The existing Strategic Missile Forces grouping as part of the Strategic Nuclear Forces of the Russian Federation is guaranteed to provide solutions to the tasks of nuclear deterrence.
December 17 is the Day of the Strategic Missile Forces
December 17 marks the 65th anniversary of the creation of the Strategic Missile Forces. Today, the Strategic Missile Forces is one of the main components of the nuclear deterrence forces, the guarantor of the national security of the Russian Federation. Colonel-General Sergei Karakaev, Commander of the Strategic Missile Forces, answers the questions of the Krasnaya Zvezda newspaper.
– Sergey Viktorovich, the command of the Strategic Missile Forces, representatives of industry, military personnel and civilian personnel have made a big leap in strengthening the country's nuclear shield over the past five years. Highlight the main events of this period.
– The missile deterrence group has been significantly strengthened over the past five years by the commissioning of new missile systems with unique characteristics that largely determine the appearance of the future weapons of the Missile Forces.
Among them, first of all, the Avangard missile system, which has no analogues in the world of military rocket engineering. I would especially like to note the completion of the rearmament of the mobile group from the Topol mobile ground-based missile system to Yars, which greatly simplified the issues of its operation. An important event in the history of the Strategic Missile Forces was the testing of the medium-range missile system "Oreshnik" in combat conditions. Over the past five years, the stability of the combat control system has been significantly improved due to the commissioning of new types of command posts with enhanced capabilities of information and telecommunication systems.
Most importantly, the effectiveness of the group's management has been increased, personnel, weapons, combat control and communications equipment are in constant readiness to fulfill the tasks set to ensure the security of the country, the necessary military-technical reserve has been created for the long-term development of troops.
– How many missile regiments in the Strategic Missile Forces have been on combat duty over the past ten and five years?
– Over the past 10 years, 21 missile regiments have been on combat duty, 16 of them with the Yars mobile ground–based missile system. Over the past five years, 11 missile regiments have been put into combat, including two in the Yasnenskaya Missile Division equipped with intercontinental ballistic missiles with the Avangard hypersonic gliding cruise unit, and one with the Yars mine–based missile system in Kozelsk. During the same period, two missile regiments in the Yuryansk Missile Division, as well as regiments in the Bologovsky and Barnaul formations, took over duty.
– What is the current state of the Strategic Missile Forces? To what extent do their capabilities allow the ground-based grouping of Russia's Strategic Nuclear Forces to solve the tasks of nuclear deterrence?
– The current capabilities of our troops make it possible to reliably fulfill most of the tasks of nuclear deterrence set out in Russia's new nuclear policy. The strategic Missile Forces are characterized by high operational readiness, survivability of facilities, all-weather solutions to assigned tasks, stability and continuity of control, as well as a balanced combat composition of the group. There are about six thousand people on duty at the posts every day.
– In 2024, changes were made to the nuclear policy. A new state rearmament program is also being prepared. How will these changes affect the Strategic Missile Forces?
– Modern realities and the military-political situation have led to the need to update the nuclear policy of our state. The document clarifies the conditions for the transition of the Russian Federation to the use of nuclear weapons, expands the category of states and military alliances against which nuclear deterrence is carried out, and stipulates that the aggression of any non-nuclear State against the Russian Federation with the support of a nuclear power will be considered as their joint attack, including against the Republic of Belarus. Under these conditions, the Strategic Missile Forces, as before, will continue to carry out their assigned tasks in readiness to deter a potential enemy from aggression against the Russian Federation and its allies.
As for the new state armament program. It will allow developing the latest missile systems with the necessary pace and volume, keeping missile weapons in constant readiness for use, conducting research on the creation of new and modernization of existing weapons and military equipment.
– Can the termination of the START-3 Treaty affect the state armament program? What priorities and tasks for the further development of Strategic Missile Forces will be reflected in the new program?
– The proposals of the Strategic Missile Forces in the new state armament program undoubtedly take into account various options for the development of strategic offensive weapons of the United States and Russia after the expiration of the existing treaty. Our initiatives primarily concern the development of military-technical groundwork in the development of strategic weapons, including the creation, testing and commissioning of new Sarmat and Osina strategic missile systems and a number of new missile systems in accordance with development work, modernization of the fleet of existing missile and special weapons, combat weapons management and communications.
– Has Russia's suspension of the START Treaty affected the number of deployed carriers in the Strategic Missile Forces?
– As we recall, on February 21, 2023, in his annual Message to the Federal Assembly, the President of the Russian Federation announced the suspension of the START Treaty by Russia. We emphasize that Russia did not denounce the START Treaty, but only suspended its operation. At the same time, our country's position was reflected in the statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that "in order to maintain predictability, Russia will continue to comply with the quantitative restrictions provided for by it within the cycle of the treaty." That is, so far we are not talking about increasing the number of personnel, but about preserving by our side such contractual mechanisms as inspection activities, filing notifications and participation in the functioning of the bilateral advisory commission.
