R-36-O

8K69 SS-9 Mod 3 (NATO) Fractional Orbital Bombardment System

Mission Profile

The R-36-O (NATO: SS-9 Mod 3) was a Soviet Fractional Orbital Bombardment System (FOBS) designed to deliver nuclear warheads via a partial orbital trajectory, allowing approach from directions that evaded U.S. early warning radar networks. Standing 32.6 m tall with a 3 m diameter and a liftoff mass of 182 tonnes, this two-stage vehicle generated 2,740 kN of thrust on its first flight in December 1965. One of the Cold War's most strategically provocative weapons systems, the R-36-O was ultimately prohibited under the SALT II treaty and retired by the early 1980s.