YARS MISSILE

31st March, 2023 Defence

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Context

Russia has begun conducting drills with its Yars intercontinental ballistic missiles.

Highlights

Russian president has stated his aim to make the Yars system part of Russia’s “invincible weapons” and the mainstay of the ground-based component of its nuclear arsenal.

About the Yar missiles

Only a few confirmed tactical and technical characteristics of the Yars system are available.
It was developed by the Moscow Institute of Thermal Engineering.
The Yars missile is called SS-29 by NATO.
The missile weighs around 49,000 kg and is 20.9 metres long.
The missile relies on a guidance upgraded system of the inertial and Glonass system used in the Topol-M missile.
Its accuracy is around 250 m Circular Error of Probability (CEP).
The Yars missile has an operational range of 12,000 km.
Yars can carry a payload of up to a dozen times more than the bomb the Americans dropped on Hiroshima.
It can be prepared for launch within seven minutes.

History

An upgraded version of the Topol-M ballistic missile, the RS-24 was first tested in 2007.
The Yars was inducted by the Russian Strategic Missile Forces in 2010 and production of the missiles began that same year.
By 2016, the Russian Strategic Missile Forces had 63 mobile and 10 silo-based Yars ICBMs in position alongside the Topol-M systems.
Unlike the Topol-M, the Yars missile is equipped with Multiple Independently-targetable Reentry Vehicles (MIRVs).

About Ballistic Missiles

Ballistic missiles are powered initially by a rocket or series of rockets in stages, but then follow an unpowered trajectory that arches upwards before descending to reach its intended target.
Ballistic missiles can carry either nuclear or conventional warheads.

Classification

There are four general classifications of ballistic missiles based on their range, or the maximum distance the missile can travel:

Short-range: less than 1,000 kilometers, also known as “tactical” ballistic missiles.

Medium-range: between 1,000 and 3,000 kilometers, also known as “theater” ballistic missiles.

Intermediate-range: between 3,000 and 5,500 kilometers

Long-range: more than 5,500 kilometers, also known as intercontinental or strategic ballistic missiles. Intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) can fly much further than the minimum range; for example, Russia could hit Chicago with an ICBM launched from the Krasnoyarsk ICBM base, which is located 9,156 kilometers away.

Must Read Articles:

Basics of Missiles: https://www.iasgyan.in/blogs/the-basics-of-missiles

PRACTICE QUESTION

Q) How many of the following pairs with reference to ballistic missiles is/are incorrectly matched?

a. Tactical Missiles:: Short Range Missiles.

b. Theatre Missiles:: Long Range Missiles.

c. Strategic Missiles:: Medium Range Missiles.