On June 8, 2012, at the Kapustin Yar test site in the Astrakhan region, another test launch of the Topol intercontinental ballistic missile was carried out. The missile training warhead successfully hit a conditional target at the Kazakhstani Sary-Shagan training ground.
The Topol intercontinental ballistic missile forms the backbone of the Strategic Missile Forces grouping. The development of the rocket was started back in 1975, ten years later the new complex was put on alert. It is equipped with means of overcoming anti-missile defense, in-flight control is carried out using gas-jet and aerodynamic rudders. The total mass of the upgraded version of the rocket is 51 tons, the maximum flight range is 9500 km. The warhead is nuclear, monoblock.
The entire service life of the rocket is stored in a sealed launch container in which the required temperature and humidity are maintained. The shelf life was originally 10 years, then it was increased to 21 years. To check the reliability of the complex, the military has to conduct test launches from time to time, while rockets with a maximum shelf life are launched.
The launch of "Topol" on the night of June 8, 2012 was successful and fully confirmed the tactical and technical characteristics of the complex. True, the test of the rocket was not without some curiosities. Since the Sary-Shagan test site is located in Kazakhstan, the rocket's flight path could be observed in a number of countries in the Middle East - in particular, in Israel and Lebanon. The launch could be seen in Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia. Many residents of these countries mistook the rocket for a UFO, which was facilitated by a change in the trajectory of its flight - most likely in connection with the implementation of anti-missile maneuvers. Experts who were shown the video footage of the object clearly stated that eyewitnesses observed the launch of the rocket.
The Topol countries in service are gradually being decommissioned. They were replaced by the Topol-M missiles created on their basis, capable of hitting targets at a distance of up to 11 thousand kilometers and carrying one thermonuclear unit with a capacity of 550 kilotons. The Yars complexes with multiple warheads carrying three thermonuclear self-guided units are also being put into service.
