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Russia may extend service life of SS-19 Stiletto ICBMs by three years

Today Russia is implementing a planned process of replacing UR-100N UTTKh ICBMs: currently 50 such missiles are operational compared to 150 before

Intercontinental ballistic missile UR-100N UTTKh Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation/TASS

Intercontinental ballistic missile UR-100N UTTKh

© Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation/TASS

REUTOV /Moscow Region/, April 2. /TASS/. The service life of UR-100N UTTKh (NATO reporting name: SS-19 Stiletto) intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) operational in Russia’s Strategic Missile Force may be extended by three years, CEO and Chief Designer of the Research and Production Association of Machine-Building Alexander Leonov said on Friday.

"We will keep this missile on combat duty as long as necessary. Now we are going to extend its service life by three years," the chief designer said on the sidelines of the conference on cosmonautics, replying to a TASS question.

A whole set of measures is underway, he said. "This makes it possible to continue operating these missiles. But in this area any predictions are inappropriate: the hardware should itself suggest," the head of the Research and Production Association of Machine-Building said.

Today Russia is implementing a planned process of replacing UR-100N UTTKh ICBMs: currently 50 such missiles are operational compared to 150 before. They are being replaced by advanced Yars ICBMs, the chief designer said.

Russia’s Yasny missile formation operates UR-100N UTTKh ICBMs that are the carriers of Avangard hypersonic boost-glide vehicles.

The Research and Production Association of Machine-Building (part of the Tactical Missiles Corporation) is the developer and manufacturer of sea-launched cruise missiles and Earth’s remote sensing satellites. It exercises warranty supervision of UR-100N UTTKh intercontinental ballistic missiles.

According to the data of open sources, the Enterprise has developed and is delivering Avangard hypersonic boost-glide vehicles to the troops and is working on the sea-launched Tsirkon hypersonic cruise missile. The Research and Production Association of Machine-Building also produces Bastion coastal defense missile systems.

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