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Russia plans ICBM to counter US shield
Sat Dec 17, 2011 3:26AM
Chief of Russia's Strategic Missile Forces, Lieutenant General Sergei KaraKayev (file photo)
A top Russian military official says Russia will generate a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) to surmount a potential US missile system in Europe.


Moscow has decided to develop a new silo-based liquid-fuel-propelled strategic missile that will have “enhanced capability to breach a hypothetical US missile defense system” in Eastern Europe, chief of Russia's Strategic Missile Forces, Lieutenant General Sergei KaraKayev, was quoted by state-owned Russian news agency RIA Novosti as saying on Friday.

He added that Russia's solid-fuel-propelled ICBMs might lack the capability to penetrate American missile apparatuses.

KaraKayev noted that the Russian military would test-launch 11 ICBMs in 2012.

The United States has signed agreements with Romania and Poland to install missile facilities in Eastern Europe. Moscow perceives the potential move as a hostile action undermining its national security.

In late November, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said Russia would target US missile sites in Europe if Washington went ahead with setting up the planned shield, despite Moscow's concerns.

“By my order the Defense Ministry will run in a warning system radar station in Kaliningrad [region in western Russia] without delay,” he said.

MAB/HN



Russia considers new ICBM to counter U.S. missile defense
English.news.cn 2011-12-16 20:40:16 [RSS] [Feedback] [Print] [Copy URL] [More]

MOSCOW, Dec. 16 (Xinhua) -- Russia might build a new intercontinental ballistic missile capable of breaking through the U.S.' space-based missile defense system, Commander of Russian Strategic Missile Forces said Friday.

Lieutenant General Sergei Karakayev told reporters thaT Russia needs the ICBM to contain possible threats of nuclear attack in the future.

"In case (the U.S.) deploy space-based anti-missile systems, the potential of the existing ICBMs could be insufficient to overpass that defense shield. So we need to deploy a new 100-ton ICBM," he was quoted by Interfax news agency as saying.

The general noted that missiles of such weight could be only ground-based, and also be equipped with conventional warheads with unlimited striking range.

Russia currently deploys the ground-based Topol-M and Yars strategic multi-warhead guided missiles and submarine-based Bulava ICBM.

Moscow has long opposed the deployment of U.S.-led NATO missile defense facilities near its borders and intends to seek legally binding guarantees from the U.S. and NATO that the missile defense shield is not targeting Russia.

President Dmitry Medvedev warned in November that Russia might station missile defense systems, including the Iskander, in western and southern sections of the country if there were any additional U.S. missile deployments in Europe.


http://rt.com/news/missile-target-amd-europe-977/

Russian missile chief: ‘We can nuke your AMD’
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Published: 16 December, 2011, 15:00
Topol missile system at a testing range in Russia’s Novosibirsk Region (RIA Novosti / Aleksandr Kryazhev)

Topol missile system at a testing range in Russia’s Novosibirsk Region (RIA Novosti / Aleksandr Kryazhev)

TAGS: Arms, Military, Nuclear, Russia, Politics

Russian strategic missiles may target American anti-ballistic missile shield facilities in Europe, the commander of the Russian missile troops has warned.

*The missiles on duty have blank flight programs, but they can be promptly targeted at any destination, including the controversial European AMD sites, Lieutenant General Sergey Karakaev told journalists on Friday.

“There are no technical limitations on the use of strategic missiles. It would take very little time to select a new target and upload a new missile flight program,” he assured.

He added that “the combat use of missile troop forces is done on command of the Supreme Commander of the Russian Armed Forces, while planning objectives for possible strikes is the job of the General Staff.”

The general also announced the military’s plans to create a new heavy silo-based liquid propellant strategic missile. It will “have improved capabilities to overcome multiple echelons of an anti-missile system” through the use of advanced design of the vehicle and its warhead as well as better fuel.

Karakaev stressed that the need for the new missile comes due to development of ABM technology by the United States.

“If the USA deploys space-based strike anti-ballistic missile forces, which is not excluded due to intensive research in that area it carries out, the potential of small solid propellant missiles would not be enough to overcome such a system,” he said. “In this situation deployment of a liquid propellant ICBM with a launch weigh about 100 tonnes is preferable, since it would be noticeably better than a solid propellant missile of a similar size in terms of the payload-to-weight ratio.”

He added that such a missile can be used to deliver conventional precision warheads and will still have a virtually global reach, which gives more options for Russia in warfare.

In the short-term period, the existing Topol-M and Yars ICBMs are capable of overcoming any challenges the strategic missile troops may face, the commander assured. He said that by year’s end, a quarter of the missiles deployed by Russia will be of these advanced designs. The near-total rearmament of the military is currently being carried out and will be finished by 2012.

The American plans to deploy its anti-missile sites in Europe are a long-standing point of conflict between Moscow and Washington. Russia wants legal guarantees that the system will not undermine its nuclear deterrence, which the US is reluctant to provide such assurances.

Lately Moscow has taken a tougher stance on the issue, opting for a military response to the threat, which politics is failing to address. It plans to deploy Iskander tactical missiles in Kaliningrad exclave, which would allow destruction of the future ABM facilities, should this be needed. President Medvedev also ordered defense ministry to develop further measures to counter the American system.