early 2020s, a number of silo-based and mobile missiles were reported to be deployed across specific missile divisions. The operational lifespan of these missiles is estimated to be between fifteen and twenty years. Production of the Topol-M reportedly concluded around 2010, as newer systems like the RS-24 Yars, which incorporates multiple warheads, began to be favored for future procurement.