Missiles, Radar & ☢ Nuclear Weapons.

[TsarSamuil]

India test fires BrahMos supersonic cruise missile.

2010-03-21 | dpa

New Delhi- India successfully tested Sunday a "maneuverable" version of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile which it has jointly developed with Russia, news reports said.

The vertical-launch version of the 290-kilometer range BrahMos was tested from a warship in the Bay of Bengal off India's eastern coast, the PTI news agency reported.

"The vertical-launch version of missile was launched at 11:30 (0600 GMT) hours today from Indian Navy ship INS Ranvir and it manoeuvred successfully hitting the target ship. It was a perfect hit and a perfect mission," BrahMos aerospace chief A Sivathanu Pillai was quoted as saying.

"After today's test, India has become the first and only country in the world to have a manoeuvrable supersonic cruise missile in its inventory," Pillai said.

Named after India's Brahmaputra and Russia's Moskva rivers, the BrahMos can carry a 200-kilogramme conventional warhead.

Variants of the missile fitted with inclined launchers are already in service with the Indian Navy, NDTV news channel quoted defence sources as saying.

Sunday's firing was part of pre-induction tests for the vertical launcher variant, the sources said.

The BrahMos has also been inducted into the India Army and preparations are on to develop air-launched and the submarine- launched versions, the sources said.

[TsarSamuil]

Russian Army gets new "Pantsyr-S" SAMs.

Ruvr.ru
2010 03 19

Russia’s Air Force on Thursday received the first ten Pantsyr-S anti-aircraft surface-to-air missile systems. The new weapons will increase the combat efficiency of the Air Force

The first ten Pantsyr-S systems will take part in the May 9 Red Square parade commemorating the 65th anniversary of Victory in WWII Yury Savenkov, deputy chief of the KBP Design Bureau, said the Air Force would receive over 20 Pantsyr-S1s in the near future

Pantsyr-S1 is a leader in Russia’s short-range missile defense Pantsyr-S1, a universal short-to-medium-range ground-based air defense system, surpasses foreign analogues and ranks among the most promising intellectual weapons of the 21st century

Pantsyr-S1 is a combined anti-aircraft missile and artillery weapon, wheeled, tracked or stationary with two to three operators. It consists of automatic anti-aircraft guns and radio-controlled missiles The system is designed to protect civil and military targets and long-range air-defense systems like S-300 and S-400

Completed in 1994, Pantsyr-S was first displayed at the MAKS’1995 air show near Moscow. Its modernized version was showcased at MAKS’2007. In 2011, Pantsyr-1 will fully replace the Tunguska-M systems currently used in the Air Force.

[TsarSamuil]

Russia, United States sign new arms reduction treaty.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and U.S. President Barack Obama signed on Thursday a new treaty on the reduction of strategic offensive weapons to replace the START 1 treaty, which expired in December 2009.

The document is expected to bring Moscow and Washington to a new level of cooperation in the areas of nuclear disarmament and arms control.

The new strategic arms pact stipulates that the number of nuclear warheads is to be reduced to 1,550 on each side, while the number of operational and stockpiled delivery vehicles must not exceed 800 on each side.

Under the deal, which will have a validity term of ten years unless it is superseded by another strategic arms reduction agreement, strategic offensive weapons are to be based solely on the national territories of Russia and the United States.

The document stipulates that each side has the right to unilaterally withdraw from the treaty if it decides that any of the provisions of the treaty could lead to an imminent threat to its national security.

Russia has emphasized its right to withdraw from the treaty if a quantitative and qualitative increase in U.S. strategic missile defense significantly harmed the effectiveness of Russia's strategic nuclear forces.

The treaty must be ratified by the Russian parliament and the U.S. Congress and will come into force after the sides exchange instruments of ratification.

Russia does not insist on simultaneous ratification of the treaty.

Russian and U.S. senators will hold meetings on April 20-21 to discuss the ratification of a new arms reduction treaty.

PRAGUE, April 8 (RIA Novosti)

[TsarSamuil]

pics,

[TsarSamuil]

Bulava missile designer blames industry for test failures.

Yury Solomonov, the designer of the troubled Bulava ballistic missile, said that the poor state of the Russian defense industry was the main cause of the weapon's failed test launches.

Solomonov resigned from his post as general director of the Moscow Institute of Thermal Technology (MITT) in July 2009 after a series of unsuccessful Bulava tests, but retained his post as general designer of the missile.

"I can say in earnest that none of the design solutions have been changed as a result of the tests. The problems occur in the links of the design-technology-production chain," Solomonov said in an interview with the Izvestia newspaper published on Tuesday.

"Sometimes [the problem] is poor-quality materials, sometimes it is the lack of necessary equipment to exclude the 'human' factor in production, sometimes it is inefficient quality control," he said.

The designer complained that the Russian industry is unable to provide Bulava manufacturers with at least 50 of the necessary components for production of the weapon. This forces designers to search for alternative solutions, seriously complicating the testing process.

