On June 8, 2012, at the Kapustin Yar training ground in the Astrakhan Region, another test launch of the Topol intercontinental ballistic missile was launched. The training warhead of the rocket successfully hit a conditional target at the Sary-Shagan training ground in Kazakhstan.
The Topol intercontinental ballistic missile forms the basis of the strategic missile group. The development of the rocket was started back in 1975, ten years later, the new complex stood on alert. It is equipped with means to overcome missile defense, control in flight is carried out using gas-jet and aerodynamic rudders. The total mass of the upgraded version of the rocket is 51 tons, the maximum range is 9, 500 km. Warhead - nuclear, monoblock.
The entire life of the rocket is stored in a sealed launch container, which maintains the required temperature and humidity. Shelf life was initially 10 years, then was increased to 21 years. To verify 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 missile test was not without some oddities. Since the Sary-Shagan test site is located in Kazakhstan, the missile flight path could be observed in several countries of the Middle East - in particular, in Israel and Lebanon. The launch could be seen in Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia. Many residents of these countries took the missile for a UFO, which was facilitated by a change in the trajectory of its flight - most likely in connection with the implementation of anti-ballistic maneuvers. Specialists who were shown videos of the facility clearly stated that eyewitnesses observed the launch of a rocket.
The arsenal of the Topol country is gradually being decommissioned. They were replaced by Topol-M missiles created on their basis, capable of hitting targets at a distance of up to 11 thousand kilometers and carrying one fusion unit with a capacity of 550 kilotons. They are also armed with Yars systems with a multiple warhead carrying three fusion individual guidance units.
