News / Russia

Russia's new ICBMs to ensure military lead over West: General

Saturday, 31 January 2015 12:12 AM [ Last Update: Saturday, 31 January 2015 12:43 AM ]

Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Russia Valery Gerasimov

Russia plans to modernize its military by equipping its arsenal with more than 50 intercontinental ballistic missiles to ensure military superiority over the West, a top Russian general says.

"Support for our strategic nuclear forces to ensure their high military capability combined with ... growth of the military potential of the general forces will assure that (the United States and NATO) do not gain military superiority over our country," Russia’s Chief of Armed Forces General Staff Valery Gerasimov said on Friday.

He further said the Russian military would receive the new intercontinental nuclear missiles (ICBMs) later this year.

Replacing Satan

The deputy defense minister added that in 2015 Russia would begin testing its new 100-ton silo-based heavy ballistic missile Sarmat, the successor to the SS-18 Satan missile, also known as R-36M.

The new heavy thermonuclear ICBM is estimated to be delivered to Russian troops around 2020.

Also on Friday, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said the country plans to modernize a large part of its military hardware by the end of the decade.

"We plan to fulfill the government armament program and reach by 2020 the intended quantities of modern weapons systems."

Shoigu also repeated President Vladimir Putin’s policy of refusing to involve in an arms race, while maintaining Russia’s defensive capacity, RT reported.

US anti-missile shield

Gerasimov noted that the development of strategic nuclear forces is Russia’s top priority, adding that the country will battle US- and NATO-led missile defense system by positioning weapons capable of penetrating the shield.

President Putin has said on several occasions that Moscow must modernize its military arsenal in the face of its adversaries, especially due to the anti-missile shield the US is building in Europe.

Russia has repeatedly objected the deployment of the defense facilities near its borders, saying Moscow considers them as a threat to its national security.

New forms of aggression

Gerasimov also stated that Western countries are currently utilizing any possible means to damage Russia.

"Western countries are actively using new forms of aggression, combining military as well as non-military means. Political, economic and information methods are also being used."

MSM/AS/MHB

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