Shoigu has ordered to
start experimental design work.
MOSCOW, February 5.
/TASS/. The ground-based version of the sea-launched Kalibr system with the
long-range cruise missile has to be developed in 2019-2020 and the same timeframe
is required for creating a ground-based long-range hypersonic missile system,
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said at the ministry’s conference call
on Tuesday.
"The General
Staff has submitted to the supreme commander-in-chief a list of measures, which
he has approved. 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," the defense minister said.
"Within the same
time limits, we need to develop the ground-based system with the long-range
hypersonic missile," the defense minister said.
These measures will
be implemented in the wake of the US decision to suspend from February 2 its
obligations under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty.
"At the same
time, they [the United States] 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 Defense Ministry to take tit-for-tat mirrored measures,"
Shoigu said.
As the Russian
defense minister pointed out, "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."
"Besides, it is
necessary to increase the firing range of ground-based missile systems being
developed today," the defense minister said.
Shoigu instructed
Deputy Defense Minister Alexei Krivoruchko "to start the corresponding
experimental design work within a short period of time within the
appropriations allocated under the defense procurement plan for 2019 and for
the planned period of 2020-2021 by re-distributing funds for the fulfillment of
this work."
Road to INF exit
On Friday, US
President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Michael Pompeo said that
Washington would suspend its obligations under the INF Treaty starting February
2 and would quit it within six months if Russia did not come into compliance
with the agreement.
A day later, on
Saturday, Russian President Vladimir Putin responded in kind, saying that
Moscow would suspend the Cold War-era arms reduction treaty. Moreover, he told
his ministers not to initiate disarmament talks with Washington, underscoring
that the United States should become "mature enough" for equal and meaningful
dialogue. Putin pointed out that Russia would start work on the development of
new weapons mirroring Washington’s steps. In particular, work will begin on a
new hypersonic ground-launched medium-range missile.
The US began
censuring Russia for allegedly breaking the treaty in July 2014. Since then,
Washington has repeated its accusations on many occasions. In turn, Moscow has
rebuffed these allegations and advanced counterclaims against the US, saying
that Washington has failed to comply with the accord.
The
Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty signed by the Soviet Union and
the United States on December 8, 1987, entered into force on June 1, 1988. The
INF deal covered deployed and non-deployed ground-based short-range missiles
(from 500 to 1,000 kilometers) and intermediate-range missiles (from 1,000 to
5,500 kilometers). By June 1991, the parties had met their obligations under
the treaty, as the Soviet Union had destroyed 1,846 missiles and the United
States eliminated 846.
Source: ITAR-TASS
05-02-2019
