Russia to Rearm Strategic Missile Forces With 5th-Generation Arms by 2027

Russia will have upgraded its Strategic Missile Forces with 5th-generation devices by 2027.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — All missile divisions of Russia's Strategic Missile Forces (RVSN) will be rearmed with 5th-generation ballistic missile systems by 2027, the Russian Defense Ministry said Friday.

"The development and adoption of a new missile system with a heavy missile, as well as new systems with missiles of a lighter class, will completely change the composition of the strike group of the Strategic Missile Forces: until 2027, all missile divisions will be rearmed with missile systems of the 5th-generation," the ministry said in a press release citing RVSN Commander Col. Gen. Sergei Karakayev.

The RS-24 Yars solid-fuel ballistic missile can carry multiple independently targetable nuclear warheads, and is designed to evade missile defense systems up to a range of 7,500 miles.

The RS-24 Yars was introduced into service in July 2010.

It is an upgraded version of the Topol-M ballistic missile (also a fifth-generation missile) that can be fired both from a mobile launcher and silo.

In the course of its development, the experience of the military operation of fifth generation's mobile ground missile systems was taken into account.