The Russian military relies on missiles to bully the weak and intimidate the strong, and China might as well take Russia as a teacher.
The SS-N-23S can carry four nuclear warheads. The Dolphin-class Ekaterinburg nuclear submarine has a displacement of about 12,000 tons and is equipped with 16 'Light Boat' missiles. However, as a liquid-fueled submarine-launched missile, the 'Light Boat' missile poses significant risks in terms of launch and storage, and its combat performance is quite unstable. Moreover, Russia's new solid-fuel 'Bulava' class submarine-launched intercontinental missile has failed multiple test launches over the years, leaving Russia with no choice but to equip six Dolphin-class nuclear submarines with 'Light Boat' missiles as the main force of its sea-based strategic nuclear power to deter the West. Recently, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Karasin stated that Russia will inform the OSCE in early May about the deployment of 'Tochka-U' tactical missile battalions in South Ossetia and Abkhazia, and use them for military exercises in South Ossetia. The 'Tochka' missile warhead weighs 482 kilograms and can be equipped with high-explosive warheads, cluster warheads, or even tactical nuclear warheads, with a range of up to 120 kilometers; it is sufficient to cover Georgia's capital Tbilisi and most of Georgia's territory. After securing the long-term usage rights of the Sevastopol naval base in Ukraine, the Russian military believes it has established a foothold in the Caucasus region. Deputy Foreign Minister Karasin refused to guarantee Georgia that force would not be used because he does not even acknowledge that there was a 'Russia-Georgia War'; instead, Russia only demands that Georgia not use force against South Ossetia and Abkhazia, these two illegally separated regions. Although Beijing will not recognize South Ossetia and Abkhazia as 'newly independent countries', it might as well learn from Russia's adept display of missiles and even nuclear weapons in diplomatic tactics.
On April 28, 2011, Russian Defense Ministry News Director Konashenkov announced that the Russian Navy's Ekaterinburg nuclear submarine launched a 'Light Boat' class intercontinental ballistic missile from the Barents Sea, hitting the predetermined target at the Kura test site on the Kamchatka Peninsula. He said this underwater launch was an inspection of the reliability of Russia's strategic nuclear forces. For the increasingly shrinking Russian military, submarine-launched intercontinental ballistic nuclear missiles are indeed the only means to counter the powerful United States and NATO. According to Russian media reports, the missiles that will appear in the Moscow Red Square parade on May 9 include the 'Topol-M' mobile strategic missile and S-400 air defense missiles, etc., while the less powerful 'Tochka-U' tactical missiles were not reported, but for weak neighboring countries like Georgia, the 'Tochka' missile is lethal enough. When Putin was president in 2007, he ordered the 'Light Boat' missile into service, which NATO refers to as SS-N-23S. It can carry four nuclear warheads. The Dolphin-class Ekaterinburg nuclear submarine has a displacement of about 12,000 tons and is equipped with 16 'Light Boat' missiles. However, as a liquid-fueled submarine-launched missile, the 'Light Boat' missile poses significant risks in terms of launch and storage, and its combat performance is quite unstable. Moreover, Russia's new solid-fuel 'Bulava' class submarine-launched intercontinental missile has failed multiple test launches over the years, leaving Russia with no choice but to equip six Dolphin-class nuclear submarines with 'Light Boat' missiles as the main force of its sea-based strategic nuclear power to deter the West. Recently, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Karasin stated that Russia will inform the OSCE in early May about the deployment of 'Tochka-U' tactical missile battalions in South Ossetia and Abkhazia, and use them for military exercises in South Ossetia. The 'Tochka' missile warhead weighs 482 kilograms and can be equipped with high-explosive warheads, cluster warheads, or even tactical nuclear warheads, with a range of up to 120 kilometers; it is sufficient to cover Georgia's capital Tbilisi and most of Georgia's territory. After securing the long-term usage rights of the Sevastopol naval base in Ukraine, the Russian military believes it has established a foothold in the Caucasus region. Deputy Foreign Minister Karasin refused to guarantee Georgia that force would not be used because he does not even acknowledge that there was a 'Russia-Georgia War'; instead, Russia only demands that Georgia not use force against South Ossetia and Abkhazia, these two illegally separated regions. Although Beijing will not recognize South Ossetia and Abkhazia as 'newly independent countries', it might as well learn from Russia's adept display of missiles and even nuclear weapons in diplomatic tactics.