VLASIKHA (Moscow region), December 14 (Itar-Tass) —— The rearmament program of the Russian Strategic Missile Troops for the missile system Topol-M will be finalized at the end of December, after that the striking force will put on combat duty 96 launchers for new missile systems Topol-M and Yars, Commander of the Russian Strategic Missile Troops Col. Gen. Sergei Karakayev told reporters on Friday ahead of the Day of Missile Troops on December 17.

“At the end of December the rearmament for the silo-based missile system Topol-M will be completed in the 6th missile regiment of the Tatishchevo missile formation in the Saratov Region,” he explained. “Thus, the rearmament program of the Russian Strategic Missile Troops for this missile system will be finalized,” Karakayev said.

He also recalled that this year the rearmament of the Teikovo (Ivanovo region) missile formation for the state-of-the-art 5th generation missile systems Topol-M and Yars was finalized this year, as this rearmament program has been implemented since 2006.” “Presently the Teikovo missile formation is the first formation in the Russian Strategic Missile Troops, which was fully rearmed with mobile ground-based 5th generation missile system,” the commander noted. Two missile regiments of this formation are rearmed with the mobile ground-based missile system Topol-M. Another two missile regiments have the mobile ground-based missile system Yars on combat duty. This missile system is equipped with the intercontinental ballistic missile RS-24 with the multiple warhead.

“By the end of 2012 the striking force will have 96 launchers with new missile systems Topol-M and Yars. Thus, for the last few years the share of modern weapons in the Russian Strategic Missile Troops increased to 30%,” the commander noted.

“This year the rearmament was launched for the missile system Yars in the Novosibirsk and Kozelsk missile formations,” Karakayev said. “Meanwhile, in the Kozelsk missile formation a silo-based missile system Yars will be deployed.” The rearmament of several more missile formations for the missile system Yars is planned in the future.

He also noted that under the state rearmament program for 2011-2020 promising missile systems, particularly heavy missiles, were being created this year.

Along with the rearmament for new missile systems in the Russian Strategic Missile Troops the modernization of current command posts and the construction of new command posts, the armament of the troops with modern and promising communications systems and combat control systems, security systems and other modern weapons and military hardware was continued actively.