Missile SS-27 Sickle-B / RT-2PM2 Topol-M

The RT-2PM2 Topol-M is the first intercontinental ballistic missile developed by Russia after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Its development began in the late 1980s as an evolutionary upgrade of the RT-2PM Topol, but the design was significantly altered in 1992. The first flight test occurred in December 1994, and after a series of further tests, the system was accepted for experimental combat duty.

The Topol-M is a three-stage, solid-propellant missile known for its rapid acceleration and relatively flat ballistic trajectory, features designed to complicate detection and interception. Its solid-fuel engine allows it to be kept on high alert for extended periods and launched within minutes of an order. The missile is equipped with an inertial guidance system that utilizes GLONASS satellite navigation, reportedly giving it the highest accuracy of any Russian ICBM. While typically carrying a single warhead with an estimated yield of up to one megaton, its design is compatible with Multiple Independently-targetable Re-entry Vehicles (MIRV), allowing it to potentially carry four to six warheads. The system is engineered to overcome missile defense systems through a combination of targeting countermeasures, decoys, a short boost phase, and the warhead's ability to perform evasive maneuvers during its terminal phase.

The system is operated exclusively by Russia's Strategic Rocket Forces and is deployed in two distinct configurations: a silo-based version and a road-mobile version launched from a 16-wheeled transporter-erector-launcher (TEL). The first silo-based missiles entered service in the late 1990s, with formal induction by presidential decree in 2000. Mobile launchers were first put on combat duty in 2006.