Russia may develop new long-range missile

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MOSCOW, Dec. 14 (UPI) -- Russia may develop a non-nuclear missile capable of hitting nearly any target in the world, Strategic Missile Forces Commander Sergei Karakayev said Friday.

"The availability of a powerful liquid-fueled ICBM allows us the capability of creating a strategic high-accuracy weapons system with a conventional payload with practically global range, if the U.S. does not pull back from its program for creating such missile systems," Karakayev said.

He said the liquid-fuel missile, with a 100-ton payload, could penetrate any defense system likely to emerge anytime soon, RIA Novosti reported.

"The higher energy provided by liquid fuels gives it more varied and effective methods of countermeasures against global missile defense screens, including space-based elements of those systems," he said.

Karakayev's comments mark the first announcement from the agency that the fifth-generation solid-fueled ICBM would be deployed. RIA Novosti said unnamed sources previously indicated it would be deployed by 2014.

The agency performed several test-firings of a prototype of the new missile, the last conducted Oct. 24, RIA Novosti said.

Karakayev said it was too soon to discuss the details for "clearly obvious reasons." But he said the "results of the launches show that the makers of this missile technology are clearly on the right track."