Russia shows off combat readiness

Russia has warned it will upgrade its nuclear forces

By Jacky Rowland in Moscow

Russia has carried out a test launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile in what is being seen as a thinly-veiled warning to Washington not to build a missile defence shield.

Military officials said the launch of an SS-19 'Stiletto' rocket from the Baikonur space centre in Kazakhstan proved that Russia's strategic missile systems were ready for combat.

In a lengthy account of the launch the official Russian Itar-Tass news agency gave detailed specifications of the rocket.

It quoted military officials as saying the Stiletto, with its multiple warhead capacity, had greater chances of overcoming an enemy's defence system than more modern missile systems.

President Putin warns that a missile shield could trigger a new arms race

Missile launches are not uncommon in Russia - a previous test-firing took place in March - and military analysts say it is unlikely that the Russians would arrange a test specifically for propaganda purposes.

But that does not prevent them from adding political undertones to a pre-scheduled launch.

The SS-19 Stiletto, which entered the Russian arsenal in 1975, can carry six warheads although the Start-2 treaty allows it to be equipped with only one.

President Vladimir Putin has said that Start-2 would be automatically void if Washington pulls out of the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty and builds a new defence shield.

Should the US go ahead with its plans, some defence analysts believe Russia will re-equip ageing missile systems such as Stiletto with multiple warheads as a countermeasure.