Moscow, Oct 22: Russia will need another 10 to 15 years to build a next-generation land-based ballistic missile, so Soviet-era weapons will remain the core of the nation's nuclear forces during that period, a top general said in an interview published today. Col.-Gen. Nikolai Solovtsov, the chief of Russia's strategic missile forces, told the military daily Krasnaya Zvezda that most Soviet-built ballistic missiles had already served their designated lifetime, but test launches and modern diagnostics have proven their ability to remain on duty for many years to come.
``The lifetime of these missiles isn't over yet, and they will continue serving the fatherland until 2015,'' Solovtsov said. ``The development of a new missile will take from 10 to 15 years, and we have this time in reserve.''
Solovtsov pointed at last year's successful test launch of an SS-18 missile that had served for 25 years and March's test-firing of a Topol missile following its 18-year service as proof of the Soviet-built missiles' capability.
Bureau Report