The Russian Defense Ministry will buy 36 strategic ballistic missiles, two strategic missile submarines and 20 strategic cruise missiles this year, Minister Anatoly Serdyukov said on Friday.

Over 19 trillion rubles ($665 billion) has been set aside for the state arms procurement program, Serdyukov told a military board meeting attended by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.

The budget will also cover spacecraft (5), warplanes (35), helicopters (109), missile defense systems (21), multirole nuclear powered submarines (3) and a surface warship, he said.

Russia to develop new ballistic missile system by 2013
Russian scientists will develop a new land-based intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) system by 2013, a leading missile designer said on Thursday.

"I cannot be specific about the details but new design solutions will significantly boost the fire control and communications components of the system," said Yury Solomonov, general designer at the Moscow Institute of Thermal Technology.

Solomonov, who designed Russia's Topol and Bulava ballistic missiles, said the new system would feature high survivability and enhanced striking capability.

Russia's Strategic Missile Forces reportedly have over 400 ICBMs, including 171 Topol (SS-25), 70 Topol-M (SS-27), and three RS-24 Yars missiles.

Russia to double production of ballistic missile systems - Putin
The production of ballistic missile systems in Russia will double starting in 2013, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on Monday.

"The Armed Forces will receive new strategic and tactical missile systems, such as RS-24 Yars, Bulava and Iskander M," Putin said at a meeting with defense industry officials in the southern Siberian republic of Udmurtia. "Starting from 2013, the production of [ballistic] missile systems must be doubled."

Putin said Russia will invest 77 billion rubles ($2.6 bln) in the production of ballistic missiles in line with a state program on the modernization of the defense industry until 2020.

Missile manufacturers, including a missile production plant in Votkinsk, will receive 15 billion rubles ($500 mln) in the next three years for the development of production capacity, the prime minister said.

"The financing will gradually increase in the future," Putin added.

Source: RIA Novosti