Russia Boosts Nuclear Missile Production

In a thinly veiled response to U.S. plans for a missile defense system on its doorstep, Russia yesterday announced a new phase of strategic rearmament, according to Agence France-Presse (see GSN, June 14).

Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov affirmed the fresh production of Topol-M strategic missiles while visiting the plant at Votkinsk, approximately 620 miles from the Kremlin.

“We are now moving on to a new and very important rearmament stage for both our nuclear strategic forces and our tactical complexes,” he said.  “These are not prototypes but mass production.”

“I am talking of stationary Topol-M missile complexes,” he added, “but also of mobile ones which can be fitted with different types of warhead, as well as Iskander-M missiles.”

The Topol-M is an ICBM with a range of 6,200 miles, about the distance from Moscow to Los Angeles.  The Iskander-M is a tactical ballistic missile designed for short-range engagements.

Ivanov announced last year that Russia would build 40 Topol-M missiles annually (see GSN, May 30).  He also said that Russian armed forces looked forward to deploying 60 Iskander-M missiles by 2015, according to AFP (Agence France-Presse/Spacewar.com, June 26).

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