The Russian Strategic Missile Troops are set to start re-equipping its single-warhead mobile Topol-M (SS-27) intercontinental ballistic missile systems with multiple re-entry vehicles, its commander told press on Friday.
“We will begin to equip the Topol-M mobile missile system with multiple re-entry vehicles in the coming years,” Colonel-General Nikolai Solovtsov was quoted by the Itar-Tass news agency as saying.
“On December 10, the new mobile ground missile complex Topol-M has been put on alert in the Teikovo formation. This is a weapon of the 21st century. Nobody has analogues of it at present and will not have in the near future,” Solovtsov said.
The strategic troops will get five-six newest ballistic missiles Topol-M a year, Solovtsov said.
Apart from three Topol-Ms that were added to the Teikovo division’s arsenal on Dec. 10, the Missile Troops have got two silo-based Topol-M intercontinental ballistic missiles that were commissioned to alert at Tatishchevo this year.
Solovtsov said that “after 2010, a decision is expected to be made on the creation of a new liquid propelled missile.”
The troops at present have six types of fourth and fifth- generation missile systems. Four are silo-based (RS-18, RS-20B, RS- 20V, RSA-12M2) and two are mobile (RS-12M and RS-12M2).
Following numerous test launches, RS-18 missiles are considered to be highly reliable. About 360 silo-based Stiletto missiles are currently deployed in the Russian Strategic Missile Troops, with each missile carrying six warheads.
The silo complexes have 45 percent of all available launchers and 85 percent of warheads of the Strategic Missile Troops strike group.
The public relations service of the Troops said 12 training and test launches of strategic missiles were planned in 2007. Some will deliver payloads in orbit.
