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MOSCOW –– Russia test-fired a short-range interceptor missile that is to be used in the country's anti-missile defense system, the Interfax news agency reported Wednesday.
The test from a Kazakstan site on Tuesday should be seen in the context of possible "response measures" if the United States withdraws from the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, said Col. Gen. Vladimir Yakovlev, commander of the Strategic Rocket Forces.
It was the first successful launch of the missile since 1993, and it showed that the missile was combat-ready, Yakovlev said. He added that the new missile is superior than earlier models.
The United States wants to amend the 1972 treaty in order to build a missile-defense system to fend off missiles from small, rogue states. It is seeking Russia's support to make this deployment comply with the treaty, but Russia has bitterly opposed any changes to the ABM agreement.
Yakovlev warned that a U.S. withdrawal from the ABM treaty could spark both countries' renunciation of the START-I and START-II nuclear arms reduction treaties.
"It is not known yet who will suffer worse if any of the parties withdraws from the 1972 ABM treaty," Interfax quoted him as saying.
He said that a second batch of intercontinental Topol-M ballistic missiles would be deployed by Dec. 17. The Topol-Ms are to replace six other kinds of strategic rockets before 2010, he said, according to Interfax.
The Russian government has said that the Topol-M will form the backbone of its nuclear forces for years to come. The small, rugged missile can be fired from a mobile launch pad, which means it would be hard to detect and therefore more likely to survive a first strike in a nuclear confrontation.
Russia already has 10 Topol-M missiles in service. Those were deployed last December.