(www.itar-tass.com) вЂ" Russia will put on combat alert new missiles, Deputy Prime Minister, Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov said.
Under the state armament programme for the years to 2015, it is planned to put on combat alert several tens of silo-based launchers and command posts, as well as over 50 ground mobile missile systems Topol-M, and to have in the Air Force 50 strategic missile carriers (Tu-160 and Tu-95 MS), he said in Russian parliament's lower house on Wednesday.
It is also planned to begin series production and add to the fleet 8 strategic submarines of Project 955 and to make reconnaissance, communications and relay, topographic geodesy and early warning space systems.
The armament programme also envisages finishing the building of launching pads Angara and Soyuz-2 and the peripheral radar warning system, and increasing combat possibilities of aviation and air defence by 20 percent, Ivanov said.
He said that 40 tank, 97 motorised infantry and 50 landing battalions would be completely rearmed in ground troops; 5 brigades will be equipped with the newest missiles Iskander-M and two regiments with modernised multiple launchers Uragan-1M. The fleet will receive 31 ships.
About 45 percent of available military equipment will be replaced in the army and on the fleet under the new armament programme.
These plans are quite feasible, Ivanov said.