53T6 is a Russian anti-ballistic missile

Anti-ballistic missile

An anti-ballistic missile is a missile designed to counter ballistic missiles .A ballistic missile is used to deliver nuclear, chemical, biological or conventional warheads in a ballistic flight trajectory. The term "anti-ballistic missile" describes any antimissile system designed to counter...

 based upon the A-135 anti-ballistic missile system

A-135 anti-ballistic missile system

The A-135 or ABM-3 anti-ballistic missile system is a Russian military complex deployed around Moscow to counter enemy missiles targeting the city or its surrounding areas. It became operational during 1995...

. It was designed in early 1980s and put in service in 1995.
The missile is able to intercept incoming re-entry vehicles at a distance of up to 80–100 km. 53T6 is a two-staged solid-propellant missile armed with 10 kt nuclear warhead. The missile is about 10 meters in length and 1 meter in diameter. Its launch weight is 10 tons.

The 53T6 missile is kept in silo-based launch container. Prior to launch its cover is blown off. It takes the missile 3 seconds to reach a speed of 5.5 km/s at more than 100g acceleration

Acceleration

In physics, acceleration is the rate of change of velocity with time. In one dimension, acceleration is the rate at which something speeds up or slows down. However, since velocity is a vector, acceleration describes the rate of change of both the magnitude and the direction of velocity. ...

. After 2 more seconds the missile reaches its combat height of 30 km.

It was last tested in October, 2009. The Gazelle is a follow-on development of the ABM-1 Galosh

ABM-1 Galosh

ABM-1 Galosh was a Soviet, nuclear tipped surface-to-air anti-ballistic missile . The Galosh is based on the A-35 ABM System using Grushin model A-350 missile. The primary mission was to destroy U.S...

.

Radar support

The Gazelle missile system is supported the Don-2N Pill Box early warning radar with a range of 6000 km, and the Hen House early warning radar in the VHF band also with a range 6000 km. Closer in to the Gazelle site is the Daryal early warning radar with a range of 5000 km, and the Dunai early warning radar in th VHF band. Finally, the Try Add target tracking radar has a range of 750 km.

See also

• List of missiles

Related US missiles

• Nike Zeus
• MPQ-64 Sentinel
  MPQ-64 Sentinel
  The AN/MPQ-64 Sentinel is a three-dimensional radar used to alert and queue Short Range Air Defense weapons to the locations of hostile targets approaching their front line forces. The Sentinel radar is deployed with forward area air defense units of the U.S. Army and USMC. The radar uses an...
  
  
• Sprint (missile)
  Sprint (missile)
  The Sprint was a two-stage, solid-fuel anti-ballistic missile, armed with a W66 enhanced radiation thermonuclear warhead. It was designed as the short-range high-speed counterpart to the longer-range LIM-49 Spartan as part of the Sentinel program. Sentinel never became operational, but the...
  
  
• Spartan (missile)

Treaties

• Strategic Defense Initiative
  Strategic Defense Initiative
  The Strategic Defense Initiative was proposed by U.S. President Ronald Reagan on March 23, 1983 to use ground and space-based systems to protect the United States from attack by strategic nuclear ballistic missiles. The initiative focused on strategic defense rather than the prior strategic...
  
  
• Strategic Arms Limitation Talks
  Strategic Arms Limitation Talks
  The Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty refers to two rounds of bilateral talks and corresponding international treaties involving the United States and the Soviet Union—the Cold War superpowers—on the issue of armament control. There were two rounds of talks and agreements: SALT I and SALT...
  
  
• Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty
  Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty
  The Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty was a treaty between the United States and the Soviet Union on the limitation of the anti-ballistic missile systems used in defending areas against missile-delivered nuclear weapons....