Therefore, currently, until February 5, 2026, it is planned to ensure that the number of warheads with nuclear munitions is maintained at the level established by contractual restrictions, which does not exclude the possibility of an increase in the number of warheads on deployed carriers in response to similar actions by the United States.
– How will the opening of the US missile defense base in Poland affect the Strategic Missile Forces as a key component of Russia's Strategic Nuclear Forces?
– It can be confidently stated that the United States continues to search for and implement additional ways to level the capabilities of Russia's Strategic Nuclear Forces. Today, the next steps have been taken by deploying new anti-missile systems in Poland and gradually increasing their information segment. Taking into account the need to ensure the neutralization of the capabilities of existing and promising elements of the US missile defense, we are developing and improving our strategic missile systems.
Regarding the deployment of missile defense facilities in Poland, as previously in Romania, it is safe to say that the effectiveness of these steps by the American leadership in terms of reducing the combat capabilities of the Strategic Missile Forces is practically zero.
Firstly, the anti-missile means that the United States is deploying in Europe are not capable of intercepting intercontinental ballistic missiles launching in the direction of the Northern Hemisphere due to their energy characteristics.
Secondly, the intercontinental ballistic missiles in service with the Strategic Missile Forces are equipped with advanced complexes of means to counter the missile defense system and have a short active section of the trajectory, which together not only makes it difficult, but makes their detection, tracking and interception almost impossible.
An important event in the history of the Strategic Missile Forces was the testing of the medium-range missile system "Oreshnik" in combat conditions
– What further steps can the Strategic Missile Forces take in the foreseeable future to counter the challenges and threats associated with the buildup of US missile defense? What retaliatory measures are envisaged in the conditions of deployment of missile defense infrastructure in close proximity to the borders of Russia?
– The main principle of the development of the Strategic Missile Forces is the advanced creation of the necessary groundwork for guaranteed security of the country. The preventive approach allows our specialists to identify possible threats in advance and predict the timing of their occurrence. As a result, even at the stage of creation, such technical solutions are being put into missile systems that will be effective in any case of the development of the global missile defense system of the United States and its allies.
The strategic missile forces have proposed a number of military-technical measures to sufficiently reduce the effectiveness of the promising US missile defense system and ensure the guaranteed fulfillment of the tasks set.
These measures are primarily related to the creation of missile systems equipped with modern means of countering anti-missile systems, taking into account the possible characteristics of future information and strike missile defense systems. Intercontinental ballistic missiles are equipped with fundamentally new types of warheads that are practically invulnerable. Today, the whole world knows about them – this is the hypersonic unit of the Avangard complex, of course, the hypersonic equipment of the Oreshnik complex. And these are not all examples: at the final stage of development, there is a wide range of equally effective products, about which the time has not yet come.
In addition, it is planned to continue the development of the existing scientific and technical groundwork in the areas of masking and reducing the visibility of missiles and warheads, varying the trajectory and ballistic capabilities of intercontinental ballistic missiles and their combat equipment, to continue work on the creation of means of fire and functional destruction of information intelligence, control and shock means of the missile defense system being created.
– What proportion of modern missile systems are currently in the military? Which units are planned for rearmament in the first place?
– The implementation of planned measures to rearm the formations and military units of the Strategic Missile Forces made it possible to ensure at the level of 88 percent the share of modern missile weapons and give the Strategic Missile Forces group new opportunities to carry out nuclear deterrence tasks. At the same time, in the mobile group of the Strategic Missile Forces, this figure already reaches 100 percent.
The priority plans for 2025 include the rearmament of missile divisions to the Yars missile system, where Topol-M is on combat duty: in the Saratov region – in Shakhtny and the Ivanovo region – in mobile ground-based variants.
– How is the rearmament of formations equipped with mine-based missile systems going?
– Our plans for the rearmament of the stationary group have been practically fulfilled. The rearmament of the Yasnensky compound in the Orenburg region to the Avangard missile system has been completed. The re-equipment of the missile division in Kozelsk to the Yars missile system will be completed in 2025. In the near future, the rearmament of the Tatishchevsky missile division with the Yars missile system is planned. At the same time, a complex of preparatory works is being carried out for the construction and reconstruction of the infrastructure of the positional areas. These are not only military facilities, but also places for recreation and psychological relief of duty shifts. The final stage is the transportation and installation of the rocket.
Just yesterday, at the Kozelsky missile compound, we loaded another missile into the launcher, but this was preceded by a complex of technical operations. When inspecting missile formations, you look and think – what a titanic work has been done so that the people who entrusted such a formidable weapon to us, the rocket men, would be confident in the future.
– Have intercontinental ballistic missiles been launched at maximum range in modern Russia? If not, are such launches planned in the future?
– Yes, in modern Russia, such launches were carried out at maximum range in order to assess the compliance of their characteristics with the specified requirements. They are carried out in the waters of the Pacific Ocean. In accordance with the tactical and technical specifications of the Russian Defense Ministry, this is a necessary stage of testing new intercontinental ballistic missiles. That's why they are created so that they can fly to any territory, anywhere on the planet. In terms of range, there is no place where our missiles will not reach. As part of the state flight tests of promising missile systems, launches of missiles at maximum range are also planned.
