Kalashnikov begins serial production of new missile for Strela-10M air defense system

The concern stressed that the missile was a fire-and-forget weapon.

MOSCOW, December 24. /TASS/. The concern Kalashnikov (an affiliate of Rostec) has launched batch production of a new guided missile 9M333 for the air defense systems of the Strela-10M family, the concern’s press service said on Thursday.

"Onsite testing of the missile at the Donguz test site in the Orenburg Region has been completed successfully. The missile’s batch production has begun under a contract with the Defense Ministry," the news release runs.

Kalashnikov stressed that the newly-developed missile was a fire-and-forget weapon.

"The missile’s distinguishing feature is a self-homing warhead operating in three modes (optical contrast, infrared and anti-jamming), which is its key advantage over other weapons of the same class," the press service said.

The 9M333 missile is capable of hitting low-flying planes and helicopters amid optical jamming as well as drones and cruise missiles.

The air defense systems of the Strela-10M family provide protection for troops on the ground during combat and on the march from air attack and reconnaissance aircraft operating at low and very low altitudes. Currently it is one of the most widely used air defense systems in the world.

Source: ITAR-TASS 26-12-2020

Program for testing missile Tsirkon in 2020 completed successfully, source says

In the outgoing year three scheduled launches were made: two against naval targets and one against an on-land surface target, the source said.

MOSCOW, December 25. /TASS/. The program for flight-testing the hypersonic missile Tsirkon in 2020 has been completed, with three successful launches from the Northern Fleet’s frigate The Admiral Gorshkov carried out, a source in the defense-industrial complex told TASS.

"In the outgoing year three scheduled launches were made: two against naval targets and one against an on-land surface target," the source said. "The accuracy was amazing. All missiles hit the bull’s eye."

The military-industrial corporation NPO Mashinostroyeniya (an affiliate of the Tactical Missiles Corporation), which developed and manufactures the Tsirkon has refrained from comment.

For the first time a hypersonic cruise missile Tsirkon was launched from the frigate The Admiral Gorshkov at the beginning of October 2020. The missile, fired from the White Sea, hit a naval target in the Barents Sea. It developed a maximum speed of Mach 8 and rose to an altitude of 28 kilometers. The next launch followed in November. The Tsirkon hit a naval target 450 kilometers away and developed a speed of above Mach 8, the Defense Ministry said. On December 11 the Defense Ministry said there had been a third launch.

Test launches from The Admiral Gorshkov will be completed in 2021. Later, the missile will begin to be launched from the nuclear-powered submarine The Severodvinsk.

Source: ITAR-TASS 25-12-2020

Work on Sarmat ballistic missile nears completion — Putin

The system has been in the process of development since the 2000s to replace the R-36M2 Voyevoda ICBM.

MOSCOW, December 17. /TASS/. Work on the Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile goes on actively and is now nearing completion, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday.

"Work on the Sarmat proceeds actively, and is now at the final stage. As for Poseidon [an unmanned underwater vehicle - TASS], work goes on well. Work on a missile with a nuclear global-distance system also proceeds as scheduled," he said at his annual news conference.

According to the president, work on other weapon systems that was announced in his state-of-the-nation address also proceeds as scheduled. "Some of them - the Kinzhal and the Peresvet laser weapon - have been put into service," he said.

The RS-28 Sarmat is a Russian advanced silo-based system with a heavy liquid-propellant intercontinental ballistic missile. It has been in the process of development since the 2000s to replace the R-36M2 Voyevoda ICBM. It weighs about 200 tonnes and has a throw weight of around 10 tonnes. The Sarmat is capable of breaching any existing and future missile defenses.

Source: ITAR-TASS 20-12-2020

Russia to build up support for Donbass, Putin says

That concerns support for production, solving social problems and infrastructure issues, Putin said.

MOSCOW, December 17. /TASS/. Russia will continue to upscale support for Donbass, Russian President Vladimir Putin told reporters at an annual news conference on Thursday.

"We, Russia, will support Donbass the way we did before. We will even build up our support for Donbass. That concerns support for production, solving social problems, infrastructure issues and so on," the head of state said.

