Russia Details Planned Nuke Updates

From NTI - Global Security Newswire

Russia today unveiled a decade-long military modernization plan involving the deployment of various new nuclear-weapon delivery systems, the Xinhua News Agency reported (see GSN, July 30, 2010).

The plan, expected to cost roughly $650 billion, calls for the armed forces' acquisition this year of Russia's Bulava submarine-launched ballistic missile, First Deputy Defense Minister Vladimir Popovkin said (see GSN, Feb. 22). The weapon remains in its experimental phase.

Russia would also provide Iskander-M tactical missiles to 10 armed forces brigades over the next decade, Popovkin added (see GSN, Jan. 18).

Russia would prepare a new, 10-warhead ICBM to succeed the Topol and other existing systems, he said. The three-warhead Topol ICBM is currently the nation's primary strategic missile for first strikes, according to Xinhua.

Russia's army is slated to receive 56 S-400 air-defense systems as well as future S-500 defenses, Popovkin said (see GSN, Feb. 17; Xinhua News Agency, Feb. 24).

Meanwhile, the United States indicated it was prepared for discussions with Russia on possible additional cuts to their strategic and tactical nuclear arsenals, RIA Novosti reported today (see GSN, Feb. 17).

The New START arms control pact, which took effect on February 5, calls for Moscow and Washington to each cap their deployed strategic nuclear warheads at 1,550, down from a limit of 2,200 required by 2012 under an earlier treaty. It also sets a ceiling of 700 deployed warhead delivery systems, with another 100 allowed in reserve.

"The New START treaty sets the stage for further limits on and reductions in nuclear arms," U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Rose Gottemoeller said. "As President Obama stated when he signed the New START treaty, once the treaty enters into force, the United States intends to pursue with Russia further reductions in strategic and nonstrategic nuclear weapons, including nondeployed nuclear weapons" (RIA Novosti, Feb. 24).