Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

Russia enters new stage of missile systems development - Ivanov

RIA Novosti

26/06/2007 19:00

IZHEVSK, June 26 (RIA Novosti) - Russia is making a transition to a new stage in the development of the country's strategic and tactical nuclear arsenals, a Russian first deputy prime minister said Tuesday.

"We are entering an important new stage in the development of both strategic nuclear forces and tactical missile systems," Sergei Ivanov said.

The former defense minister said he was mainly talking about the commissioning of new Topol-M ICBMs, including with multiple warheads, and Iskander-M missile systems.

As of December 2006, the Strategic Missile Forces operated 44 silo-based and three mobile missile systems. The SMF press service said earlier that, while 48 silo-based systems would be on duty by late 2007, the Teikovo base in central Russia's Ivanovo Region is being migrated to cutting-edge road-mobile missiles.