RT-23 Molodets
| RT-23 Molodets | |
|---|---|
BZhRK three-car autonomous launching module | |
| Type | ICBM |
| Place of origin | USSR |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1987–2005 |
| Used by | Strategic Rocket Forces |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | Yuzhnoye Design Bureau |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 104,500 kg (230,400 lb) |
| Length | 23,400 mm (920 in) |
| Diameter | 2,410 mm (95 in) |
| Warhead | 10 × 550 kt MIRVs |
| Engine | First stage: 15D305, Second stage: 15D339 15D305: 3,040 kN, 15D339: 1,470 kN |
| Propellant | Solid fuel |
Operational range | 10,000–11,000 km (6,200–6,800 mi) |
Guidance system | Inertial, autonomous |
| Accuracy | 150–500 m |
Launch platform | Railcar TEL or silo |
The RT-23 Molodets (Russian: РТ-23 УТТХ «Мо́лодец», lit. "brave man" or "fine fellow"; NATO reporting name: SS-24 Scalpel) was a cold-launched, three-stage, solid-fueled intercontinental ballistic missile developed and produced before 1991 by the Yuzhnoye Design Bureau in Dnipro, Ukraine (ex-Soviet Union.) It came in silo- and rail-based variants, and was armed with 10 MIRV warheads (GRAU index: 15Ф444) of 550 kt yield. All missiles were decommissioned by 2005 in accordance with the START II.