"Without a doubt, you may rest assured that we realize the complexity of the situation in Donbass," Putin stressed responding to a question on the issue. "I repeat that not only will we [continue to provide] humanitarian assistance. We will continue to do so as far as direct cooperation is concerned."

Source: ITAR-TASS 17-12-2020

Russian MiG-31 fighter intercepts US spy plane over Bering Sea

After the foreign spy plane flew away from the Russian state border, the MiG-31 fighter safely returned to its home base.

MOSCOW, December 11. /TASS/. A MiG-31 fighter was scrambled to intercept a US Air Force RC-135 reconnaissance plane near the Russian borders over the Bering Sea, the Defense Ministry’s National Defense Control Center reported on Friday.

Russian radars detected an air target over the neutral waters of the Bering Sea approaching the Russian state border on December 11. A MiG-31 fighter from the Pacific Fleet’s air defense quick reaction alert forces was scrambled to prevent the violation of the state border, the National Defense Control Center said.

"The Russian fighter’s crew identified the air target as a US Air Force RC-135 strategic reconnaissance aircraft and escorted it," the Center said.

After the foreign spy plane flew away from the Russian state border, the MiG-31 fighter safely returned to its home base, the statement says.

"The Russian fighter’s flight proceeded in strict compliance with the international rules of using the airspace," the National Defense Control Center said.

The US aircraft was not allowed to violate the Russian state border, it stressed.

Source: ITAR-TASS 12-12-2020

Russian Navy frigate test-fires Tsirkon hypersonic missile from White Sea

The Tsirkon missile successfully struck the coastal target at a distance of over 350 km.

MOSCOW, December 11. /TASS/. The Project 22350 frigate Admiral Gorshkov successfully test-fired a Tsirkon hypersonic missile from the White Sea towards the proving ground in the northern Arkhangelsk Region, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported on Friday.

"The Project 22350 lead frigate Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Gorshkov test-fired a Tsirkon hypersonic cruise missile from the White Sea against a target at the Chizha proving ground in the Arkhangelsk Region," the statement says.

The Tsirkon missile successfully struck the coastal target at a distance of over 350 km, the Defense Ministry said.

"The missile flew at a speed of over Mach 8," it said.

The Tsirkon hypersonic missile was test-launched as part of the trials of new weapons. The forces of the Northern Fleet’s Belomorsk naval base closed the area of the test-fire, the ministry said.

The frigate Admiral Gorshkov test-launched a Tsirkon hypersonic cruise missile for the first time in early October. The missile launched from the White Sea struck a sea target in the Barents Sea. The Tsirkon developed a speed of Mach 8 and climbed to an altitude of 28 km. The next test-launch took place in November. A Tsirkon missile successfully struck a sea target at a distance of 450 km, developing a speed of over Mach 8.

Tsirkon hypersonic missile

In February 2011, then-Deputy Defense Minister Vladimir Popovkin announced plans to develop the Tsirkon shipborne system with a hypersonic missile. According to media reports, the missile’s flight tests began in 2015.

In his State-of-the-Nation Address to the Federal Assembly in February 2019, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the work on the Tsirkon hypersonic missile was proceeding as scheduled. As the Russian leader said, the Tsirkon was capable of developing a speed of about Mach 9 and its striking range capability could exceed 1,000 km. The Russian leader also said that the Tsirkon could strike both naval and ground targets. Putin specified at the time there were plans to deploy Tsirkon on serial-produced surface ships and submarines, including the warships built or under construction for Kalibr cruise missiles.

Russia uses the 3S-14 universal shipborne launcher for the launches of Tsirkon hypersonic weapons and Kalibr cruise missiles. These launchers, in particular, are operational on Russian Navy Project 22350 frigates and Project 20380 corvettes.

Source: ITAR-TASS 11-12-2020

Russian peacekeepers report no ceasefire violations in Nagorno-Karabakh

The situation in the peacekeeping operation zone is calm.

