MOSCOW. Dec 18 (Interfax) - Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has discussed new weapons and the trials held this year at the meeting of the Defense Ministry collegium.
"The airborne strategic nuclear forces have been expanded with modernized aircraft: one Tupolev Tu-160 and four Tu-95MS," Shoigu said.
The possibility of conducting salvo launches from strategic submarines and Tu-160 strategic bombers has been tested on the president's orders, he said.
"In May of this year, the Yury Dolgoruky strategic submarine performed a successful salvo launch of four Bulava ballistic missiles at the Kura range in Kamchatka," Shoigu said.
This was the first time a submarine of this type had fired so many missiles at once, he said.
Following modernization, a Tu-160 strategic bomber successfully fired 12 Kh-101 air-launched cruise missiles at a firing range in the Arctic, Shoigu said.
"The Armed Forces are building their offensive potential to balance the deployment of U.S. global missile system. Kinzhal high-precision hypersonic air-launched missiles have entered service on a trial basis. They have flown 89 patrol missions over the Black and Caspian Seas," he said.
Peresvet combat systems began trial service on December 1, 2018, and Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missiles have been successfully tested, Shoigu said.
"In 2019, the first missile regiment armed with a strategic missile system equipped with the Avangard glide vehicle will enter service," he said.
These systems will ensure "guaranteed superiority over the most up-to-date missile defense system," Shoigu said.
"Trials of the flagship of Project Borei-A, which has increased stealth capacity and reliability compared to its foreign counterparts, have begun," he said.
"In general, the share of modern weaponry in the Army and Navy has reached 61.5%," Shoigu said.