Russian military successfully test-fires intercontinental ballistic missile
Pastor Dale Morgan
Russian military successfully test-fires intercontinental ballistic missile*
14.11.2006
The Russian military successfully test-fired an intercontinental
ballistic missile as part of regular efforts to check the readiness of
Soviet-built missiles, a military spokesman said.
The RS-18 Stiletto missile, also known as the SS-19 in the West, blasted
off from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan and its warhead hit a
designated target on the Kura testing range on the Kamchatka Peninsula
of Russia's Far East, Space Forces spokesman Alexei Kuznetsov said in a
statement.
Kuznetsov said the launch was intended to "confirm the missile's
technical characteristics and reliability" as part of efforts to extend
the lifetime of this type of missiles, reports AP.
Russia's strategic forces have conducted regular test launches of
Soviet-built ballistic missiles to check their performance. The
post-Soviet funding shortage has left the military struggling to extend
the lifetime of Soviet-built missiles, since the government lacks the
funds to quickly replace them with new weapons.