Russians Said to Proliferate Stolen German Missile Tech to Syria, Iran
November 5, 2005 :: AFP :: News
The German news magazine “Focus” reports on November 5 that the Berlin government has warned German defense industry that certain Russian criminals have been transferring German technology to Iran and Syria.
Apparently, high-quality technology, which is sold to Russian companies in good faith, goes directly to Iranian or Syrian missile workshops.
Using Moscow as a hub, the Tehran regime, in particular, is increasingly purchasing German top products for the expansion of its arsenals of weapons of mass destruction. Measuring devices, as well as drive and control systems for the so-called Shahab-3 programme, are mostly made in Germany: the new missile, which is to be equipped with nuclear warheads, with an envisaged range of 3,500 km, could hit also European targets precisely.
The present “early warning letter” to the German industry, which is based mainly on information from the Federal Intelligence Service [Bundesnachrichtendienst], mentions 15 companies in Moscow, St Petersburg, and Samara that are regarded as procurers for Iranian arms manufacturers. An institute at Moscow Technical University is also among the addresses that are used as cover.
Syria, also served via Russia, needs the German technology for its old Scud missiles, which are primarily aimed at Israel. At present, there is a high demand for systems to improve target accuracy.
(Article, Link)
» Text of Focus report on Russian transfers
» More stories on: Iran, Proliferation, Russia, Syria
Russia Tests New Maneuvering Warhead on Topol-M; Trajectory Chosen to Avoid Alaskan Radar
November 2, 2005 :: Kommersant :: News
On November 1 Russia conducted a major test of its new maneuverable warhead system and of its Topol-M (RS-12M1) ballistic missile system. The missile was launched from the Kapustin Yar facility in Russia, and traveled a relatively short distance to the Balkhash testing range in Kazakhstan.
An excerpt from Kommersant notes that the launch trajectory was somewhat unique:
A RS-12M1 Topol-M intercontinental missile with the new warhead was tested in Kazakhstan yesterday. The launch from a mobile launcher was the sixth test of the system intended to overcome American antiballistic defenses. This was the first launch to take place not at the Kura testing ground at Plesetsk [sic] in Kamchatka, but at the Kapustin Yar ground, part of the Balkhash complex in Priozersk, Kazakhstan. The change was made began the radar system at Kura is in such poor condition that it would not be able to [monitor] maneuvers the warheads carry out after separating from the intercontinental missiles, while American facilities in Alaska would be able to. In Kazakhstan, the Russians were able to control everything themselves.
Strange Reporting
The reports on this test by major media outlets have, however, been remarkably contradictory. Some sources reported that the test was of the SS-25 Topol rather than the SS-27 Topol-M. Most said the missile was launched from Kapustin Yar; but Interfax quoted Strategic Missile Forces spokesman Colonel Alexander Vovk as saying that the missile was launched from the Plesetsk facility in northern Russia. Others still had initially reported it was launched from Kamchatka. (The Kommersant report quoted above oddly says that Plesetsk is on the far eastern Kamchatka peninsula, rather than in northern Russia.) (More »»»)
» Xinhua on test
» RIA Novosti on Topol-M test
» Pravda on missile test
» Interfax on Topol-M test, warhead capabilities
» More stories on: Maneuverable Warheads, Russia, Testing - Foreign
» Missile details: SS-N-6
» Missile system details for: Kapustin Yar Missile Test Complex
Russia Shipping Four S-300P Complexes to Belarus in 2006
November 1, 2005 :: News
The Belarusian news agency Belapan quotes Colonel Igor Azarenok, the commander of Belarusian Western Operational Command, as saying that the first S-300 PS missile complexes will be delivered to the 115th air defence missile brigade stationed in Brest in March 2006, and that all four will have been shipped by the autumn. A contract for the S-300 was reportedly concluded on September 10. (Article, Link)
» Belpan report on S-300P contract
» More stories on: Former Soviet Republics, Russia
» Missile system details for: S-300P (SA-10 Grumble)
Interfax on Topol-M Capabilities, Deployment Schedule
October 25, 2005 :: Interfax :: News
Interfax carries a story about the Russian Topol-M ballistic missile. The news service quotes the head of the Strategic Missile Troops, Colonel General Nikolai Solovtsov, as saying that the switchover to Topol-M land-based mobile missile complexes will begin in early in 2006.
This particular Interfax report is significant, however, not for confirming readiness of certain facilities for further deployment, but for repeating the claims of electromagnetic shielding and adding details about the maneuverability of the Topol-M which previously have not been reported:
Topol-M is a unique missile complex adapted to advanced missile defense systems. It is more mobile than other missile systems and is better protected from the enemy’s reconnaissance.
It weights 47.2 tonnes and is capable of carrying a combat payload of 1,200 kilograms. Its range exceeds 10,000 kilometers. Three engines allow it to develop speed much faster than the previous types of missiles. Several dozen additional engines and control gear make its flight unpredictable for the enemy. Topol-M’s designers claim the system is absolutely immune to electromagnetic impulses.
