Rogozin refrains from commenting on prospects of Sarmat missiles' entry into service
MOSCOW. Dec 26 (Interfax) - Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Dmitry Rogozin has refrained from commenting on the prospects of the new Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missiles' entry into service.
"We will inform you when the time is right," Rogozin told reporters on Tuesday.
The creation of a new strategic missile complex was discussed at a conference chaired by Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu on December 5. "Let us speak about the design of a new strategic missile complex at the conclusion of our agenda," Shoigu said.
Russian Deputy Defense Minister Yury Borisov earlier told the weekly Voyenno-Promyshlenny Kuriyer in an interview that work on the Sarmat strategic missile complex was on schedule. "There are plans to conduct the first drop tests by the end of 2017," he said.
According to Borisov, Sarmat is a liquid-fuel intercontinental missile which has a sufficiently large payload and a range comparable to that of the Voyevoda, but travels faster in the active stage of its trajectory thanks to good propulsion.
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin told Interfax in an interview on March 2 that Sarmat could penetrate any missile defense network.