MOSCOW, December 10. /TASS/. The ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh is being observed fully, with no violations or provocations reported during the past day, Dmitry Perepelkin, a deputy chief of the Russian peacekeeping contingent’s reconciliation center, said on Thursday.

"The peacekeeping contingent is exercising control, under its mandate, of the implementation of the agreements on the cessation of fire and hostilities along the contact line in Nagorno-Karabakh. The situation in the peacekeeping operation zone is calm. Neither ceasefire violations nor provocations were reported," he said.

According to Perepelkin, Russian peacekeepers are controlling the ceasefire at 23 observation posts and conduct patrol missions along the contact line and in the Lachinsky corridor. They also ensure safe movements of civilian population and escort refugees returning to the homes in Nagorno-Karabakh. Apart from that, Russian servicemen conduct humanitarian operations and help restore civil infrastructure facilities.

By today, more than 36,000 people have returned to Nagorno-Karabakh. Public transport, government, medical and educational establishments have resumed operation. The electricity supply system has been restored to 85% thanks to Russian peacekeepers. The gas supplies system has been fully restored.

The second military hospital has been organized in the settlement of Mardakert. Russian peacekeepers jointly with employees of the International Committee of the Red Cross have organized exchange of the bodies of those killed between the Armenian and Azerbaijani sides.

Renewed clashes between Azerbaijan and Armenia erupted on September 27, with intense battles raging in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The area experienced flare-ups of violence in the summer of 2014, in April 2016 and this past July.

On November 9, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan signed a joint statement on a complete ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh starting from November 10. Under the document, the Azerbaijani and Armenian sides stopped at the positions that they had held and Russian peacekeepers were deployed to the region. The Russian peacekeeping contingent in Nagorno-Karabakh basically comprises units of the 15th separate motor rifle (peacekeeping) brigade of the Central Military District.

The Russian peacekeepers have set up observation posts along the engagement line in Nagorno-Karabakh and along the Lachinsky corridor that connects Armenia with the enclave to exercise control of the ceasefire observance. The peacekeeping mission’s command is stationed in Stepanakert in Nagorno-Karabakh. The situation in the area is monitored round-the-clock.

Source: ITAR-TASS 10-12-2020

FSB thwarts illegal border crossing attempt by three armed perpetrators from Ukraine

After exchanging fire one of them was killed, two others fled.

MOSCOW, December 4. /TASS/. Russian border guards have foiled an illegal border crossing attempt by three armed perpetrators from Ukraine. As the Public Relations Center of the Federal Security Service (FSB) told TASS, after exchanging fire one of them was killed, two others fled.

"The incident occurred at the section of the border under the FSB Directorate for the Belgorod and Voronezh Regions on December 4. A border guard detachment thwarted the border violation attempt from Ukraine into the Russian Federation by three armed unidentified individuals. During an attempt to detain them, the perpetrators responded with armed resistance," the Public Relations Center reported.

As a result of a retaliatory fire, one of them was fatally injured, the two others fled to the territory of Ukraine.

The investigation is underway. The FSB has not reported yet other details of the incident.

Source: ITAR-TASS 05-12-2020

Russia’s latest S-300 air defense units enter combat duty on Kuril Islands

Earlier, the commander of the Eastern Military District’s forces personally checked readiness to enter combat duty.

YUZHNO-SAKHALINSK, December 1. /TASS/. Units of Russia’s latest S-300V4 air defense missile system entered combat duty on the Kuril Islands, the press service of the Eastern Military District said on Tuesday.

"Units of the S-300V4 missile defense system entered combat duty on an air defense mission on the Kuril Islands," the statement said.

Earlier, Commander of the Eastern Military District’s forces Col. Gen. and the Hero of Russia Gennady Zhidko personally checked readiness to enter combat duty. He highly appreciated coordinated work of units and forces on duty during the drills when a signal was received on Russia’s air border violation.

The S-300V4 is an advanced highly mobile air defense missile system designated to protect vital military and administrative facilities and groupings of forces against strikes by ballistic and aerodynamic air attack weapons. This is the fourth version of the upgraded S-300V battlefield anti-aircraft missile system.

Source: ITAR-TASS 01-12-2020