Russian RS-24 Yars missile launcher crews test new Ural locations.

Regiments operating the Yars (NATO name: SS-29 Yars) missile system from the Strategic Missile Force’s large unit based in Nizhny Tagil, in the Ural Mountains, are performing maneuvers to move to new field positions during a command post exercise, the Defense Ministry’s press office said. They are also exploring new combat patrol areas, the press office added.

"While improving the methods of camouflaging the Yars mobile missile systems, we need to make sure that the launchers are covered well against existing reconnaissance means", Strategic Missile Force Commander Colonel-General Sergei Karakayev said. (Picture source: Vitaly Kuzmin)

"Routes are being developed, regarding the capabilities and technical characteristics of the operational missile systems. The field positions of the self-contained launchers occupy huge areas," the press office said.

"At the same time, the mobile missile systems are disguised well against a simulated enemy’s weapons in deep Russia (from the Tver Region to the Irkutsk Region) but they can be redeployed to any part of the country, if necessary," the press office added.

Large-scale maneuvers allow checking the Strategic Missile Force’s readiness to operate in a volatile environment around-the-clock. During the exercise, various methods of command and control were trained. Besides, the control centers practiced command and control at a higher level. "Every year, the number of tasks that should be tackled jointly grows," Strategic Missile Force Commander Colonel-General Sergei Karakayev said.

"While improving the methods of camouflaging the mobile missile systems, we need to make sure that the launchers are covered well against existing reconnaissance means," Karakayev said. "The results of such exercises have shown that nothing is impossible for the Strategic Missile Force’s ground-mobile missile systems," he said. "If the work to disguise the mobile systems is carried out carefully, they become virtually invisible. However, work to enhance the stealth and survivability of the Strategic Missile Force’s ground-mobile missile systems will continue," he added.

The Yars RS-24 Is a Russian-made mobile nuclear intercontinental ballistic missile which can be mounted on truck carrier or deployed in silos. The first production of Yars began in 2004. The missile RS-24 is a three-stage, solid propellant, MIRV-capable (Multiple Independently Targetable Reentry Vehicles) ICBM (InterContinental Ballistic Missile) with a range of 10,500 km.