[spaxiaroorbes]

Russia Test-Launches New ICBM
By JIM HEINTZ
Associated Press Writer


MOSCOW (AP) -- Russia on Tuesday test-launched a new intercontinental ballistic missile capable of carrying multiple independent warheads, and a top government official said it could penetrate any defense system, a news agency reported.
The new missile would modernize Russia's stockpile at a time of rising tensions with the West.

The ICBM was fired from a mobile launcher at the Plesetsk launch site in northwestern Russia, and its test warhead landed on target about 3,400 miles away on the Far Eastern Kamchatka Peninsula, a statement from the Russian Strategic Missile Forces said.
President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly said Russia would continue to improve its nuclear weapons systems and respond to U.S. plans to deploy a missile defense system in Europe.

First Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov said the ICBM, as well as a tactical cruise missile that also was tested Tuesday, can penetrate any missile defense system, Russian news agencies reported.
"As of today, Russia has new (missiles) that are capable of overcoming any existing or future missile defense systems," ITAR-Tass quoted Ivanov as saying. "So in terms of defense and security, Russian can look calmly to the country's future."

Ivanov is a former defense minister seen as a potential candidate to succeed Putin in elections next year.
The ICBM, called the RS-24, is seen as eventually replacing the aging RS-18s and RS-20s that are the backbone of Russia's missile forces, the statement said. Those missiles are known in the West as the SS-19 Stiletto and the SS-18 Satan.

The statement said the RS-24 conforms with terms laid down in the START-I treaty and the 2002 Moscow Treaty, which calls for reductions in each country's nuclear arsenal to 1,700-2,000 warheads.
The RS-24 "strengthens the capability of the attack groups of the Strategic Missile Forces by surmounting anti-missile defense systems, at the same time strengthening the potential for nuclear deterrence," the statement said.

The statement did not specify how many warheads the missile can carry.
Ivanov said the missile was a new version of the Topol-M, first known as the SS-27 in the West, but one that that can carry multiple independent warheads, ITAR-Tass reported.
The first Topol-Ms were commissioned in 1997, but deployment has proceeded slower than planned because of a shortage of funds, and aging Soviet-built ballistic missiles remain the backbone of Russia's nuclear forces. Existing Topol-M missiles are capable of hitting targets more than 6,000 miles away.

Alexander Golts, a respected military analyst with the Yezhenedelny Zhurnal online publication, expressed surprise at the announcement. "It seems to be a brand new missile. It's either a decoy or something that has been developed in complete secrecy," he told The Associated Press.
The new missile would probably be more capable of penetrating missile defense systems than previous models, according to Alexander Pikayev, a senior analyst at the Moscow-based Institute for World Economy and International Relations.

He said its development was probably "inevitable" after the U.S. withdrew from the Soviet-era Anti-Ballistic Missile treaty in 2002 in order to deploy a national missile defense shield.
Russia adamantly opposes U.S. efforts to deploy elements of a missile-defense system in Poland and the Czech Republic. The United States says the system is aimed at blocking possible attacks by countries such as North Korea and Iran, but Russia says the system would destroy the strategic balance of forces in Europe.

Russia's military chief of staff has suggested repeatedly that Russia would regard elements of the system as potential targets.
Asked about the controversy Tuesday at a news conference with Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Socrates, Putin said, "We consider it harmful and dangerous to turn Europe into a powder keg."
On Monday, Russia called for an emergency conference next month on a key Soviet-era arms control treaty that has been a source of increasing friction between Moscow and NATO.
The call for a conference on the Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty follows last month's statement from Putin declaring a moratorium on observing Russia's obligations under the treaty.

The treaty, which limits the number of aircraft, tanks and other non-nuclear heavy weapons around Europe, was first signed in 1990 and then amended in 1999 to reflect changes since the Soviet breakup. Russia has ratified the amended version, but the United States and other NATO members have refused to do so until Moscow withdraws troops from the former Soviet republics of Moldova and Georgia - an issue Moscow says is unrelated.
Putin warned that Russia could dump the treaty altogether if Western nations refuse to ratify its amended version, and the Foreign Ministry said Monday that it lodged a formal request for a conference among treaty signatories in Vienna, Austria, on June 12-15.
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[zttrftwsq]

Yes, it's time you young folks experience MAD, Duck & Cover, and the Atomic Cafe.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0oSAuqsItFQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiI62AZTQw8

[Pharmaciest]

Yes, it's time you young folks experience MAD, Duck & Cover, and the Atomic Cafe.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0oSAuqsItFQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiI62AZTQw8

Yawn, nothing new here move along.

