U.S. says Russia has new, tough proliferation policy

WASHINGTON -- The Clinton administration says Russia's new government has instituted a tough new policy to end the proliferation of missile and nuclear technology to such countries as Iran.

Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Walter B. Slocombe told the Senate International Security subcommittee on Wednesday that Prime Minister Sergei Stepashin has helped ease U.S. concerns over Moscow's determination to combat nonproliferation. He said Stepashin rammed through a series of measures in recent weeks that impose harsh penalties on proliferators.

These include advancing new export control legislation through the Duma and Federation Council. Slocombe said the legislation tightens Russia's control over sensitive technologies, and provides for criminal penalties against violators.

Another measure was Stepashin's order to Russian agencies to implement a work plan designed in cooperation with the United States and aimed at a number of the most pressing concerns of the Clinton administration. The Russian prime minister also agreed that his government would work with U.S. experts to strengthen export control systems at Russian aerospace companies.

The Defense Department official said these measures persuaded President Bill Clinton to decide last week to increase the ceiling on the number of joint U.S.-Russian satellite launches from the current 16 to 20. Russian and U.S. companies have already booked at least 18 flights and urged an increase in the ceiling.

"We are not prepared at this point to dispense with the quota altogether," Slocombe said. "While we have assurances from the new Stepashin government that it will continue efforts to stem proliferation, we want to see sustained progress before further relaxing constraints on commercial space launch activity."

Last week, leading U.S. analysts testified to Congress that Russia has done little to stop missile technology transfers to Iran. A former congressional expert, Kenneth Timmerman, said Iran is being aided by Russia, particularly its government space agency, in the development of a missile that can strike the United States.

Slocombe said the administration continues to be "concerned about transfers of missile technology from Russian entities to Iran, but our approach also has yielded some success. In recent weeks, the Stepashin government has put in place a tough new nonproliferation policy, created institutional foundations to implement that policy, and passed laws to punish wrongdoers."

The U.S. official said Lockheed Martin wants to build launchers powered by the Energomash RD-180 liquid oxygen-kerosene engine. He said the goal is to begin coproduction by 2002.

Last week, Lockheed-Martin announced a contract to launch 288 satellites on Proton and EELV boosters.

"Clearly if our commercial space activities with Russia were to collapse, thousands of high-tech engineers and scientists would go unemployed, increasing their susceptibility to the lure of rogue states," he said.

Will Trafton, president of international launch services of Lockheed Khrunichev Energia International Inc., urged the Senate to lift quotas entirely. "The use of quota restrictions on launch services leaves the customer uncertain as to when or if a launch will occur," Trafton said. "Our marketing teams from ILS and Lockheed Martin Commercial Satellite Systems report conversations with a major European customer that has in the past bought US-built satellites for launch on the Proton vehicle, but is now forced to consider alternatives."