MOSCOW. Aug 9 (Interfax-AVN) - The Russian Strategic Missile Forces still include a combat-ready railroad-based division, commander of the forces Nikolai Solovtsov told Interfax-Military News Agency on Friday.
"Several aspects of the Strategic Missile Forces reform system have been changed this year in accordance with a decision of the Russian president, who is the supreme commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces. A railroad-based strategic missile division has been preserved. Several other issues corresponding to present-day realities and the current situation in the world are under consideration," Solovtsov said.
The Kostroma railroad-based division has been preserved within the Strategic Missile Forces, military sources in Moscow told Interfax-AVN. Two other divisions of this kind have been preserved as storage bases.
Railroad-based missile systems and heavy Satan missiles will not be decommissioned due to the United States' withdrawal from the ABM Treaty, thus enabling Russia to not follow up on its commitments to reduce and abolish missiles, in particular those covered by the START-1 treaty.
One railroad-based division can comprise up to five railroad- based missile systems.
According to open press sources, a missile system of this kind comprises three launchers of RT-23UTTKj Molodets missile (NATO designation SS-24 Scalpel), a command post and cars with systems necessary for maintaining the missiles' combat readiness and supporting launches. The roof of the launcher car is removable. The car is fitted with a contact system draining device. Missiles can be launched from pre-arranged stationing areas or from any point on the route.
Tests of the RT-23UTTKh railroad-based missile started in February 1985 and ended in 1987. The asset was commissioned in 1989.