Russia is renewing it's strategic arsenal and there's nothing alarming or at all new in this respect. It's widely known that Topol-M ICBM has been redesigned to carry MIRVs.

It is far more worrisome that Putin is bent on destroying independent media and dissent in Russia and subverting democracy.

[PRengine]

Why you interested only in "new ballistic rockets" news?
Is this all what you can read about Russia in your press?
(Oh, I forgot about "Putin vs democracy" theme... )

What about new Russian scientific researches in peaceful directions?
For example new Russian GPS-analog network.
Or Russian IT/math development.

May be you interest by history of foundation of Russia.
By the way, everyone know who opened America, but do you know who opened Russia?

Eugenious
You looking so wise when silent.

[enactolaelant]

Why you interested only in "new ballistic rockets" news?
Is this all what you can read about Russia in your press?
(Oh, I forgot about "Putin vs democracy" theme... )

What about new Russian scientific researches in peaceful directions?
For example new Russian GPS-analog network.
Or Russian IT/math development.

May be you interest by history of foundation of Russia.
By the way, everyone know who opened America, but do you know who opened Russia?

Eugenious
You looking so wise when silent.

I'm not interested in replying to imbecile comments WebErr, arguing with you is like arguing with a blind and deaf person.

[asharbiq]

Eugenious
I live in another culture.
Your words just discredit yourself without any discomfort for me.
Убейсибя апстену, please, or change your name to any non-Russian.
Евгений is too much for your culture level...

[maxfieldj1]

WebErr: "Just Shoot Me" was a popular American TV sitcom for many years. It may even be sydicated in Russia now.

It is an expression, not a personal insult.

(Just so that nothing is lost in translation.)

[carletoxtrs]

A cold war would have kept George W. in check with regards to foreign policy. I hate the idea of increasing Pentagon funding in the future. Add this to the list of this administration's failures.

[Nakforappealp]

A cold war would have kept George W. in check with regards to foreign policy. I hate the idea of increasing Pentagon funding in the future. Add this to the list of this administration's failures.

What makes you think it's not part of their design. Aerospace companies need to manufacture weapons to stay profitable and the Pentagon needs to dole out contracts. Eisenhower was right.

[Grizli]

...Eisenhower was right.

Very true. For those interested in Eisenhower's statements on the issue, rent the DVD "Why We Fight."

[Terinalo]

Very true. For those interested in Eisenhower's statements on the issue, rent the DVD "Why We Fight."

I saw that movie about a month ago. Military-Industrial Complex? Spooky.

[DarrenBent]

Bush Goes to Europe in Wake of Putin’s Threat


President Bush departed for Europe where he will attend the summit of leading industrialized nations in Germany.

By JUDY DEMPSEY and GRAHAM BOWLEY
Published: June 4, 2007

BERLIN, June 4 — President Bush flew to Europe today for talks with world leaders later this week, including President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, in the wake of a threat by Mr. Putin to point Russian missiles at Europe if the United States builds its missile defense system in Poland and the Czech Republic.

In an interview with journalists from the other Group of 8 big industrialized countries that was released on the Kremlin Web site, Mr. Putin set an uncompromising tone before the start of the group’s summit meeting in Germany on Wednesday.

His comments set a challenge for Mr. Bush, who flew to Prague in the Czech Republic today before the meeting in Germany. The comments drew criticism from NATO, which described Mr. Putin’s statements as “unhelpful and unwelcome.”

Speaking in Washington today, the State Department spokesman, Sean McCormack, said flatly that Russia’s concerns — and its threat to target European sites — would not lead the United States to cancel the missile program, and he rejected the idea that it could lead to a new arms race.

