In the early days of October, there were several news items directly related to the Russian strategic nuclear forces. On October 1, the US Department of State released the latest data on the quantitative indicators of the nuclear weapons of Russia and the United States. A little later, information regarding some aspects of missile testing by our country got into the public domain. In addition, both news of the beginning of October are most directly related to earlier events that have taken place in recent times.
As of September 1, according to a report by the US State Department, Russia's strategic nuclear forces have 473 deployed nuclear weapons. The total number of deployed and non-deployed media is 894. Deployed carriers can deliver 1,400 warheads to targets. In the United States, 809 out of 1,015 launchers are currently deployed. The missiles and bombers deployed and operational are a total of 1,688 warheads. In accordance with the START-3 treaty, Russia and the United States must increase the number of carriers and nuclear warheads to the following quantities. The total number of carriers in each country should not exceed 800 units. 700 of them can be simultaneously deployed and equipped with 1,550 warheads.
Looking at the published data, it is easy to notice one interesting feature of the ongoing fulfillment of the terms of the START III treaty. After previous reductions in strategic nuclear forces, as well as after the specific situation of past years, the United States is ahead of Russia in all three areas: both in the number of carriers, including deployed, and in the number of deployed warheads. Moreover, the Russian strategic nuclear forces do not fit into the terms of the treaty on only one point - the total number of delivery vehicles exceeds the permitted one. At the same time, the number of deployed carriers and warheads does not reach the prescribed values. This is especially evident in the case of deployed media, the actual number of which (473 units) is much less than the allowed 700.
Such a discrepancy in numbers suggests that in the coming years Russia may not only not reduce the number of deployed carriers and nuclear warheads, but also increase it, while remaining within the framework of START-3 conditions. The simplest way to strengthen nuclear forces is to increase the number of aircraft, missiles and missile submarines on duty. Indeed, subject to the availability of a certain stock of missiles in warehouses, this will improve the quantitative indicators of the country's nuclear shield. At the same time, the sphere of nuclear weapons and their delivery vehicles has a number of characteristic features. Therefore, it is better to use the available opportunities to improve both quantitative aspects and qualitative ones.
The difference between the required and actual quantitative indicators can be compensated for through the development and construction of new carriers and warheads. Probably, the military and political leadership of Russia intends to develop nuclear forces in this way. In early October, a number of Russian mass media disseminated information about the new contract of the Ministry of Defense. As reported, the Ingosstrakh insurance company won the tender of the military department for insurance of several strategic missile launches. In addition, the list of types of missiles, the launches of which will be insured, has been made public. Among the indices and designations already familiar to the general public, there was one that had not previously been found in official sources. According to media reports, Ingosstrakh will insure the launch (or launches) of the RS-26 rocket. This designation was first published by The Washington Free Beacon in March of this year. Then, citing sources in American intelligence, it was asserted that Russia was developing some kind of medium-range missile RS-26, which could contradict the existing international agreement.
In early summer, the Russian military and defense industries confirmed the existence of a new ballistic missile project. At the same time, according to official information, the "Rubezh" project involves the creation of a complex with an intercontinental ballistic missile. Because of this, the new project does not contradict the agreement between the United States and Russia, which prohibits the development and operation of medium and short-range missiles. The available information about the tests of the "Rubezh" complex, as well as about other aspects of the domestic nuclear program, allows us to draw some conclusions. First of all, there is no longer any doubt that the RS-26 index is an alternative designation for the missile known as "Rubezh".
After the adoption of the RS-24 "Yars" complex, the RS-26 "Rubezh" system became a new project of the domestic defense industry in the field of missile weapons, attracting increased attention from specialists and the public. The rocket, developed by the Moscow Institute of Thermal Engineering, is now being tested. Over the past two years, four test launches have been carried out, one of which ended in an accident. In early summer of this year, shortly after the fourth test launch, it was stated that another rocket would be launched before the end of the year. Probably, this particular launch was insured, according to the press, for 180 million rubles.
The tests of the RS-26 "Rubezh" rocket have not yet been completed, but the plans of the military department are already known. Soon after the end of the tests of the new missile system, the Ministry of Defense intends to take it into service. Already next year, it is planned to deploy the first regiment of the Strategic Missile Forces, armed with new missiles. Thus, in the coming months, Russian strategic nuclear forces will receive a new delivery vehicle with new warheads. Some sources claim that the RS-26 missile carries a multiple warhead with individually guided maneuvering warheads. For obvious reasons, we cannot yet speak about the veracity of this information. In any case, some other information about the Rubezh project may contradict the version of the existence of a multiple missile warhead.
The adoption of the RS-26 missile and the beginning of its serial production will allow to quickly eliminate the backlog in the number of deployed carriers and warheads. In addition, the new missile system will increase the combat potential of the Strategic Missile Forces, which should have a positive impact on the state of all Russia's strategic nuclear forces. As a result, it will be possible to bring the quantitative indicators of nuclear weapons and delivery vehicles to the maximum level corresponding to the terms of the START-3 Treaty, as well as to raise the qualitative aspects with the help of higher characteristics of the new weapons. The existing Russian-American agreement requires the number of delivery vehicles and warheads to be brought to the required value by 2018. By this time, we should expect the construction and transfer of a large number of RS-26 complexes to the missile forces.
