At the beginning of 2008 the Russian strategic forces included
682 strategic delivery platforms,
which can carry up to 3100
nuclear warheads. The Strategic Rocket Forces
have 430 operational missile systems of four types that can carry 1605 warheads.
The strategic fleet includes 14 strategic missile
submarines. Their 173 missiles can carry 611 nuclear warheads.
Strategic aviation bomber force consists
of 79 bombers that can carry up to 884 long-range cruise missiles.
The space-based tier of the early
warning system included three satellites that appear operational--two on highly
elliptical orbits and one on a geostationary orbit.
Speaking at a briefing two days days ago, Paula DeSutter, Assistant Secretary of State, mentioned that Georgia-related setbacks notwithstanding, State Department is hopeful that "things can evolve in a positive way so that we can move forward on a post-START...
On August 29, 2008 the Rocket Forces conducted a successful launch of a Dnepr launcher from the silo No. 95 of the launch complex No. 109 of the Baykonur test site. The launch took place at 11:15:53 MSK (07:15:53 UTC)....
On August 28, 2008 the Strategic Rocket Forces conducted a successful launch of a Topol (SS-25) missile. The launch took place at 14:36 MSK (10:36 UTC) from the Plesetsk test site. The Rocket Forces reported that the warhead successfully reached...
Just as I noticed that we haven't heard anything about the Bulava tests for a while, we got a report from Sevmash that the Dmitri Donskoy submarine returned to the port after spending about a month at sea. It appears...
One of the Topol (SS-25) missiles was put on public display at the Artillery Museum in St-Petersburg....
It's been a month since Rossiiskaya gazeta reported that Dmitry Donskoy submarine was preparing to go to sea to conduct tests of the Bulava missile. No news about the test yet. This, of course, could mean many different things. It's...
To prevent future conflicts such as the recent fighting in Georgia from developing, Washington and Moscow must build an equitable and trusting partnership.
After the launch of an SLBM from the Ryazan submarine on August 1, 2008 the Navy for some reason did not announce the type of the missile. Even though it was unlikely that the missile was anything but R-29R, the...
One of the Project 667BDR submarines, Ryazan, which returned to service last year after an overhaul, conducted a successful launch of a ballistic missile. The missile was launched from a submerged submarine deployed in the Barents Sea. The warhead was...
As the Topol/SS-25 missiles are reaching end of their service lives and being removed from service, some missile divisions are being disbanded. So far, Kansk, Drovyanaya, and Yuriya (these are START names) have been liquidated. But some divisions will stay...
The book
