Furthermore, both the flight test of the hypersonic glide vehicle “Avangard,” to be carried in ICBMs and capable of breaching missle defense, and the in-water of the “Poseidon” unmanned underwater vehicle have been reported as successful ( TASS 2019-1). Of these, the supersonic ballistic missile “Kinzhal,” to be carried by interceptor fighters, is believed to be in deployment already ( TASS 2018-2). In February 2018, the Trump administration released the Nuclear Posture Review (NPR), aimed at the maintenance and modernization of strategic nuclear weapons as well as the development of smaller and more agile warheads and cruise missiles to be launched from surface ships and submarines.In the following month, President Putin, in a State of Federation address, reacted in kind by disclosing the development of a series of new nuclear weapons ( Kremlin 2018). Every October since 2013, Russia has conducted large-scale military maneuvers involving ICBM, SLBM and cruise missile launches.Last year however,ICBMs were not launched ( Podvig, Pavel 2018-3). Last year Russia conducted the following ballistic tests: three ICBMs and more than five SLBMs ( Space Launch Report 2018). Given constraints on submarine patrols, they are believed to be attack nuclear submarines ( Kristensen, Hans M. However, this Russian fleet comprises about a total 20 submarines per year. Elsewhere, Russia’s bombers, cruise missiles and non-strategic nuclear weapons and their launchers are all being modernized.Īs a matter of fact, maritime patrols by Russia’s nuclear submarines have gained in frequency in the recent years. Strategic nuclear submarines and SLBMs will also be replaced by the latest Borei-class submarines and new SLBM Bulava. SS-18s are likewise being replaced by SS-X-30 Sarmats under development. Russia is in the process of systematically replacing Soviet-era SS-18, -19, and -25 systems with the latest SS-27M2 systems with complete replacement by 2020. After 2008, 96% of deployed ICBMs are said to be on high alert ( Podvig, Pavel 2014). Given Russia’s limited transparency and day-to-day fluctuations in deployments in reality, this is probably a reasonable estimate.Īlso, Russia has approximately 160 ballistic missiles on high alert (capable of launch in 15 minutes), and most of them are estimated to be ICBMs ( Kristensen, Hans M. This chart and the New START Treaty data can be reconciled by replacing the 200 warheads counted under “Strategic bomber payloads” with the estimated number of operational strategic bombers (50) to reduce the number of strategic delivery vehicles and deployed warheads to 512 and 1,432, respectively. On March 1, 2019, Russia announced that it possessed a total 524 strategic delivery vehicles and 1,461 deployed strategic nuclear warheads ( U.S.Department of State 2019). As for the data pertaining to the U.S.-Russia New START Treaty, Russia, unlike the U.S., has not disclosed any breakdown of the number of (deployed/non-deployed) launchers. French, and UK nuclear capabilities, Russian capabilities are quite vague.
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