Russian Missile Defenses to be Improved Over Next Three Years
July 28, 2004 :: Itar-Tass :: News
The Commander of the Russian Space Troops, Lieutenant-General Vladimir Popovkin, reports that Russia’s missile defenses are continuing to improve, due in part to a new generation of missile detecting radars, reports the Russian news service, Itar-Tass.
In the next two to three years, the Russian missile early warning system will receive new, “highly finished” radars. The new radars, said to utilize new technologies, are set to be tested in 2005.
Commander Popovkin described Russia’s missile defense capabilities as improving and growing, and said that “the Space Troops have a tremendous amount of work still to be carried out.” (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Russia, Russian Missile Defenses, Detection and Tracking
Bendersky: “Keep a Watchful Eye on Russia’s Military Technology”
July 21, 2004 :: Analysis
Writing for the “Power and Interest News Report,” Yevgeny Bendersky denies the typical characterization of the Russian military as backward and ill equipped, and points out that in fact,
even in the current dire circumstances, Russia never stopped being a powerful entity that produced state-of-the-art military technologies — a trend that continued from its inception as a modern state. While its army, navy and air force are in dangerously derelict conditions, every part of the formula for Russia’s resurgence as a military powerhouse is still in place. In spite of financial and economic difficulties, Russia still produces state-of-the-art military technologies that continue to impress the world.
Bendersky notes that Russia’s current state of the art systems include their S-300, and especially their S-400 air and missile defense systems, believed to be superior to their American counterparts. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Russia, Russian Missile Defenses
» Missile system details for: S-300P (SA-10 Grumble), S-400 (SA-20 Triumf)
Yemen Considering Purchase of Russian S-300
July 15, 2004 :: Middle East Newsline :: News
Yemenese President Ali Abdullah Saleh discussed the purchase of Russian arms for his country, while visiting Russian President Putin in Moscow. The possible purchase reportedly includes aircraft and the Russian S-300 air and missile defense system, according to a report by Middle East Newsline. Whether the S-300 system in question is the S-300P or S-300V was not indicated. Although sometimes believed to be limited to air defense, the capability of the S-300 for missile defense purposes is reiterated by the sources quoted. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Russia, Russian Missile Defenses
» Missile system details for: S-300P (SA-10 Grumble), S-300V (SA-12A Gladiator, SA-12B Giant)
Kazakhstan Upgrading Air Defenses
June 18, 2004 :: Interfax :: News
Kazakhstan is investing the equivalent of one billion dollars to upgrade its air defense system, reports Interfax, with the upgrades reportedly being made by a British company, BAE Systems. The systems upgraded reportedly include the S-75, S-125, S- 200, and S-300. The size of the contract reflects the extent of the defense systems built by the Soviet Union. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Russian Missile Defenses
» Missile system details for: S-200 (SA-5 Gammon), S-300V (SA-12A Gladiator, SA-12B Giant)
Russia Markets New Versions of S-400 and SA-11 in Mideast
May 27, 2004 :: Geostrategy-Direct :: News
Russia continues to market two new forms of missile defense systems to the Mideast, the S-400 Triumf, and the Buk-1M1-2 (SA-11), reports Geostrategy-direct.
The S-400, previously offered to several other countries, is claimed by its manufacturer, Almaz, to be the most effective missile defense system in the world, superior to the United States’ own PAC-3 system. The S-400 has a range of 400km, and its early warning radar is said to relay data to the interceptors in electromagnetic silence, which is useful to avoid itself being targeted. Russia is now offering the S-400 to the United Arab Emirates.
A version of the Buk defense system (also known as SA-11 or Gadfly) is capable of intercepting aircraft, cruise missiles, and some short range ballistic missiles. In a statement by Buk’s manufacturer, the Russian Rosoboronexport company, said that
This is the only anti-aircraft missile system of medium range in the world, which is capable of destroying in unfriendly environment of radio and fire countermeasures not only aircraft of strategic and tactical aviation, helicopters and cruise missiles, but also tactical ballistic and aircraft missiles, including antiradar, destroying elements of high-precision weapons as well as surface and ground targets”
The Buk is also marketed in Europe. (Article, Link)
» Rosoboronexport company’s list of exports
» April 30: successful test of S-400
» More stories on: Russian Missile Defenses
» Missile system details for: S-400 (SA-20 Triumf)
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
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Cohen: Russia Should Develop US-Type BMD
May 21, 2004 :: Itar-Tass :: News
Former U.S. Secretary of Defense William Cohen told a Russian reporter that “it is in Russia’s interests” to construct a ballistic missile defense system like that the United States is working to build, and that the U.S. and Russia should work together on BMD: “I hope we shall try to further cooperate in mutually beneficial defense programs,” he said, as reported by the Russian ITAR TASS news agency. (Article, Link)
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Possibility of Russian Radars, Targets, for BMD Tests
May 13, 2004 :: News
Representative Curt Weldon said that the United States is looking at Russian radars and targets as part of the U.S. missile defense program, according to today’s edition of Aerospace Daily & Defense Report. Weldon spoke of MDA’s interest in using Russia’s “very good” expertise in constructing ballistic missile-tracking radars, access to which could help the United States improve its ability to track missile threats from China and North Korea. In addition, Weldon noted that MDA may be interested in having Russia produce targets to be used in missile defense tests, but added that Russia’s cooperation is unlikely: “I don’t think the Russians really want to be in a position of having America constantly shoot down what they put up in space.” (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Policy, Russian Missile Defenses
Russian Triumf S-400 Intercept Test Successful
May 3, 2004 :: Interfax :: News
Interfax reports that the Russian Triumf air and missile defense system successfully intercepted its target, apparently a ballistic missile, using an upgraded interceptor on April 30.
The Triumf, or S-400, system is designed by the Almaz Raspletin Research and Production Association. Triumf is described as a “new-generation” system which is “is second to none.” By comparison the less advanced S-300 system is said to be superior to the American PAC-3 (Patriot) interceptor.
Interfax quotes a source in the Almaz-Antey Air Defense Consortium, speaking about the test, as saying that, “The system launched the upgraded 48N6DM long-range missile. The missile was guided to the target with precision, while the tasks set have been fulfilled.” (More »»»)
» More stories on: Russian Missile Defenses
» Missile system details for: S-400 (SA-20 Triumf)
Russia Develops Longer Range S-300 Interceptor
April 29, 2004 :: News
Russia has developed a new version of its S-300 air and missile defense interceptor missile with an extended range, reports the Middle East Newsline, which it will be putting on the market for several Middle Eastern and Asian nations.
The newsline cites Russian Air Marshal Vladimir Mikhailov, commander of the Russian Air Force, as saying that the newer version gives the S-300 missile added missile defense capabilities. The S-300 interceptor has already been said to be superior to the American PAC-3 (Patriot) interceptor, which was recently successful at intercepting Scuds and other missiles in the 2003 Iraq war. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Russian Missile Defenses
» Missile system details for: S-300P (SA-10 Grumble), S-300V (SA-12A Gladiator, SA-12B Giant)
