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The R-36
family represented the second generation of the intercontinental ballistic
missiles developed by the USSR during the Cold War. It was conceived concurrently
with the Titan-2 ICBM in the United States.
The heavyweight
R-36 had such new and exotic features as multiple warheads and orbital
flight trajectory. The latter became a base for the Fractional Orbital
Bombardment System, or FOBS, where the warhead and the upper stage of
the ICBM would actually enter the orbit around the Earth on its way to
the target.
R-36
family tech dossier:
| - |
R-36
(8K67) (with light warhead) |
R-36
(8K67) (with
heavy warhead) |
R-36
(8K69, OR-36, R-36orb) |
R-36P
(8K67P) |
|
Number
of stages
|
2
|
2
|
3
|
2
|
|
Length:
|
34.5
meters
|
32.2 meters (31.7 meters in some modifications)
|
32.65
- 34.5 meters
|
32.2
meters
|
|
Diameter
|
3.05
meters (with protruding elements - 3.6 meters)
|
3.05
meters (with protruding elements - 3.6 meters)
|
3.05
meters (with protruding elements - 3.6 meters)
|
3.05
meters (with protruding elements - 3.6 meters)
|
|
Total
weight (fueled)
|
179
-183.89 tons
|
179
-183.89 tons
|
181,297
kilograms
|
183.45
tons
|
|
Fuel
|
|
|
|
|
| Oxidizer |
Nitrogen
tetroxide
|
Nitrogen
tetroxide
|
Nitrogen
tetroxide
|
Nitrogen
tetroxide
|
| Weight
of fuel |
48.5
tons
|
48.5
tons
|
48.5
tons
|
48.5
tons
|
| Weight
of oxidizer |
121.7
tons
|
121.7
tons
|
121.7
tons
|
121.7
|
|
|
15,200
km
|
10,200
km
|
40,000
km
|
10,200
- 12,000 km
|
| Stage
1 |
|
|
|
|
| Stage
1 length |
18.87
meters
|
18.87
meters
|
18.87
meters
|
18.87
meters
|
| Stage
1 diameter |
3.0
meters
|
3.0
meters
|
3.0
meters
|
3.0
meters
|
| Stage
1 propellant weight: |
118.9
tons
|
118.9
tons
|
118.9
tons
|
118.9
tons
|
|
Stage
1 dry weight
|
6.4
tons
|
6.4
tons
|
6.4
tons
|
6.4
tons
|
|
Stage
1 total weight (fueled)
|
122.3
tons
|
122.3
tons
|
122.3
tons
|
122.3
tons
|
| 1st
stage propulsion |
3
two-chamber RD-250 engines creating RD-251 (8D723) main engine;
1
four chamber RD-68M steering engine
|
3
two-chamber RD-250 engines creating RD-251 (8D723) main engine;
1
four chamber RD-68M steering engine
|
3
two-chamber RD-250 engines creating RD-251 (8D723) main engine;
1
four chamber RD-68M steering engine
|
3
two-chamber RD-250 engines creating RD-251 (8D723) main engine;
1
four chamber RD-68M steering engine
|
| Stage
2 |
|
|
|
|
| Stage
2 length |
9.4
meters
|
9.4
meters
|
10.03
meters
|
12.9
meters
|
| Stage
2 diameter |
3.0
meters
|
3.0
meters
|
3.0
meters
|
2.2
meters
|
| Stage
2 dry weight: |
3.7
tons
|
3.7
tons
|
3.7
tons
|
3.7
tons
|
| Stage
2 fueled weight: |
49.3
tons
|
49.3
tons
|
49.3
tons
|
57.52
tons
|
| 2nd
stage propulsion |
1
two-chamber RD-252 engine;
1
four-chamber RD-69M engine
|
1
two-chamber RD-252 engine;
1
four-chamber RD-69M engine
|
1
two-chamber RD-252 engine;
1
four-chamber RD-69M engine
|
1
two-chamber RD-252 engine;
1
four-chamber RD-69M engine
|
|
Stage
3
|
|
|
|
|
|
Stage
3 (orbital) fueled weight
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
3,648
kg
|
n/a
|
|
Stage
3 (orbital) propellant weight
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
2
tons
|
n/a
|
|
Warhead
type
|
Single 8F675: 8 Megatons
|
Single
8F675: 20 Megatons
|
Single
8F021: 5 Megatons (2.3 MT according to 98)
|
Three
8F676: 2.3 Megatons warheads each;
|
|
Warhead
weight
|
3,950
kilograms
|
5,825
kilograms
|
1,410-1,700 kg
|
3
warheads 1,425 kg each;
|
|
Decoy
weight
|
272
kilograms
|
272
kilograms
|
238
kilograms
|
401
kilograms
|
R-36
development cooperation:
| Element
|
Developer |
Leading designer |
Location |
| Overall
design |
OKB-586
|
M.
Yangel
|
Dnepropetrovsk
|
| Main
engine (two stages) |
OKB-456
|
V.
Glushko
|
Moscow
|
| Steering
engine (two stages) |
OKB-586
|
M.
Yangel
|
Dnepropetrovsk
|
| The
launch complex (surface) |
KBTM
(PKO-8)
|
-
|
Moscow
|
| Control
system |
NII-885
|
N.
A. Pilugin
|
Moscow
|
| The
launch complex (silo) |
KBSM
|
E.
G. Rudyak
|
-
|
| Thermo-nuclear
warhead |
VNIIEF
|
B.
V. Litvinov
|
Chelyabinsk
|
RD-251/252
engine tech dossier:
|
-
|
RD-251
(1st stage) |
RD-252
(2nd stage)
|
|
Developer
|
OKB-456
(Moscow)
|
OKB-456
(Moscow)
|
| Thrust
on the surface |
241
tons |
- |
| Thrust
in vacuum |
270.4
tons |
92
-120 tons |
| Chamber
pressure |
85
kg per sq. cm |
91
kg per sq. cm |
| Burn
time |
120
seconds |
160
seconds |
| Height |
2.88
meters |
2.168
meters |
| Diameter |
2.52
meters |
2.59
meters |
| Dry
weight |
1,730
kilograms |
715
-725 kilograms |
The development
of the R-36 was officially authorized on April 16, 1962. (74)
The missile was declared operational in 1966 and remained in armaments
until 1978.
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PICTURE
GALLERY
The R-36 family of ballistic missiles (left to right): 8K67, 8K69, 8K67P.
Credit: KB Yuzhnoe
Left
to right: scale models of R-36-O, R-16 and R-36
ICBMs. Copyright © 2001 by Anatoly Zak
The
R-36 missile lifts off from the silo complex
in Baikonur. Credit: KB Yuzhnoe
The
propulsion section of the orbital warhead of the R-36-O missile. Credit:
KB Yuzhnoe
The RD-252
engine, which powered the second stage of the R-36 missile. Copyright
© 2002 by Anatoly Zak
The
MIRV warhead is being integrated with the R-36P missile in silo
complex in Baikonur. Credit: KB Yuzhnoe
The
warhead of the R-36 missile. Credit: KB Yuzhnoe
The
dissected warhead 8F675 of the R-36 ICBM, which was retrieved after a
test flight. Copyright © 2001 by Anatoly Zak
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