MOSCOW. Jan 27 (Interfax-AVN) - The General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces has approved the Strategic Missile Forces development plan for the period up to 2015, Colonel General Nikolai Solovtsov, commander of the forces, said on Tuesday.
"In line with the Russian Security Council's decision, and on the basis of the Strategic Missile Forces commander's report, the General Staff of the Armed Forces in mid-January approved the plan of Strategic Missile Forces development for up to 2015. The plan has an enormous importance for mounting Russia's strategic potential," Solovtsov told Interfax-Military News Agency.
The plan fixes deadlines for producing the most up-to-date intercontinental ballistic missiles, including Topol-M, and their putting on combat duty. It also includes "deadlines for removing time-expired launchers from combat duty," Solovtsov said. "Under a decision of the Defense Ministry leadership, missile systems will be removed from combat duty only after their service lives fully expire," he stressed.
According to the commander, the plan will allow the Strategic Missile Forces to mount strategic nuclear assets gradually, as it is needed for protecting Russia's national interests.
"Implementation of the Strategic Missile Forces development plan will allow us to bring the number of strategic nuclear containment assets up to the level that will ensure national interests of Russia and its allies reliably by 2015," Solovtsov said.
The commander noted that flight tests of Topol-M ICBMs launched from mobile launchers will end in 2004. "It is not ruled out that the Topol-M ICBM on a mobile chassis will be put on combat duty already this year," he said.