Russia's strategic missile forces partly rearmed with advanced Yars systems

MOSCOW, March 29 (Xinhua) -- The Russian Strategic Missile Forces (RSMF)have completed partial rearmament with the Yars ground-mobile intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) system, local news reported Thursday.

The Yars is a mobile or stationary missile system with a solid-propellant ICBM of multiple warheads, which is expected to gradually replace the older-generation Topol RS-12M and Stiletto RS-18 missiles in the Russian military.

RSMF Commander Sergei Karakayev said the Irkutsk and Yoshkar-Ola missile units are being rearmed, and the rearming of Bologoye and Barnaul units will begin in 2020, according to the Tass news agency.

The RSMF commander also noted that the ongoing missile troop drills in the Sverdlovsk region, which involve more than 3,000 troops and about 300 units of equipment, will assess the capabilities of the new arms and hardware.

The drills, including concealing mobile ground missile systems and withdrawing missile units, aim to improve the combat readiness of Russian troops.

In November 2017, Karakayev said all missile divisions operating mobile missile systems will be rearmed with the Yars missile system by 2026.

First tested in May 2007, the Yars missile system has a potential range of 11,000 km, and can carry four 150-kiloton warheads or 10 independently targetable warheads. Enditem