Re: The Rise of the Russian Empire: Russo-Armenian Relations
A senior Kremlin hawk gave warning yesterday that Russia would lose its independence if it did not achieve nuclear arms parity with the United States. Sergei Ivanov, the deputy prime minister, told members of the military-industrial commission that Russia had to smile but also "hide a gun" in its bosom if it was once again to compete with its former adversary.
"The weak are not loved and not heard, they are insulted," he said. "When we have parity they will talk to us in a different way."
Although Russia has urged the US to agree further reductions in both countries' nuclear stockpiles, Mr Ivanov said that Russia had to improve its "qualitative" strike potential. The Kremlin has already announced plans to commission six or seven of its ultra-modern Topol-M intercontinental ballistic missiles a year. The Topol-M, which can to carry up to six warheads, is capable of penetrating America's most sophisticated defence systems.
Russia's nuclear modernisation programme is at the core of an ambitious plan to update the country's armed forces, which came close to total collapse during the chaotic and penurious 1990s. With East-West relations at their most strained since the Cold War, observers are watching Russia's rearmament with a concern that has grown since February, when President Vladimir Putin gave warning of a new arms race because of Washington's plans to build a missile defence shield in central Europe.
Russia has already announced that it will pull out of one important Cold War treaty limiting the build-up of conventional weapons and has signalled that it could withdraw from another which forbids European countries from building intermediate-range nuclear missiles. At the same time, the Kremlin is keen to cut the size of its expensive nuclear stockpile by pushing for an extension of the 2002 Treaty of Moscow which requires the US and Russia to cut their arsenals to between 1,700 and 2,200 warheads by 2012.
With the focus now on building sophisticated new missiles to replace its ageing nuclear arsenal, Russia has called for the limit to be reduced to 1,500 warheads - a proposal that has so far met with a lukewarm response from Washington.
• Britain's ambassador to Russia said yesterday that he regretted that Andrei Lugovoi, the main suspect in the murder of Alexander Litvinenko in London last year, had been elected to the Russian parliament. Tony Brenton said: "It does Russia no good at all to have Lugovoi there in the parliament, it continues the suspicion."
Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main...wrussia208.xml
Russia is capable of producing six or seven Topol-M intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) per year, First Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov said. "We count on the fact that we can afford six-seven [missiles, with complexes], if we speak about RVSN [the Russian Strategic Rocket Forces] and ground strategic nuclear forces. We count on the fact that this is acceptable given real possibilities," Ivanov said at a meeting with veterans of the military and industrial commission at the Soviet Council of Ministers on Friday. Ivanov also said that Russia will not be able to produce 30 Topol-M complexes per year, and this figure is redundant.
Source: http://www.interfax.ru/e/B/politics/...issue=11925821
Russia on Saturday test-fired a inter-continental missile with new equipment able to pierce anti-missile shields, state news agency RIA said, underscoring Moscow's determination to assert its military might. The RS-12M Topol ballistic missile, called the SS-25 Sickle by NATO, was successfully launched at 17:43 p.m. (9:43 a.m. EST) from Kapustin Yar firing range in southern Russia, RIA said, citing a spokesman for rocket forces.
"The launch was carried out with the aim of confirming the stability of the fundamental flying and technical characteristics of this class of missile," Rocket Forces spokesman Alexander Vovk told RIA. He said the test was part of a trial of unspecified new equipment that could pierce anti-missile shields. Russian generals say the country is working on weapons that would pierce any shield the United States could make. Saturday's launch of the revamped missile comes amid U.S. plans for a missile defense shield in Europe, which Russian President Vladimir Putin has said would threaten Russian interests.
Putin signed a law last week suspending Russia's participation in the Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE) Treaty in a step which could allow it to deploy more forces close to western Europe. The move comes into force on December 12-13. As configured in 1985, the Topol has a maximum range of 10,000 km (6,215 miles), and can carry one 550-kiloton nuclear warhead. The 20.5 meter (67 ft) long missile was designed in the 1970s and made its first flights in 1982.
The last launch of a Topol missile took place on October 18. Buoyed by huge oil revenues, Russia under Putin has been boosting military spending while at the same time using diplomacy to broaden Moscow's influence. This week, Russia said it would start the first major navy sortie into the Mediterranean since Soviet times. Eleven ships, including an aircraft carrier, will take part in the sortie and be backed up by 47 aircraft -- including strategic bombers.
Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/newsO...27472220071208
The state defense order for 2008 will cost about one trillion rubles, First Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov said. "We shall have a state defense order for the next year costing about a trillion," Ivanov said on Friday, at a meeting with the veterans of the Military-Industrial Commission under the USSR Cabinet Presidium. First Deputy Chairman of the Military-Industrial Commission under the Russian government and Russian Minister Valdislav Putilin said at this meeting that the government will make a state defense order of 800 billion rubles for 2008, 980 billion for 2009, and one trillion 93 billion for 2010.
