Russia Launches RS-18 Ballistic Missile

Russia's Strategic Missile Forces has launched RS-18 (SS-19 Stiletto) two-stage ballistic missile from south- western Russia into the Far East.

"The launch was carried out successfully; the ballistic warhead has been delivered to the area of the Kura range (Kamchatka Peninsula)," the Defense Ministry said in a statement Tuesday.

The purpose of morning launch from the Yasny missile formation in Orenburg Region is aimed to confirm the stability of flight performance characteristics for missiles of similar class at extended-use periods.

The UR-100N/ SS-19 Stiletto is a fourth-generation silo-launched liquid-propellant ICBM similar to the UR-100. The SS-19 is approximately 80 feet long and 8 1/2 feet in diameter. The missile was not designed to use existing UR-100 silos, and therefore had new silos constructed for it.

The UR-100N uses asymmetrical dimethylhidrazine and nitrogen tetraoxide propellants. The first stage consists of four autonomous closed-cycle single-chambered rocket motors. The second stage has a closed-cycle single chambered sustainer and a four chambered open cycle control motor with four rotating nozzles.