Article Posted on : - Dec 23, 2008

File photo of Russia's Iskander missile

MOSCOW (BNS): The Russian military will commission 70 strategic missiles over the next three years, a senior government official has said.

"In the period of 2009-2011, Russian armed forces will receive 70 strategic missiles, 30 Iskander missiles and a number of carrier rockets and spacecraft," Vladislav Putilin, the first deputy chairman of Russia's Military-Industrial Commission, was quoted as saying by RIA Novosti news agency on Monday.

Besides the missiles, Russia will also buy 38 military aircraft, six drones, over 60 helicopters, 14 ships, over 300 tanks and more than 2,000 vehicles, Putilin said.

"In practice, over three years these expenditures will total about 1 trillion rubles," Putilin, who looks after the weapons industries in his capacity as the deputy chairman of the commission, said.

He said that the country’s capital investments into serial production of armaments and military hardware in 2009-11 would total about $35.3 billion.
Putilin, who made the announcement after an official meeting chaired by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin to discuss weapons purchases, said that the government had approved the state defence order for 2009-2011 worth a total of 4 trillion rubles ($141 billion).
The official added that Moscow plans to put into service more than 400 new weapons, material and other pieces of military equipment.