RUSSIA DEPLOYS SUPER-SCUD Russia - The Kremlin Russia has begun to deploy the mobile SS-27 TOPOL-M ballistic missile. The first of ten mobile ICBMs rolled into active service for the Russian Strategic Rocket Forces, replacing older SS-18 SATAN missiles. The SS-27 is carried on a multi-wheeled all-terrain vehicle that is designed to travel the vast Russian country-side. The new missiles are reported to be deployed in the Saratov region 450 miles southeast of Moscow. SS-27 WARHEAD HAS U.S. ROOTS Russia - Ministry of Atomics (MINATOM) The SS-27 carries a single 550 Kiloton nuclear warhead developed by the Russian Ministry of Atomics (MINATOM) Arzamas-16 site using U.S. made super-computers. IBM and Silicon Graphics sold several super-computers directly to the Russian nuclear weapons maker starting in 1996. Russian Atomic energy officials (MINATOM) admitted in early 1997 that an IBM super-computer was purchased from Europe by MINATOM in late 1996 for $7 million. The IBM super-computer was transferred directly to the nuclear weapons center in Arzamas-16. In addition, MINATOM officials admitted that that Silicon Graphics, Inc., sold four computers to Chelyabinsk-70, another Russian weapons facility, in the fall of 1996 for $650,000 each. CLINTON EXPORTS AHEAD OF NATIONAL SECURITY Washington - General Accounting Office The transfer of export control over super-computers from the Defense Department to the Commerce Department was ordered by President Clinton in 1996. Since 1996 the Commerce Department has allowed over 60 super-computers to be exported to Russian and Chinese military weapons labs. In 1998 the GAO, acting on behalf of Congressional requests, studied the Clinton export policy and provided written testimony. According to the GAO testimony, "Except for nuclear weapons, the executive branch has not completed an assessment of the national security risks of exporting HPCs (High Performance Computer Systems) to tier 3 countries, and the nuclear weapons assessment was completed by the Department of Energy (DOE) in June 1998, more than 2 years after the export control policies for HPCS (High Performance Computer Systems) were revised." DESERT FOX VS. TIGER SONG Iraq - U.S. air power scored a direct hit on an Iraqi mobile air defense missile site using 500 pound laser guided bombs. The 500 pound bombs were delivered by a USAF F-15 Strike Eagle. According to the Eagle pilots, camera video clearly shows the Iraqi defense site taking direct hits. The bombing was in retaliation for two Iraqi SAMs (Surface to Air Missiles) fired at U.S. planes patrolling the northern "no-fly" zone. American pilots were not aware they were being targeted and their first indication was a visual sighting of two modified SA-2 "Guideline" SAM missiles as they lifted off. The Iraqi air defense network (Nato codename "TIGER-SONG") is a Chinese built fiber-optic communications system. The Tiger Song network consists of American and French fiber optic hardware and software exported to China. U.S. EA-6B Prowlers and F-16 Falcons fired Shrike anti-radar missiles at nearby suspected "Tiger Song" sites and Iraqi Anti-Aircraft guns. GREEK PATRIOT U.S.A. U.S. missile maker Raytheon has scored big by selling the Greek government on the Patriot anti-missile system. The Patriot sale has a double whammy - It has canceled the Russian SA-10C Grumble missile sales to the Greek half of Cyprus and won a big gain for Raytheon in the stock market. Raytheon is grinding out Patriots for export to a number of U.S. allies including Israel and South Korea. RUSSIAN GRUMBLE Cyprus - Nicosia The Greek purchase of U.S. made Patriots has canceled the sale of Russian SA-10C Grumble missiles to the Greek Cypriot government. The President of Cyprus, Glafcos Clerides, announced the cancellation of the Russian SA-10 deal December 29, 1998. Clerides stated that he would take sole responsibility for the decision to kill the SA-10 purchase. The Russian missiles were scheduled to be installed in August 1998 at a new airbase