Russia is developing a long-range missile expected to play a key role in the country’s nuclear force when the weapon enters production, United Press International reported yesterday (see GSN, Oct. 23).
By 2020, Russia is projected to have produced around 60 RS-24 ICBMs, stealth-equipped weapons believed to be capable of delivering multiple nuclear warheads with yields between 150 and 300 kilotons to targets up to 6,600 miles away. The weapon could be fired from silos and mobile launchers, a feature that could increase the flexibility of Russia’s nuclear deterrent, UPI reported.
In addition, Russia is expected to produce 250 Topol-M missiles over the next decade and to maintain several dozen Topol and UR-100 missiles already in its arsenal. Russia is also set to replace its RS-20 missile with another large ICBM, resulting in a land-based nuclear force of between 300 and 350 missiles and roughly 800 warheads.
Moscow plans to extend the life of its submarine-launched Sineva ballistic missiles into the late 2020s and to produce eight new ballistic missile submarines.
Russia is expected to continue relying on its Tu-95 and Tu-160 strategic bombers until its next-generation nuclear-capable aircraft enters operation in 2020 or later; however, it would reduce its Tu-95 fleet while adding several Tu-160 planes (Ilya Kramnik, United Press International, Nov. 4).