Defense

Russia’s new nuclear & other deterrence ensures strategic balance for decades to come – Putin

New weapon systems being developed and put into service would ensure the balance of power in the world for decades, President Vladimir Putin told top generals, outlining the priorities of Russia’s deterrent modernization.

In March, the president unveiled a set of brand new weapon systems which are designed to render any capabilities aimed at undermining the Russian nuclear deterrent obsolete. Noting that latest Russian developments currently have “no world analogues,” Putin stressed on Tuesday that Russia was forced to develop new weapons in order to ensure a “strategic balance in the world for the next decades.”

Besides the RS-28 Sarmat, the newest liquid-propelled intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) introduced in March, and laser air-defense technology, the world also discovered that Moscow is now in possession of an intercontinental nuclear-powered cruise missile, an intercontinental underwater drone, and a maneuverable hypersonic glide vehicle.

While all of the novelties already underwent successful trials, some have already been deployed in the armed forces and others are still being fine-tuned for combat. The full completion of all military programs requires “constant attention” and oversight, Putin told the Russian generals on Tuesday in Sochi, during the first leg of a series of military consultations that will run through Wednesday.

While the advanced weapons will increase the national security “many-fold,” Putin stressed that Russia must also pay attention to modernizing the country’s nuclear deterrent.