Are the American intercontinental ballistic missiles better than the Russian?

Are the American Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles Better than the Russian?

The Soviets always went for ICBMs with a heavy throw weight as they preferred to have more missiles stationed on land as supposed to at sea.

Now there were always various prototypes in the works, and it usually wasn’t clear which ICBM would be put into production and which not.

So they made silos large enough to fit in all types under development with room to spare.

As such the new Russian ICBM, the RS-28 Sarmat, will be fitted in the old R-36M series of ICBM silos. The modifications they have to make are minor.

The US at present only has silos for the LGM-30G Minuteman III. Any new and heavy ICBM would require the construction of completely new silos and their maintenance facilities.

Last time the US tried to fit a heavy ICBM into a Minutemen silo, the LGM-118A Peacekeeper, it was a budgetary nightmare with cost overruns left, right, and center. The planned 100 Peacekeepers had to be cut down to 50 and still there was not enough money to modernize the silos.

The cost of an ICBM system is not the missile itself or the warheads, but the infrastructure surrounding them.

A new heavy ICBM would be a financial fiasco

Number 1: Trident II (USA)

   The Trident D5, or Trident II, is a submarine-launched ballistic missile. It is an improved version of the previous Trident C4 with greater payload, range and accuracy. These missile are deployed by the United States and the United Kingdom. The US Trident II missiles are carried by 14 Ohio class submarines, while the British missiles are carried by 4 Vanguard class submarines.

   The Trident II missile has a range of 7 800 km with full load and 12 000 km with reduced load. So even though the Trident II does not have the longest range comparing with other ICBMs, ballistic submarines armed with these missiles can always approach their targets, to reduce their flight range so to speak.

   Each US Trident II missiles can carry up to 14 warheads with a 475 kT yield each. Though START I agreement reduced this number to 8. Re-entry vehicles maneuver in order to avoid enemy air defenses. Each re-entry vehicle is targeted independently. The British missiles use different locally built re-entry vehicles. British missiles reportedly can carry up to 12 warheads per missile.

   The Trident II is a very accurate missile. It has a CEP of around 90 m. It is guided on the target by astro-inertial navigation system, but can also receive GPS updates.

   The Trident II missile not only has impressive range, great payload and is very accurate. Another major advantage of the Trident II over other ballistic missiles is that it is submarine-launched. It is worth noting that USA controls most of the water area with its fleet. It allows these submarines to remain undetected on their ocean patrols. It makes these ICMBs extremely deadly. At the same time positions of stationary silo-based ballistic missiles are known and are targeted by hostile nuclear missiles. So ballistic submarines with Trident II missiles have a high probability of surviving the first strike, once the country has been attacked.

It is planned that upgraded versions of the Trident II missiles will remain in service until 2042.

Number 2: R-36M2 Voyevoda  (Russia)

   The Soviet R-36M2 Voyevoda (Western designation SS-9 Scarp), known in the West as SS-18 Satan.

The SS-18 Satan is a very capable missile, mainly because of its high speed and extremely high throw weight. Russia was and is still ahead of the West in development of missile engines.

  

   The R-36M2 missile has a range of 11 000 km and carry up to 10 MIRVs with a blast yield of 0.75-1 MT and up to 40 penetration aids. So its nuclear warheads are hard to intercept by air defense systems. CEP is 220 m. So even though it is not the most accurate missile it coupes in full with its payload. Some sources report that a single SS-18 Satan missile with MIRVs can completely destroy 3 US states, such as Maryland, Vermont and Rhode Island.

In terms of range and payload it is clearly superior to the US Trident II.

Number 3: RS-24 Yars  (Russia)

   The Russian RS-24 Yars is a new intercontinental ballistic missile. It is known in the West as SS-29. It is an improved version of the previous RS-12M Topol-M. It was developed both as a road-mobile and silo-based system, which would use the same missile. As of 2016 Russian Strategic Missile Forces deployed 63 mobile and 10 silo-based Yars ICBMs. It is planned that the Yars will become the mainstay of the ground-based component of Russian nuclear triad.

