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R-46

On 09 August 1961, Premier Nikita Khrushchev openly threatened the West with a new and terrifying weapon, the orbital H-bomb. "You do not have 50- or 100-megaton bombs, we have bombs more powerful than 100 megatons. We placed Gagarin and Titov in space, and we can replace them with other loads that can be directed to any place on Earth." Although the US had hypothesized orbital bombs, this was the first public indication that the Soviets were actively pursuing this course of action. Within a few months, however, American analysis of the threat diminished its proportions.

Specifications

   

SHB2

Mod-1 = 2 Stages

  

SHB3

Mod-2 = 3 Stages

 

DIA

 

SS-LX-? " City Buster" ICBM

  

SS-LX-? FOBS

  

NATO

  

N/A

  

N/A

  

Bilateral

  

N/A

  

N/A

  

Service

          

OKB/Industry

  

(8K68)

  

(8K68)

  

Design Bureau

  

OKB-586, (Acad. M. K. Yangel )

  

OKB-586, (Acad. M. K. Yangel )

  

Approved

  

4/16/1962

  

4/16/1962

  

Years of R&D

  

1962-1964

  

1962-1964

  

Engineering and Testing

  

Model Dynamic Testing Only

  

Model Dynamic Testing Only

  

First Flight Test

  

N/A Canceled 6/19/1964

  

N/A Canceled 6/19/1964

  

IOC

  

N/A

  

N/A

  

Deployment Date

  

N/A

  

N/A

  

Type of Warhead

  

1

  

1

  

Warheads

  

Single

  

Single

  

Yield (Mt)

  

50 – 100 – 150

  

30 – 50

  

Payload (t)

  

9,535 – 12,264

  

Orbital 10,960 – 11,220

  

Total length (m)

  

~56

  

~65

  

Total length

w/o warhead (m)

  

~49.87

  

~59.87

  

Missile Diameter (m)

  

3.9

  

3.9

  

Launch Weight (t)

  

383,096 - 390,400 + 12,764

  

383,735.8350 - 392,270 + 12,764 or 9,535

  

Fuel Weight (t)

          

Range (km)

  

12,000 – 16,000

  

12,000 – 16,000

  

CEP (m) (Russian Sources)

  

N/A

  

N/A

  

CEP (m) (Western Sources)

  

N/A

  

N/A

  

Basing Mode

  

Hardened launch complex

  

Hardened launch complex

  

Number of Stages

  

2

3

Canister length w/o front meters (m)

  

N/A

Canister diameter (m)

  

N/A
     

Booster guidance system

  

Inertial autonomous

   

1st stage

  

2nd stage

  

Length (m)

  

24 or (32.94 - 39.46)

  

10 – 10.41

~10

Body diameter (m)

 

4.0 - 3.9

 

4.0 - 3.9

~4.0 - 3.9

Fueled weight (t)

  

200,334 +77,052 = 277,386

 

62,477 +24,039 = 86,516

1,639 + 0.603 = 1639.603

Dry weight (t)

  

13,869

  

4,325

0.232

Engine Designation

  

RD-253 (11D48)(11D43)

  

RD-254

KTDU-5A

Configuration

  

Cluster of Four Engines

  

One Engine

One Engine

Design Bureau

  

OKB-456, Acad. V. P. Glushko

 

OKB-456, Acad. V. P. Glushko

OKB-2, Acad. A. M. Isayev

Years of R&D

  

1961-1965

  

1962-1964

1961 – 1965

Propellants

  

Liquid

  

Liquid

Liquid

Fuel

  

UDMH

  

UDMH

TG-02 = A Amine based fuel

Oxidizer

  

Nitrogen Tetroxide

  

Nitrogen Tetroxide

AK-27I = 73% HNO3 + 27%N204 = Nitrogen Tetroxide concentrated in Nitric Acid

Burning time (sec.)

  

130

  

159.7

100.3 +11.6+22.5=

134.4 total

Verniers Thrust Sea Level/Vacuum (Tonnes)

 

N/A

  

?

?

Main engines Thrust Sea Level/Vacuum (Tonnes)

  

148.8884 - 150.25 / 166.7347

  

174.7

4.638

Total Thrust Sea Level/Vacuum (Tonnes)

  

4 x 150.25 = 601.0

  

174.7

4.638

Specific Impulse Sea Level/Vacuum (sec.)

  

284.9/310.0

  

329.89

277.78

Hardness

  

N/A

Launching Technique

  

Hot launch

Deployed boosters

  

N/A

Test Boosters

  

N/A

Warheads Deployed

  

N/A

Training Launchers

  

N/A

Space Booster Variant

  

SL-LX-? SHB-2 & SHB-3 not developed

Deployment Sites

START

  

Locale US-Designation

N/A

  

N/A

Sources and Resources


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