Friday, October 10, 2008 Free Headline Alerts
The following is excerpted from the 'Backgrounder' column of the upcoming edition of Geostrategy-Direct.com.
A Pentagon and Energy Department report recently sounded the alarm about Russia’s expanding strategic nuclear forces funded by profits from its energy resources.
The report, “National Security and Nuclear Weapons in the 21st Century, states that the United States does not view Moscow as an adversary.
“However, despite diligent U.S. efforts to improve relations with Moscow, Russia’s transition to a more democratic state with a less confrontational, more cooperative foreign policy has seen recent setbacks,” the report said.
Using profits from oil and natural gas resources, Russia is building up its strategic nuclear forces, including several new missiles and delivery systems.
They include:
_ a new road-mobile and silo-based Topol-M (SS-27) ICBM;
_ a new SS-27 derivative with a Multiple Independently-targetable Re-entry Vehicle (MIRV) payload the Russians call the RS-24,
_ a new Bulava (SS-30) SLBM;
_ a new Borey-class Ballistic Missile Submarine (SSBN);
_ a new long-range strategic nuclear cruise missile designated the KH-102;
_ modernization of Blackjack (Tu-160) heavy bombers;
_ increased training for nuclear operations in all military branches; and
_ upgraded nuclear weapons storage sites.
The report notes that unlike the United States, Russia maintains a fully functional nuclear weapons design, development, test and manufacturing infrastructure capable of producing significant quantities of nuclear warheads per year.
“For a variety of reasons, Russia has explicitly placed increased emphasis on nuclear weapons in its national security policy and military doctrine, and has re-incorporated theater nuclear options into its military planning,” the report said.
The report, made public after Russian forces invaded Georgia in August, said “considerable uncertainty remains about Russia’s future course.”
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