{"id":59195,"date":"2022-04-28T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-04-28T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2022\/04\/28\/russias-sarmat-test-underscores-need-to-modernize-us-nuclear-triad\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T00:19:31","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T00:19:31","slug":"russias-sarmat-test-underscores-need-to-modernize-us-nuclear-triad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/commentary\/2022\/04\/28\/russias-sarmat-test-underscores-need-to-modernize-us-nuclear-triad\/","title":{"rendered":"Russia\u2019s Sarmat test underscores need to modernize US nuclear triad"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Russia <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/training-sim\/2022\/04\/20\/russia-tests-new-nuclear-capable-missile\/\" target=\"_blank\">conducted its first flight test of the RS-28 Sarma<\/a>t intercontinental ballistic missile on April 20. The launch represents a notable milestone in Russia\u2019s ongoing nuclear modernization designed to hold the American homeland at risk, underscoring the importance of modernizing the U.S. nuclear triad and associated nuclear command, control and communications system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Russia\u2019s Defence Ministry <a href=\"https:\/\/tass.com\/defense\/1440631\" target=\"_blank\">announced<\/a> the Sarmat \u201cwas successfully test-launched from a silo at the Plesetsk state testing cosmodrome\u201d in northwestern Russia. The test \u201cconfirmed\u201d the missile\u2019s \u201cdesign characteristics\u201d during \u201call phases of its flight,\u201d the ministry declared, adding that its \u201cpractice warheads arrived at the designated area at the Kura proving ground on the Kamchatka Peninsula.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Although Russia has <a href=\"https:\/\/tass.com\/defense\/1014008\" target=\"_blank\">conducted three Sarmat ejection tests<\/a> since December 2017, this latest test was the missile\u2019s first flight test.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Sarmat is a three-stage, silo-based, liquid-fuel, heavy ICBM with a <a href=\"https:\/\/sputniknews.com\/20190627\/technical-characteristics-sarmat-missiles-army-forum-1076075064.html\" target=\"_blank\">reported range of 18,000 kilometers<\/a>. Dubbed \u201cSatan II\u201d by NATO, the missile is a Russian-built replacement of the Soviet-era SS-18 \u201cSatan\u201d ICBM, which is reaching the end of its life cycle. The Sarmat reportedly can carry a 10-ton payload consisting of 10-plus multiple independent reentry vehicles along with penetration aids used to evade missile defenses. <a href=\"https:\/\/tass.com\/russia\/1442231\" target=\"_blank\">Moscow says<\/a> the new missile can also carry several <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/global\/europe\/2021\/03\/15\/two-down-more-to-go-with-hypersonic-weapons-already-in-the-field-russia-looks-to-improve-features\/\" target=\"_blank\">Avangard hypersonic glide vehicles<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/air\/2022\/03\/14\/what-should-be-the-united-states-next-move-on-hypersonic-tech\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/6301069.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">What should be the United States\u2019 next move on hypersonic tech?<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">In early February, executives from more than a dozen defense firms gathered virtually with top Pentagon leaders, including the defense secretary. At stake: the future of hypersonic weapons, one of the most hyped, debated and costly weapons initiatives in years.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Sarmat has reportedly been under development since the 2000s but <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/training-sim\/2018\/03\/30\/russia-tests-new-intercontinental-ballistic-missile\/\" target=\"_blank\">gained notoriety<\/a> after being publicly touted during a March 2018 address by Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Russian leader boasted that the Sarmat would be impervious to existing or potential missile defenses thanks to its short boost phase and extremely long range, which would allow the missile to travel over the North or South poles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Missiles are often their most vulnerable during the boost phase, and most American missile sensors normally focus on threats traveling over the North Pole rather than the South Pole. Regardless, existing U.S. missile defense capabilities are focused on rogue states such as North Korea and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fdd.org\/podcasts\/2022\/04\/01\/mutually-assured-destruction-no-longer-reassuring\/\" target=\"_blank\">stand no chance<\/a> of defending against a massive Russian nuclear attack against the American homeland, reinforcing the need for a robust and reliable U.S. nuclear deterrent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/tass.com\/science\/1440741\" target=\"_blank\">Moscow claims serial production<\/a> of the Sarmat will commence this fall, and that the missile will <a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20220108083358\/https:\/function.mil.ru\/news_page\/country\/more.htm?id=12402295@egNews\" target=\"_blank\">begin combat duty<\/a> with Russia\u2019s 62nd Missile Division in Uzhur, Krasnoyarsk Krai, before year\u2019s end, although that timeline is likely unrealistic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The test itself was \u201croutine\u201d and \u201cnot a surprise,\u201d as Pentagon press secretary <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defense.gov\/News\/Releases\/Release\/Article\/3005764\/pentagon-press-secretary-john-f-kirby-statement-regarding-russian-icbm\/\" target=\"_blank\">John Kirby noted<\/a>. Indeed, Sarmat\u2019s flight tests have been <a href=\"https:\/\/tass.com\/defense\/1028662\" target=\"_blank\">delayed<\/a> for years, making this test <a href=\"https:\/\/tass.com\/russia\/779301\" target=\"_blank\">long overdue<\/a>. That, however, did not stop Putin from calling the test a \u201cmomentous event,\u201d vowing the missile \u201cwill be a wakeup call for those who are trying to threaten\u201d Russia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That provocative language follows several instances of nuclear saber-rattling by Putin both before and after Russia launched its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/flashpoints\/ukraine\/\" target=\"_blank\">unprovoked invasion of Ukrain<\/a>e. