VLASIKHA, near Moscow. Oct 13 (Interfax-AVN) - A new intercontinental ballistics missile with a multiple warhead, RS-24, will be assigned to the Strategic Missile Troops (RVSN) in December, RVSN Commander Lt. Gen. Andrei Shvaichenko told the press on Monday.
"The rearmament timeframe depends on the service life of the missiles on combat duty. I can only say, that the deployment of the missile system with RS-24 intercontinental missiles will start in December 2009 at the Teikovo missile formation," Shvaichenko said.
The RS-24 missile's entry into duty "will enhance the combat capabilities of the RVSN's strike grouping," he said. "Together with the single-warhead silo-based and mobile RS-12M2 Topol-M missile systems, already in service, they will form the nucleus of the RVSN's strike grouping," the commander said.
The RVSN could be further rearmed and switched to Topol-M's, alongside the arrival of RS-24's, he said.
Preparations have been underway in 2009 in the 6th missile regiment of the Tatishchevskaya missile division, based in Saratov region, which is expected to be rearmed and put into combat duty with Topol-M missiles in 2010, he also said.
The missile regiments of the Teikovo missile division, based in Ivanovo region, are being switched to the Topol-M mobile land-based system, he said. "The number of Topol-M mobile systems in the 2nd missile regiment of the Teikovo missile division in Ivanovo region will be brought up to standard by the end of 2009," the commander said.