The first test of an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) designed for the upcoming Barguzin railway based-military system was successfully carried out.
"The first launch trials were carried out at the Plesetsk cosmodrome two weeks ago," an industry source told the Interfax news agency. "They were fully successful, paving the way for further flight tests."
According to the source, more flight tests will probably be carried out in 2017. Earlier it had been reported that the first tests of the Barguzin system would take place in the fourth quarter of 2016.
Colonel-General Sergei Karakayev, commander of Russia's Strategic Missile Forces, told reporters that the new railway-based missile system would be ready for deployment in early 2017.
Previously, the Soviet Union operated railway-based missile launchers in addition to its silo and road-based missile systems. The Soviets had 12 nuclear trains in total, each equipped with three missiles carrying ten nuclear warheads apiece. These systems were disposed of between 2003 and 2005. One reason for the retirement of the previous system was that the developer of the SS-24 "Scalpel" missiles was located in Ukraine.
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