RS-28 Sarmat

Russia's RS-28 Sarmat is a three-stage, liquid-fuelled heavy intercontinental ballistic missile intended to replace the R-36M2 and carry nuclear MIRVs or Avangard hypersonic glide vehicles.

Overview

The RS-28 Sarmat, designated SS-X-29 or SS-29 by NATO, is a Russian silo-launched intercontinental ballistic missile designed as the successor to the Soviet-era R-36M2. It belongs to the heavy-ICBM category: a large liquid-fuelled missile intended to carry a substantial strategic payload over intercontinental distances. Open-source specifications commonly give a range of 18,000 km, a launch weight of 208.1 tonnes, a length of 35.3 m and a diameter of 3 m, although Russia discloses little independently verifiable performance data and payload figures remain external estimates, as summarized by the open-source Sarmat profile.

Sarmat is intended to carry multiple independently targetable nuclear re-entry vehicles and to become the principal future carrier for the Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle. Russian messaging has also presented its range and potential approach from unexpected azimuths as means of complicating missile warning and defense. These remain state claims rather than capabilities demonstrated through an established operational deployment.

The program occupies a prominent place among the strategic systems President Vladimir Putin unveiled in 2018. Russia declared Sarmat on combat duty in September 2023, but subsequent evidence indicated that testing and development continued. Following a reported successful test in May 2026, Russian officials announced that deployment at Uzhur was planned by the end of 2026. Independent confirmation that an operational Sarmat regiment has entered combat duty was not publicly established as of September 2026.

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