“It’s just not helpful, certainly surprising,” Mr. McCormack said, referring to Mr. Putin’s comments. “They have more the ring of 1977 than they do 2007, so you know, I don’t know quite what to make of it.”

Mr. Putin said Russia would not stand back and allow Washington to expand its nuclear potential in Europe, even though the new interceptors that the United States intends to deploy in Poland would not carry nuclear warheads.

“Europe is being filled with new weapons,” Mr. Putin said, according to the transcript. “We ask ourselves what is going on.” He said the United States’ planned new installations would be an “inseparable part of the U.S. nuclear potential,” and said the Iranian missiles that America’s bases are intended to protect against “do not exist.”

“If the American nuclear potential grows in European territory, we have to give ourselves new targets in Europe,” Mr. Putin was quoted as saying by Corriere della Sera, an Italian newspaper that took part in the interview.

“It is up to our military to define these targets, in addition to defining the choice between ballistic and cruise missiles. But this is just a technical aspect.”

Asked whether the American plan to build a missile defense shield in Eastern Europe would force Moscow to direct its own missiles against cities or American military targets in Europe, Mr. Putin replied, “Naturally, yes,” according to the newspaper.

Der Spiegel, the German weekly newsmagazine, which also took part in the interview, reported that Mr. Putin had warned about the greater possibility of a nuclear conflict.

There was little immediate international reaction to Mr. Putin’s criticisms. The German chancellor, Angela Merkel, who will host the Group of 8 meeting, wants to lower tensions ahead of the discussions, German diplomats and advisers said.

But NATO criticized Mr. Putin’s comments. “These kind of comments are unhelpful and unwelcome,” James Appathurai, a spokesman for NATO, said.

The differences over America’s plans for the missile shield are likely to dominate the talks in Europe. Ms. Merkel and Group of 8 leaders from Britain, Canada, France, Italy, Japan and the United States had been hoping that their meeting could reach a consensus over a separate issue, the future status of Kosovo, one of the last unresolved conflicts of the Balkan wars of the 1990s.

The United Nations has drawn up a plan that would pave the way for Kosovo to become independent from Serbia, ending the province’s status as a United Nations international protectorate. This arrangement has been in place since 1999. That independence would be supervised by the European Union.

But Russia, which has veto power as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, made it clear last week in Potsdam, Germany, at a meeting of Group of 8 foreign ministers that it did not accept the plan and instead wanted a resumption of talks between Serbia and Kosovo. The Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, used that meeting to sharply criticize the United States and the missile defense plan.

European diplomats said Mr. Putin’s blunt remarks were intended not only to sow divisions in Europe over the American missile defense plans but also to try to extract concessions over Kosovo.

In Germany, Ms. Merkel’s partners in the coalition government, the Social Democrats, oppose the American plan and have even suggested that Germany pursue a policy of “equal distance” between Russia and the United States. But Ms. Merkel, the conservative leader of the Christian Democrats, has challenged Mr. Putin on several issues, including his views about the missile defense system.

Ms. Merkel has personally told Mr. Putin that America’s plans are in no way directed against Russia.

American officials have also repeatedly told Mr. Putin that Russia would be informed of every step along the way and could even visit the sites in Poland, where the interceptors would be based, and in the Czech Republic, where the United States plans to deploy the radar system. Russia, however, has not taken up the offer of visiting the sites.

Mr. Putin is due to visit the United States for talks with Mr. Bush on July 1 and 2.

Judy Dempsey reported from Berlin, and Graham Bowley from New York. Brian Knowlton contributed reporting from Washington.

Copyright 2007 The New York Times Company

[yPuqQ248]

Actually Russia need more modern rockets for parity in the world, because U.S. build new protection system in Europe. Russia can not risk by lifes of our citizens.

By the way we have very dangerous neighbourhoods: North Korea and Iran. And Russia must have weapon to destroy each rocket directed to U.S., Europe or Russia from this side.

But main reason is new anti-rocket shield of U.S. in Europe.

Actually, U.S. can modernize this shield to neutralize Russian rockets and it will be end of parity in the world. For saving safe parity and for protection from Iran and North Korea, Russia modernizing weapon.

P.S. It's awful: Russia remembered only as main owner of nuclear weapon...