MOSCOW, February 5. /TASS/. The ground-based version of the sea-launched Kalibr system with the long-range cruise missile has to be developed in 2019-2020 and the same timeframe is required for creating a ground-based long-range hypersonic missile system, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said at the ministry’s conference call on Tuesday.

"The General Staff has submitted to the supreme commander-in-chief a list of measures, which he has approved. In 2019-2020, we need to develop the ground-based version of the sea-launched Kalibr system with the long-range cruise missile, which has proven its worth in Syria," the defense minister said.

"Within the same time limits, we need to develop the ground-based system with the long-range hypersonic missile," the defense minister said.

These measures will be implemented in the wake of the US decision to suspend from February 2 its obligations under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty.

"At the same time, they [the United States] are actively working on creating ground-based missiles with the range capability of over 500km, which is outside the treaty-stipulated limitations. In this situation, the Russian president has set the task for the Defense Ministry to take tit-for-tat mirrored measures," Shoigu said.

As the Russian defense minister pointed out, "the use of sea-and air-borne missiles in their ground-based version will help considerably cut the time of manufacturing new missile weapons and the volume of their financing."

"Besides, it is necessary to increase the firing range of ground-based missile systems being developed today," the defense minister said.

Shoigu instructed Deputy Defense Minister Alexei Krivoruchko "to start the corresponding experimental design work within a short period of time within the appropriations allocated under the defense procurement plan for 2019 and for the planned period of 2020-2021 by re-distributing funds for the fulfillment of this work."

Road to INF exit

On Friday, US President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Michael Pompeo said that Washington would suspend its obligations under the INF Treaty starting February 2 and would quit it within six months if Russia did not come into compliance with the agreement.