Russian Envoy Threatens Poland on Defense Cooperation with U.S. by Invoking WWII Plight
February 4, 2008 :: News
Moscow's envoy to NATO, Dmitry Rogozin, has warned Poland against accepting the basing of American missile defense interceptors. Rogozin threatened possible retaliation, and invoked memories of its World War II plight at the hands of its Soviet conquerers and oppressors. Rogozin is quoted by the Russian Interfax news agency as follows:
The Polish colleagues must be reminded of their recent history, which indicates that attempts to place Poland "on the confrontation line" have always led to tragedies. That way Poland lost nearly one third of its citizens during World War II....I was sure this horrible lesson would not be wasted and Poland would plan its foreign policy relying on friendly relations all along the borderline.
Poland and the U.S. have reportedly agreed "in principle" to the plan to emplace ten Ground Based Interceptors in Poland after assuring Warsaw that the United States would also help develop Poland's short and medium range air and missile defenses. The two sides did not elaborate on the terms of the tentative agreement, and it remained unclear whether the United States had made specific promises to provide air defense systems such as the Patriot. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Allies, European Missile Defenses, Russia
Russia Fires Cruise Missiles in Major Atlantic Exercise Near French and Spanish Coastlines
January 22, 2008 :: News
A Russian Tu-160 bomber test fired a P-500 (SS-N-12) Bazalt cruise missile during the country’s first major air and naval exercises in the Atlantic Ocean in fifteen years. The test was conducted in the Bay of Biscay, off the coasts of NATO members France and Spain. The P-500 is a liquid-fueled supersonic cruise missile, with a range of 550 kilometers and a payload of 1,000 kilograms. The Russian Joint Naval Task Force, comprised of the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier other destroyers and submarine hunters displayed high interoperability with the aircraft and will continue to test various systems for several more days. Russia’s latest exercise comes before its Presidential election, and is seen as part of a series of actions, including reviving North Sea overflights, to revive Russia’s military power. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Testing - Foreign, Russia
» Cruise missile details: SS-N-12
Second Battery of S-400 Interceptors to be Deployed in Moscow in 2008
January 22, 2008 :: RIA-Novosti :: News
Colonel-General Yuri Solovyov, head of Russia’s Air Force Special Command, announced on January 21 that a second S-400 Triumf regiment would be deployed in the Moscow region “by the end of 2008.” The first regiment was deployed after a successful test of the S-400 last year.
The S-400 is designed to defend against ballistic and cruise missiles and stealth aircraft at a distance of up to 400 kilometers, said to be twice the range of the U.S. Patriot interceptor. The Colonel-General added that he wanted to expand the S-400's capabilities to intercept targets at even higher altitudes. "We already have new missiles for the S-400 anti-aircraft system. These are surface-to-air missiles. We also need high-altitude missiles that can destroy targets in near space," he said. The S-400 will constitute the backbone of Russia’s theater air and missile defenses until 2020 or 2025. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Russia, Russian Missile Defenses
» Missile system details for: S-400 (SA-20 Triumf)
Russia Successfully Tests New RS-24 ICBM
December 25, 2007 :: AP :: News
Russia's Strategic Missile Forces announced the successful test of the new RS-24 ballistic missile on December 25. The missile was launched from the Plestsk facility in northern Russia and destroyed targets on the Kura testing range located on the Kamchatka Peninsula. Said to be based on the Topol-M, the RS-24 is designed to replace aging Soviet-era missiles such as the RS-18 and the RS-20 (known as the SS-19 and SS-18 in the West). Interfax reports that the RS-24 missile can carry up to three warheads. The Strategic Missile Forces's statement declared, "The RS-24's deployment will strengthen the Strategic Missile Forces' capability to penetrate missile defense systems and strengthen the nuclear deterrent potential of Russia's strategic nuclear forces...The RS-24 will form the backbone of the Strategic Missile Forces and safely ensure the security of Russia and its allies through the mid-century." (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Russia, Testing - Foreign
» Missile details: RS-24, SS-27
Russia: SS-21 Scarab Missiles Test Fired
November 28, 2007 :: RIA-Novosti :: News
The November 28 edition of RIA Novosti reports that a Russian missile brigade from Siberia test fired two SS-21 Scarab short range ballistic missiles in the Kapustin Yar testing range. The SS-21 or Scarab, also referred to as the "Tochka-U" in Russia, is a single-warhead, road-mobile ballistic missile. Russia is phasing out the SS-21 missiles, which it has used since 1976, and replacing them with the new Iskander-M missiles (SS-26/Stone) which carry multiple warheads. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Russia, Testing - Foreign
» Missile details: SS-21 A, SS-21 B
Russia Responds to U.S. Offer on Missile Defense
November 23, 2007 :: News
Recent American proposals have been sent to Russia concerning the Poland and Czech Republic missile defense sites. The American proposals included a "delay[ed] activation of the missile defence system until Washington and Moscow were in agreement on 'definitive proof' of missile threats from Iran or elsewhere...[and] a plan to station Russian liaison officers at proposed US missile defense sites in Poland and the Czech Republic, as long as the host countries agreed to this."
