Missile RT-23 Molodets (SS-24 Scalpel)

The RT-23 Molodets originated from a 1969 Soviet program to develop a solid-propellant ICBM capable of multiple basing modes. The system was intended to replace the liquid-fueled UR-100N. Development included silo-based and rail-based variants, though a proposed road-mobile version was rejected. Flight testing occurred during the 1980s, and the system entered service in 1987.

The RT-23 is a cold-launched, three-stage, solid-fueled intercontinental ballistic missile utilizing an autonomous inertial guidance system. The missile is armed with ten Multiple Independently Targetable Reentry Vehicles (MIRVs), each with a 550 kt yield.

The rail-based variant, designated BZhRK, operates from a train consisting of three locomotives and seventeen cars camouflaged as civilian refrigerated vans or passenger rail. Each train includes three autonomous launching modules, command posts, and support systems, allowing for autonomous operation for up to 28 days. To accommodate the missile within railcar dimensions, the rail-based version utilizes an inflatable nose cone, while the silo-based variant uses a folding nose cone designed for protection during nuclear strikes. Launch from the railcar involves a powder pressure accumulator that ejects the missile to a height of 20–30 meters. The missile then inclines away from the train before first-stage ignition to prevent exhaust damage to the launcher. To prevent railroad track damage from the weight of the launching car, a three-car coupling system distributes weight between neighboring cars. The rail system was tested for resilience against electromagnetic pulses, lightning, and the effects of nearby nuclear detonations.

The RT-23 was operated by the Strategic Rocket Forces of the Soviet Union. Following the dissolution of the USSR, missiles were located in Russia and Ukraine. Ukrainian forces inherited silo-based units, which were deactivated by the mid-1990s. These missiles were dismantled and their silos destroyed, with warheads transferred to Russia for dismantlement. In Russia, the system was deployed in silo and rail-based configurations across several rocket divisions. Silo-based missiles were deactivated by 2001, and their silos were modified for subsequent missile complexes. The rail-based complexes were gradually withdrawn from service after 2000. All RT-23 units were decommissioned by 2005 in compliance with the START II treaty, and the final missile was eliminated in 2008.