Arms for China - A Clinton Legacy (Charles Smith Alert!)

Arms for China - A Clinton Legacy Charles R. Smith Thursday, Feb. 20, 2003 Clinton Supported Russian Weapons Maker

Russia has decided to sell its most sophisticated cruise missile to China. Moscow's decision to sell the Kh-31, NATO code-named AS-17 Krypton, missile was reported in the Washington Times as part of a secret multibillion-dollar package of arms destined for Beijing.

However, what has not been reported is the fact that Moscow could not sell the Krypton if it were not for Bill Clinton and Al Gore. During the 1990s, the Clinton administration made direct payments to Russia for the Krypton missile program and provided direct assistance to Russian engineers developing the weapon for sale.

In 1995, Vice President Al Gore traveled to Moscow and cut a secret deal with Russian Prime Minister Chernomyrdin. According to Gore, Russia agreed not to export advanced weapons in exchange for U.S. assistance.

In 1995, Russian missile maker Zvezda-Strela was on the verge of collapse. The Russian weapons company could not sell its missiles to the bankrupt ex-Soviet military, and many of its newest weapons were not ready to be exported. One such untested weapon was the Zvezda Kh-31 Krypton.

In 1995, the U.S. Navy needed a special missile target supersonic drone. The drone would replicate the anticipated threat of ex-Soviet missiles entering the international market, such as the massive SS-N-22 Sunburn missile purchased by China.

The Clinton administration found a solution that it thought would kill two birds with one stone, turning to Russia for the Navy supersonic drone program and as a way to assist the Russian weapons maker Zvezda in finding peaceful markets for its lethal products.

In 1997 the U.S. Navy test-fired four kerosene ramjet-powered Krypton missiles with a blistering Mach 2.7 performance at 30 feet over the sea. Three of the Krypton missiles were test-fired to verify performance - which according to the manufacturer was over 1,700 miles an hour at sea level and over Mach 3.5 at altitude.

The fourth Krypton was flown in a live-fire exercise in which the Navy was reportedly unable to shoot it down. The Clinton administration decided to purchase more of the missiles from the Russian Zvezda-Strela missile design bureau.

Boeing spokesman Bob Alarotti confirmed the U.S. Navy deal with Boeing and Russian contractor Zvezda to supply MA-31 target missiles.

"We have an active contract with the Navy to supply MA-31 targets from Russia," stated Alarotti. "There have been a whole series of tests done against the MA-31 missile since the mid-1990s."

The target drone version, called the MA-31, is derived from the Russian ramjet-powered Kh-31 cruise missile. Normally the MiG-29 Fulcrum, or Su-30 Flanker strike-fighter carries the Kh-31.

The project to help Zvezda stay in business was off to a blistering start. However, the payments to Russia raised many questions.

According to Jane's Defense, each U.S purchase also included a 28 percent "fee" given directly to Russian generals. Navy documents show that each MA-31 missile costs $910,000. The extremely high price for the MA-31 is almost twice the price of U.S. weapons. In addition, the 28 percent fee amounts to over a quarter-million dollars per missile paid directly to the Russian generals.

Under pressure from a Freedom of Information (FOIA) request, U.S. Navy managers denied any knowledge of allegations of corruption regarding kickbacks in the payments for the Russian missiles.

"We send the money to the Russians," stated Mr. G. Hotze, the official Navy spokesman for the project. "What they do with it is their business."

Yet the MA-31 could not replicate the actual threat from the Russian Sunburn cruise missile. Documents from the U.S. Navy, obtained by using the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), show that the missile did not meet the original range requirements.

According to the U.S. Navy "Foreign Comparative Testing Contract" published in 1995, the Russian MA-31 "will be capable of meeting the following range requirements ... 25 nmi (nautical miles) at an altitude of 30 ft and at full throttle."

The Zvezda Krypton has a very limited range while flying at low altitude. According to official U.S. Navy statements, the MA-31 missile can fly "only 16 miles on the deck" and cannot duplicate the required performance of over 50 miles at low level.

Thus, in order to meet the U.S. Navy contract requirements, the Clinton administration decided to work with the Russian missile maker in jointly developing "pre-planned product improvements (P3I)" for the Krypton missile.

Declassified documents show that U.S. defense contractor McDonnell Douglas, now part of the Boeing Corporation, gave improvements for the Krypton missile to Russia in 1995 and 1996. The documents were obtained from the Clinton administration using the Freedom of Information Act.

The improvements to the Russian Krypton, including design and fuel changes for "extended range," were given directly to the Russian missile contractor as part of an effort to win the supersonic target contract from the U.S. Navy.

According to the U.S. Navy documentation, the American program to improve the Russian Krypton missile was intended to provide the U.S. Navy with a supersonic target drone.

Defense contractor McDonnell Douglas wrote one 1995 document, titled "MA-31 Foreign Technology Comparison Test (FCT) Program Review Highlights," for the U.S. Navy.

"The MA-31 target will need (pre-planned product improvements) P3I in order to meet the range and ground/surface launch requirements for the Supersonic Sea Skimming Target program (SSST). The range of the MA-31 target in its FCT configuration is approximately 15 nm (nautical miles) at low altitude," states the review document.

According to the 1995 McDonnell Douglas review, one "extended range option" given to the Russian contractor "adds an auxiliary fuel tank, a reduced drag nose cone, changes the fuel to JP-10 (which has a higher specific energy content than the Russian fuel), and modifies the ramjet nozzle. The extended range modification is intended to increase range to approximately 42 nm (nautical miles) at 10m (meter) altitude."

