Posted on 08/27/2002 1:37:19 PM PDT by rightwing2
Jane's Defence Weekly
August 28, 2002
Russia To Retain MIRVs Beyond START II Deadline
By Nikolai Novichkov, JDW Correspondent, Moscow
Russia will not destroy its arsenal of multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicle (MIRV) inter-continental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) in the timeline stipulated under the provisions of the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty II (START II), but will retain its MIRV capability until 2016, according to Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov.
Following the signing of the Strategic Offensive Reduction Treaty by US President George Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin on 28 May, Russia announced it would withdraw from the provisions of START II. The decision means that Russia will now retain some 154 liquid-fuelled RS-20V (NATO reporting name: SS-18 'Satan') heavy ICBMs and combat rail-mobile missile complexes (RMMCs) with 36 RS-22V (SS-24 'Scalpel') ICBMs, each carrying 10 MIRV warheads. All ICBMs of this type were to be phased out before 2003 and eliminated before 2007 under the provisions of START II.
During a 16 August visit to the Strategic Missile Forces' (SMF's) 35th South Urals Division, Ivanov said that Russia's decision to retain a group of RS-20V heavy ICBMs is not a response to the USA's withdrawal from the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty (Jane's Defence Weekly 13 June 2002). "Even before the US announced its withdrawal from the ABM Treaty we had informed US officials that these missile systems would remain on alert," Ivanov said.
He added that essentially the decision implies that the heavy ICBMs with MIRVs will be phased out as their service lives expire. "This will enable [us to retain] the RS-20 missiles on alert until 2016," he said. According to SMF Commander Col Gen Nikolai Solovtsov, two out of four RS-20V divisions will remain in service. The possibility of retaining another division armed with such missiles is also being considered.
Extending the service lives of the missiles will require additional funding, and would include the cost of a reduction in procurement of new SS-27 Topol-M ICBMs. In addition, a decision was taken to retain in service with the SMF a Kostroma-based division equipped with four RMMCs with 12 RS-22V ICBMs. Two other divisions with such missiles will be transformed into missile depots.
Since 1989, the SMF has incorporated 12 RMMC regiments organised into three missile divisions (in all, 36 RS-22V ICBMs). Such a regiment comprises a train consisting of three diesel locomotives and 17 cars, including three rail-mobile missile launchers with the RS-22V missiles. During an alert, each of the 12 RMMCs can move continuously in various directions across Russia's territory.
The Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) had planned to begin disposal of RMMCs in Briansk where the company ASKOND in conjunction with Rosaviakosmos, the MoD and the SMF built a special plant. The Briansk plant was to eliminate only rail-mobile launchers used to transport, store and launch RS-22V missiles and not all RMMC components. The destruction of the missiles and their MIRV warheads was supposed to be carried out at other depots. Now the rail-based solid-propellant ICBMs being removed from alert status will be retained. According to the MoD's initial plans, the SMF was to field 270 new solid-propellant Topol-M ICBMs intended to replace the same number of silo-based missile systems with liquid-propellant RS-20V, RS-18 (SS-19 'Stiletto'), RS-16 (SS-17 'Spanker') and RS-22 ICBMs. In time, it was planned to phase out 360 Topol mobile missile systems and replace them with the improved Topol-M mobile version. To meet these targets, the SMF was to field 60 to 90 Topol-M systems annually. However, there are currently neither funds nor manufacturing facilities to achieve this.
Whereas, according to initial plans, the SMF was to adopt one Topol-M regiment (10 missiles) a year, funding difficulties have meant that this number has now been revised to six ICBMs.
Get real Stavka. See my Homepage "for one or two" articles. You never prove anything wrong you just dismiss it all as "Tin Foil", which by the way they stopped making years ago. It was replaced by ALUMINUM FOIL. The least you could do is get the name right.
So once more: Leave me out of your group hysteria.
That is why I don't want to talk with you. You call it hating communism but in truth you hate Russians. Russia is an elected government, like it or not. One that is just as popular as Bush is in the US. If you claim to hate it, then you hate the people who elected it and thus the vast majority of Russians. At least be honoest about your hatreds and don't hide behind Cold War (dead) rhetorict. But you won't, I'm pretty sure of that.
Since none of you can face reality and call anyone who points it out to you to be FSB/KGB/NKVD or whatever spies, there is no point in talking with you. Ever wonder why most people don't come near your threads? It's not because you are the only ones that see the light, that much I guarentee you.
Bump.
Didn't we pull out of START II in order to deploy the anti-ballistic missile defense system? If so, then doesn't that end any obligation on the part of the Russians to comply?
And all 50 Peacekeepers will be maintained if we feel we must reactivate them. However, or primary nuclear deterrence is going to be our SSBN's which carry thousands of warheads. Just one Ohio class SSBN carries enough fire power to turn just about any area of the world into radioactive ash.
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