Russian Strategic Rocket Forces will complete rearmament program in 2012, with Topol-M intercontinental ballistic missiles to be replaced with an advanced Yars model, spokesman Vadim Koval stated.

The RS-24 Yars ICBM has been developed by the Moscow Institute of Thermal Technology, which also developed the Topol-M. While many of its characteristics are classified, Yars is known to be heavier then its predecessor. It can carry at least four independently targetable nuclear warheads with a 150- to 300-kiloton yield each.