The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, commonly known as the Russian Armed Forces, is considering officially retiring a Topol Intercontinental-range Ballistic Missile (ICBM) in 2024.
According to local media reports, the Armed Forces has decided to retire the RT-2PM Topol ICBMs, known to NATO as the SS-25 Sickle.
“It is planned to remove the latest Topol intercontinental ballistic missile from service in the strategic missile forces in 2024. Topol missiles out of working service are being replaced by Yars intercontinental ballistic missile with MIRV (multiple independently targetable reentry vehicle) warheads,” a source in the defense sector told TASS on Thursday.
Also added that it is planned that some of Topol ICBMs with a range of 11,000 km coming out of service will be used for civilian purposes as Start-1 light-class solid-propellant carrier rockets.
According to open sources, RT-2PM Topol entered development in 1977, with flight tests occurring between 1983-87. As of 2013, there were approximately 150 missiles in operational status.