Note: Image at left is of Boeing's proposed National Missile Defense rocket and is provided here for illustration purposes only.

Once fully tested, the new missile -- which outstrips the current arsenal in terms of thrust and payload -- will form the backbone of Russia's anti-missile defence system.

The test -- the first since 1993 according to General Vladimir Yakovlev, commander of Russia's strategic missiles -- took place against a background of sharp discussions between Russia and the United States on the 1972 Anti-ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty.

Washington wants to build a nationwide anti-missile umbrella to protect itself from "rogue states," but Moscow insists that such a system would violate the current treaty with Russia.

Moscow sent a strong warning to the United States Tuesday that it would maintain its refusal to renegotiate the ABM Treaty which governs the anti-missile defence capacities of both sides and limits each country to a single anti-missile site on its territory.

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