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.
At 03:59 MSK on June 27, 2008 (23:59 June 26, 2008 UTC) the Space Forces carried out a launch of a Proton-K launcher (with DM-3 booster stage) from the Baykonur site (launch pad No. 24 of the launch complex No. 81). The Space Forces reported that the satellite delivered into orbit will work as part of the early-warning system.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony at the Rocket Forces Academy, Nikolai Solovtsov, the commander of the Rocket Forces, mentioned that the Rocket Forces are completing an upgrade of the command and control system. According to Solovtsov, this system, which he...
According to Nikolai Solovtsov, the commander of the Strategic Rocket Forces, first RS-24 missiles will be deployed in Teykovo. Solovtsov confirmed that the Rocket Forces and the industry expect to complete the RS-24 flight tests program with the two launches...
Novosti kosmonavtiki obtained an official confirmation from NPO PM, manufacturer of the Strela/Gonets series communication satellites, that the three satellites launched on May 23, 2008 are not Gonets-M satellites. That explains why the satellites received Cosmos designations and not Gonets-M...
Yuri Solomonov, the chief designer of the Moscow Institute of Thermal Technology, said in a recent interview to the VPK newspaper that flight tests of the RS-24 missile (a MIRVed version of Topol-M) are scheduled to be completed by the...
As it turns out, the missile division in Yurya has not been completely liquidated - the START data shows that it still has nine (non-deployed) Topol missiles there. However, starting in July 2007, START data exchange lists Yur'ya as a...
Robert Gates was right when he said today that the main reason Russia is investing most of its effort into nuclear forces is that reforming conventional forces is much more difficult. We know how it works - it's easier to...
Robert Gates, U.S. Secretary of Defense, fired U.S. Air Force's military and civilian chiefs for a series of mishaps related to nuclear weapons in the Air Force's custody. The most serious, of course, was the incident at the Minot Air...
Speaking to journalists about a month ago, Gen. Nikolai Solovtsov, the commander of the Strategic Rocket Forces, gave us some interesting numbers about the state of readiness of the missile force and about mobile missile patrol rates. (Thanks to reader...
On June 5, 2008, Russia shut down the ADE-5 plutonium production reactor at the Siberian Chemical Combine, ending plutonium production in Seversk/Tomsk-7. The other plutonium production reactor in Seversk - ADE-4 - was shut down on April 20, 2008. The...
The book