Source: http://www.interfax.ru/e/B/politics/...issue=11925817
Russia 'needs nuclear arsenal to match US'
A senior Kremlin hawk gave warning yesterday that Russia would lose its independence if it did not achieve nuclear arms parity with the United States. Sergei Ivanov, the deputy prime minister, told members of the military-industrial commission that Russia had to smile but also "hide a gun" in its bosom if it was once again to compete with its former adversary.
"The weak are not loved and not heard, they are insulted," he said. "When we have parity they will talk to us in a different way."
Although Russia has urged the US to agree further reductions in both countries' nuclear stockpiles, Mr Ivanov said that Russia had to improve its "qualitative" strike potential. The Kremlin has already announced plans to commission six or seven of its ultra-modern Topol-M intercontinental ballistic missiles a year. The Topol-M, which can to carry up to six warheads, is capable of penetrating America's most sophisticated defence systems.
Russia's nuclear modernisation programme is at the core of an ambitious plan to update the country's armed forces, which came close to total collapse during the chaotic and penurious 1990s. With East-West relations at their most strained since the Cold War, observers are watching Russia's rearmament with a concern that has grown since February, when President Vladimir Putin gave warning of a new arms race because of Washington's plans to build a missile defence shield in central Europe.
Russia has already announced that it will pull out of one important Cold War treaty limiting the build-up of conventional weapons and has signalled that it could withdraw from another which forbids European countries from building intermediate-range nuclear missiles. At the same time, the Kremlin is keen to cut the size of its expensive nuclear stockpile by pushing for an extension of the 2002 Treaty of Moscow which requires the US and Russia to cut their arsenals to between 1,700 and 2,200 warheads by 2012.
With the focus now on building sophisticated new missiles to replace its ageing nuclear arsenal, Russia has called for the limit to be reduced to 1,500 warheads - a proposal that has so far met with a lukewarm response from Washington.
• Britain's ambassador to Russia said yesterday that he regretted that Andrei Lugovoi, the main suspect in the murder of Alexander Litvinenko in London last year, had been elected to the Russian parliament. Tony Brenton said: "It does Russia no good at all to have Lugovoi there in the parliament, it continues the suspicion."
Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main...wrussia208.xml
Russia ready to produce 6 - 7 Topol-M missiles per year - Ivanov
Russia is capable of producing six or seven Topol-M intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) per year, First Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov said. "We count on the fact that we can afford six-seven [missiles, with complexes], if we speak about RVSN [the Russian Strategic Rocket Forces] and ground strategic nuclear forces. We count on the fact that this is acceptable given real possibilities," Ivanov said at a meeting with veterans of the military and industrial commission at the Soviet Council of Ministers on Friday. Ivanov also said that Russia will not be able to produce 30 Topol-M complexes per year, and this figure is redundant.
Source: http://www.interfax.ru/e/B/politics/...issue=11925821
Russia test-fires ballistic missile: state agency
Russia on Saturday test-fired a inter-continental missile with new equipment able to pierce anti-missile shields, state news agency RIA said, underscoring Moscow's determination to assert its military might. The RS-12M Topol ballistic missile, called the SS-25 Sickle by NATO, was successfully launched at 17:43 p.m. (9:43 a.m. EST) from Kapustin Yar firing range in southern Russia, RIA said, citing a spokesman for rocket forces.
"The launch was carried out with the aim of confirming the stability of the fundamental flying and technical characteristics of this class of missile," Rocket Forces spokesman Alexander Vovk told RIA. He said the test was part of a trial of unspecified new equipment that could pierce anti-missile shields. Russian generals say the country is working on weapons that would pierce any shield the United States could make. Saturday's launch of the revamped missile comes amid U.S. plans for a missile defense shield in Europe, which Russian President Vladimir Putin has said would threaten Russian interests.
Putin signed a law last week suspending Russia's participation in the Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE) Treaty in a step which could allow it to deploy more forces close to western Europe. The move comes into force on December 12-13. As configured in 1985, the Topol has a maximum range of 10,000 km (6,215 miles), and can carry one 550-kiloton nuclear warhead. The 20.5 meter (67 ft) long missile was designed in the 1970s and made its first flights in 1982.
The last launch of a Topol missile took place on October 18. Buoyed by huge oil revenues, Russia under Putin has been boosting military spending while at the same time using diplomacy to broaden Moscow's influence. This week, Russia said it would start the first major navy sortie into the Mediterranean since Soviet times. Eleven ships, including an aircraft carrier, will take part in the sortie and be backed up by 47 aircraft -- including strategic bombers.
Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/newsO...27472220071208
State defense order for 2008 to cost 1 trillion rubles - Ivanov
The state defense order for 2008 will cost about one trillion rubles, First Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov said. "We shall have a state defense order for the next year costing about a trillion," Ivanov said on Friday, at a meeting with the veterans of the Military-Industrial Commission under the USSR Cabinet Presidium. First Deputy Chairman of the Military-Industrial Commission under the Russian government and Russian Minister Valdislav Putilin said at this meeting that the government will make a state defense order of 800 billion rubles for 2008, 980 billion for 2009, and one trillion 93 billion for 2010.
Source: http://www.interfax.ru/e/B/politics/...issue=11925817
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