Russia To Test New Long-Range Nuclear Capable ICBMs Within Next 24 Months

A Russian service member passes by an opened SS-18 intercontinental ballistic multiple-warhead Satan missile launching silo in the town of Kartaly in Russia’s Chelyabinsky region, Aug, 16, 2002. Reuters

 

The Russian military was pressing ahead with the design and manufacture of new nuclear-capable heavy intercontinental ballistic missiles that were expected to be ready for testing in 18-24 months, the Russian government-backed news agency Tass reported. The Kremlin has prioritized the modernization and strategic location of its ICBM missile fleet during the last year because of renewed hostility between Moscow and NATO over the annexation of Crimea and the Kremlin’s continued involvement in the Eastern Ukraine war.

The Submarine Race in the Malaccan Strait

Along with the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf near Iran and Oman, the Strait of Malacca is the world’s most important shipping chokepoint.

Linking the Indian Ocean to the South China Sea and Pacific Ocean, the Malacca Strait is by far the shortest maritime route connecting Persian Gulf energy producers to their largest consumers in countries like China, Japan, and South Korea.