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3 RF RVSN units start preparation for rearmament with Yars system

In recent years, the share of modern armaments in RVSN has increased to 30 percent

MOSCOW, May 21 (Itar-Tass) — Three formations of the Russian Strategic Missile Troops (RVSN) have started preparations for the rearmament with the Yars missile system with the RS-24 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICMB) equipped with multiple re-entry vehicles (MIRV), RVSN Commander Lieutenant-General Sergei Karakayev told journalists on Monday.

Answering a question about the progress of the RVSN rearmament with new missile systems in 2012, the commander said that “the second missile regiment armed with the Yars mobile missile system will be fully manned this year at the Teikovo missile formation (Ivanovo Region).”

“The work aimed at putting on combat duty the third division of this regiment will be launched in June,” Karakayev said. “Thus, in 2012, the rearmament of the Teikovo missile formation with the Yars mobile missile system will be completed.”

According to the commander, “the rearmament with the Topol-M missile system of the sixth stationary missile regiment of the Tatishchevo (Saratov Region) formation continues.” “To date, the second phase of the regiment’s rearmament has been completed by putting on combat duty of another launcher,” he specified. “Another four launchers will be put on combat duty by the end of the year.”

“When the regiment’s rearmament is over in 2012, the program of the RVSN equipment with the Topol-M missile system will be completed,” the commander said.

“In addition, preparations have begin in the Irkutsk, Novosibirsk and Kozelsk (Kaluga Region) rocket formations for securing the missile regiments’ rearmament with the Yars missile system,” Karakayev said. “In the latter regiment the Yars missile system will be deployed in silos.”

Earlier, speaking about plans for 2012, the Strategic Missile Troops’ Command declared the intention to begin the work on the rearmament with the Yars missile system in two missile formations – in Novosibirsk and Kozelsk.

“The rearmament with the Yars missile system of several more missile formations is planned in the future,” the RVSN commander said.

“Thus, in recent years, the share of modern armaments in RVSN has increased to 30 percent,” Karakayev said. “In the future, the Strategic Missile Troops’ quality characteristics will be improved by their equipping with modern missile weapons, the use of new missile defence systems that are being created within the frame work of the State Armaments Program for 2011 - 2020.”