Russia tests two new missile systems, could review treaty (Roundup)

Europe News

May 29, 2007, 17:19 GMT

Moscow - Russia's military tested two new missile systems Tuesday, and First Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov hinted the country may try to end a 1987 US-Russian treaty banning intermediate- range missiles. Moscow tested for the first time both its RS-24 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) and the short-range, high-precision winged Iskander-M rocket system, Russian news agencies said. 'A new operational-tactical complex and strategic complex, which are able to overcome any existing and future missile defence shields have appeared,' Ivanov, considered a potential successor to President Vladimir Putin, said in remarks run by Itar-Tass. Ivanov was referring to elements of a proposed US shield that Washington wants to base in Poland the Czech Republic. The US says the shield is to defend against Iranian or North Korean threats, but Russia says it is the real target. Earlier in the day, Putin had said after a meeting with Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Socrates that the US shield would turn Europe into a 'tinderbox and fill it with new types of weapons.' 'From the point of view of defence and security, Russians can be at peace,' Ivanov said of the new Russian missiles. But with the successful tests of the new rockets, Ivanov hinted Moscow may try to end the landmark Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, which banned all US and Russian ballistic missiles with a range from 500 to 5,500 kilometres. 'I won't name concrete numbers about (the Iskander-M's) range, but it is raised. For the meantime, it is being managed by the obligations Russia has taken on, but exactly that - for now,' Ivanov said from Astrakhan, in southern Russia, where he addressed a meeting of the government's Military-Industrial Commission. The deputy prime minister has previously called the treaty detrimental and on Tuesday said Russia's 'eastern and southern neighbours' were acquiring short- and medium-range missiles, but that Russia and the US were prevented from doing the same. 'All this creates a real danger for us, and the consequences could be unpredictable,' Ivanov said, Interfax reported. Ivanov also criticized what he called the 'inactivity' of another end-of-Cold War treaty, the Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty (CFE), an adapted version of which NATO members have not signed. Its inactivity, he said, created 'serious concerns' in Russia. He said the high-precision Iskander-M missile would be sold for export with a range of 300 kilometres, in keeping with international agreements, but that 'what to do for your own army is an entirely different question.' The 24-minute flight of the Iskander-M near Astrakhan came as the Military-Industrial Commission approved a new programme of high- precision weapons for land forces, according to Ivanov. The Iskander-M, he said, would enter usage in 2009. 'Work will be completed on time, and there haven't been any problems with financing for a long time,' he added. The RS-24, a missile with multiple independently targeted reentry vehicles, is to replace the current RS-18 and RS-20 rockets, also known as the SS-19 Stiletto and SS-18 Satan, respectively. The rocket was shot from a mobile launcher at the Plesetsk base 800 kilometres north of Moscow and hit a target on the Pacific Ocean Kamchatka Peninsula, some 6,500 kilometres away. The launches come as Moscow, rich in petrodollars, increases defence spending to update Soviet-era technologies. President Vladimir Putin in November promised 5 trillion roubles (200 billion dollars) for a 10-year military modernization programme. The country's 30-billion-dollar 2007 budget includes the purchase of 17 ICBMs, he said at the time. 'The state has begun recently to pay much more attention than in the recent past to the development and equipment of the armed forces with modern weapons complexes,' Ivanov was quoted as saying Tuesday. The new systems are expected to form the backbone of Russia's missile strike group until the middle of the 21st century, the Russian Defence Ministry says. © 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur

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ScoopMay 29th, 2007 - 18:25:21

Everyone in the EU who is awake should see this coming. If the EU is not taken over by the Islamic Caliphate soon. The Russians are coming and with missles that carry 10 warheads.

I know you PC-Leftist-Socialist's have your heads in the sand or are working directly to help Russia at the expense of your once great union of countries. But your capitulation will only cost you more, and more. I want to go back to Europe, not Eurabia nor Eurussia.

The US needs to stop funding the EU and turn it's back as the EU is now a lost cause. Run and hide, pretend nothing is wrong, and turn the keys over to those that want the control you have relinquished.

