The government made a cryptic announcement of a radical new ICBM design. Based on what is known of current Russian ICBM development, the "mystery missile" is believed to be an upgrade of the current Topol-M (SS-27). The "super" Topol would be mobile (moved around on the railroad network to avoid destruction by hostile missiles), carry a larger payload (four tons, versus the current 1.3 tons) and up to ten maneuverable warheads, to help defeat American defenses. The new missile ("Topol X") will probably use better electronics and software, enabling the missile to be launched, or have its targets changed, much faster than earlier Russian missiles.
