http://www.geostrategy-direct.com/geostrategy-direct/secure/2011/05_04/ba.as p?
Moscow seeks shared operations of missile defense, plans new ICBM The Obama administration is pressing Russia to conclude a cooperation agreement on missile defenses that critics say could compromise key technologies to Moscow. The White House announced April 21 that Vice President Joseph Biden discussed next steps on missile defense "during a telephone conversation with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin." The Obama administration, in seeking better ties to Russia, has made several key concessions to Moscow on missile defenses in Europe, including canceling plans for long-range interceptors in Poland and their replacement with medium-range defenses that will not protect the U.S. homeland from a future long-range Iranian missile threat. Statements by Russian officials recently indicate Moscow wants to have control over U.S. missile defenses in Europe to the point of exercising power over whether or not to shoot down missiles. Last week, Russian Space Forces Commander Lt. Gen. Oleg Ostapenko told reporters that all Russian missile and air defenses would be merged into a single force will be done this year. "The task of creating aerospace defense by the end of 2011 will be accomplished," he said. The forces will include air defense missile systems, missile early warning systems and space monitoring systems into a Aerospace Defense Force in response to what the Russians say is a "pan-European missile defense shield." Russia also is deploying a new heavy ICBM that raises questions about whether the Obama administration's conciliatory approach is having the desired effect. Col.-Gen. Viktor Yesin, consultant to the commander of the Strategic Missile Troops and former chief of the RVSN Main Staff, was quoted as saying that by 2018 Moscow will deploy a new silo-based, megaton-class, heavy liquid-fueled ICBM to replace the RS-20 Voyevoda missile known as the multi-warhead SS-18 by NATO. The new missile will have greater survivability based on hardened launchers and "other passive and active defense measures," he said. A Russian official said the new missile's silo launch facility will include "maskirovka," or camouflage, concealment and deception, along with electronic warfare assets using a continuous field of jamming. Yasin said the new ICBM will employ "all the necessary means for breaking through existing and new advanced missile defenses, including the entire 'gentleman's choice' of heavy and other false warheads, etc. to assure delivery of the real warheads to targets." "The operational equipment will be roughly as before - a separable megaton-class nosecone with individual guidance of the warheads to the target," he said. Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz. and a leading specialist on arms control, said in a speech April 12 that Russian cooperation on missile defense should be welcomed, but that "it would be a very large mistake to in effect make them a partner in our missile defense system." "I don t see, for one thing, how they would be an equal contributor to the process, but they could certainly be interested in some of the technology that would be provided if they gained access to it," he said. "I also wonder whether this is maybe a fool's errand in a way, because at least up to now the Russians have made it pretty clear that they want nothing less than a finger on the red button. Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov -- I'm quoting here -- he said, in practical terms, he was talking about what joint control meant. And Ivanov said, 'In practical terms that means our office will sit, for example, in Brussels and agrees on a red button pushed to start enabling a missile regardless of whether it comes from Poland, Russia or the UK.' " Kyl said the Obama administration has kept details of its missile defense negotiations with the Russians secret from the Congress. "I don t know how much material or anything else they're sharing with the Russians, but it bothers me that they're going to at some point [ask] the Senate for consent, if nothing else than to fund things, but they aren't interested in our advice going into the discussions," Kyl said. Kyl said a "red flag" in the missile defense plans by the administration is to eventually develop a longer-range interceptor based on the Navy's SM-3 medium-range interceptor. "The last phase is merely a concept," he said. "It's not even something that's been deployed." Kyl said at a minimum, Russia could drive a wedge between the U.S. and its NATO allies that will undermine efforts to deploy SM-3s in Europe. Also, information sharing and technology sharing with Russia will be "problematic" including the compromise of strategic U.S. hit-to-kill technology that "would obviously not be in our interests." [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, discuss-os...@yahoogroups.com. -------------------------- Brooks Isoldi, editor biso...@intellnet.org http://www.intellnet.org Post message: osint@yahoogroups.com Subscribe: osint-subscr...@yahoogroups.com Unsubscribe: osint-unsubscr...@yahoogroups.com *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. 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