(Article, Link)
» More stories on: Maneuverable Warheads, Russia
» Missile details: SS-N-6
Russia Tests SS-19 ICBM from Baikonur
October 20, 2005 :: Itar-Tass :: News
On October 20, Russia launched another ICBM in its recent string of missile tests, this time an SS-19 (RS-18) “Stiletto” missile. The silo-based SS-19 was launched from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, and its warhead traveled eastward to hit its designated target at the Kura testing range on the Kamchatka peninsula some 25 minutes and 6,000km later, according to a statement by Russian Space Forces Col. Alexei Kuznetsov, who added, notes Itar Tass, that “the launch tested the missile’s tactical and technical characteristics, as well as its performance after being on standby for 25 years.” He also added that the missile “was launched from a silo at site No 175 of the southern spaceport.” This was the first test of an SS-19 in 2005, and it would have been the SS-19 Mod 2; the SS-19 mod 1 was replaced in 1983.
Itar Tass continues:
According to mass media reports, the Strategic Missile Troops are now equipped with 160 Stilet [sic] missiles, each carrying six warheads. The RS-18 missile is one of Russia’s most sophisticated intercontinental missiles. The launches performed in the past few years proved its reliability and made it possible to extend its service life by 20 years.
The RS-18 missiles that have been withdrawn from the combat component of the Strategic Missile Troops are currently being converted into Rokot launch vehicles at the Khrunichev state scientific and production space centre. There have been seven launches of Rokot launch vehicles since 2000, of which six were successful. The launch of this type of rocket with the European Cryosat research satellite on board on 8 October proved to be a failure.
(Article, Link)
» Longer Itar-Tass report on test, available through BBC Monitoring
» Interfax on test
» More stories on: Russia, Testing - Foreign
» Missile details: SS-21 B
» Missile system details for: Baikonur Cosmodrome
Troops to Get S-400 Missiles in Early 2006
October 19, 2005 :: Interfax :: News
Interfax-Military news agency reports that Russian servicemen will have the new S-400 Triumf surface-to-air missile interceptor system by early 2006, quoting a source in the Defense Ministry.
“Servicemen will take theoretical training in control over the system before the end of the year, while practical exercises will begin in the first quarter of 2006, when the S-400 enters the inventory,” the source said.
A regiment of the first corps of the Special-Purpose Command hosted a rally on Monday that marked the beginning of the retraining process. Personnel of the regiment will be trained by teachers of the Tver-based Konstantin Zhukov Air Defense Academy and defense industry experts, the source noted.
The rally was attended by Col-Gen Boris Cheltsov, air force chief of staff, and Col-Gen Yuriy Solovyev, commander of the Special-Purpose Command, as well as defense industry representatives.
(Article, Link)
» More stories on: Russia, Russian Missile Defenses
» Missile system details for: S-400 (SA-20 Triumf)
Russia Tests Target Missile Based on S-25
October 17, 2005 :: News
Interfax reports that Russia has completed a three month period of testing for a “new” target missile called “Strizh-4,” which is said to be built on the basis of the older S-25 (SA-1 “Guild”) anti-aircraft/missile defense interceptor. The purpose for which the Strizh-4 would serve as a target was not given. Presumably, it could serve as a testing target for Russia S-300 or S-400 air and missile defense interceptors. There are apparently two versions of the missile, for both low and high altitudes.
“The tests were conducted for three months at one of the ranges. The tests fully confirmed the missile’s declared specifications, and this was noted in the act drawn up after the tests,” a source in the defence industry complex told Interfax-AVN on Monday [17 October].
Now that the state tests have been completed successfully, a series production of the target missile can be launched and it can be used to test new anti-aircraft missile systems and air-defense artillery systems, the source said.
According to the source, “four launches were made during the state tests - two launches of the target missile designed to fly at high altitudes and two launches of the low-altitude version of the target missile”.
The Strizh-4 target missile is fitted with onboard equipment which includes a radar system designed to establish the parameters of engagement with an anti-aircraft guided missile, photosensitive elements to determine ammunition activation time, and fragmentation sensors. All data is transmitted to the ground and then deciphered.
(Article, Link)
» More stories on: Russia, Russian Missile Defenses, Testing - Foreign
» Missile system details for: S-25 (SA-1 Guild)
Reports: Russia Aiding Iran’s Advanced Missile Programs
October 16, 2005 :: News
The London Telegraph carried a front page story which has since become rather controversial, repeating reports that Russia has actively aiding Iran’s ballistic missile programs, supplying them with production facilities, diagrams, and operating instructions. Some aid is also said to have come from North Korea, via Russians, from the North Korean missile program which are said to be based on the Soviet/Russian SS-N-6 missile. The story comes as Condoleezza Rice met with Russian officials about that country’s aid to Iran’s nuclear program. From the Telegraph:
The Russians are acting as go-betweens with North Korea as part of a multi-million pound deal they negotiated between Teheran and Pyongyang in 2003. It has enabled Teheran to receive regular clandestine shipments of top secret missile technology, believed to be channeled through Russia.
