New move in the “Star Wars” arms race
Published: 01 December, 2008, 15:11
Russia is developing new plans for strategic missiles with the ability to evade US missiles deployed from Space. The announcement was made by Colonel General Nikolai Solovtsov, Commander of the Russian Strategic Rocket Force.
“Advanced weaponry is currently being developed for the missiles that will fly outside the effective range of the strike means of the space echelon of the missile defense system,” Solovstov said.
Although Moscow still hopes the new US administration will take a different stance on missile defense in Europe, the Russian General said that the Russian military’s latest plans were in response to American plans for a space-based system.
Solovstov said Washington “is seriously considering space as a potential sphere of armed struggle and hence is not giving up plans of deploying strike means in space.”
He went on to say that the US assumes first strike capabilities and that any attack would wipe out retaliation. However, the new Russian system would allow for responsive measures to be taken before US missiles were to hit Russian territory.
“The Americans will never manage to implement this scenario because Russian strategic nuclear forces, including the Russian Strategic Rocket Force, will be capable of delivering a retaliatory strike given any course of developments,” Solovstov said.
“After receiving authorization from the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Armed Forces it will not take our strategic rocket force more than two-three minutes to carry out the task of launching missiles,” he added.
The general added that 96 per cent of the launch facilities are constantly ready and said that mobile capabilities would allow for retaliation in a worst-case scenario.
“Thanks to the mobile component of the strike group with enhanced survivability, the Rocket Force has the necessary potential to carry out missions in case of a so-called deep reply strike when missiles are launched after a nuclear strike by the aggressor,” he said
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