The final decision should be made in 2012-13 by the expert
community, not solely the Defense Ministry, said Yury
Solomonov of the Moscow Institute of Thermal Technology
(MITT), the developer of the troubled Bulava submarine-launched
ballistic missile.
"This matter is beyond the Defense Ministry's competence.
It is a matter of state importance," he said.
"Heavy ICBM" refers to a class of missiles
with a heavy throw weight between five and nine metric
tons and a length of over 35 meters, capable of delivering
a large number of warheads in a single MIRV missile.
Russia's Strategic Missile Forces are still armed with
Soviet-era SS-18 Satan and SS-20 Saber ICBMs with an extended
service life and are expected to remain in service until
2026.
The SS-18 Satan is deployed with up to 10 warheads with
a yield of 550 to 750 kilotons each and an operational
range of up to 11,000 km (6,800 miles).
