he order to begin the development of this missile was approved on July 19, 1977 and carried out by the Moscow Institute of Thermal Technology headed by A. D. Nadiradzye. The flight tests were conducted on the Plesetsk test site from 08 February through 23 December 1985. During this period the battle management system constituted the main problem that had to be resolved. After the first test series was successfully conducted in April 1985, the first regiment with "Topol" missiles was put on 23 July 1985. Through this time work on improving the battle management system continued. The first regiment with "Topol"-missiles employing a modernized mobile command center (in area the of Irkutsk) were put on alert on 27 May 1988. The test missile firings were finally completed on 23 December 1987. At the time of the signing of the START-1 treaty in 1991 the Soviet Union had deployed some 288 "Topol" missiles. Deployment continued, and at the end of 1996 a total of 360 "Topol" missiles were deployed. The "Topol" missile was deployed at previously developed deployment sites. After the INF-Treaty was signed in 1987 several SS-20 deployment sites were adapted for the   "Topol" missiles.