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Russia successfully tests anti-ballistic missile (VIDEO) Russia successfully tests new, upgraded anti-ballistic missile (VIDEO)
(about 11 hours later)
The Russian Air Force has successfully tested an upgraded version of its missile defense system, firing off a modernized anti-ballistic missile from a testing facility in Kazakhstan. The test was caught on film. The Russian Air Force has successfully tested an upgraded version of a modernized anti-ballistic missile from a testing facility in Kazakhstan. Some sources claim it is a new version of the nuclear-tipped interceptors protecting Moscow.
The missile was test-fired on Thursday from the Sary Shagan testing range located in the steppe of Kazakhstan, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement. 
Though the Defense Ministry did not disclose the type of the missile, it released a spectacular video showing the cylindrical projectile being transported on a heavy truck and then uploaded into a silo.
“The anti-ballistic missile followed the flight plan and successfully hit a mock target,” said Colonel Andrey Prikhodko of the Russian Air Force. The officer did not elaborate on the test, but said all objectives of the test “have been completed in full.” The new missile was test-fired on Thursday from the Sary Shagan testing range located in the steppe of Kazakhstan, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement. The statement did not disclose the type of missile, but the ministry released a spectacular video showing the projectile being transported in a container on a heavy truck, loaded into a silo and then fired.
Russia is among the few military powers to have developed a fully-operational ballistic missile defense system, commonly known as the A-135. The 53T6 anti-ballistic missile, the main component of the A-135, is believed to protect the airspace around Moscow.
According to the Defense Ministry the system, comprising interceptor missiles and sophisticated early warning radars, is also designed for monitoring outer space. The system is currently in use with the Russian Air Force. “The anti-ballistic missile followed the flight plan and successfully hit a mock target,” said Colonel Andrey Prikhodko of the Russian Air Force. The officer did not elaborate on the test, but said all its objectives had been “completed in full.”
READ MORE: Russia tests nuclear-tipped missile interceptor (VIDEO)READ MORE: Russia tests nuclear-tipped missile interceptor (VIDEO)
The news comes at a time when Washington is building up its ballistic missile shield in Europe. Recently, the US has installed a new Aegis Ashore missile defense system in Romania, sparking fresh tensions with Russia. Poland is to install its component of the missile shield in 2018. The container shown in the video is consistent with those used to test-fire the 53T6 anti-ballistic missile, a component of the Russian ABM shield protecting Moscow from a potential ICBM strike. The short-range interceptor is meant to be deployed against an incoming vehicle at a speed of 3 km per second and destroy it with a 3-kiloton nuclear blast. The missile was developed during Soviet times and is no longer produced, but an estimated 100 projectiles are either being stored or are deployed in the 68 silos of the A-135 ABM system protecting the Russian capital.
While the US insists that the Aegis Ashore systems are installed to help protect European allies from Iran or North Korea’s missile threats, Moscow believes that the systems can be easily adapted to deploy offensive weapons. According to a source cited by Gazeta.ru news website, the missile tested is a brand new replacement for the discontinued 53T6. The interceptor reportedly has a new hull with a composite material heat shield, a more powerful engine that boosts its speed to 4 km per second and an upgraded guidance system capable of withstanding the pressure of greater acceleration, which can reach almost 300 g, the source said. The missile also reportedly has a higher flight ceiling and longer range than its predecessor.