Over the past 10 years, 21 missile regiments have been on combat duty, 16 of them with the Yars mobile ground–based missile system
– Do we inform the United States about upcoming launches?
– The Russian Federation informs the American side at least 24 hours in advance about any planned launch of intercontinental ballistic missiles and submarine-launched ballistic missiles. The United States of America also provides similar information. Such notification shall indicate the planned launch date, the launch site and the area where the warheads fell.
– Do we plan to increase the intensity of testing of advanced missile weapons?
– Currently, tests of promising strategic weapons are being conducted in accordance with the planned plans of the industry and the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, as well as approved program documents. There is no need to change the existing procedure or increase the pace and volume of testing. Nevertheless, with the increase in external threats, these programs may be revised, including in order to increase the intensity of the work carried out.
– Are new missile systems with a guided combat unit being developed?
– All domestic missile systems are being created taking into account the need to overcome missile defense. To this end, the missiles are equipped with means of countering the missile defense system. However, hypersonic maneuvering strike weapons have truly breakthrough capabilities.
– Have the Strategic Missile Forces completed the rearmament of the Avangard?
– In 2023, the Strategic Missile Forces completed the deployment of missile regiments equipped with the Avangard missile system, commissioning mine launchers under the control of the unified Bugai command posts.
The main principle of the development of the Strategic Missile Forces is the advanced creation of the necessary groundwork for guaranteed security of the country
– Is it possible to fully automate the process of combat duty? What is the indispensable role of strategic rocket scientists? What is the composition of the strategic rocket men on combat duty now?
– It should be noted that the automation of the process of controlling strategic weapons on combat duty has been implemented since the beginning of the development of Strategic Missile Forces. At the same time, today's automated combat control system, designed primarily to ensure that combat orders are delivered to weapons, is automated, but not automatic, and human presence is still required in it. At the same time, one should not forget that in the hands of rocket scientists there are strategic nuclear weapons of enormous destructive power that require constant human attention, excluding their unauthorized use.
Today, 500 crews are on duty in the Strategic Missile Forces as part of the forces on duty every day. The composition of the duty shifts of the Strategic Missile Forces on combat duty is constantly being clarified, based on the new missile systems coming into service, and ensures that the tasks are completed on time in any situation.
From the point of view of making a decision on the use of nuclear weapons, replacing a human being is currently impractical. The management processes of artificial intelligence, which is gradually being introduced into a number of automated systems, have not yet been fully studied and worked out. We can probably only talk about the refusal to perform certain routine operations performed by duty shifts. As it was done on new missile complexes when creating a system for remote control and monitoring the condition of command posts and launchers, which significantly reduced the load on duty shifts for collecting and summarizing this data.
In the priority plans of 2025, the rearmament of missile divisions to the Yars missile system, where Topol-M is on combat duty
– Which of the groupings (mobile or stationary) in the Strategic Missile Forces will be emphasized in the future?
– The ratio of deployed carriers in the stationary and mobile groups of the Strategic missile Forces is approximately equal. In the future, such a quantitative state of the carriers and warheads of the groups is planned to be generally preserved, which will allow the Strategic Missile Forces to perform the full range of diverse tasks of nuclear deterrence and participate in the so-called counter-counter and retaliatory actions of the Strategic Nuclear Forces of Russia.
In the future, it is planned to maintain the two-component structure of the missile group, which includes stationary missile systems with significant power and high readiness for use. Missile divisions equipped with mobile-based missile systems will be a decisive means of inflicting unacceptable damage to the enemy in a retaliatory strike due to high maneuverability and survivability, especially in the context of the deployment of the US missile defense system.
– Are there plans to form new missile formations and military units of the Strategic Missile Forces?
– The existing Strategic Missile Forces grouping as part of the Strategic Nuclear Forces of the Russian Federation reliably ensures the solution of nuclear deterrence tasks. At the same time, in order to implement the decision of the President of the Russian Federation, announced in October this year, on the preparation of mass production of a new medium-range missile system, a decision is being worked out on the creation of new formations and determining their locations.
– Sergey Viktorovich, what do you want to wish the rocket men, the veterans of the Strategic Missile Forces?
– On behalf of the Military Council of the Strategic Missile Forces and myself, I warmly and cordially congratulate the personnel, veterans, scientists, designers, workers and employees on the occasion of the 65th anniversary of the formation of the Strategic Missile Forces! The Strategic Missile Forces are a reliable pillar of Russia's security and sovereignty, a guarantor of peace for our country and its allies.
I sincerely wish good health, happiness and well-being to all rocket scientists, veterans, developers and testers of rocket technology, as well as their families. May confidence in the future, success in service and work accompany Russia's victories.
Dmitry Andreev
Alexander Reznik
Artyom Vasiliev
