Russia says it may deploy missiles to Belarus
Move could be made in response to U.S. shield plans, general says
MOSCOW - Russia may deploy its newest Iskander tactical missiles in neighboring Belarus in response to U.S. plans for a missile shield in eastern Europe, Russian media quoted a senior general as saying on Wednesday.
Asked if the missiles could be deployed in response to the U.S. shield, Major-General Vladimir Zaritsky, head of Russia’s artillery and missile forces, was quoted as saying by Itar-Tass news agency: “Why not? Under the right conditions and with the corresponding agreement of Belarus, it is possible.”
“Any action inevitably causes a reaction,” Zaritsky said. ”And this is just the case with the elements of U.S. air defense in the Czech Republic and Poland.”
Washington plans to place 10 interceptor missiles in Poland and a radar in the Czech Republic as part of a shield it says is designed to protect Europe from missile attacks by “rogue states” such as Iran and North Korea.
Russia has said this would upset the strategic balance and pose a threat to its security. In July, Moscow proposed the two countries use the Russian-operated early warning Qabala radar in Azerbaijan as an alternative to the U.S. missile shield.
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said during a visit to Moscow last month the Qabala radar could not replace the U.S. missile shield.
The Iskander missile is able to deliver a 1,058 lb conventional payload within a range of up to 250 miles.
Zaritsky said Iskander missiles were now fully in line with the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF).
But he stressed: “Should Russia take a political decision to quit the INF treaty, we will boost the military capabilities of these missiles, including their range.”
Asked if Russia could eventually raise Iskander’s range to over 500 km, which is banned by the INF treaty, Zaritsky said: ”Who knows what the motherland may order?”
I'm still struggling to figure out how 10, 10 intercepters are a grave threat to the massive Russian Nuclear arsenal? Or has their arsenal shrunk so much in size that 10 is indeed a threat? Those 10 intercepters are also sitting in a useless possition to intercept Russian missles.
I think its more a case of Putin attempting to protect the mad Mullahs in Iran.
Facts to a liberal is like Kryptonite to Superman.
-- Larry Elder
The problem is that you build the infrastructure and Radars. When the infrastructure and Radars are constructured, you can increase the intercepters later. The infrastructure and Radars can also be converted and used in the offensive way in the future if necessary.Originally Posted by smilingassassin
I am here for exchanging opinions.
Politics, politics, politics.
its not about the ABM system but about re-asserting Russian hegemony in the region. Energy was an economic door, the ABM is a military one. Russia has now opened the door by sending military forces west.
Putin does not want Iran with IRBM's. He recently said unless nations like Iran, China, and India join with the US and Russia in banning such system he would redeploy them.
Russia piles pressure on EU over missile shield
By Adrian Blomfield in Moscow
Last Updated: 2:47am GMT 15/11/2007
Russia piles pressure on EU over missile shield
Iskander missiles could be deployed in the Baltic enclave of Kaliningrad
Russia threatened to site short-range nuclear missiles in a second location on the European Union's border yesterday if the United States refuses to abandon plans to erect a missile defence shield.
In what appeared to be a fresh attempt to divide the West, a senior army general said that Iskander missiles could be deployed in Belarus if US proposals to place 10 interceptor missiles and a radar in Poland and the Czech Republic go ahead.
"Any action meets a counter-action, and this is the case with elements of the US missile defence in Poland and the Czech Republic," said Gen Vladimir Zaritsky, the chief of artillery and rocket forces for Russia's ground troops.
In itself, the warning is unlikely to alarm Western governments. Nato brushed off the suggestion yesterday. "Any discussion of targeting Western Europe with missiles, from any party, is a) anachronistic; b) unwelcome and c) unhelpful," said James Appathurai, a Nato spokesman in Brussels.
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Russia, which insists that the missile shield is a plot to undermine its nuclear deterrents, has already said that Iskander missiles could be deployed in the Baltic enclave of Kaliningrad, which lies in EU territory.
President Vladimir Putin has also threatened to retrain Russia's nuclear arsenal on targets within Europe.
The creation of a second launch pad in Belarus, however, would allow Russia to place "tactical and psychological" pressure on neighbouring Poland, where public support for the proposed shield is low.
