To quote: "As is known, we have a nuclear triad and for only the Strategic Rocket Troops four intercontinental ballistic missiles will be bought in 2005. There is no safety in numbers. We buy as many as we need", he said in answer to the RIA Novosti question.
The size of the purchase is quite enough to keep up the strategic parity and ensure national security, he said.
To quote: "We buy as many missiles as we need to maintain the real parity, but not of the times of the cold war", Sergei Ivanov said.
He also noted that the international treaties set the ceiling for the number of such missiles. "Why should we produce and buy costly missile to utilise them in ten to 15 years. Utilisation of missiles made way back in the Soviet times is quite a problem", the Russian defence minister said.
In order to maintain the strategic parity Russia has general forces, whose development should proceed in a balanced way, he stressed.
