Russia Continues Missile Testing
December 5, 2003 :: Newsday :: News
Russia today test-launched its third long-range ballistic missile since September. An SS-19 (Russian desgnation RS-18) was launched from Russia’s Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. An important component of Russia’s strategic arsenal, the SS-19 “Stiletto” has two main modifications, with a payload of up to 4,350 kg and a range of 10,000 km.
News commentators on the launch have been emphasizing the missile’s possible use as a satellite launch vehicle, or SLV. This particular missile was apparently a Strela (“Arrow”) modification, Russian spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Igor Zatula said, used to “launch a dummy satellite” into low orbit. But one should hesitiate to assign merely “commerical” motives to such tests: to say, as Reuters does for example, that the purpose is for “providing satellites for phone networks and television broadcasters in countries it once targeted.”
The military aspect of this launch, to maintain Russia’s ability to target countries with its nuclear weapons, is perhaps the more important point to understand. As Zatula also noted, Russia’s defense ministry used this particular launch to verify the missiles were fit for combat duty. According to the Russian news agency ITAR-Tass, the test is part of a project to extend the SS-19’s service life to 25 years. The service life of the SS-19 was previously estimated at 21 years, the limit of which many are now approaching. Russia continues an active testing program for a variety of its ballistic missiles; most recently with an SLBM test launch.
What is not mentioned in the brief reports by Reuters and others is the relation of this test to the roughly 150 SS-19s recently acquired from the Ukraine in July. The purpose of these missiles was not merely to be used for launching satellites—a reference to SLV capacity is a common means to distract attention from missiles’ military value. In October, Putin ordered the transfer of the 150 SS-19s to combat duty to replace aging SS-18s: at the time, he commented: “I am speaking here about the most menacing missiles, of which we have dozens, with hundreds of warheads.” (Article, Link)
» July 28, 2003: Ukraine sells 150 more ICBMs to Russia
» October 3, 2003: Putin Orders SS-19 Buildup
» October 15, 2003: Russia Tests Another SLBM
» More stories on: Russia, Technology, Testing - Foreign
» Missile details: SS-21 A, SS-21 B
Russian Missile Defenses for Europe?
December 2, 2003 :: AFPC :: News
During years of complaining about American movements toward missile defense, Russia has both maintained a missile defense system stationed around Moscow and, in recent years, begun to sell its S-300 and S-400 systems to other countries. Quoting the Russian ITAR-Tass news agency from November 28, an AFPC summary notes that Russia may be attempting to sell its own missile defenses for the protection of Europe from Iranian and other rogue states. Specifically, Russian defense firms may offer the more advanced “Triumf” S-400 defense system to members of NATO. The Triumf is, in terms of capability, a rival to the U.S. PAC-2 and PAC-3 “Patriot” dual-use anti-aircraft and theatre missile defense systems. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Russia, Russian Missile Defenses, Technology
» Missile system details for: S-300P (SA-10 Grumble), S-300V (SA-12A Gladiator, SA-12B Giant), S-400 (SA-20 Triumf)
CIA Report on WMDs and Ballistic Missile Proliferation
November 10, 2003 :: CIA :: News
The CIA’s most recent intelligence estimate to Congress outlines the state of weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile capabilities in a number of “countries of concern,” as well as continued proliferation by Russia, China, and North Korea. (More »»»)
» More stories on: China, Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia
Russia to Deploy Fifth Topol-M Ballistic Missile Regiment
November 1, 2003 :: Jane's Information Group :: News
Janes Missiles and Rockets reports that Russia will be deploying a fifth regiment of the Topol-M ICBMs. The regiment will have the RS-12M2 Topol-M (SS-X-27) and is set to become operational in December 2003.
According to Janes, Russia’s original plan to deploy one additional Topol-M regiment every year, to replace the older SS-17 and SS-18s, was not feasible—hence, one may infer, the recent testing and announcements to extend the service lives of the SS-17s and SS-18s for as much as fifteen years. The rate is now set to about one every 24-30 months. (Link)
» More stories on: Proliferation, Russia
» Missile details: SS-N-6
Russia Refuses to Rule Out Arms Sales to North Korea
October 25, 2003 :: The Chosun Ilbo (S. Korea) :: News
Responding to criticism that Russia has been supplying North Korea with weapons and military technology, Russian Defense Deputy Minister Michael Dmitriev claims that the ties with the Communist country have been suspended, due to North Korea’s poor economic state. While admitting international concerns about this form of aid to North Korea, Dmitriev insisted that “Because the UN’s weapon export prohibitions do not apply to North Korea, we are able to supply North Korea with weapons.” (Article, Link)
» More stories on: North Korea, Proliferation, Russia
Soviets Deployed Smallpox Biological Weapons on ICBMs
October 22, 2003 :: Global Security Newswire :: News
The Soviet Union had deployed ICBMs armed with smallpox, according to Ken Alibek, a former senior scientist in Moscow’s biological warfare research program, who defected to the US in 1992. Alibek said that it was “absolutely obvious” that the potential of such biological weapons, which had been deployed in the 1960s, “would exceed some forms of nuclear weapons.” (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Russia
Russia Tests Another SLBM
October 15, 2003 :: Xinhua :: News
One month after a previous test, Russia today tested another SLBM, this time with the Arkhangelsk submarine firing the missile from the White Sea into the Kura testing ground in the Kamchatka Peninsular. The identity of the missile was not given. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Russia, Testing - Foreign
Iskander Upgrades Designed to Outpace Patriot
October 14, 2003 :: Middle East Newsline :: News
One of Russia’s export ballistic missiles, the Iskander-E, which it has marketed to countries such as Syria and Iran, will soon be undergoing upgrades, although still in development. These upgrades are meant to permit the missile to overcome the US PAC-3 Patriot defensive system. The Iskander, also known as the SS-26, carries a single warhead of 480 to 700kg, and has a range of 280km. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Proliferation, Russia
» Missile details: Taep'o-dong 2
» Missile system details for: Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3)
Russia Not Neglecting Space
October 4, 2003 :: AFPC :: News
The commander of Russia’s Space Troops said in a recent speech that he hopes Russia will “renovate practically all key elements of its space assets” in the five or six years, notes the American Foreign Policy Council, citing a story by Itar-TASS. The AFPC editor notes that in July 2002, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Aleksandr Yakovenko argued that the 1967 Outer Space Treaty does not in fact prohibit signatories such as Russia from putting “other weapons” besides weapons of mass destruction into outer space. This of course raises the question of whether Russia will pursue anti-satellite (ASAT) or space-based missile defenses. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Russia, Space-Based Systems
Putin Orders SS-19 Buildup
October 3, 2003 :: Washington Times :: News
Amidst phasing out the older SS-18 ICBMs, Russian President Putin has now ordered the transfer of dozens of the more advanced SS-19s to combat ready deployment. “I am speaking here about the most menacing missiles, of which we have dozens, with hundreds of warheads,” noted Putin. The SS-19, suited to carry 6 nuclear warheads in MIRV configuration, has a range between 9,000 and 10,000km. (Article, Link)
» Moscow Times: Russia Deploying dozens of ‘banned’ SS-19s
» More stories on: Proliferation, Russia
» Missile details: SS-21 A, SS-21 B
