Saturday, Dec 21, 2002
Russia to retain `Satan' missiles
By Vladimir Radyuhin
MOSCOW DEC. 20. Russia has reversed plans to scrap its fearsome `Satan' missiles in response to the U.S. President, George W. Bush's decision to speed up the deployment of a missile shield, but kept the door open to joint development of missile-defence technologies with the United States. Russia's commander of strategic missile forces said that the nuclear-tipped SS-18 `Satan' missiles would remain on duty till 2016-2020.
Earlier Russia had planned to destroy all its multiple-warhead missiles in the next few years. He revealed that Russia would also retain mobile rail-based heavy missiles armed with several warheads. ``No missile will be taken off duty until its extended service period has run out,''
Colonel-General Nikolai Solovtsov, said in an interview this week. Russia has 154 `Satan' missiles and dozens of rail-based SS-24 `Scalpel' missiles, each carrying 10 independently targeted nuclear warheads. Col.-Gen. Solovtsov also said Russia was mulling the option of installing multiple warheads on its newest Topol-M long-range missile. This arsenal will enable Russia to overcome any missile defence the U.S. may build in the foreseeable future, experts said. ``Russia and the U.S. have launched a new spiral of the arms race,'' a Russian daily said in a comment.
Russia made it clear it regards the planned deployment of the U.S. missile defence by 2004 as directed against its security interests. The Russian Foreign Ministry said the U.S. plans for a global missile shield has ``entered a new destabilising phase,'' while the Russian President, Vladimir Putin's strategic-affairs adviser said the U.S. had not offered any credible arguments to support its claim that its missile defence would not erode Russia's nuclear potential.
Marshal Sergei Shaposhnikov also expressed concern over the proposed deployment of U.S. missile defence elements in the North, rather than in the South, closer to the "rogue states'' which Washington sees as a potential missile threat. At the same time Russia is exploring the option of joining forces with the U.S. for the development and construction of integrated missile defence systems. The U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Richard Myers, is reported to have discussed the issue during his visit to Russia earlier this month.
A senior Russian parliamentarian said Washington had given Moscow a list of advanced technologies related to missile defences for possible cooperation. ``It is important now to see whether those are not some fringe technologies that will not significantly advance our interaction on key aspects of national security,'' said Mr. Dmitry Rogozin, head of the foreign affairs committee of the State Duma lower house of the Russian Parliament.
Copyright © 2002, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu