MOSCOW. Nov 29 (Interfax-AVN) - The launch of the RS-12M Topol intercontinental ballistics missile undertaken on Tuesday was aimed at proving the effective performance of the missile system for it to have its service life extended, Colonel Alexander Vovk, Russian Strategic Missile Forces (SMF) press service chief, told Interfax-Military News Agency.
"It is the first time in history of both Russia and the rest of the world that a solid-propellant missile that had been in service for 20 years was launched," he said.
According to Vovk, this complex experiment and test was undertaken to thoroughly assess the conditions, reliability and readiness of the missile. It was reported earlier that the warhead of the missile hit the target at a firing range in Kamchatka with pre-assessed accuracy.
The greater part of the SMF mobile ground leg is armed with Topol ICBM systems. The launchers feature superb survivability, maneuverability, concealment and reaction time. Before railroad strategic missile systems were taken out of service, Topols enjoyed 60% SMF retaliation potential, and now their role has grown.
The Strategic Missile Forces in cooperation with developers are doing their best to extend the service lives of the systems beyond the guaranteed limits. The service life of a Topol system has already been extended to 19 years from the 10 years guaranteed.
According to the SMF press service, the service life extension turns ever so important in light of the reduction of Russia's ground-based strategic nuclear forces in compliance with the Strategic Offensive Reductions treaty (the Moscow treaty). The extension will allow replacing the aged missile with new Topol-M modifications without extreme expenses of the defense budget.
"In case Topol's service life is extended to 20 years, the missiles of the type will remain in service until 2014. The service life expenses are expected to be significantly lower than the possible expenses for rapid development and fielding of a new missile system," the press service official said.
The predicted reliability and condition of the missile systems prove its potential capability of remaining in service for 23 years, in case some additional measures are taken, he added.
"In this case Topols will remain operational until 2016-2018," he said.
According to him, this will allow fielding new Topol-Ms at a set pace, as well as will facilitate retaining the existing infrastructure to be further used by new systems, and help cut the expenses for maintaining the requisite group of strategic nuclear forces operational.