DTN News: Russia's Strategic Missile Forces To Play War Games On Sept. 8-11

DTN News: Russia's Strategic Missile Forces To Play War Games On Sept. 8-11 *Source: DTN News / RIA Novosti

(NSI News Source Info) MOSCOW, Russia - September 8, 2009: Russia's Strategic Missile Forces (SMF) will conduct on September 8-11 large-scale command-and-staff exercises involving over 2,000 personnel, an SMF spokesman said on Monday. "During the exercises, the SMF will practice operations control in scenarios involving conventional and nuclear warfare," the official said. "A total of over 2,000 servicemen and 150 theater- and tactical-level command-and-control centers will take part in the drills," he said. The exercise coincides with the start of the Russian-Belarusian large-scale Zapad 2009 exercises, which will be held on September 8-29 and involve around 13,000 service personnel on both sides. Russia's SMF plans by 2016 to modernize its command-and-control systems in order to improve their ability to overcome missile defenses and increase the survivability of delivery vehicles. At present, six types of silo-based and mobile ICBM systems are on combat duty with the SMF, including the heavy Voyevoda (SS-18 Satan), capable of carrying 10 warheads, and the Topol-M (Stalin) systems. According to open sources, the total arsenal of Russia's SMF comprises 538 ICBMs, including 306 SS-25 Topol (Sickle) missiles and 56 SS-27 Topol-M missiles. Silo-based missiles constitute 45% of the total ballistic missile arsenal. They carry about 85% of nuclear warheads deployed by the SMF.

Russia To Test Launch Topol Ballistic Missile

Russia To Test Launch Topol Ballistic Missile

(NSI News Source Info) April 10, 2009: Russia will test launch on Friday a Topol intercontinental ballistic missile from the Plesetsk space center in northern Russia, a spokesman for the Strategic Missile Forces (SMF) said. A man looks at a newly installed Topol RS-12M mobile missile on display at the Artillery Museum in St Petersburg. Russia test-fired two ballistic missiles and bombed a dummy town at the weekend, but analysts said the show of military preparedness was for domestic consumption and not a Kremlin warning shot to the West.

The missile was in active service from 1987 until 2007, and deployed with the 54th Strategic Missile Division near the town of Teikovo, about 150 miles (240 km) northeast of Moscow. "The goal of the upcoming launch is to confirm the reliability of the technical characteristics [of Topol missiles] during an extended service period," Col. Alexander Vovk said. The RS-12M Topol (SS-25 Sickle) is a single-warhead intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) approximately the same size and shape as the U.S. Minuteman ICBM. The first Topol missiles were put into service in 1985. The missile has a maximum range of 10,000 km (6,125 miles) and can carry a 550-kiloton nuclear warhead. Although the service life of the SS-25 was extended to 21 years after a series of successful test launches last year, the missile will be progressively retired over the next decade and be replaced by mobile Topol-M (SS-27 Stalin) missile systems. According to open sources, Russia's SMF has a total of 541 ICBMs, including 306 Topol missiles and 59 Topol-M missiles.

Russia To Test Launch Topol Ballistic Missile In April

Russia To Test Launch Topol Ballistic Missile In April

(NSI News Source Info) MOSCOW, Russia - March 30, 2009: Russia will test launch on April 10 a Topol intercontinental ballistic missile from the Plesetsk space center in northern Russia, the Strategic Missile Forces (SMF) said on Monday. On October 18, 2007, another successful test launch was conducted. One Topol from a mobile launcher at Plesetsk test site reached its target on Kamchatka. As the Strategic Rocket Forces representative reported, it allowed for the extension of Topol's service life to 21 years. Another test of the SS-25 was carried out on Thursday, August 28, 2008. The launch was said to be specially tasked to test the missile's capability to avoid ground-based detection systems. The test included the use of a new warhead, designed to penetrate missile defense systems. The latest test was conducted on October 12, 2008 when a Topol was launched from the Plesetsk test site in northern Russia. The missile, with a dummy warhead, hit a target at the Kura Test Range on the Kamchatka Peninsula. Russian president Dmitry Medvedev observed the test on site. The Topol will eventually be replaced by the road-mobile version of the Topol-M (SS-27) missile. The RS-12M Topol (SS-25 Sickle) is a single-warhead intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) approximately the same size and shape as the U.S. Minuteman ICBM. The first Topol missiles were put into service in 1985. "The goal of the upcoming launch is to confirm the reliability of the technical characteristics [of the missile] during an extended service period," the SMF said in a statement. The missile has a maximum range of 10,000 km (6,125 miles) and can carry a 550-kiloton nuclear warhead. Although the service life of the SS-25 was extended to 21 years after a series of successful test launches last year, the missile will be progressively retired over the next decade and be replaced by a mobile version of the Topol-M (SS-27 Stalin) missile. According to open sources, Russia's SMF has a total of 541 ICBMs, including 306 Topol missiles and 59 Topol-M missiles.