MAZ-7912/MAZ-7917 (Russian: МАЗ-7912/МАЗ-7917) is a Soviet/Russian army vehicle, an 14×12 artillery truck designed and developed by MAZ, Minsk automobile plant, Belarus.It was developed primary for the use as a Topol ICBM RT-2PM (15Zh58) launcher. 7912 was constructively similar to MAZ-547А except for its 7 (instead of 6) axles with one dead axle.

In the middle of 1980th 7912 was upgraded to 7917 – its length increased by 1 m and the crew cabins made similar to MAZ-7916.At present the 8-axels variant is used with Topol M, Topol’s replacement.

Development

Development of the Russian Topol-M ballistic missile, designator RS-12 M1/M2, began in the late 1980s as an evolutionary upgrade of the SS-25 `Sickle’ (Topol) road mobile system (for further details of SS-25 see separate entry), but this was changed in 1992 following the break-up of the former Soviet Union to develop a totally Russian designed and built missile. It is believed that the RS-12M1 (Mod 1 version) is road-mobile, and the RS-12M2 (Mod 2 version) is silo-based, and that these missiles have an alternative Russian designator RT-2PM-OS. There have been conflicting reports concerning the NATO designator, but it is believed to be SS-27. The original SS-25 `Sickle’ was configured with an advanced single-warhead payload and although there was general satisfaction with the missile, the road mobility system made it more expensive to operate in comparison with a silo-based missile system.

The Topol-M has a newly developed first stage, which is wider and heavier than that used on the SS-25. Russian accounts have stressed the invulnerability of the new missile to anti-ballistic missile defences, and the missile has a more energetic first-stage engine and incorporates a new warhead and re-entry vehicle. A flight test in June 1999 confirmed that the re-entry vehicle can manoeuvre to avoid interception during the terminal phase, and it must be expected that the payload includes countermeasures. Russian reports suggest that previous Russian warheads could be rendered ineffective by nuclear blasts up to 10 km away, while the new system can withstand explosions closer than 500 m range. There have been unconfirmed reports that the new Topol-M would be capable of carrying up to six warheads, but the tests to date have been limited to a single nuclear warhead only. A report in 2003 stated that a MIRV version was being proposed, with a reduced range, and possibly to enter service around 2010.

A proposal was made in 1998 to develop a naval version of the SS-27 missile as an SLBM, to replace the SS-NX-28 missile, which had development problems. This proposal is believed to have been made jointly between MIT and the Makeyev design bureau. The SLBM variant is called ‘Bulava’, and may be fitted to the ‘Borey’ class SSBN, the first of this class is expected to be commissioned in 2006. It is believed that this missile has been given the NATO designator SS-N-30. It was reported that a design requirement for the SS-27 missile was that the first three stages could be used as a satellite launch vehicle, but there have been no reported test launches of any such SLV.

Description

The SS-27 Topol-M is a cold-launched, three-stage, solid-propellant, silo-based or road-mobile ballistic missile that has an overall length of 21.9 m. The first stage is believed to be 10.5 m long and has a body diameter of 1.9 m. At its base, similar to the earlier SS-25 `Sickle’, it employs paddle-type Belotserkovskiy control surfaces. There are eight of these waffle-patterned folding fins, four are for stability, while the four others have movable louvres for control purposes during the boost phase of the missile’s flight. However, an unconfirmed report suggests that these eight fins have been deleted on the latest modification missiles. Stage two is 5.2 m long and has a body diameter of 1.61 m. Stage three is around 3.1 m long (without re-entry vehicle/warhead assembly) and has a body diameter of 1.58 m. The remainder of the missile’s length is taken up by the long pointed cone-shaped nose-section that houses the re-entry vehicle. The missile has a launch weight of 47,200 kg. Guidance is by an onboard digital inertial navigation system with a Glonass receiver, providing an accuracy of 350 m CEP. There is a downlink from the missile to the ground station, so that the missile’s position can be transmitted to launch control. The minimum range is believed to be 2,000 km, and the maximum range 10,500 km.

It is believed that the SS-27 missile carries a single nuclear warhead with a 550 kT yield, although one Russian report suggests a yield of 1 MT, with countermeasures, and has a throw weight of 1,000 kg. The RV can manoeuvre. It is believed that the missile is stored and cold launched from a launch canister similar to that used with the SS-25, but that the SS-27 canister has a flatter nose shape. The missile has a life of 18 years in its canister. When silo-based, it is deployed from modified SS-18 `Satan’, SS-19 ‘Stiletto’ or ‘SS-24 ‘Scalpel’ silos. When used in the road-mobile configuration it uses a modified eight-axle SS-25 Transporter-Erector-Launcher (TEL) with 16 × 16 wheeled drive, believed to have the designator MAZ-7916. The TEL has a length of 22.8 m, a width of 3.05 m, and a height of 3.8 m. The TEL was developed by the Titan Central Design Bureau at Volgograd, and built at the Barrikady Plant in Volgograd.

Operational status

The first launch of SS-27 Topol-M took place in December 1994, with eight more tests between September 1995 and December 1999. Further tests were made in February 2000, two in September 2000, June 2002 and November 2002. The second test in September 2000 was the first launch from a TEL vehicle, and it is believed that a further ten TEL launches are planned up to 2005. Two missiles entered service with the Taman Missile Division in December 1997 in modernised SS-19 missile silos at Tatischevo. In 1998, it was reported that Russia planned to build around 350 SS-27 missiles, with probably 270 in silos and 80 road-mobile. However, by July 2003, this plan had been modified, and it is expected that around 100 missiles will be built by 2010. Around 33 former SS-19 and 10 former SS-24 silos at Tatischevo are planned for conversion to take the SS-27 missiles. The first regiment of 10 missiles was operational at Tatischevo by the end of 1998, with a second regiment of 10 missiles operational by December 1999. A third regiment was declared operational in December 2000, but with only four missiles, and a further six missiles were delivered in 2001. The 30 operational missiles were all in silos at Tatischevo, and it is believed that 12 silos are provided for each regiment of 10 missiles. The first TEL missiles are reported to have entered service in 2001, and are believed to be based at Tatischevo for the present time. Although the production rate was planned to increase from 10 per year in 1999 to 30 missiles per year from 2001 onwards, the actual rate has been just 6 missiles per year for 2001, 2002 and 2003. A report in 1998 suggested that the mobile launchers would be based at Valdaif and Altaif, using a former SS-17 launch complex.

Specifications

Length: 21.9 m

Body diameter: 1st stage 1.9 m; 2nd stage 1.61 m; 3rd stage 1.58 m

Launch weight: 47,200 kg

Payload: Single RV on a PBV

Warhead: 550 kT nuclear

Guidance: Inertial with Glonass

Propulsion: 3-stage solid plus PBV

Range: 10,500 km

Accuracy: 350 m CEP