Sergei Shoigu promised rapid development of the country’s defences, with a new land-based cruise missile and a new land-based hypersonic missile in the works. He said they would be developed before 2021 to respond to Washington’s planned exit from a nuclear arms control pact, the state-run news agency TASS said today. Mr Shoigu said: “In 2019-2020, we need to develop the ground-based version of the sea-launched Kalibr system with the long-range cruise missile, which has proven its worth in Syria.
“Within the same time limits, we need to develop the ground-based system with the long-range hypersonic missile.”
He said the measures were “tit for tat” after the US pulled out of the Cold War-era Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty. Last weekend Russian president Vladimir Putin followed suit.
Mr Shoigu said: “At the same time, they are actively working on creating ground-based missiles with the range capability of over 500km, which is outside the treaty-stipulated limitations.
“In this situation, the Russian president has set the task for the Defence Ministry to take tit-for-tat mirrored measures.
“The use of sea-and air-borne missiles in their ground-based version will help considerably cut the time of manufacturing new missile weapons and the volume of their financing.”
It comes amid spiralling tensions between Russia and the US.
This is a developing story, more to follow…