RT - 2UTTKh Topol - M The RT - 2UTTKh « Topol - M » ( , NATO reporting name : SS - 27 " Sickle B " , other designations : RS - 12M1 , RS - 12M2 , RT - 2PM2 ) is one of the most recent intercontinental ballistic missile s to be deployed by Russia ( see RS - 24 ) , and the first to be developed after the dissolution of the Soviet Union . In its Russian designation РТ stands for " ракета твердотопливная , " Raketa Tverdotoplivnaya ( " solid fuel rocket " ) , while УТТХ – for " улучшенные тактико - технические характеристики , " uluchshenniye taktiko - tekhnicheskie kharakteristiki ( " improved tactical and technical characteristics " ) . " Topol " ( тополь ) in Russian means " white poplar " . It is designed and produced exclusively by the Moscow Institute of Thermal Technology , and built at the Votkinsk Machine Building Plant . Characteristics . The Topol - M is a cold - launched , three - stage , solid - propellant , silo - based or road - mobile intercontinental ballistic missile . The missile ' s length is 22 . 7 m and the first stage has a body diameter of 1 . 9 m . The mass at launch is 47 , 200 kg , including the 1200 kilogram payload . Topol - M carries a single warhead with a 800 kt yield but the design is compatible with MIRV warheads . According to chief designer Yury Solomonov , the missile can carry four to six warheads along with decoys . Its minimum range is estimated to be 2 , 000 km and the maximum range 10 , 500 km . It has three solid rocket stages with inertial , autonomous flight control utilizing an onboard GLONASS receiver . It is reputed to have the highest accuracy of any Russian ICBM with a CEP of 200m . The body of the rocket is made by winding carbon fiber . The Topol - M may be deployed either inside a reinforced missile silo , which is reported to be able to withstand a direct nuclear hit or from an APU 15U168 launcher mounted on the MZKT - 79221 " Universal " 16 - wheeled transporter - erector - launcher . This mobile launcher is capable of moving through roadless terrain , and launching a missile from any point along its route . The designation for the silo - based Topol - M missile is believed to be RS - 12M2 , while the mobile version is RS - 12M1 . The first stage has three rocket motors developed by the Soyuz Federal Center for Dual - Use Technologies . This gives the missile a much higher acceleration than other ICBM types . It enables the missile to accelerate to the speed of 7 , 320 m / s and to travel a flatter trajectory to distances of up to 10 , 000 km . As a solid propellant design , the missile can be maintained on alert for prolonged periods of time and can launch within minutes of being given the order . Development and deployment . The development of the missile began in the late 1980s as an evolutionary upgrade of the RS - 12M Topol ( SS - 25 ' Sickle ' ) , and the missile was redesigned in 1992 . The first flight test took place on December 20 , 1994 . Experimental combat duty with 2 missiles in December 1997 , the first regiment with 10 missiles in 30 December 1998 , second in 1999 . Silo launcher Topol - M entered service by presidential decree in 13 July 2000 , the third , fourth and fifth regiments entered service in 2000 , 2003 and 2005 . The last regiment will arrive in 2012 . On December 12 , 2006 the first three mobile Topol - M missile systems entered duty with a missile unit stationed near the town of Teykovo . By the end of 2010 the Russian Strategic Rocket Forces operated 70 Topol - M missile systems including 52 silo - based and 18 mobile systems . A further 8 missiles were to join the Forces by 2011 – 2012 . In 2020 the RVSN are likely to be equipped with 177 Topol - M ( mobile and silo - based ) , as well as 30 UR - 100NUTTKh ( SS - 19 ) and 108 RS - 24 " Yars " ( SS - 29 ) , in nine divisions . Current Strategic Rocket Forces Order of Battle lists the following sites with Topol - M missiles : The Topol - M missiles have a lifetime between 15 to 20 years . Missile defense evasion capabilities . According to Russia the missile is designed to be immune to any current or planned U . S . missile defense system . It is claimed to be capable of making evasive maneuvers to avoid a kill by terminal phase interceptors , and carries targeting countermeasures and decoy s . It is shielded against radiation , EMP , nuclear explosions at distances over 500 meters , and is designed to survive a hit from any laser technology . One of the Topol - M ' s most notable features is its short engine burn time following take - off , intended to minimize satellite detection of launches and thereby complicate both early warning and interception by missile defense systems during boost phase . The missile also has a relatively flat ballistic trajectory , complicating defense acquisition and interception . According to " The Washington Times " , Russia has conducted a successful test of the evasive payload delivery system . The missile was launched on November 1 , 2005 from the Kapustin Yar facility . The warhead changed course after separating from the launcher , making it difficult to predict a re - entry trajectory . Equipment of Topol - M with MIRV . A new missile loosely based on Topol - M and equipped with multiple re - entry vehicles ( MIRV ) is called RS - 24 . In January 2009 Russian sources hinted that the production of the mobile Topol - M missile would be shutting down in 2009 and that the new MIRVed RS - 24 version would replace it . Since 2010 no more Topol - M missiles have been purchased and they are being replaced by the RS - 24 .