Posted on 11/17/2004 8:34:53 AM PST by hsrazorback1
MOSCOW (AP) - President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that Russia is developing a new form of nuclear missile unlike those held by other countries, news agencies reported.
Speaking at a meeting of the Armed Forces' leadership, Putin reportedly said that Russia is researching and successfully testing new nuclear missile systems.
"I am sure that ... they will be put in service within the next few years and, what is more, they will be developments of the kind that other nuclear powers do not and will not have," Putin was quoted as saying by the ITAR-Tass news agency.
Putin reportedly said: "International terrorism is one of the major threats for Russia. We understand as soon as we ignore such components of our defense as a nuclear and missile shield, other threats may occur."
No details were immediately available, but Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said earlier this month that Russia expected to test-fire a mobile version of its Topol-M ballistic missile this year and that production of the new weapon could be commissioned in 2005.
News reports have also said Russia is believed to be developing a next-generation heavy nuclear missile that could carry up to 10 nuclear warheads weighing a total of 4.4 tons, compared with the Topol-M's 1.32-ton combat payload.
Topol-Ms have been deployed in silos since 1998. The missiles have a range of about 6,000 miles and reportedly can maneuver in ways that are difficult to detect.
Earlier this year, a senior Defense Ministry official was quoted as telling news agencies that Russia had developed a weapon that could make the United States' proposed missile-defense system useless. Details were not given, but military analysts said the claimed new weapon could be a hypersonic cruise missile or maneuverable ballistic missile warheads.
In addition, NATO (read the US) is now on the Russian
Western frontier as opposed to thru Germany.
Big deal when you realize that a conventional
war will NECESSARILY involve your own homeland.
Also, we are aligned strongly in the former
USSR south. Sitting on all that oil. The rools
change a bit when your adversary is sitting on
your borders as opposed to facing one another
down thru a buffer zone.
My mother used to tell me to go play in some
other kid's backyard for a change. Touche mom!
MV
Outstanding point!
On thinking about it again, perhaps Russia is turning the tables on US. Trying to get us to spend ourselves silly out of fear of them?
Bush scrapped the treaty when he became president.
Russia is swimming in petro dollars now.
Not really. If Russia just develops an offensive capacity and not a Star Wars system - America would be doing all the spending on StarWars - offensive missiles are cheap to build and cheaper to maintain. The Russians are not as dumb as the Soviets.
If the economy is growing, then defense R&D
spending can expand. Which will eventually spill
over into the private sector.
MV
Putin IS a Soviet.
MV
Putin is a Russian.
Russia is a larger version of Venezuela. Petro dollars do not by themselves provide stability.
The economy is unsound, based on a corrupt oligarchy. It would not take much for the U.S. to plunge Russia into economic chaos. For example, withdrawal of MFN status would do the job.
An announcement of a new arms build-up would collapse the government. Russia cannot divert its funds to compete. We're talking more than SDI v. new missile technology. Electronic warfare, space-based systems, new focus on human intelligence. All of these things cost more money than Russia can generate even if the government could confiscate 100% of the oil revenues.
If the economy is growing, then defense R&D
spending can expand. Which will eventually spill
over into the private sector. <<<<
I agree. War has always been an excellent economy booster in those Nations that actually HAVE an economy! The Russians do not fit the bill on this one.
See Post #31.
Putin was in the Soviet system.
Some things die hard if at all.
MV
ou are working off the old cold war model. Russia is not nor will it build her forces to the level of the USSR - designed for world conquest. She is building forces to rule her block and developing new nukes to the deter NATO and China. She does not have to build at levels that would ruin her as would be seen in the past cold war model.
You are working off the old cold war model. Russia is not nor will it build her forces to the level of the USSR - designed for world conquest. She is building forces to rule her block and developing new nukes to the deter NATO and China. She does not have to build at levels that would ruin her as would be seen in the past cold war model.
Was is correct.
Still is.
A Despot by any other name...
MV
Only if the U.S. decides to cooperate. If Russia continues to flip the middle finger at America, the U.S. could force Russia into an arms race that would bankrupt the country within a year, i.e. force capitulation. That being said, I suspect that Bush will play neutral with Russia while dealing with the terrorists. If Russia pokes the eagle once too often though, the bear's eyes will be plucked out before it knows what happened.
Either Russia is still suffering from the effects of Reagan's Star Wars iniative or North Korea's diplomatic gambit must make some sense to them.
What next?
Well, I suspect they must be a-fixin to ask for sumpin from us. Like better relations....which, when translated means exemption from what Condi has in store for the Frogs and others.
You must think that the people in this forum are idiots.
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