Russian Missile Submarine
Russian Fear Of Missiles In Poland Is A Fear Of Looking Weak To The Polish People
Warsaw, Poland 30 June, 2007 Russian objections to the missile shield in Poland are for public consumption only. They fear more looking weak to the Polish people, and the world, than what interceptors on Polish soil could do to Russia.
The Russians know 1) that missile interceptors are kinetic systems that must hit an approaching missile and that means missiles in Poland would not affect theirs, 2) 10 or a 100 interceptors could never be expected to compromise the overwhelming number of missiles in the Russian arsenal, 3) the missile interceptors cannot be used against sea launched systems.
"While some Russians are crying foul and making threats, others are more honest about the situation.On March 2, Russian Air Force Commander in Chief Colonel General Vladimir Mikhailov said that the possible deployment of a U.S. radar site in the Caucasus is of no real concern to Russia, RIA Novosti and ITAR-TASS reported. "We have everything necessary in order to respond appropriately to such deployments. They have lots of money, so let them spend it," he said.
The daily "Kommersant" on March 2 summed up the Russian attitude towards the missile-defense project as "predictably hostile." The same paper reported on February 28 that First Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov told the government's Military and Industrial Commission recently that Russia needs to set up its own defense system against aircraft, missiles, and space weapons." Poland: Russia Can't Be Serious About Polish Missile Defense System Installation
Started long before the US announced plans to put a missile defense system in Poland, Russia has been developing a sea launched missile system that Putin claims to be able to penetrate any missile defense system.
According to BBC:
Russia has successfully tested a new, sea-based ballistic missile from a nuclear submarine, officials have said. The weapon, capable of breaching anti-missile defence systems, flew almost the whole length of the country. US plans to build a missile defence shield in Europe have angered Russia, which sees the proposal as a challenge to its influence in the region. The Russian test comes as President Vladimir Putin heads for the US to meet President George W Bush on Sunday. See Russians test ballistic missile
Putin has to show Bush that he is strong!
The missile was test fired from the Northwest White Sea. This location is well out of the kill range of any missile launched from Poland.
And there is nothing to stop if from being fired from near coast of the United States.
The development of such a system takes years. Development of that system started well before any mention was made of setting a missile defense system in Poland.
Russia has convinced some to believe the US is instigating a new cold war and/or arms race while it, Russia, has been at the same time developing a missile with offensive capabilities.
So while the US is developing systems that can only be used to protect itself and Europe against incoming missiles, Russia is developing a missile system to be used aggressively against any country in the world.
Now Russia is using the missile bases in Poland as a convenient excuse to cover its work on new missiles.
There are those who say the United States would react strongly to missiles being placed close to its borders.
Putting missiles that can penetrate a missile defense system on submarines that can lurk in many locations close offshore the US is putting missiles close to its borders. But people tend to ignore that and it does not get media attention. There are no neighbors to complain about a base nearby. They just can't see anything.
So Russia, while putting offensive systems in place that are designed to counter US defensive measures, makes unfounded claims to scare people in Europe. By scaring them it can try to maintain influence over regions that it lost to democracy.
The Russians just can't take facing the truth. Poland is an independent country.
