More than 4,000 contracted Russian soldiers will take training courses in 2012 to be able to operate the new Yars (RS-24) ballistic missile systems, a spokesman for Russia’s Strategic Missile Forces (SMF) said on Wednesday, January 18, 2012. The RS-24 is a new-generation intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of carrying multiple warheads.

“Over 4,000 contracted soldiers, serving in the SMF, will take basic and advanced training and re-training courses in 2012,” Col. Vadim Koval said.

Koval said the three-month training programs would focus on the operation of Yars systems as the new missiles are gradually replacing the outdated ICBMs in the Russian nuclear arsenal.

The official also said the number of contracted soldiers in the SMF is expected to increase by over 20 percent by the end of this year.

The Yars missile system is armed with the RS-24 intercontinental ballistic missile that has considerably better combat and operational capabilities than the Topol-M (SS-27 Stalin).

Russia fully deployed the first Yars regiment consisting of three battalions on combat duty with the Teikovo missile division in central Russia in August 2011.

Two more missile divisions will start receiving the Yars systems in 2012. The Novosibirsk division [in Siberia] will receive mobile RS-24 systems, while the Kozelsk division (in central Russia) will be armed with the silo-based version of the system.

The SMF said last year that the Topol-M and RS-24 ballistic missiles would be the mainstay of the ground-based component of Russia's nuclear triad and would account for no less than 80% of the SMF's arsenal by 2016.