Russia orders upgrade of its nuclear deterrent

Russia said yesterday it would build a space defence system and a new fleet of nuclear submarines by 2020, beefing up its nuclear deterrent at a time of heightened tensions with Washington.

Announcing the biggest defence initiative in Russia for at least a decade, President Dmitry Medvedev said this summer's war with Georgia - which opened up new rifts between Moscow and the West - showed the need for Russia to have a strong military.

The plan for a stronger deterrent also comes against the backdrop of fierce Russian opposition to the United States' plans for a missile defence shield in eastern Europe, a project the Kremlin says is a threat to its national security.

"A guaranteed nuclear deterrent system for various military and political circumstances must be provided by 2020," Mr Medvedev said after viewing a military exercise in the southern Urals.

"Large-scale construction of new types of warships is planned, primarily of nuclear submarines armed with cruise missiles, and multi-purpose submarines. A system of air and space defence will be created," he said.

"Just recently we have had to rebuff an aggression unleashed by the Georgian regime and, as we found, a war can flare up suddenly and can be absolutely real," said Mr Medvedev.

Mr Medvedev was speaking at what one military commander said were Russia's largest combined arms live fire exercises in 20 years. The war games involved 40,000 soldiers, 7,000 vehicles and artillery pieces as well as jets and helicopter gunships.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, an ardent foe of Washington who has aligned himself with Moscow, met Mr Medvedev 75 kilometres from the site of the exercises earlier yesterday.

Russia this month sent two bomber jets on a mission to Venezuela, a sortie Moscow said was routine but which some analysts have interpreted as sabre-rattling directed at Washington.