Russia is a formidable military power – with a nuclear weapons arsenal. The country recently announced the start of large scale drills for its strategic nuclear missile forces. This exercise is part of a series of drills designed to ensure the combat readiness of strategic nuclear forces, which are a major component of Russia’s national defense architecture.
Overview of Russia’s Nuclear Missile Forces
Russia’s nuclear missile forces are administered by the Strategic Missile Force (SMF), which is a branch of the country’s armed forces and operates a wide range of nuclear weapons systems, including intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs), and cruise missiles.
The SMF has deployed multiple types of ICBMs throughout the country, with a total force of around 3300 missiles. These missiles are based on mobile launchers, silo launchers, and aerial platforms.
SLBMs are also part of the SMF’s arsenal, with Russia currently fielding around 800 of these weapons. The majority of the SLBMs are carried aboard the country’s fleet of nuclear-powered submarines.
Finally, the SMF also operates a number of cruise missiles, including the 3M-14 Kalibr and the long-range Kh-101 and Kh-555 cruise missiles.
Details of the Recent Drills
In late April 2021, the SMF announced plans to begin large-scale drills in order to ensure the combat readiness of its strategic forces. The exercises reportedly include live-fire drills involving multiple types of nuclear-capable missiles, including ICBMs and SLBMs.
The drills are reportedly being conducted throughout the country and involve over 1300 personnel, as well as more than 40 samples of hardware. This includes around 30 ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles, 15 aerial platforms, and several multiple-reentry vehicle warheads.
The drills are expected to last for several days, with the specific duration being unknown as of now. During the exercise, the military personnel involved will reportedly practice a number of combat operations, including launch, maneuvering, and target destruction.
What are the Objectives?
The main objective of the drills is to ensure the combat readiness of Russia’s strategic nuclear forces, as well as to prepare them for any situation that may arise.
The exercises should also provide useful insights into the various capabilities of Russia’s nuclear delivery systems. This could be useful in determining ways to further improve the performance and effectiveness of these weapons systems in the future.
In addition, the drills should also help to foster coordination and cooperation among the branches of the armed forces involved in the exercise, which should lead to smoother and more efficient operations in the event that there is a need to actually use the weapons.
Benefits of the Drills
Drills such as these are essential for ensuring the combat readiness of the SMF’s strategic nuclear forces. This is especially important given the current geopolitical environment, as tensions between Russia and the West have been increasing in recent years.
The drills will also help to cement the SMF’s operational and combat capabilities. By practicing various tactical maneuvers and understanding the various capabilities of each weapons system, the SMF personnel will be better prepared to use the weapons in a conflict situation.
Finally, the drills also provide an opportunity for the SMF to test and evaluate new weapon systems, as well as to apply lessons learned from previous exercises.
Russia recently launched major drills for its strategic nuclear forces. The objective of the exercise is to ensure the combat readiness of these forces, as well as to prepare them for any situation that may arise. The drills involve live-fire drills involving ICBMs and SLBMs, as well as multiple types of hardware, including multiple-reentry vehicle warheads. They will also provide useful insights into the capabilities of the SMF’s nuclear delivery systems and help to build coordination among the country’s armed forces. The drills are essential for ensuring that Russian strategic nuclear forces are combat ready and capable of responding to any threats that may arise in the future.
