Missile Force To Be Cut One Third By 2006

The missile force of the strategic rocket troops are to be cut approximately one third down to 500 launchers by the year 2006, reports Colonel Alexander Vovk, an assistant to the rocket troops' commander-in-chief. Besides, the number of formations and divisions is to be halved while the list of the types of missile complexes the troops are armed with will be reduced. The plan to construct and develop the strategic rocket troops for a period until 2006 is designed in such a manner that the rate of missile reductions can vary along with a military-political and strategic situation that will obtain. The acts of terrorism in New York and Washington on September 11th have caused the Russian military to enhance the protection of the strategic rocket troops' facilities. Measures have been worked out to resort to in case the USA withdraws from the ABM treaty and violates the accords on further strategic ground-based arms cuts.