Russia: Soviet/Russian Strategic Ballistic Missile Designations

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Dr. Nikolai Sokov, CNS Senior Research Associate
February 1999

Soviet/Russian designations of strategic missiles is probably one of the most confusing elements of the arcane world of nuclear weapons. Historically, the common method has been to use US designations, and even Russian researchers routinely resort to them even today. It is useful, however, to keep in mind Soviet "internal" designations for several reasons.

First, the increasingly abundant Russian literature tends to use indigenous designations more and more frequently.

Second, US designations sometimes do not allow one to trace the "families" of missile: for example, heavy ICBMs have two designations in the United States, SS-9 and SS-18, whereas Russian designations clearly indicate a sequence of types within the same "family": R-36, R-36M, R-36UTTKh, R-36M2; similar problems emerge with the SS-19. Sometimes the situation is the opposite: Russian designations create a false image of continuity between RT-2P and RT-2PM, whereas the US designations (SS-13 and SS-25) clearly indicate substantial differences between these two missiles.

Third, several types of missiles that were never deployed have no US designations, but represent important stages in the development of the Soviet strategic potential; knowledge of them could be important for research. This is particularly relevant for attempts to create mobile ICBMs and solid-fuel SLBMs that ended in failures. Had these programs succeeded, the Soviet strategic arsenal in the late 1970s and early 1980s would have been different from the one we know.

The Russian system of designations uses at least three names for each missile: an "internal" name used by the military for the "missile system" (the missile, its launcher, and other associated equipment), the name of the missile itself (also known as the "industrial index" and used primarily by the industry), and an "international" name, invented specially for use in arms control treaties. For SLBMs, there is an additional distinction between the industrial index, the military name, the name of the missile complex, and, finally, the international designation. The table below uses only the military designations, which are commonly used in the Russian literature.

Missiles designations are always a combination of letters and numbers (e.g. R-36, UR-100, or R-29). Each modification based on the original type is designated by letters and numbers added to the original name: R-36M2, UR-100UTTKh (stands for "improved tactical and technical characteristics), UR-100N, R-29K, R-29RM, etc. This system of designations allows one to trace whole missile "dynasties," sometimes over decades.

Only intercontinental missiles, as defined in arms control treaties, are included in the table below (e.g., the first SLBMs with a range below 600km are not found in the table). Missiles in the table below are organized into several groups following approximately designers and generations. There are two important exceptions. One is the RT "family" of ICBMs (including Temp-2S), which reflects attempts of several Soviet designers to create a mobile ICBM; these attempts began in the early 1960s, but the first deployable mobile ICBM was the Temp-2S, which was banned under the SALT II Treaty.  The RT-2 and the RT-2P were deployed only in silos. Another exception is a group of SLBM types that consists of the R-15, the R-15M, and the D-4 missile system (we were unable to find the designation of the missile for that system), which were early attempts to create a solid-fuel SLBM; the first deployed solid-fuel SLBM was the R-31.

Other sources for Soviet/Russian designations:
Strategicheskoye Yadernoye Vooruzheniye Rossii, ed. by Pavel Podvig (Moscow: UzdAT, 1998).
Russia's Arms: Catalogue, Vols. III, IV, VI (Moscow: Military Parade, 1996-97);
S.G. Kolesnikov, Strategicheskoye Raketno-Yadernoye Oruzhiye (Strategic Missile-Nuclear Weapons), (Moscow: Armeyskii Sbornik, 1996);
Mezhkontinentalnyye Ballisticheskiye Rakety (Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles), ed. by Ye. Volkov (Moscow: Strategic Nuclear Forces, 1996);
Steven Zaloga, "Russian Missile Designations," Jane's Intelligence Review, August 1994.
 

INTERCONTINENTAL BALLISTIC MISSILES

* This missile was never deployed.

SUBMARINE-LAUNCHED BALLISTIC MISSILES

* This missile was never deployed.

Page last updated 24 February 1999

Comments or questions? E-mail Nikolai Sokov:  nsokovATmiis.edu.

This material is produced independently for NTI by the Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of and has not been independently verified by NTI or its directors, officers, employees, agents. Copyright © 2002 by MIIS.

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