   This solid-fuel missile is similar to that of the Topol-M. The Yars has a range of 12 000 km. The main difference from the previous missile is that Yars is MIRV-equipped and can carry at least 6 independently targetable warheads with 100-300 kT yield. Other sources report that this missile can carry up to 10 re-entry vehicles. It is very likely, considering that the previous Topol-M could carry 10 warheads. CEP of the Yars is 150-200 m.

   The Yars was designed to overcome missile defense systems. This missile maneuvers during the flight and carries both active and passive decoys. It is estimated that it has at least 60-65% chance to penetrate defenses.

   The road-mobile Yars uses the same highly mobile 16x16 wheeled chassis as the previous Topol-M. Externally both missiles look similar, but the Yars is heavier and more capable. The mobile launcher has 500 km autonomy on roads. Once on high alert, the Yars TELs can leave their bases and operates in remote forest areas to increase their survivability. Its autonomy allows the mobile launcher with missile to operate undetected in an area equivalent to a small European country. So such road-mobile ICBMs are harder to detect and hit. These have a high probability of surviving the first strike, once the country has been attacked.

Number 4: LGM-30G Minuteman III (USA)

   The Minuteman III is the most numerous US ICBM. There are 450 of these missiles in the US service. Another 50 to 75 missiles are in reserve. That's the biggest number of ballistic missiles in the world. These are managed by the United States Air Force Global Strike Command. There are silos to fire the Minuteman III missile all around the United States, like in Montana, North Dakota, Wyoming and other US Air Force bases. However all of these missiles are stationary and their positions are known.

   The Minuteman III missile has a maximum range of 13 000 km. The original inertial navigation system provided it with an accuracy of about 200 m CEP, but an updated inertial guidance system gives it 120 m CEP.

   The Minuteman III carries a payload of three independently targetable reentry vehicles. Each one of this MIRVs is armed with nuclear warhead with a destructive power between 300 to 500 kT. It also carries penetration aids to counter enemy missile defense systems.

   So the Minuteman III is agile and has the longest range, but might not be the best intercontinental missile in the world. However the United States operates hundreds of these missiles, so quantity has its own quality.

Number 5: The R-29RMU2.1 Layner (Russia)

   The R-29RMU2.1 Layner is a recent Russian submarine-launched ballistic missile. It is an improved version of the previous R-29RMU2 Sineva. The R-29RMU2.1 Layner was adopted in 2014. It is used on Delta IV class submarines. Previous R-29RMU2 Sineva missiles have reportedly been modified to the new standard.

   This Russian submarine-launched missile has a maximum range of 8 300 km with full load and 12 000 km with reduced load. Each missile can carry 12 low-yield warheads. Most likely that these have 100-300 kT capacity. Unusual feature of this missile is that warheads can be of a mixed set with various yields. This missile is equipped with improved systems to overcome anti-ballistic missile shields. It carries decoys. Furthermore it can be configured to can carry less nuclear warheads, but more decoys.

   As of 2016 a total of 6 Delta IV class submarines, equipped with ballistic missiles, are in service with the Russian Navy. Submarine basing of the ICBMs allow to survive the first strike. Still though these have a higher chances of surviving than silo-based systems. Furthermore these missiles have sufficient range to be fired straight from the pier, even without need for the submarines to leave their well protected bases.

Number 6: Bulava (Russia)

   The Bulava is a new Russian submarine-launched intercontinental ballistic missile. It is carried by the new Russian Borei class submarines. The Bulava is a naval version of the Topol-M.  Once the country has been attacked these submarine-based missiles have high chances of surviving the first strike. Each Borei class submarine can carry 16 missiles. The Bulava missile has potential to be road-mobile or rail-based.

   Overall the Bulava is much less capable than the US Trident D5. It has shorter range, can carry significantly less payload and is not that accurate. It has a declared range of 9 500 km. This missile can carry 6 MIRVs with a yield of 150 kT each. It can also carry 10 MIRVs, though to a range of only 4 000 km. The Bulava has an astro-inertial guidance with Russian GLONASS satellite navigation system update. It has a CEP of 350 m. This missile was designed to overcome hostile air defenses.