Yars ICBM launchers embark on combat patrols in Siberia drills

MOSCOW (TASS): Yars mobile intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launchers embarked on combat patrols in Western Siberia as part of the drills of the Strategic Missile Force, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported on Tuesday.

“In the course of the drills, the Yars road-mobile launchers of the Barnaul missile formation embarked on combat patrol routes. The strategic missile personnel are practicing bringing missile systems to field positions, conducting marches with a change of launch sites, equipping, camouflaging, protecting and defending field positions,” the ministry said in a statement.

The anti-saboteur personnel are accomplishing the tasks of detecting, blocking and eliminating notional saboteurs, employing Taifun-M anti-saboteur combat vehicles outfitted with drones, the statement says.

“The personnel will also practice overcoming rough terrain and notionally contaminated terrain sections,” the ministry said.

During the drills, the strategic missile personnel will practice several scenario injects: they will conduct marches to a distance of up to 100 km, disperse launchers and change field positions, equip, camouflage and protect launch sites, the Defense Ministry specified.

Overall, the drills involve about 1,000 personnel and more than 200 weapon systems. The drills are running round the clock,” it said.

The RS-24 Yars is a Russian strategic missile system comprising a mobile or silo-based solid-propellant intercontinental ballistic missile with MIRVed (multiple independently targetable vehicle) warheads. The Yars is a modification of the Topol-M missile system. Russia started deploying Yars ICBM systems from 2009 when the Yars launcher was accepted for experimental combat duty in the Strategic Missile Force.