Russian Defence Minister On Strategic Missile Forces Reform

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov today spoke about the forthcoming reform of the country's Strategic Missile Force (RSVN - Russian acronym). The minister said that the forces had acted as the vanguard of Russia's security for 42 years, as the country's mainstay of military might. In Ivanov's opinion, the RVSN has developed successfully. At the same time, Ivanov said that structural reform of the force would be carried out to modernise the nation's nuclear defence. "The decisions to that effect were taken a year and half ago at a session of the Russian Security Council," Ivanov said, adding that these plans were being implemented. "I am certain that the missile forces will be a reliable defence for Russia for a very long time to come," the minister stressed.