Sarmat I.

This is coolbert:

From  MARCO POLO through Harry:

"Report from Russia has said today that their new ICBM 'Sarmat' now under development is likely to be test launched on a limited trajectory in March 2016. The flight test on the full trajectory is likely to be conducted in the third quarter of that year."

"It is said that there has been argument in the Russian Defense Ministry on whether to conduct the test at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, or at the Plesetsk test ground in northern Russia -- about 800 kilometers north of Moscow."

[. . . .]

"the new 'Sarmat' has many improved features. The Russians, for instance, boast that it may fly to a designated target in North America either over the North Pole or the South Pole. Its last stage is said to weigh ten tons. It is not known yet how many, or what kinds of, warheads it contains."

From the wiki:

"The RS-28 . . . also known as Sarmat . . is a future Russian liquid-fueled, MIRV-equipped, super-heavy thermonuclear intercontinental ballistic missile in development . . . intended to replace the previous SS-18 Satan. Its large payload would allow for up to 10 heavy warheads or 15 lighter ones . . .  it was heralded by the Russian military as a response to the U.S. Prompt Global Strike."

North Pole or South Pole? That is the question. Liquid-fuel too! For that heavy lift capability.

Similar also in some regard the Cold War relic the Fractional Orbital Bombardment System [FOBS]. At that time a Soviet development that was subsequently outlawed [?] by treaty. An orbiting satellite carrying a thermonuclear warhead the descent of which when detected would give American national command authority decision-makers only five-minutes of warning.

The United States to my knowledge NOT having any plans to develop a new generation of ICBM. Prompt Global Strike as well relying on kinetic energy weaponry and NOT nuclear warheads.

I guess that it can be reasoned that the Russian is merely planning to REPLACE older and perhaps antiquated existing ICBM.

coolbert.