MOSCOW, December 23. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has unveiled plans for using the new-generation rocket Angara not only for economic needs, but also for defense purposes.
“The first successful test launch of the Angara rocket was carried out earlier today,” Putin told his CSTO counterparts at a meeting in Moscow. “Naturally, the rocket will be used for both economic needs and, naturally, for strengthening Russia’s defenses and, consequently, of all CSTO member-states,” he said.
Putin believes that the new rocket would be good for “the system of early warning of missile attacks, reconnaissance, navigation, communication and re-transmission of signals for defense purposes.”
Putin described Angara’s launch as an “important and pleasant event” for Russia. “For many years, over the past decade, we have conducted active work to finalize and launch the Angara-A5 heavy rocket. Today there was the first successful launch,” Putin said.
The rocket is meant for putting payloads of up to 24.5 tons into high elliptical orbits, and payloads of up to 3.4 tons into geostationary orbits. “It’s a major piece of work and this part of the program has been accomplished,” Putin said.