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EdMay 29th, 2007 - 18:44:40

Yawn

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Dude1May 29th, 2007 - 18:53:43

Hopefully the US will now step up it's defenseive and offensive technologies to a techilogical level that will give balance to both Russia and China. I know the Europeans don't care any longer, so the US should start to back away from those relationships and let the chips fall where they fall. Protect America first and the Euros will have to deal with their own on their own. Cut off Europe and all other countries.

AP
Russia Touts Test-Launch of New ICBMs
Tuesday May 29, 11:55 am ET
Russian Official Says New ICBMs Can Penetrate Any Missile Defense System

MOSCOW (AP) -- Russia on Tuesday test-launched a new intercontinental ballistic missile, apparently developed secretly, that a top government official said could penetrate any missile defense system, Russian news agencies reported.

The missile would modernize Russia's stockpile adding 10 warheads at a time of rising tensions with the West.

'As of today Russia has new (missiles) that are capable of overcoming any existing or future missile defense systems,' ITAR-Tass quoted First Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov as saying. 'So in terms of defense and security, Russia can be calm.'

The missile was fired from a mobile launcher at the Plesetsk launch in northwestern Russia, and its test warhead landed on target about 3,400 miles away on the Far Eastern Kamchatka Peninsula, according to a statement from Russian Strategic Missile Forces.

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Europe aloneMay 29th, 2007 - 22:11:09

'Protect America first and the Euros will have to deal with their own on their own. Cut off Europe and all other countries.' - actually this is the good advice but for the reason other then what you might think. The only reason Russian feel forced to innovate in weapons is because of constantly changing situation in Europe. If Europe would simply grow-up and demanded to be left alone this issue would simply go away. If NATO stops enlarging, if nobody is building missile shields right next door, why would Russia need any new weapon system? The problem would simply go away. Yet, I bet this is not what's going to happen. What Iraq war tough me is that politicians always see escalation as a best way forward even though it's completely hopeless in the long term.

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laMay 30th, 2007 - 04:20:24

why doesn't anyone see that it is the U.S. causing this massive buildup in military might all around the world? it is our aggression that causes others to want to defend themselves, stupid.

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Andi Prama AriyandiMay 30th, 2007 - 10:40:25

Well, President Vladimir Putin is back on his 'glory days' of Soviet Union as Nation, not as state ideology, but as A Nation of Dignity. The United States of America ruins social cultural in Middle East, especially in Iraq, although their 'puritan objective' is to wipe out Al-Qaeda which is good to humans life of thoughts compare to their ideological teaching by committing suicide as 'a tool to meet God', nonetheless Israel rages in Gaza, Hizbollah's mess up in Lebanon, least and most important is poverty across the globe still questionable as how can it be solve, either by up raising the energy (fuel) price or spreading and widening liberalisation of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson combined through an aid of financial mechanism such World Bank and IMF while greenhouse gas emission is wrecked by an alien jetplane?
Nice move, Mr. Vladimir Putin.

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LoLMay 30th, 2007 - 15:25:41

I love the USA. *rofl*

They kick someone and when he turns around to hit them back they shout 'Look ! Look ! See how he is threatening me ? I always told you he is evil !' *rofl*

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JOHNMar 1st, 2008 - 01:58:52

yes that's right these american crybabies. they would gladly kick a country a theth of it's size while it's down. and CRY LIKE BABIES WHEN SOMEONE FOGHTS FACK.
CRY BABIES AMERICANS SOOO PATHETIC.

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JACKMar 1st, 2008 - 02:02:58

SCOOP YOU ARE SUCH A REDNECK TOBACCO CHEWING BRAINLESS BUBA AMERICAN. YOU'RE SUCH A TRAILERTRASH YOU'RE TOTALLY MINDBOGELINGLY STUPID. NOT EVEN A HIGHSCHOOL DIPLOMA HAH?

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Andi Prama AriyandiDec 9th, 2008 - 01:25:53

I have distributed all of my thoughts to various online news media editors since 2005.

Andi Prama
Jakarta, Indonesia

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