Russia Keeps Nuclear Weapons, Strategic Missiles a High Priority
May 26, 2004 :: News
“Of crucial importance,” said President Putin in his May 26 state of the federation message, “is equipping our nuclear arsenal with the most advanced strategic weapons systems. The quality of one’s weapons is the key to the readiness of modern armies.” (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Russia
Weldon Calls for U.S.-Russia BMD Cooperation
May 25, 2004 :: News
Leading a congressional delegation in Moscow, Representative Curt Weldon today called for further technical cooperation with Russia in the development of missile defenses, repeating a message made days before by former Sec. of Defense William Cohen.
Weldon praised the joint Russian-American Observation Satellite program (RAMOS), begun under George H. W. Bush, designed to permit early detection of missile launches, but called for additional programs more specifically directed at missile defense. Weldon said that projects under consideration range “from the use of Russian radar systems to the potential involvement of Russia in targeting and other aspects of missile defense.” Weldon said that he had suggested to Russia’s military leadership that there be cooperation based on Russian missile defense technology as well.
The Russian ITAR TASS news agency noted that Weldon also spoke of U.S. help for Russia to restore its large ground-based radars previously banned by the ABM Treaty: “Large radars can be restored with US assistance not only outside Krasnoyarsk, where a radar was dismantled, but also in other locations.” ITAR TASS did not mention that the reason the Krasnoyarsk radar was dismantled in the late 1980s was that it was in clear violation of the ABM Treaty. President Reagan had demanded for years that it be dismantled, before the Soviet Union acknowledged it was a violation and did in fact dismantle it.
Weldon said that “the anti-ballistic system could become a joint one,” and that the US should cooperate with Russia’s own blossoming missile defense efforts for the S-400 and S-500 systems, the construction of which Weldon indicated the United States might help fund. (Link)
» Weldon’s remarks, from ITAR TASS
» May 21, 2004: Cohen calls for Russia to build US-type BMD
» More stories on: Russia, Russian Missile Defenses
Russia Dragging Feet on Non-Proliferation Agreement; Russian Proliferation to Iran Problematic
May 25, 2004 :: Itar-Tass :: News
Undersecretary of State John Bolton met with his Russian counterpart today to continue to try to persuade Russia to join its anti-proliferation efforts. RIA Novosti reports that Bolton denied any “strategic” differences between Russia and the US on proliferation, and in particular that neither side wants Iran to acquire nuclear weapons.
But if it is true that Russia does not want Iran to acquire such weapons, they have a funny way of showing it, as Russia continues with its helping Iran develop a nuclear reactor program. (More »»»)
» More stories on: Proliferation, Russia
Topol-M will be Foundation of Russian Arsenal by 2015
May 17, 2004 :: Interfax :: News
Yuriy Solomonov, director of the Moscow Institute of Heat Technology and designer-general of the Topol family of missiles, told journalists today that the silo- and mobile- launched versions of the Topol-M will form the basis of the Strategic Missile Troops after 2015:
Missiles of the previous generation will in practical terms be incapable of alert status by that time, they are becoming obsolescent…Certainly, Topol-M is the most modern missile. It belongs to the next generation of missile weaponry and differs fundamentally from everything that has been done before in this field in our country and abroad. This concerns its tactical technical features and also the features of its combat use, which is designed for conditions of possible counteraction by antimissile defence systems.
(Article, Link)
» More stories on: Russia
» Missile details: SS-27
Topol M Warhead Impact Captured on Film
May 15, 2004 :: Itar-Tass :: News
Yuriy Solomonov, director of the Moscow Institute of Heat Technology, announced to journalists today that the moment of impact for the warhead from the recent April 20 test launch of a Topol M ICBM was captured on video “for the first time in the world,” stressing that nothing like this had been done before in Russia or elsewhere.
