There goes the defense shield we're working on if these types of missiles find their way into 'unfriendly' hands, much like they have in the past (probably deliberately) http://ksdk.com/news/world/us_world_article.aspx?storyid=91532 Russia Develops Defense-Proof Missiles By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV Associated Press Writer MOSCOW (AP) -- President Vladimir Putin boasted Tuesday that Russia has new missiles capable of penetrating any missile defense system and said he had briefed the French president on their capabilities. "Russia has tested missile systems that no one in the world has," Putin said. "These missile systems don't represent a response to a missile defense system, but it doesn't matter to them whether that exists or not. They are hypersonic and capable of changing their flight path." Putin said the new missiles were capable of carrying nuclear warheads. He wouldn't say whether the Russian military already had commissioned any such missiles. Putin said he had shown the working principles of the missile system to French President Jacques Chirac during a visit to a Russian military facility. "He knows what I'm talking about," Putin said. In April 2004, Chirac became the first Western leader to visit Russia's top-secret Titov space control center, which controls all of its satellites and is involved in launching its intercontinental ballistic missiles. Putin said the new missiles were capable of changing both altitude and direction, making it impossible for an enemy to intercept them since "a missile defense system is designed to counter missiles moving along a ballistic trajectory." Putin and other Russian officials have boasted of the new missiles in similar comments in recent years, but they haven't identified them or given any further details other than about their ability to change their flight path on approach to a target. Military analysts said Russian forces experimented with a maneuvering warhead during a missile launch several years ago, but voiced doubt about their ability to deploy such weapons anytime soon. Analysts said the new warheads, designed to zigzag on their approach to targets, could be fitted to new land-based Topol-M missiles and the prospective Bulava missiles for the Russian navy, now under development. Russia opposed Washington's withdrawal in 2002 from the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty in order to deploy a national missile defense shield, saying the 30-year-old U.S.-Soviet pact was a key element of international security. Putin called the decision a mistake that would hurt global security but not threaten Russia. The ABM treaty banned missile defense systems on the assumption that the fear of retaliation would prevent each nation from launching a first strike -- a strategy known as mutually assured destruction. Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said Russia would commission new early warning radars to replace those located in the former Soviet republics. The new radars will "provide an earlier warning on launches of all missiles, including intercontinental ballistic missiles as well as tactical and cruise missiles," Ivanov said, according to Russian news reports. The Russian military has used Soviet-built early warning radars located in Azerbaijan and Ukraine, and it has been involved in rent and other arguments over the issue. Ivanov said the commissioning of new radars will allow Russia to stop using them.
Nothing is ever anything-proof, which is why the missle shield is so moronic in the first place. Furthermore, there is a significant history of Russian leaders making bold claims like this when they can't do something and need to bluff. For instance, I don't know how many people have heard of the "bomber gap" which was a big deal in the 50's? It resulted from an airshow in which the Soviet Union appeared to have a massive new fleet of intercontintenal bombers similar to B-52's. In fact, the Soviet Union had two prototype planes that couldn't cary a real bomb load and they kept circling these two planes back around so it only looked like there were a whole bunch. There are all sorts of issues that I can think of with altering the course on something moving at an average velocity of 7km/s. Oh, uh, also... Can your missles dodge laser beams,Vlad? I think that Bush's missle defense plan is moronic, but the plans of two fools don't add up to a single wise plan.
Well, considering that I can beat the current, multi-billion missile defense system foisted upon us with a mylar balloon purchased at the corner bodega - bully for Russia.
Ottomaton, That was exactly the point I was trying to make really. The thing is though, whether people realize it or not, is that we have wasted literally tens of billions of dollars on that missile shield program; it's beyond moronic since -- as you correctly pointed out -- it will never be anywhere near effective with progression of missile technology and the fact that even third world countries and rogue states are able to acquire advanced missile technology without much difficulty.
Agree. The whole idea behind it is just stupid and naive, if it's not profit driven conspiracy. It's just like you want to develop some huge cloth and make it so hard that it would prevent penertration of a needle at any spot. Just comparing the cost and efficiency, it's just not going to work. You can not eliminate all threats theorectically. The best thing you can do is to try hard not to make enemies around the world, instead of making everyone a potential enemey but solely depending on your strength, and then dare others to attack you. There is just no point of it at all.
It would be worth it just to see him go on the evening news and try to pronounce those goofy Russian city names, like Novosibirsk, Voronezh, and Naberezhnyye Chelny.
A while back I calculated that the U.S. has spent in excess of 50 billion in the last ten years on conventional weapons programs that have been canceled without ever producing anything. Honestly, it's beginning to lose its shock value. What would really astound me would be if the government saved tens of billions of dollars by reasoning out that some pie-in-the-sky program won't work and not wasting the money on it in the first place.
