Russia to bolster nuclear forces
ISN SECURITY WATCH (Wednesday, 10 May 2006: 16.02 CET) – Russia should modernize its nuclear forces within the next five years, President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday.
In his annual address to the Russian parliament Putin said, "In the next five years we must significantly increase the procurement of modern aircraft, submarines and strategic missiles for the Armed Forces."
Putin said that Russia's current defense research was focused on the development of modern submarines, aircraft and high-precision weapons and warheads "whose trajectory could not be predicted by a potential enemy".
As part of the rearmament effort the military was commissioning two new Russian-built nuclear submarines this year, the president was quoted by RIA Novosti as saying.
"Russia has not built such submarines since 1990," he told legislators. "They will be armed with Bulava nuclear missiles, which together with Topol-Ms will form the base for the strategic defense forces."
The Russian submarine force has been blighted by systematic under-funding and by a series of accidents, including the sinking of the Kursk in August 2000; the death of nine submariners in the foundering of the K-159 during decommissioning in August 2003; and the August 2005 sinking of the AS-28 mini-submarine.
The president noted that Russia now had five missile regiments armed with silo-based Topol-M (SS-27) ballistic missiles and that the first regiment armed with mobile Topol-M systems would be on combat duty by the end of the year.
Putin added that the new weaponry would allow Russia to play a role in maintaining the strategic balance of forces in the world.
(By ISN Security Watch staff, Reuters, RIA Novosti)
In his annual address to the Russian parliament Putin said, "In the next five years we must significantly increase the procurement of modern aircraft, submarines and strategic missiles for the Armed Forces."
Putin said that Russia's current defense research was focused on the development of modern submarines, aircraft and high-precision weapons and warheads "whose trajectory could not be predicted by a potential enemy".
As part of the rearmament effort the military was commissioning two new Russian-built nuclear submarines this year, the president was quoted by RIA Novosti as saying.
"Russia has not built such submarines since 1990," he told legislators. "They will be armed with Bulava nuclear missiles, which together with Topol-Ms will form the base for the strategic defense forces."
The Russian submarine force has been blighted by systematic under-funding and by a series of accidents, including the sinking of the Kursk in August 2000; the death of nine submariners in the foundering of the K-159 during decommissioning in August 2003; and the August 2005 sinking of the AS-28 mini-submarine.
The president noted that Russia now had five missile regiments armed with silo-based Topol-M (SS-27) ballistic missiles and that the first regiment armed with mobile Topol-M systems would be on combat duty by the end of the year.
Putin added that the new weaponry would allow Russia to play a role in maintaining the strategic balance of forces in the world.
(By ISN Security Watch staff, Reuters, RIA Novosti)
posted by Marko at 5/11/2006 07:34:00 AM
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