MOSCOW - President Vladimir Putin (news - web sites) said Wednesday that Russia is developing a new form of nuclear missile unlike those held by other countries, news agencies reported.


AP Photo



Speaking at a meeting of the Armed Forces' leadership, Putin reportedly said that Russia is researching and successfully testing new nuclear missile systems.


"I am sure that ... they will be put in service within the next few years and, what is more, they will be developments of the kind that other nuclear powers do not and will not have," Putin was quoted as saying by the ITAR-Tass news agency.


Putin reportedly said: "International terrorism is one of the major threats for Russia. We understand as soon as we ignore such components of our defense as a nuclear and missile shield, other threats may occur."


No details were immediately available, but Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said earlier this month that Russia expected to test-fire a mobile version of its Topol-M ballistic missile this year and that production of the new weapon could be commissioned in 2005.


News reports have also said Russia is believed to be developing a next-generation heavy nuclear missile that could carry up to 10 nuclear warheads weighing a total of 4.4 tons, compared with the Topol-M's 1.32-ton combat payload.


Topol-Ms have been deployed in silos since 1998. The missiles have a range of about 6,000 miles and reportedly can maneuver in ways that are difficult to detect.


Earlier this year, a senior Defense Ministry official was quoted as telling news agencies that Russia had developed a weapon that could make the United States' proposed missile-defense system useless. Details were not given, but military analysts said the claimed new weapon could be a hypersonic cruise missile or maneuverable ballistic missile warheads.




http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...uclear_weapons

That's all good. Saves the Chinese much energy to build such bombs in order to maintain a sort of balance in this world.

The more nukes we have in the big countries' hands, the safer the world probably will be because the nuclear powers will be less tempted to use them.

Good good good!

P.S. If I were the Chinese leaders, I'd be content with our some 3000 nukes, which is enough to incinerate the world once. And I happen to believe that dead people, including Chinese, won't feel any pain when a second and third and forth and fifth nuke blows up nearby. Hehe...

Why build new Nuke or NukeMissiles?
Aren't the current ones enough to defend Russia?

If you are trying to PERFECT the weapons which will lead to the END of human race, it makes no sense to that perfectionism.

I say it is ridiculous and waste of money.

I am pretty sure they may be breaking the NPT, However I am Not sure. But this is a try travesty, No nation should have in thier hands, epsecialy nations wich are unstable and cannot even feed thier people and defend thier schools.

Oh well if Putin is talking about how to make the NMD and TMD systems useless by this new NukeMissile, then it does make big sense.

He says No Nation has now or will have, I hate to break it to him but Russia has less than 1/10 of the American GDP, I am pretty sure if Russia does it then in a few years America will do it.

Originally Posted by FlyingFrog

Oh well if Putin is talking about how to make the NMD and TMD systems useless by this new NukeMissile, then it does make big sense.

And not to mention if they're cheaper to maintain than the older ones. Economics play a big part here.

Originally Posted by Hegario

And not to mention if they're cheaper to maintain than the older ones. Economics play a big part here.

I believe when deployed, they are cheaper to maintain, since it is mobile, not in silo's.

And if when NMD or TMD proves to be really working (I doubt it), then it may be a bit late to find the solution to it, hence sometimes you got to buy less bread but to make some NukeMissiles first, to make sure u will not be blackmailed by other's nukes.

I think Putin's idea may be like this:
To cut off most of the outdated old nukes and launchers, but develop and maintain a dozen highly effective and deadly mobile ICBMS, this way they can save a big chunck of money and stay MAD issuranced.

Actually they are talking about the TOPOL-M missiles, not something too new at all, just a more modern version of Chinese DF-31 ICBM I bet.

Topol-M to form core of Russian missile arsenal after 2015
http://www.gateway2russia.com/st/art_235598.php

That may be is plane but he may want to be more carful how he does it, cause it could always have a bad side effect.