In June 2008 the chief designer of the Moscow Institute of Thermal Technology, Yuri Solomonov, announced that the RS-24 is an enhanced, MIRVed development of the Topol-M missile that would finish all testing in 2008 and most likely be deployed in 2009. According to General Nikolai Solovtsov, the commander of the Strategic Rocket Forces (SRF), the first RS-24 missiles will be deployed in Teykovo in 2009.
On March 17, 2009 General Solovtsov announced that the first regiment of RS-24 ICBMs will be put in to service in December 2009 when START-1 is set to expire. He later repeated that statement on May 7. According to the Russian rocket forces the first six RS-24 missiles will be mobile.
Further on October 10, 2009, on ITAR-TASS, General Andrei Shvaichenko, the new SRF commander, confirmed the December 2009 deployment of the RS-24 which will support the existing Topol-M (RS-12М2) Missile Complex.
Testing for the new-generation ICBM was completed in mid-July 2010, and the first missiles were deployed shortly after on July 19.
In December 2010 the missile division in Teykovo received its second delivery of RS-24 missile systems. In total 6 missiles are deployed by the end of 2010.| RS-24 Yars | |
|---|---|
| Type | Intercontinental ballistic missile |
| Place of origin |  Russia |
| Service history | |
| In service | July 2010 |
| Used by | Russia |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Moscow Institute of Thermal Technology |
| Manufacturer | Votkinsk Machine Building Plant |
| Specifications | |
| Length | approx. 23 m |
| Diameter | approx. 2 m |
| | |
| Warhead | MIRVed, not less than 4, 550 kt warheads |
| | |
| Engine | solid propellant |
| Speed | Mach 13+ |
| Guidance system | Inertial |
| Launch platform | Mobile launcher (MAZ-7917) |