Analysts say that Mr Putin hopes to turn Europeans against the project by making it clear that they - rather than the Americans - would suffer the consequence of any nuclear confrontation.
Washington claims that the shield is aimed not at Russia but at states such as Iran which it accuses of seeking to develop nuclear weapons that could one day strike the West.
The United States has embarked on a charm offensive to win Mr Putin's support. Senior American delegations visit Moscow regularly, while President George W Bush plied Mr Putin with lobster at an unprecedented summit in Kennebunkport, Maine, over the summer.
But Washington has shown little sign of accepting Russian proposals to relocate the shields and the Kremlin appears to be losing patience.
Mr Putin has already said that Russia could pull out of a Cold War treaty forbidding it from building intermediate-range nuclear missiles capable of hitting Europe.
The Iskander missile has a range of 190 miles, although a new version with a 310-mile range is due to enter production in 2009.
Russia piles pressure on EU over missile shield - Telegraph
correct, once it is deployed you can increase the numbers. US should reconsider it if it is serious in limiting arms. if russia walk away and start selling all kind of "stuff" it can turn ugly.
Yes but you have to put the radars and launchers in the right possitions to intercept those ICMB's and they aren't placed to defend against Russian missiles. IIRC Dalem posted several pictures demontrating the possitions needed to defend against various threats. Placing launchers in Poland means the missles will be chasing ICBM's, not intercepting them.
*edit*
sorry it was Highsea who posted the very interesting maps...
http://www.worldaffairsboard.com/wes...-allies-2.html
Last edited by smilingassassin; 18 Nov 07, at 10:28.
Facts to a liberal is like Kryptonite to Superman.
-- Larry Elder
Putin is playing for something I can't really place. Is it national pride, election year or just simple hate to-wards west? Because seriously he have no real argument against this shield other then " it is bad for Mother Russia"
"We Shall Never Surrender" Winston Churchill
What other argument does he need? He is the RUSSIAN president. It is his duty to do what is good for RUSSIA. Not what's good for America, not what's good for Poland.
It's not necessarily bad for Mother Russia - but bad for some shallow sense of pride.
HD Ready?
Russia ready for missile shield talks with US
Reuters
MOSCOW - Moscow is ready for dialogue on the latest US proposals for a missile shield in Europe, Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov said during a radio interview on Monday.
The United States submitted a package of documents to Russia last week setting out compromise proposals on its missile shield, part of which it wants to locate in eastern Europe.
"The American side has sent us a letter with proposals on the missile defense shield," Ivanov told the Russian News Service radio station.
"We are ready for dialogue, but at the same time we are guided, of course, by our own national interests and if our partner places new military capabilities less than 200 kilometers (120 miles) from our borders at the Kaliningrad region, we have to think about it."
Ivanov's comment was more upbeat than earlier Russian reaction to the proposals.
Last week the Russian foreign ministry said it was disappointed by the proposals -- first laid out when US Secretary of state Condoleezza Rice visited Moscow in October.
Washington wants to station interceptor missiles in Poland and a radar system in the Czech Republic as part of a shield it says is designed to protect Europe from "rogue states" such as Iran and North Korea.
But the plans have angered Moscow which says it is the shield's real target. The Kremlin has called the US plan a threat to its national security.
Actually, if you combine the interceptors with the proposed American ability to clear the nuclear arsenal of enemy nations, it's pretty dangerous. There's a next generation of American nukes and ICBMs out there and they're pretty hardcore. First strike, last strike.
How long before they pull out of the talks, if and when they start?
Facts to a liberal is like Kryptonite to Superman.
-- Larry Elder
Are you really considering a possibility that USA wants to attack Russia? I am sorry but this is ridiculous. Russia needs an external vent for it's anger due to the presidential elections and also because in the Russian minds All eastern Europe is still their vassal states. So any NATO facilities over there will be not welcomed in Kremlin. Since so far there is no any serious reasons why this shield should not be built - I say we should go ahead. Russia will always try and find a way to object to almost anything. So we should just politely tell them to F''' of.
"We Shall Never Surrender" Winston Churchill
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