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Putin\u2019s behavior stands in stark contrast with the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/flashpoints\/ukraine\/2022\/03\/02\/pentagon-postpones-nuclear-missile-test-launch-amid-ukraine-crisis\/\" target=\"_blank\">Biden administration\u2019s decision to postpone<\/a> and then <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/business\/aerospace-defense\/exclusive-us-cancels-icbm-test-due-russia-nuclear-tensions-2022-04-01\/\" target=\"_blank\">cancel<\/a> a March 3 launch of an unarmed Minuteman III ICBM. The administration had already notified Russia and provided a notification for civilian air traffic. Kirby attempted to justify the postponement as an effort to ensure U.S. actions were not \u201cmisunderstood or misconstrued,\u201d saying the decision demonstrated Washington is \u201ca responsible nuclear power.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Putin, however, may interpret such concessions by Washington as weakness and an indication that his nuclear saber-rattling is working. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Asked about the Minuteman III test during a March hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Adm. Charles Richard, commander of U.S. Strategic Command, recommended \u201cthat we maintain our normal set of operations.\u201d Richard emphasized he needs these tests to \u201cmaintain confidence and reliability\u201d in the 50-year-old Minuteman III, which faces growing reliability concerns as it nears the end of its service life. Another test is slated for later this year, which the administration should conduct as planned. That will remind Putin that the United States has the means to respond to a nuclear attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">More broadly, the Sarmat test \u2014 not to mention<a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2021\/11\/03\/pentagon-chinese-nuke-force-growing-faster-than-predicted\/\" target=\"_blank\"> China\u2019s rapid nuclear expansion<\/a> \u2014 underscores the need to modernize America\u2019s own nuclear triad, including by urgently replacing the Minuteman III with the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/air\/2022\/04\/05\/heres-the-new-name-of-the-us-air-forces-next-gen-nuke\/\" target=\"_blank\">otherwise known as the LGM-35A Sentinel<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/global\/2022\/01\/06\/china-denies-us-report-its-rapidly-growing-its-nuclear-arms\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP22004220055343.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">China denies US report it\u2019s rapidly growing its nuclear arms<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">A senior Chinese arms control official denied Tuesday that his government is rapidly expanding its nuclear arsenal.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As Global Strike Command\u2019s then-chief warned last year, Washington has \u201cno margin left\u201d to delay replacement of the Minuteman III, which entered service in 1970. Its service life was originally meant to last just 10 years but has been repeatedly extended. A further extension would not only be cost-inefficient but would risk eroding the reliability and credibility of the land-based leg of the triad. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fortunately, the Biden administration\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/air\/2022\/03\/28\/the-air-force-wants-more-money-to-research-hypersonic-weapons-but-not-buy-them-yet\/\" target=\"_blank\">fiscal 2023 budget request included $3.6 billion<\/a> for the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent program. The administration\u2019s forthcoming Nuclear Posture Review should similarly endorse the GBSD. Congress, for its part, should provide all necessary funding to ensure the GBSD\u2019s on-time delivery by 2029.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">ICBMs represent a vital component of America\u2019s nuclear deterrent. They are the most responsive leg thanks to their high state of readiness, while their geographic dispersion complicates adversary targeting, forcing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/pentagon\/2022\/03\/08\/us-nuclear-forces-chief-very-concerned-by-russia-china-cooperation\/\" target=\"_blank\">Russia or China<\/a> to expend a mass number of nuclear-tipped missiles rather than simply concentrating on a few U.S. command centers, submarine ports and bomber bases. ICBMs also provide a hedge against any potential advancements in anti-submarine warfare that could <a href=\"https:\/\/www.airuniversity.af.edu\/Portals\/10\/SSQ\/documents\/Volume-14_Issue-1\/Johnson.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">threaten the survivability<\/a> of the sea-based leg. Those characteristics of a modernized ICBM leg of the nuclear triad help <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fdd.org\/podcasts\/2021\/12\/01\/strategic-surprise-a-conversation-on-nuclear-and-missile-threats-with-rep-mike-turner\/\" target=\"_blank\">deter adversaries<\/a> from launching a nuclear attack in the first place, preventing nuclear war and making Americans safer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/natsecanthony\" target=\"_blank\"><i>Anthony Ruggiero<\/i><\/a><i> is a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies think tank, where <\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Brad_L_Bowman\" target=\"_blank\"><i>Bradley Bowman<\/i><\/a><i> is senior director of the Center on Military and Political Power and John Hardie is research manager and a research analyst.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Russian President Putin\u2019s behavior stands in stark contrast with the Biden administration\u2019s decision to postpone and then cancel a launch of an unarmed Minuteman III ICBM.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":115898,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":66,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[66,160,32,36,125,17,30],"tags":[],"coauthors":[4702,3767,4275],"class_list":["post-59195","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-commentary","category-daily-news-roundup","category-disaster","category-newsletters","category-nuclear-triad","category-opinion","category-smr"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"WW4GI6UQZJES5KNKA4ZNSW56PE","arc_canonical_url":"\/opinion\/commentary\/2022\/04\/28\/russias-sarmat-test-underscores-need-to-modernize-us-nuclear-triad\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented 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to postpone and then cancel a launch of an unarmed Minuteman III ICBM.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/commentary\/2022\/04\/28\/russias-sarmat-test-underscores-need-to-modernize-us-nuclear-triad\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Defense News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2022-04-28T10:00:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-08T00:19:31+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Anthony Ruggiero, Bradley Bowman, John Hardie\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Anthony Ruggiero, Bradley Bowman, John Hardie\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\n\t    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