By Staff, Agencies

The intercontinental ballistic missile Sarmat, which is one of the most capable Russian nuclear weapons, has been approved for active duty, the director general of the space agency Roscosmos has announced.

The development was revealed by Yury Borisov on Friday during a Roscosmos event. The weapon is believed to be the longest-range and heaviest in the Russian nuclear arsenal. Its final test stage was reported last year.

The liquid-fueled silo-based delivery vehicle is the intended replacement of the aging R-36M2 Voevoda missiles. Its range is estimated at at least 11,000 km, while the payload weighs around 10 tons.

Russian president Vladimir Putin has touted Sarmat as highly capable in defeating anti-ballistic missile systems, including because it can be fired over a course, where the US has no ground-based interceptors.

He repeatedly stressed that Russia was forced to develop the new system, after the US reneged on its commitment not to build ABM systems.