Western intelligence officials believe that the technology will enable Iran to complete development of a missile with a range of 2,200 miles, capable of hitting much of Europe. It is designed to carry a 1.2-ton payload, sufficient for a basic nuclear device.
The revelation raises the stakes in the confrontation between Iran’s Islamic regime and the West - led by the United States and European countries including Britain.
…Iran’s longest-range missile is the Shahab 3, which, with an 800-mile range, could hit Israel. The North Korean deal will allow the Iranian missile to reach targets far into Europe - including Rome, Berlin, and much of France.
North Korea has developed a missile, the Taepo Dong 2, that could reach America’s west coast, based on the submarine-launched Soviet SSN6. Modifications allow it to be fired from a land-based transporter and this technology is being smuggled to Teheran with Russian help.
Russians have provided production facilities, diagrams and operating instruction so the missile can be built in Iran. Liquid propellant has been shipped to Iran. Russian specialists have also been sent to Iran to help development of its Shahab 5 missile project, which the Iranians hope to have operational by the end of the decade.
Such reports about Russian proliferation to Iran are, however, nothing new, and the sensation generated is probably as much due to the timing than the substance.
Russian news agencies Interfax and RIA-Novosti reported Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov calling the Telegraph report “delirium, nonsense,” and saying Russia aims “to observe scrupulously the non-proliferation regime.” (More »»»)
» Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov denies
» Parliament member Kosachev denies
» Pravda: experts differ on Iran missile proliferation connection
» More stories on: Iran, Proliferation, Russia
Overall Status and Numbers of Russian Forces
October 11, 2005 :: News
Russianforces.org reports on the recent START exchange data supplied by Russia on its ballistic missiles still in service:
In October 2005 the Russian strategic forces included 815 strategic delivery platforms, which can carry up to 3479 nuclear warheads.
[The] Strategic Rocket Forces have 545 operational missile systems that include missiles that can carry 1955 warheads. These include 85 R-36MUTTH and R-36M2 (SS-18) missiles, 129 UR-100NUTTH (SS-19) missiles, 291 road-mobile Topol (SS-25) systems, and 40 silo-based Topol-M (SS-27) systems.
There are, besides these, a number of sea-based missiles. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Nuclear Weapons, Russia
» Missile details: SS-19 Mod 2, SS-20, SS-21 B, SS-N-5, SS-N-6
Bulava Footage Shown on Russian Television; Exotic Claims Again Touted
October 13, 2005 :: BBC Worldwide Monitoring :: News
Russian state television has aired footage from the first test flight of the new Bulava ballistic missile, which test took place on September 27. The footage was apparently displayed on weekly current affairs program “Vesti Nedeli” on October 9.
“Here are declassified pictures of the first real firing of the brand new Bulava missile,” the presenter announced. He went on to explain how three rocket stages take the missile to a certain point where individually targeted warheads separate along with dozens of decoy warheads. Viewers were told that the Bulava is “virtually impossible to intercept, and is faster than all other equivalent missiles.”
The edition of Vesti Nedeli on the 2 October had quoted a senior naval commander, Adm Mikhail Zakharenko, the man in charge of the Bulava project, as saying that footage of the firing was being kept secret because of the missile’s uniqueness.
A word should be said here about the steady stream of reports—coming from President Putin to Sergey Ivanov all the way down—that Russia has supposedly devised new and “invulnerable” strategic systems which have been said to be deployed on the new Topol-M and Bulava missiles. One should take these reports seriously, and if new strategic weapons have been devised, we should consider what sort of strategic defenses are necessary to counter them.
At the same time, the Russian government may be exaggerating the capabilities of the new missiles and the payloads they deliver, especially by claiming that they are invulnerable to every conceivable missile defense. One purpose for such exaggeration would be to impair public or political support for missile defense programs here in the United States. If we may be made to think that missile defense is a technical implausibility, or at least that offensive systems have an inherent technological superiority to defensive ones, we may not pursue necessary defenses as aggressively or ambitiously as we should.
It is important to note, however, that all of the admittedly limited descriptions given of the Bulava and Topol-M capabilities suggest only midcourse or terminal phase maneuvering. Both missiles are still in their essence ballistic missiles, rather than cruise missiles, and as such remain quite vulnerable in what has always been the most vulnerable phase for ballistic missiles, the boost phase. During the boost phase, no release of countermeasures or exotic maneuvering (hypersonic or otherwise) is physically possible.
It is plausible that the new Russian ballistic missiles—and indeed, even older Russian missiles—are capable of evading the sort of ground-based midcourse defenses such as those being deployed in Alaska and California. In this sense, the Russian claims may be true—insofar as they are applied to the systems currently being pursued. But it remains quite doubtful that any ballistic missile could avoid boost phase defenses, were the United States to again pursue these seriously. The relative ease with which midcourse and terminal phase defenses can be overcome points to the importance of destroying missiles in their boost phase. Loose claims by Russia must not be interpreted as an excuse to abandon the pursuit of robust defenses. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Maneuverable Warheads, Russia
» Missile details: SS-26
