Putin was upbeat; after announcing the successful test launch of Sarmat missile he gave an ominous warning: “Those who in the heat of frenzied aggressive rhetoric, try to threaten our country should pause to think about what consequences await for them”. Figurative speech true enough but this caused panic globally and theories are afoot why the missile test now?
Sarmat series of missiles is in the work in progress for quite some time, may be couple of decades. The central focus is to replace the ageing Soviet era Voyevoda ICBMs. Even in the conceptual drawing board and in assembling core parts and materials, Sarmat is a time consuming gargantuan work. At best the missile system was expected by western analysts to see the light in early 2030s under the normal circumstances.
But Putin made his classic Judo move this time with a tinge of maskirovka strategy. The specifications of the missile itself is daunting to western military experts. Called by Russia as SR 28 and christened by America as Satan 22 it is the world’s heaviest, powerful and speediest missile so far tested.
Blasted off on Wednesday April 20, from Plesetsk cosmodrome the test validated all the parameters. With a span of 5,500 km it has formidable warheads amounting to 10 to 15 depending on the weight packed in its store and once fired reach targets anywhere flying over both North and South Pole and without being intercepted. The strike range of each warheads is about 18,000 km., cruising at the speed of 20.7 Mach and featuring multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicle (MIRV). Finally, SR 28 has gross weight around 208 MT. A colossus indeed.
Western analysts were quick to give their response for the Sarmat testing:
1. Putin is losing Ukraine war therefore he wants to change the focus of attention of Russian public
2. Putin is desperate to show a winning streak so he opts for the missile test
3. Psy Ops to make both his friends and foes to toe his line
4. Putin is tired of the Ukraine war & sanctions war and wants to move the West away from the UKR theatre
5. This is nuclear signalling where Putin is callous about using threat and actual launch of nuclear capable missile against presumed enemies
6. Russia wants USA to know that America is well behind missile technology, so to speak!
My take is, this is continuation of maskirovka strategy. Russians are very good at that and Putin is master proponent. The message that was not understood by the military and geopolitical analysts is that Putin is determined to finish off the task he began on February 24, that is liberating Donbass region and dismembering Ukraine and allow western part of present Ukraine as a land of waste to be grabbed by the western backers to be worn as brick around their neck!
Cheers!
Muthu
Ashraff Rajulu
Business Strategist
Mobile: + 94 777 265677
E-mail: cosmicgems@gmail.com
Blog: Business Strategist
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