he deployment of large, road-mobile, solid-propellant missiles in the Soviet Union began in the 1970s with the development of the RSD-10M 'Pioneer" (SS-20 "Saber") IRBM. The first launch was conducted in 1974, active deployment followed in 1977, and up to 850 were produced. Subsequently, the larger RT-2PM "Topol" ("Poplar Tree") SS-25 "Sickle" with intercontinental range was tested in 1983 and deployed beginning in 1985. It was deployed after almost two decades of unsuccessful attempts undertaken by different design bureaus. It emerged from the line of development of mobile missiles such as the SS-X-16 "Temp-2S" and the SS-20 "Saber", and was deployed as a replacement for the widely deployed SS-11 "Sego".  More than 450 missiles were produced. In the late 1980s the RSD-10M was retired, and under the INF Treaty, the missiles were destroyed. The RT-2PM is still actively deployed, and may still be in low-rate production. The "Topol"  mobile solid propellant, three-stage ICBM on 14-wheeled TEL was developed by cooperating enterprises led by the Moscow Thermal Engineering Institute, headed for long time by Chief Designer Alexander Nadiradze and currently by General Designer Boris Lagutin. Launch weight - 45 t; Length in the launching container - 22.3 m; Launching container diameter - 2 m; Warheads / Yield - 1 / 550 kt; Year initially deployed - 1985; Manufacturer - Votkinsk Engineering Plant; Number of  launchers - 360 (1997). The RT-2PM and the older RSD-10M missiles   have performed over 400 ballistic flights. More than 60 of these have been successful flights of the RT-2PM.