The purposes for capturing the warhead on film may be many, possibly relating to Moscow’s attempts to make the Topol M warhead maneuverable and thus resistant to American missile defenses. Regardless, the fact that they were able to capture the warhead on firm would seem to illustrate the much-touted accuracy of Russia’s newest missile. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Maneuverable Warheads, Russia
» Missile details: SS-27
Five Russian Missiles Successfully Tested Since December
May 14, 2004 :: Itar-Tass :: News
The press service for Russia’s Strategic Missile Troops commented that Russia has successfully test launched five ICBMs since December 1, 2003. Col.-Gen. Nikolay Solovtsov said in his commander’s report that the Strategic Missile Troops “are combat-ready and capable of resolving military tasks assigned to them under any conditions.” Moreover, “The final decision has been made: the Missile Troops will be armed with both stationary and mobile land-based missile systems.” The story in ITAR-TASS goes on to enumerate the tests:
A test launch of an RS-18 ICBM (SS-19 Stiletto in Western classification terms) was carried out from Baykonur on 5 December 2003. A further two RS-18 ICBMs were launched from Baykonur and a Topol [ICBM] from Plesetsk as part of the Security-2004 strategic command-and-staff exercises in February 2004. A Topol-M ICBM was launched from a mobile launcher on 20 April. The launch was carried out to test its maximum range.
The story does not, however, seem to recognize the two test failures. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Russia, Testing - Foreign
A “New Cold War” With Russia
May 6, 2004 :: Fox News :: Analysis
Despite the elation and optimism after the fall of the Soviet Union, it is not the case that the United States has vanquished its real, strategic, enemies, and second that those enemies pose no threat. Kelley Vlahos of Fox news reports on the recent souring of relations between Russia and the United States, and speculates that the United States may be entering into a new Cold War With Russia. In part to the mounting evidence that Russian “democracy” is but a sham, but also the anger at invasion of Iraq, the analysis serves to not only illuminate the immediate situation, but remind Americans of the fleeting and unreliable character of diplomatic relations between strategic competitors. (More »»»)
» May 6 Moscow Times: CIA says Russia may break up
» More stories on: Russia
Graver Threats
May 6, 2004 :: Washington Times :: Analysis
Commenting on the appearance of Bush and Cheney before the 9-11 commission, William Hawkins argues in the Washington Times that the criticism the administration has spent too much time addressing rogue states, nuclear and missile proliferation, and missile defense and not enough time on terrorism, is ill-founded, even dangerous, approach to take. Calling upon readers to take a broader, more strategic perspective, he notes that “such developments posed far greater threats to American security than did al Qaeda, and still do.” He goes on to describe the sort of strategic thinking which must prevail if America is to remain free, and the danger that the war on terrorism will become a distraction from these “graver threats.” Terrorism, he writes, is a tool of the weak. The danger, one may therefore infer, is that if the United States sees only these weak (or, as they are often called, “asymmetrical”) threats, we will neglect the greater, more traditional sources of power in the world. (More »»»)
» More stories on: China, Russia
Clinton Plan to Ease Russia Nuclear Hair-Trigger A Failure
May 6, 2004 :: Christian Science Monitor :: Analysis
A Clinton-era plan to ease Russia’s hair-trigger nuclear alerts has been unsuccessful, notes Scott Peterson, writing in the Christian Science Monitor, despite some seven billion dollars spent by the United States to reduce such threats. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Proliferation, Russia
Russia Extending Life of ICBMs
May 6, 2004 :: Itar-Tass :: News
Speaking to journalists, Russian Strategic Missile Troops commander Col.-Gen. Nikolay Solovtsov said that the service life of Russian ICBMs would be extended an additional 10-15 years, for a total of 25-30 years, reports ITAR TASS.
Though Solovtsov did not specify which missiles were being extended, he was likely referring to SS-18 and SS-19s. He attributed the extension of the missile’s usability to “good maintenance.” Equally relevant, however, is the cash-strapped nature of the advanced Topol-M (SS-27) missile deployment, which continues to proceed but is currently behind schedule in producing replacing older ICBMs.
Solovtsov seemed to indicate that the Topol-M deployments would be largely complete in 10 years: “After 2015, the mainstay of the SMT group will be the Topol-M missile systems, both silo-based and mobiles ones, with various armaments.” (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Russia
» Missile details: SS-18 Mod 4, SS-19 Mod 2, SS-27
