Rudolph the Red Knows Rain Dear
Vice-Minister of Defense, Nikolai Markarov, just disclosed that a new ballistic missile, the "Boulava", will be deployed next year. Tests of the missile on the Iouri Dolgorouki, the first of the Borei Class missile boats from the Sevmash yards, are now complete. The Boulava is one of Putin's favorite bits of defense tech, and is touted to be "missile shield" ready, but as "missile shields" mostly manage to miss everything except the defense appropriations permanent re-authorization feeding trough, that's a given. Note the screws are shielded, and the RIA's photo set also omitted the tower and forward portion of the hull.
Markarov also disclosed that in 2009 a new tank "with an entirely new chassis, weapons systems, targeting system, and fire control" will be deployed. Whether the new tank is the Chiorny Oriol "black eagle", a 1990s design by the Omsk works and shown for the first time in public in 2004, or the T-95, from the Ouralvagonzavod works, wasn't disclosed. The Russian Army is presently equiped with the T-90, T-72 and the T-80 tanks.
Source: RIA Novosti.