Itar Tass reports that Russia is however dissatisfied with these U.S. proposals. An unnamed Foreign Ministry source is quoted as saying, "They have sent concrete proposals. We are continuing to study them, but our first impression is that they do not meet our expectations. This is not what was promised orally [in recent talks with Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice and Defense Secretary Robert Gates]." The comments contrast sharply with Russian President Vladimir Putin's comments from November 22, in which he said, "our concerns are being listened to." Russia opposes the current U.S. plan to base ten Ground Based Interceptors in Poland and an X-band radar in the Czech Republic. Moscow believes the missile defense system is meant to diminish its nuclear strategic deterrent and not, as the U.S. claims, to defend against possible missile attacks from the Middle East. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: European Missile Defenses, Russia
Russia May Deploy Iskander Missiles to Belarus, Could Boost Range in Excess of INF Treaty Limits
November 15, 2007 :: Itar-Tass :: News
As reported by the Russian news service Itar-Tass, on November 14 Major-General Vladimir Zaritsky, head of Russia's artillery and missile forces, said Russia may deploy its newest Iskander missiles in Belarus as a response to the U.S.'s plan to place a limited missile defense system in Eastern Europe. There are two versions of the Iskander, the Iskander-E (which has been exported to many countries), and the Tender, which is for use by the Russian military. The domestic version for the Russian military has a longer range.
Zaritsky said that the Iskanders were currently in-line with the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty of 1987, but emphasized that "Should Russia take a political decision to quit the INF treaty, we will boost the military capabilities of these missiles, including their range." Asked whether Russia may eventually increase Iskander's range in excess of the 500 km limit of the INF treaty, Zaritsky responded: "Who knows what the motherland may order?" (Article, Link)
» No Russian Medium-Range Missiles to be Deployed in Belarus
» More stories on: Russia
» Missile details: SS-26
Russia Tests SS-19 Missile
October 29, 2007 :: Spacewar.com :: News
Russia test fired an RS-18 (SS-19) intercontinental ballistic missile October 29 from the Baikonur cosmodrome in neighboring Kazakhstan, Russian news agencies reported. The missile's warhead successfully traveled eastward to the missile testing ground on the Kamchatka peninsula. The test was intended to check the continued effectiveness of the missile's flight systems. The RS-18s are specially equipped to overcome missile defense systems. The Itar-Tass news agency notes that Russia has some 160 of the SS-19 missile, and that they are equipped with countermeasures to resist American missile defense systems. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Russia, Testing - Foreign
» Missile details: SS-19 Mod 1, SS-19 Mod 2
Russia Launches SS-25 Topol Missile
October 18, 2007 :: RIA-Novosti :: News
On October 18, Russia reported that it had successfully test-fired an RS-12 Topol (SS-25) intercontinental ballistic missile from the Plesetsk space center. The warhead aboard the missile traveled successfully to its target at the testing grounds located on the far eastern Kamchatka peninsula. In service since 1988, the RS-12 is a road-mobile single-warhead ICBM, similar in size and shape to the U.S. Minuteman ICBM. The launch from the space center in north Russia had been conducted to assess the possibility of extending the ten year long service life of Topol missiles. The missile will be replaced over the coming decade by a mobile version of the Topol-M (SS-27) missile, which can carry up to six nuclear warheads. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Testing - Foreign, Russia
Russia Tests Gazelle Missile Interceptor
October 13, 2007 :: News
Russia reports the successful test of a missile defense interceptor from the Sary Shagan test site on on Lake Balkash in Kazakhstan, according to Space Forces spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Alexei Zolotukhin. Zolotukhin said that the test launch of a Gazelle interceptor was made to assess extending the service life of the A-135 missile defense system which has long been deployed around Moscow.
"A combined team of the Space Forces, the Sary Shagan testing site and industry officials fired a short-range interceptor missile at a target missile," said Zolotukhin. According to the same report, the Sary Shagan site "recently has experienced a spate of testing by the Russian Strategic Missile Forces, which have tested six anti-missile systems, 12 air defence systems, seven types of missile interceptors, 12 types of ground-to-air missiles and 18 radars at the site." (Article, Link)
» Additional report of Russian interceptor test
» More stories on: Russian Missile Defenses, Russia, Testing - Foreign
» Missile system details for: System A-135, Gazelle (SH-08/ABM-3)
