Yars Intercontinental Ballistic Missile System:
The Russian military recently began exercises with its Yars intercontinental ballistic missile system with several thousand troops.
- Yars intercontinental ballistic missile is a Russian intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).
- It is a three-stage solid-fuel missile and can be launched from a silo or mobile launcher.
- The missile weighs around 49,000 kg and is 9 metres long.
- It has a range of 12 000 km.
- The Yars missile is equipped with Multiple Independently-targetable Reentry Vehicles (MIRVs). This allows it to carry multiple independently targetable nuclear warheads (at least six).
- It has the capability to manoeuvre during flight and deploy both active and passive decoys, which gives Yars the advantage against modern missile defence systems.
- Intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) is a guided missile that is designed to deliver nuclear warheads, although it could also deliver other payloads.
- ICBMs have a minimum range of 5,500 kilometres (3,400 miles), with maximum ranges varying from 7,000 to 16,000 kilometres.