Another more crucial design improvement given to Russia involved "Ground Jettison Testing" done by the U.S. defense contractor against the Russian missile. According to the 1995 program review document, the Russian-built AKY-58M missile launcher for the MA-31 was fatally flawed and could destroy the firing plane.

"Two jettisons were planned; four completed," states the 1995 review document. "An anomaly was encountered during testing of the emergency jettison sequence. The lanyard which, during normal launch, remains with the launch rail and pulls the Booster Safe/Arm Plug which arms the booster for ignition, is supposed to remain with the target during Emergency Jettison. In three emergency jettison tests, the lanyard stayed with the launch rail instead of with the target. In all cases the booster would have been armed, and ignition could have occurred for any of several reasons."

"(McDonnell Douglas) MDAC has determined that use of a longer lanyard and slower separation velocity would allow proper operation of the emergency jettison sequence. The problem has been turned over to the Russians for resolution," states the 1995 review document.

The 1995 review document notes that the Krypton missiles supplied by Russia do not include the all-important radar "seeker" and the on board guidance electronics from the Kh-31 weapon version. Thus, the Russian MA-31 target missiles cannot be used to test U.S. Navy warship electronic defenses and anti-missile counter-measures.

"Removal of the seeker will preclude use of the MA-31 for testing the effectiveness of soft-kill EW (electronic warfare) systems and decoys," states the 1995 report. Boeing spokesman Bob Alarotti confirmed that the Russian MA-31 missiles did not include the electronics and "seeker" head.

"The Russians supply the basic MA-31 vehicle only," stated Alarotti. "No Russian electronics. No radar seeker."

In September 1999, the Navy supersonic target project ended after eight years of study without a selection, leaving the U.S. without a means to test the multibillion-dollar Aegis missile air defense system.

Logicon, the contractor responsible for testing the Aegis system, noted that the Navy was "not able to reach agreement with any of the offers" and thus a "contract would not be awarded."

According to the Logicon memo, the Navy "plans to procure 37 additional (Russian Zvezda) MA-31 targets in FY00, providing politics does not stop the procurement."

The main U.S. competitor was forced out of business by the lack of selection. In the end, the missile manufacturing facility in Mishawaka, Ind., was closed and all the U.S. engineers laid off.

In contrast, Russian missile-maker Zvezda was able to use the American money given to it by the Clinton administration to improve its manufacturing facility at Kaliningrad. Today, Zvezda is selling the advanced version of the Krypton around the world, with the Chinese Army Air Force being the latest buyer.

The Kh-31 is currently being offered for export equipped with either an active or passive RF seeker and has an improved range of nearly 100 miles. It is designed to attack Patriot and Aegis radar systems. The Kh-31 has also appeared in an anti-air role, using its radar seeker to home in on U.S. radar planes such as the E-2 Hawkeye and E-3 Sentry.

The troubled Navy supersonic drone project became a political plum that Clinton and Gore gave to corrupt Russian generals. We must face the real Clinton legacy: advanced weapons, financed by the U.S. taxpayer, pointed directly at America.

Isn't this when Gore went to Russia and made a backdoor deal with the Russians, without the knowledge of the U.S. govt. (except for x42 of course).

This was the most blatant act of TREASON by the x42 gang and they skated away without a scratch.

The main U.S. competitor was forced out of business by the lack of selection. In the end, the missile manufacturing facility in Mishawaka, Ind., was closed and all the U.S. engineers laid off.

I knew that plant when it belonged to Bendix. It's a crying shame that Clinton put it out of business by funding a non-friendly country instead.

8 posted on 02/20/2003 5:01:47 PM PST by concerned about politics (Stop Taxpayer Supported Socialist Indoctrinatin... Support School Choice ..Demand it.)

We must face the real Clinton legacy: advanced weapons, financed by the U.S. taxpayer, pointed directly at America.

That pretty much sums it up alright.

9 posted on 02/20/2003 5:04:58 PM PST by concerned about politics (Stop Taxpayer Supported Socialist Indoctrinatin... Support School Choice ..Demand it.)

My memory may be faulty, but I believe that Charles Smith has written on this topic before. I also recall that in previous writings, he documented something even more egregious. Something like this: as part of the targets contract, DoD divulged technical details of the Aegis system to the Russians, under the pretext that this info would enable the Russians to customize the missiles to more comprehensively "test" the Aegis system. A cynic might observe that the same info be used by the Russians to customize the missiles to be more effective against Aegis in the even of actual hostilities.

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Not only did we pay the Russians to make their weapons better, we paid them to make them better specifically against our most advanced (fielded) Air and Missile Defense system.

"Russian missile engineers will need detailed specifications on American Navy radars in order to modify the MA-31 missile into a usable target drone. Boeing and Zvezda engineers will have to share data on Aegis radars and participate in live fire exercises. This will require Russian engineers to be on site and on board U.S. Navy Aegis ships. Boeing has now acquired funding to increase the poor range for the Russian missile using air launched cruise missile technology developed during the Cold War (ALCM). Furthermore, the Russian Zvezda-Strela design bureau demanded that testing of the extended-range MA-31 must be done inside Russia."

Selling Rope to the Hangman

I'm sure we did, because x42's admin was convinced that if you shared all your information with all the other powers, then nobody would hurt you because they all had the same weapons.

If you can explain the logic of that argument to me ...??

No wonder the terrorists went after us - we told them we were stupid and we weren't holding the winning hand.

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