MOSCOW. Dec 10 (Interfax-AVN) - The assured service life of over 80% of the missile systems in service with the Russian Strategic Missile Forces have expired.
The press release of the Strategic Missile Forces circulated during the Friday news conference of Colonel General Nikolai Solovtsov, the Forces Commander, at the Interfax main office reads that work is underway to modernize the existing missile systems and extend their assured life.
"Although over 80% of missile systems have assured life expired, the maintenance and operation coupled with skills of personnel ensure the required level of reliability and readiness of the missiles," it reads.
The Strategic Missile Forces has made eight training and test launches in 2004, which once again proved the high skills of its personnel, the reliability of missiles and the stability of command, control and communications.
Two strategic missiles were launched during a command post exercise of the Russian Armed Forces in February 2004, the results of which were commended by the president and the defense minister.
According to the press service, the present-day task force of the Strategic Missile Forces on alert duty operates both silo-based and mobile missile systems, the core of the task force made up by heavy and medium class silo-based ones.
The mobile strategic task force includes land-based Topol missile systems and a railroad-based missile system.