The Russian Defense Ministry released a video that shows a new facility of the Strategic Missile Academy east of Moscow. The facility is designed to train future officers responsible for the Russian nuclear arsenal. Besides lecture halls and engineering labs, it includes an array of nuclear-tipped missile models on display including one in front of the main building.
On December 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin chaired a meeting of top defense ministry officials ot discuss the results of 2017 and plans for the future at the site.
“Russia must be among the leaders – and in some areas the absolute leader – in creating an army of the new generation, an army of a new technological paradigm. This is an issue of highest priority for ensuring our sovereignty, peace and safety of our citizens, a stable development of the country, pursuing an open and independent foreign policy that is based on the interests of our country,” Putin told the top officials, according to the Russian state-run network RT.
The president described his vision for the Russian military – a small, agile, well-armed, professional force that can take on the much better-funded NATO thanks to technological superiority, RT reports.
“We have to be smart. We will not rely solely on ‘military muscle,’ and we will not be drawn into an economically depleting, senseless arms race,” he said. “We don’t’ need an endless number of bases throughout the world and will not play world gendarme.”
