Day of Strategic Missile Troops

17.12.2007 // RIA Novosti

Today Russia is marking the Day of Strategic Missile Troops

Strategic Missile Troops (SMT) were formed on Dec 17 1959. In 1995 the President of Russia instituted the Day of Strategic Missile Troops. SMT are the core of the strategic nuclear forces of Russia. The troops consist of rocket forces and military units with launching sites, training grounds, research station, research institute, higher schools, training centers, arsenals, repair works and bases.

In the mid 1980s SMT was provided with a land-based missile system with Topol intercontinental ballistic solid-fuel missile. The first Topols were deployed in Yoshkar-Ola on July 23 1985. Later, Russia designed Topol-M – intercontinental strategic missile (SS-25). The first Topol-Ms were put into service on Dec 30 1998 (the 104th missile regiment is part of the 60th division of Vladimir Missile Force, Tatischevo, Saratov region).

The second Topol-M regiment was deployed in Tatischevo on Dec 10 1999, the third one on Dec 26 2000. It was the next stage of the development of Strategic Missile Troops of Russia. Topol-M was a purely Russian missile and complied with all the requirements of the strategic offensive reductions treaty. The first test was carried out on Dec 20 1994 with almost 20 test launches effected from Plesetsk Cosmodrome till Nov 2002.

In 1997 Strategic Missile Troops, Aerospace Forces and Ballistic Missile Defense Troops were brought together into a Strategic Missile Force of the Russian Federation.

In June 2001 SMT were divided into Strategic Missile troops and Aerospace Forces. The priorities of SMT are keeping up the fighting capacity of the existing troops, ensuring the longest possible service life of missile systems, designing and launching new modifications of Topol-M system, developing tactical control systems, implementing research and development projects. In 2008 Russia is planning to re-equip its army and to introduce new missile carriers and systems.