Russia to build new intercontinental missile

MOSCOW - Russia will build a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) by 2018, a senior military official said on Monday.

The heavy missile, to be fully completed by 2018, will have a launch mass of some 100 tons and could only be deployed in silos, Strategic Missile Forces commander Sergei Karakayev told RIA Novosti news agency.

The new missile will replace the R-36M2 Voyevoda missile, which was developed in the 1970s and in service with the Strategic Missile Forces currently, Karakayev said.

Russia's solid propellant ICBM programs included sea-launched Bulava and ground-based Topol-M and Yars.

As Russia's most advanced three-stage solid fuel missile, Bulava could carry up to 10 hypersonic individually guided maneuverable warheads.

Russian forces had tested the Bulava missile 18 times prior to the decision to put it on duty. Seven out of these tests failed.

Russian Defense Ministry said earlier that the country would continue building new strategic missiles as well as taking other "counter measures" unless the United States gave up its missile shield plan in Europe.