R-46 (missile)

The R-46 was an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) design by SDO Yuzhnoye (OKB-586) for the Soviet Union during the Cold War.[1][2]

The R-46 design was part of a concept to launch a very large hydrogen bomb into orbit as a fractional orbital bombardment system (FOBS).[1][3][4] The existence of the system was alluded to in a speech by then Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev in August 1961.[2] The design was not developed,[1][5] however, being officially terminated in June 1964.[1] The FOBS concept was abandoned as part of SALT II.

References

  1. ^ a b c d "R-46 8K68". GlobalSecurity.org. 25 May 2018. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
  2. ^ a b Pike, John; Vick, Charles; Jacubowski, Mirko; Garrett, Patrick (29 July 2000). "R-46". Federation of American Scientists. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
  3. ^ "Orbital Bombs Seen Ready" (PDF). CIA Reading Room. Central Intelligence Agency. 25 March 2003 [3 November 1969]. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
  4. ^ Siddiqi, Asif A. (Spring 2000). "The Soviet Fractional Orbiting Bombardment System (FOBS): A Short Technical History" (PDF). Quest: The History of Spaceflight. 7 (4): 22–30. ISSN 1065-7738. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
  5. ^ Zaloga, Steven J. (2002). The Kremlin’s nuclear sword: the rise and fall of Russia’s strategic nuclear forces, 1945-2000. Smithsonian Books. pp. 114–115. ISBN 9781588340078.

See also

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