Russia tests new Yars ICBM
MOSCOW. April 14 (Interfax) - A new inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM), RS-24 (Yars), fitted with multiple warheads, has been test-launched from a mobile missile launcher at Plesetsk Cosmodrome by Russia's by the Strategic Missile and Aerospace Defense Troops.
"The launch was carried out at 10:40 a.m. Moscow time. The main purpose of the launch is to validate the reliability of a batch of this class of missiles made at the Votkinsk Plant," the Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Yegorov told Interfax-AVN.
"Experimental combat blocs have arrived to the assigned area in the Kura testing range on the Kamchatka peninsula. The launch goals have been achieved and the tasks executed in full," the defense spokesman said.
The RS-24 ICBM was designed by Moscow Institute of Thermal Engineering by Russian academician Yury Solomonov. The missile creators used the same scientific-technical and technological solutions that were implemented in the Topol-M missile system, thus significantly reducing the time and cost of its construction.
The entry in service of the RS-24 missile with multiple warheads has increased the Strategic Missile Troops (RVSN) strike group's ability to overcome counter-missile defense systems, thus boosting the nuclear deterrence potential of the Russian strategic nuclear forces. This missile will replace the obsolete RS-12M "Topol" ICBM and RS-18 "Stilet" as they go out of the extended service. In future, the RS-24 ICBM will serve as a base for the RVSN mobile grouping that will be capable, as part of Russia's Strategic Nuclear Forces, to reliably provide security for Russia and its allies until the middle of the 21st century.
