Russia to Deploy 22 New Ballistic Missiles in 2014

RIA Novosti19.12.2013 Russia
Russia to Deploy 22 New Ballistic Missiles in 2014

Russia to Deploy 22 New Ballistic Missiles in 2014

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Twenty-two land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles will be added to Russia’s nuclear arsenal next year, President Vladimir Putin said.

“We intend to continue prioritizing the development of the main component of our strategic nuclear deterrent,” Putin said at a recent meeting on the development of the Russian Strategic Missile Forces.

Putin did not specify the type of new ICBMs to be deployed, but a source in the Defense Ministry told RIA Novosti on condition of anonymity that the missiles will be mobile and silo-based Yars ICBMs.

Yars (photo) is armed with the multiple-warhead RS-24intercontinental ballistic missile, which has considerably better combat and operational capabilities than the Topol-M (SS-27 Stalin).

Russia currently deploys an estimated 326 ICBMs with approximately 1,050 warheads, according to a June report by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists.

In line with the New START treaty signed in 2010, Russia is allowed to add 227 delivery systems and 150 warheads to its stockpile of nuclear weapons.

According to the recent State Duma Defense Committee report on the draft federal budget for 2014-2016, Russia plans to increase annual spending on nuclear weapons by more than 50% in the next three years.

The report said 46.26 billion rubles ($1.4 billion) is to be spent on Russia’s nuclear weapons systems in 2016, up from 29.29 billion rubles this year.

The Russian Defense Ministry earlier announced plans to retire most of its outdated SS-18 Satan, SS-19 Stiletto and SS-25 Sickle (Topol) ICBMs and replace them with SS-27 Sickle-B (Topol-M) and RS-24Yars missiles by 2021.
Source: RIA Novosti
 



 
 

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