09.02.2012
Text:
Photo: Project 667BDRM
Delfin nuclear-powered submarine.
"Presently, only subs on patrol are equipped with
Liner missiles. But in prospect, all our serviceable strategic subs (Project 667BDRM
Delfin and Project 667 BDR
Calmar) will be armed with those missiles", the CinC said.
He specified that
Liner is the latest upgrade of
Sineva ballistic missile considerably improving its combat capability. "We don't need to commission it,
Liner is an in-service missile passing modernization", Vysotsky said.
He pointed out that
Sineva had quite good performance. "Indeed, it has the world's best performance characteristics among sea-based ballistic missiles", the admiral said.
According to open sources, submarine-launched ballistic missile
Liner has flight performance similar to that of SLBM
Sineva, although has more advanced antimissile barrier overcoming systems and larger flight range. In 2011, the Makeyev State Rocketry Center and Russian Defense Ministry held joint flight development tests under the
Liner development project.
As for Makeyev center,
Liner missile outclasses all present solid-propellant ballistic missiles of Great Britain, China, Russia, the US, and France as of weight-to-thrust ratio, and is compared to American
Trident-II (meeting START-3 requirements) as of combat load (four middle-power warheads).
Liner missile is capable to carry 1.5-2 times as much low-power warheads as
Bulava which can be armed with six low-power warheads. Besides,
Liner may carry mixed set of warheads with different yield classes.
