Putin's Nuclear Show Blows Up In His Face

The Telegraph (UK) ^ | 2-18-2004 | Julius Strauss

[blam]

Putin's nuclear show blows up in his face

By Julius Strauss in Moscow
(Filed: 18/02/2004)

Russia's biggest military exercise since the collapse of communism flopped yesterday, ruining an attempt to project Vladimir Putin as a global leader and reaffirm the country's status as a nuclear superpower.

With Mr Putin and a host of military officials watching from the nuclear submarine Arkhangelsk, two intercontinental ballistic missiles went wrong during a firing from a submarine believed to be the Novomoskovsk. They were aimed at Kamchatka on the Pacific coast. A malfunctioning satellite was blamed.

Putin promised that Russia will again be a global power

The Russian website gazeta.ru said one of the missiles blew up shortly after firing. The navy refused to confirm the accident.

Television, which had been leading news programmes with glowing reports of the exercises, quickly reduced them to a short bulletin.

For Mr Putin, decked out in naval garb, it was an embarrassing setback.

With less than a month before presidential elections, he has sought to cast himself as a hard man in the mould of the old Soviet leaders.

He has also pledged to preside over a return to the days when Russia was a powerful global player.

Last week he said the collapse of the Soviet Union had been a "national tragedy of enormous scale".

Speaking before the exercises, which began at the end of January and are due to last until the end of this month, Mr Putin appealed again to the Soviet nostalgia that many Russians still feel.

"The Soviet Union and its power, primarily projected through its nuclear forces, was a factor that balanced power in the world," he said. "We need to maintain this power and we will."

American military planners may take some satisfaction at the Kremlin's embarrassment, but it is unlikely to help the steady souring of relations.

Some analysts predict a further deterioration over the coming months as the former Cold War enemies skirmish over influence in central Asia and the Caucasus.

In recent months America has also stepped up pressure on Russia to improve its democratic record.

Ties between Moscow and Washington are significantly cooler than two years ago when Russia gave wholehearted backing to the war against terrorism.

Last week Col Gen Yuri Baluyevsky, the first deputy chief of the general staff of the armed forces, said that the current exercises were prompted partly by concerns about American policy.

Other Russian officials have spoken out against the expansion of Nato into the Baltic and America's decision to scrap Cold War arms treaties and push ahead with missile defence.

Sergei Ivanov, the defence minister, recently threatened to pull out of the European treaty on conventional forces, which underpins military stability on the continent, because of concern over US expansion.

[COEXERJ145]

LOL, BOOM Baby!

Maybe Putin should concentrate on improving the quality of Russia's military instead building tons of tons of weapons that might work on a good day.

[caisson71]

Probably the same "quality" hardware the Russians sold to Iraq.

[sgtbono2002]

The Russians lost a boat and crew to a malfunctioning torpedo, Now their missiles wont fire . Putin wants to be a world power and a few Muslims in Chechnya are kicking their butts. Nuff said.

[StockAyatollah]

Vlad should have bought US technology from Clinton and Bernie Schwarz like the Chinese did.

[Wissa]

A malfunctioning satellite was blamed.

So.... did we tweak the info fed out of the GPS?

Heh heh heh

[Redcoat LI]

Don't worry Vlad,this happens to a lot of guys...

[Redcoat LI]

Don't worry Vlad,this happens to a lot of guys...
No,don't call me....

[quesera]

A malfunctioning satellite was blamed. So.... did we tweak the info fed out of the GPS?

Heh heh heh

Didn't we just put a nucular and missile launch detection satellite in orbit just before the military exercise started ?

I am thinking of their dirty tricks in Iraq last year during the war. Payback's a bitch, ain't it.

[Redcoat LI]

Don't worry Vlad,this happens to a lot of guys...

[MediaMole]

Yup, although I don't think ICBM's use GPS info, the subs may use it to pinpoint their location before firing.

A few years ago someone pointed out a series of Notice to Airmen warning pilots to avoid using GPS near the White Sands missile range because it would give inaccurate information.

Maybe we are showing them that, unlike the "GPS jammers" that were sold by Russian Companies to Iraq, our GPS jammers work exactly as advertised.

In truth, I think it is just poorly made and poorly maintained equipment failing because it is no condition to be used. Using a GPS jammer or any similar technology during a neutral (or enemy) nation's military exercises is dangerous to the point of being an act of war.

[Bobby777]

does anyone have any good pictures of the nuclear submarine Arkhangelsk? ...

[denydenydeny]

They're playing your song...

[American in Israel]

Maybe Putin should concentrate on improving the quality of Russia's military instead building tons of tons of weapons that might work on a good day.

Oh trust me, test firing ICBM's is all about improving the quaility. Soon to be demonstrated on a city near you.

[piasa]

For Mr Putin, decked out in naval garb, it was an embarrassing setback. With less than a month before presidential elections, he has sought to cast himself as a hard man in the mould of the old Soviet leaders.

Hey, look... Putin and John Friggin Kerry seem to have a lot in common.

[Axenolith]

Using a GPS jammer or any similar technology during a neutral (or enemy) nation's military exercises is dangerous to the point of being an act of war.

They're OUR GPS satellites

[antonz]

"Don't worry Vlad,this happens to a lot of guys..."

ROTFLMAO

[struwwelpeter]

Here's a little one from 1999: