A top Russian general says its feared “Satan 2” missile is ready for a second round of testing.
A top Russian general says its feared “Satan 2” missile is ready for a second round of testing.
Russian General Valery Gerasimov told the nation’s state-run media this week that a follow-up to December’s testing of the RS-28 Sarmat “Satan 2” — a rocket with a range of nearly 7,000 miles and the ability to carry about to 16 warheads — will happen in soon. He told TASS news agency that preparations for a “pop-up test” are in “full-swing.”
“With a mass of more than 200 tonnes it has a shorter active phase of flight and better ability to penetrate missile defenses and can carry warheads of larger mass and enormous yield,” Gen. Gerasimov said Tuesday.
SEE ALSO: Russian unveils ‘Satan 2’ missile, capable of wiping out area the size of France
“Ejection,” or pop-up launches, test the mechanism of a missile leaving its launch container, The Diplomat noted Tuesday.
“If its military abilities are real, which is what everybody expects, it’s quite a formidable weapon,” CNN senior international correspondent Matthew Chance said in 2016 when details regarding the rocket were unveiled. “It’s powerful enough to destroy a country — a single missile — the size of France. It’s a pretty awesome sort of missile, but hopefully it won’t ever be used.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed March 1 during a State of the Nation speech that “Satan 2” is capable of circumventing missile defense systems.
