Strategic Missile Forces display Topol battery

The Russian Strategic Missile Forces (SMF) has brought to the Army 2016 forum a launch battery for the 15P158 Topol road-mobile ICBM system. The vehicles being demonstrated in the static display are a 15U168 autonomous launcher, a transporter-erector-launcher complete with the 15Zh58 missile, a 15V231 combat support vehicle, and a 15V167 battalion-level combat command vehicle.

Despite the fact that launching the missile requires only the autonomous launcher, on combat duty in the field the missile battalion is supported by auxiliary vehicles. The battalion-level combat support vehicle provides continuous communications with the command center, enabling the duty crew to receive launch orders and pass them on to the individual autonomous launchers. The battalion also has a 15V179 communications vehicle. Seeing as field duty missions may last up to 30 days, the off-duty crews rest and dine in the combat support vehicles. Each autonomous launcher is deployed together with a dedicated combat support vehicle, which also serves as the source of uninterrupted power supply for the battalion’s equipment. The crew can launch the missile while staying in the combat support vehicle. The autonomous launcher and combat support vehicle together form a single launch battery.

The Topol ICBM system, which entered service in the USSR in July 1985, remains on combat duty. Based on the results of test launches, the missile’s service life has been prolonged for 26 more years.