MOSCOW, November 2. /TASS/. Russia will complete rearming its Strategic Missile Force with Yars silo-based and mobile intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) by 2024, Chief Designer of the Moscow Institute of Thermal Technology (the Yars developer) Yuri Solomonov told TASS on Monday.

Solomonov who is also an Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences will mark his 75th birthday on November 3.

"I believe everything is moving towards the situation that the old grouping will be fully rearmed with Yars missile systems by 2024," the chief designer said.

The first regiment armed with Yars road-mobile intercontinental ballistic missiles assumed combat duty at the Teikovo missile division in central Russia in March 2011. According to open sources, six missile divisions have been rearmed with Yars mobile ICBMs in Russia by now. In particular, Russia’s Defense Ministry announced in September that the Strategic Missile Force’s missile division stationed in Irkutsk in Siberia had been reamed with Yars ICBMs.

Russia also continues installing silo-based Yars ICBMs. In particular, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said at the ministry’s conference call on October 13 that two Yars missiles had been placed in silo launchers in the Kaluga Region in central Russia.

The RS-24 Yars is a Russian strategic missile system comprising a mobile or silo-based solid-propellant intercontinental ballistic missile with MIRVed (multiple independently targetable vehicle) warheads. The ICBM has been developed by the Moscow Institute of Thermal Technology under the supervision of Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Yuri Solomonov. The Yars is a modification of the Topol-M missile system.

Russia’s Strategic Missile Force currently operates eight types of missile systems. They include five silo-based types: Voyevoda, Stiletto, Topol-M, Yars and Avangard. The mobile grouping comprises road-mobile Topol, Topol-M and Yars ICBMs. Russia plans to gradually rearm all of its missile formations with the latest Yars, Avangard and Sarmat missile systems.