Russia to double ballistic missiles production from 2013 - Putin

MOSCOW, April 20 (RIA Novosti)

Russia will double the production of ballistic missile systems from 2013, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said in his annual address to parliament on Wednesday. "The Armed Forces will receive new strategic and tactical missile systems, such as RS-24 Yars, Bulava and Iskander M," Putin said, adding that the production of these ballistic missile systems must be doubled from 2013. Speaking to defense sector officials in Siberia in March, Putin said Russia would invest 77 billion rubles ($2.6 bln) in the production of ballistic missiles in line with a state program on the defense sector modernization 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 in March. "The financing will gradually increase in the future," Putin added.