"Russia will replace single nuclear warheads on some of its Topol-M intercontinental missiles strategic missiles with multiple warheads," Gen. Nikolai Solovtsov, commander of Russia’s Strategic Rocket Forces, said Friday.Fitting multiple warheads to Topol-Ms is a cheaper way for Russia to upgrade its nuclear arsenals and maintain nuclear parity with the United States. Putin called the it a “serious step forward in strengthening Russia’s defense capability …It has a stronger survivability, faster launch and an ability to penetrate any prospective missile defense.”
The Topol-M missiles, capable of hitting targets more than 10,000 kilometres away, have so far been deployed only in silos. The new version, which is mounted on a heavy off road vehicle, makes it harder for an enemy to track it down. Topol-M’s chief designer, Yuri Solomonov, said earlier this year that Russia would easily be able to maintain at least 2,000 nuclear warheads by 2011 and beyond.
The Middle-East lesson of mobile deployment seems to have been learnt well by the Russians. What with this and Trident in Britain, we’re in for lots of fun in the future. Kaboom! Dr. Strangelove, eat your heart out.
Oh goody. The BBC should be following the UK and Russian governments' move and update their own nuclear deterrent by making a new version of Threads.
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