Russia to Develop New Missile Systems in 2 Years after Treaty Pullout

Russia's defence minister Sergei Shoigu on Tuesday said the country must develop new types of missile systems in the next two years after Washington and Moscow ripped up a key arms control treaty, reports AFP. 

The United States has repeatedly accused Russia of violating the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) agreement and on Friday President Donald Trump said Washington was starting a process to withdraw from the treaty in six months.

In a tit-for-tat move on Saturday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow was also leaving the treaty and beginning work on new types of weapons that would breach the crucial Cold War-era agreement.

Many analysts say abandoning the 1987 treaty effectively signalled the start of a new arms race.

At a meeting with officials on Tuesday, Shoigu said Russia should develop two new missile systems in the next two years.

"During 2019-2020 we have to develop a land-based version of the seaborne Kalibr system equipped with a long-range cruise missile which showed good results in Syria," Shoigu told defence officials.

"Over the same period we will also have to create a land-based missile system with a long-range hypersonic missile," he said.

The defence minister said the plans had been approved by Putin.

The INF agreement forbids ground-launched, short- and intermediate-range missiles, but not those launched from the air or sea --- which Russia already has.

Defence experts say converting seaborne and air-launched missile systems for ground use will be advantageous for Russia since producing such missiles will be cheaper and quicker.

"The use of seaborne and air-launched missiles will allow us to significantly reduce the time needed to produce the new missiles as well as...