Russia Developing New Nuclear Missile

MyWay.com ^ | 11-17-2004 | AP

[madvlad]

In addition, NATO (read the US) is now on the Russian
Western frontier as opposed to thru Germany.
Big deal when you realize that a conventional
war will NECESSARILY involve your own homeland.
Also, we are aligned strongly in the former
USSR south. Sitting on all that oil. The rools
change a bit when your adversary is sitting on
your borders as opposed to facing one another
down thru a buffer zone.

My mother used to tell me to go play in some
other kid's backyard for a change. Touche mom!

MV

[bill1952]

Yes, certainly, but Russia already has about a zillion pieces of old, old, low tech stuff that could nuke the crap out of us if put in the wrong hands.

Their spending mega millions on strategic nukes makes me smile all day.

By the time they put such a thing on line, it will be old stuff to us.

Actually, it sounds like a rehash of their 1970 FOBS strategy.

FOBS (Fractional Orbiting Bombardment Stationing) was designed to counter ABM efforts by lobbing the MIRV (Multiple Independently Targetable, Reentry Vehicle)warhead into low earth orbit, rather than a ballistic course, where it would drop off warheads along the orbital path.

Spent trillions on it, and other such arms, then went broke.

[hushpad]

Outstanding point!


On thinking about it again, perhaps Russia is turning the tables on US. Trying to get us to spend ourselves silly out of fear of them?

[Destro]

Bush scrapped the treaty when he became president.

[Destro]

Russia is swimming in petro dollars now.

[Destro]

Not really. If Russia just develops an offensive capacity and not a Star Wars system - America would be doing all the spending on StarWars - offensive missiles are cheap to build and cheaper to maintain. The Russians are not as dumb as the Soviets.

[madvlad]

If the economy is growing, then defense R&D
spending can expand. Which will eventually spill
over into the private sector.

MV

[madvlad]

Putin IS a Soviet.

MV

[Destro]

Putin is a Russian.

[peyton randolph]

Russia is swimming in petro dollars now.

Russia is a larger version of Venezuela. Petro dollars do not by themselves provide stability.

The economy is unsound, based on a corrupt oligarchy. It would not take much for the U.S. to plunge Russia into economic chaos. For example, withdrawal of MFN status would do the job.

An announcement of a new arms build-up would collapse the government. Russia cannot divert its funds to compete. We're talking more than SDI v. new missile technology. Electronic warfare, space-based systems, new focus on human intelligence. All of these things cost more money than Russia can generate even if the government could confiscate 100% of the oil revenues.

[hushpad]

The Russians are not as dumb as the Soviets<<

The Russians are the Soviets with a different name only, but I wont dispute their intelligence. Stupid or not, it is impossible for them to outspend us on defense or offense, they are still in the development stage only.

What the Russians do have IMO, is the right kind of publicity. Even our own MSM will hype this up in an attempt to scare Americans into passivity. Reverse "Star Wars".

I don't believe Reagan intended to put any sort of "Star Wars" defense into reality - Star Wars was simply a scare tactic to make the Soviets spend themselves into irrelevancy, and it worked. This Russian threat is the same thing.

[hushpad]

If the economy is growing, then defense R&D
spending can expand. Which will eventually spill
over into the private sector. <<<<

I agree. War has always been an excellent economy booster in those Nations that actually HAVE an economy! The Russians do not fit the bill on this one.

[madvlad]

See Post #31.

Putin was in the Soviet system.
Some things die hard if at all.

MV

[Destro]

ou are working off the old cold war model. Russia is not nor will it build her forces to the level of the USSR - designed for world conquest. She is building forces to rule her block and developing new nukes to the deter NATO and China. She does not have to build at levels that would ruin her as would be seen in the past cold war model.

[Destro]

The Soviets were not Russians - Stalin was a Georgian, etc. The USSR was designed to destroy ethnicity - a yucky thing to commies.

You are working off the old cold war model. Russia is not nor will it build her forces to the level of the USSR - designed for world conquest. She is building forces to rule her block and developing new nukes to the deter NATO and China. She does not have to build at levels that would ruin her as would be seen in the past cold war model.

[Destro]

Was is correct.

[madvlad]

Still is.

A Despot by any other name...

MV

[peyton randolph]

She does not have to build at levels that would ruin her as would be seen in the past cold war model.

Only if the U.S. decides to cooperate. If Russia continues to flip the middle finger at America, the U.S. could force Russia into an arms race that would bankrupt the country within a year, i.e. force capitulation. That being said, I suspect that Bush will play neutral with Russia while dealing with the terrorists. If Russia pokes the eagle once too often though, the bear's eyes will be plucked out before it knows what happened.

[kimoajax]

Either Russia is still suffering from the effects of Reagan's Star Wars iniative or North Korea's diplomatic gambit must make some sense to them.

What next?

Well, I suspect they must be a-fixin to ask for sumpin from us. Like better relations....which, when translated means exemption from what Condi has in store for the Frogs and others.

[Luis Gonzalez]

"The Russians are not as dumb as the Soviets."

You must think that the people in this forum are idiots.