on the Greek half of Cyprus. Diplomatic efforts and military pressure from Turkey delayed the deployment. ISRAELI ARROW Israel - Tel Aviv American Army Patriot units were deployed to Israel and served along side the new Israeli Arrow defense missile. The sudden move of U.S. Patriots to Israel and the un-expected activation of the Arrow system were leading intelligence indicators for the U.S./U.K. DESERT FOX strike at Iraq. 28 % OF NOTHING Russia - The Kremlin The Russian Zvezda-Strela State Scientific-Industrial Center is still hoping to win a U.S. Navy missile target drone contract despite Russian Defense ministry opposition. The Russian missile maker claimed in November 1998 it had won the U.S. Navy contract for a super-sonic target drone using its Kh-31 ramjet missile. The claim embarrassed American Navy officials because the contract Request For Proposal (RFP) is not scheduled to be issued until May 1999. In December 1998, the Kremlin announced it opposed the deal because the U.S. could learn too much about Russian missiles. The Russian Generals, however, are willing to forsake national security concerns if the U.S. Navy commits to a large number of Kh-31 missiles. According to Moscow, the Russian Generals get 28 percent of any sale. The Kh-31 maker, Russian design bureau Zvezda, announced it intends to use the profits from the U.S. Navy sales to improve the Kh-31 for export to client states. So far - none but China have shown much interest in the titanium Kh-31. ZVEZDA EXPORTS STEALTH CRUISE MISSILE Russia - Moscow Russian missile maker Zvezda is staging a "RED" light fire sale in order to remain in business. Zvezda announced the sale of advanced Kh-35 anti-ship missiles to Algeria (NATO codename SS-N-25 Switchblade). According to Zvezda, the Kh-35 is covered with RAM (Radar Absorbent Materials) that soak up enemy radar waves, making it a "stealth" cruise missile. The Algerian purchase of the sea-skimming cruise missiles is only the third such sale by Zvezda in 1998. The Algerian missile export follows Zvezda Kh-35 sales to former Soviet client states India and Vietnam. The Kh-35 missile is better known in the west as the "Harpoonsky" because it is similar in design and performance to the U.S. made Harpoon anti-ship missile. The Kh-35 has a solid-fuel booster and a turbojet cruise engine. The sub-sonic Kh-35 weights about 1600 pounds at launch and has a 330 pound warhead. The missile has a range of up to 80 miles. RED CHINA SEIZES ISLAND GROUP Mischief Reef - Philippines Representative Dana Rohrbacher (R - CA) announced that President Clinton is ignoring Red Chinese military moves in the far east. Rohrbacher has just returned from the Philippines where he witnessed Chinese Naval activity around the contested Spratly islands. Chinese military listening posts were established in 1996 on the Spratly islands, violating Philippine sovereignty. According to Rohrbacher, the Chinese ELINT base is now being guarded by three PLN missile frigates. In his report to the chairman of the U.S. House International Relations committee, Rep. Dana Rohrabacher said the Chinese navy has been engaged in a "de facto encirclement of Spratly islands" by constructing military posts such as those discovered in a Philippine-claimed reef in November. Rohrbacher accused China of "bullying" the Philippines by expanding military-type structures on Mischief Reef and stationing three missile frigates in the area. FIN ================================================================ 1 if by land, 2 if by sea. Paul Revere - encryption 1775 Charles R. Smith SOFTWAR http://www.softwar.net [EMAIL PROTECTED] Pcyphered SIGNATURE: 3C09157859CFCD60916B309F47C6CD774CF796D2B3DE18524CDDC27068B5C718 F53C3E0AE3B9DE264CE5B5140E8E0EFE16F9334CDBD07B0F782E79AA66354629 1E176F560DEDF93D ================================================================ SOFTWAR EMAIL NEWSLETTER 12/30/1998 *** to unsubscribe reply with "unsubscribe" as subject *** ================================================================