The Bulava (SS-NX-30) is a three-stage liquid and solid propellant submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM). It carries up to ten MIRV warheads and has a range of over 8,000 kilometers (5,000 miles).

The missile has been specifically designed for Russia's new Borey class nuclear submarines.

Only five of 12 Bulava test launches from the Dmitry Donskoy sub have been officially reported as successful. The future development of Bulava has been questioned by some lawmakers and defense industry officials who suggest that the Russian Navy should keep using the more reliable Sineva SLBM.

The RSM-54 Sineva (SS-N-23 Skiff) is a liquid-propellant SLBM designed for Delta IV class submarines that can carry up to 16 missiles each.

Solomonov questioned the viability of these statements saying the two missiles were incomparable both in terms of technology and performance characteristics.

A special investigation commission is expected to announce on May 30 the official results of a probe into the Bulava failures.

The Russian military has insisted that there is no alternative to the Bulava and pledged to continue testing the missile until it is ready to be deployed with the Navy. At least four new test launches of the missile have been planned for the end of June.

Solomonov vowed in the interview to continue work on the Bulava until it shows stable performance and is ready to join Russia's nuclear triad.

MOSCOW, April 13 (RIA Novosti)

[TsarSamuil]

I don't like this...

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Russia shuts plutonium arms plant.

Bbc.co.uk
Thursday, 15 April 2010 14:50 UK

Russia has shut down its last weapons-grade plutonium reactor.

The move came after a pledge this week from Russian President Dmitry Medvedev at a 47-nation nuclear security summit in Washington.

Plant bosses pressed the red "stop" button to commence decommissioning process at 0400, the official Russian news agency reported.

The ADE-2 reactor opened in 1964 in Zheleznogorsk, then a secret city known as Krasnoyarsk-26.

Some 2,500 miles east of Moscow, the military production complex was founded in 1950 on the orders of Joseph Stalin.

Two other reactors there were closed in 1992, said Yelena Golovinkina, spokeswoman for the Mining-Chemical Complex, which houses the reactor.

Russia's defence ministry stopped using the plutonium for military needs in 1995, and the plant was used mainly to heat the city of Zheleznogorsk, she added.

'Important step'

The closure of the reactor came after Mr Obama and Mr Medvedev signed a nuclear disarmament treaty, described by both sides as a major step towards improving strained US-Russian relations.

The powers pledged to dispose of 34 tons of excess weapons-grade plutonium each, enough to make 17,000 weapons.

The cost of disposing of the Russian plutonium would be $2.5bn, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov estimated. The US will contribute $400m to the Russian disposal.

The US president hailed the move by his Russian counterpart after Tuesday's summit.

"This important step forward continues to demonstrate Russia's leadership on nuclear security issues, and will add momentum to our shared global effort," Mr Obama said.

[TsarSamuil]

SAM missiles intercept simulated air strikes in NW Russia.

Vid,
en.rian.ru/video/20100416/158616706.html

21:0916/04/2010

It took the Kola Peninsula air-defense unit’s surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems only a few minutes to shoot down “enemy” ballistic and cruise missiles at the Ashuluk missile test range in Russia’s Astrakhan Region during military drills.

S-300 SAMs are launched against dummies during an exercise at the Ashuluk range. The Ashuluk range is 120 km by 38 km.

In all, 23 missiles were launched to intercept 10 dummy rockets. Representatives from the air defense forces in Kazakhstan and Belarus watched the exercise.

[TsarSamuil]

Ofc...never ever trust America, "treaty" indeed...how is one to know if they launch a missile with or without nuke in it?... They could set off World War 3 if they launched a missile near Russia, if the missile will have the ability to change course during its flight, which wouldn't surprise me at all about modern missiles since some can do this.
Another danger, the positive about nukes is that they prevented politicians (they are vermin) from launching large scale wars n play their chess games with peoples lives, is if other countries largely replace their nukes with these new missiles. Also, non-nuclear countries might be tempted to get them too. Countries who were held back by the fear of nuclear fallout n permanent irreparable damage to their soil, could be more willing to use these weapons.. I have long liked nukes, because it has mostly prevented humanity (primitive as they are) from devastating large-scale wars, that we don't see anymore like those from last century.

This weapon is more scary than any nuke, cuz now we have to sit n hope those politician scum, won't consider using them.

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Prompt Global Strike.

Prompt Global Strike (PGS) is a United States military initiative to develop a system capable of a conventional weapon strike anywhere in the world as quickly as a nuclear attack can currently be carried with intercontinental ballistic missiles. As stated by General James Cartwright, "Today, unless you want to go nuclear, it's measured in days, maybe weeks" until the military can launch an attack with regular forces. The aim of the system is to provide rapid precision strike capability from the United States mainland to any region in the world in case of a conflict or emergency. The PGS system will be designed to complement Forward Deployed Forces, Air Expeditionary Forces (which can deploy within 48 hours) and Carrier battle groups (which can respond within 96 hours) with a system that can deliver a strike anywhere in the world within 1 to 2 hours of the emergency or conflict beginning.

The weapon is seen by some, including the Obama administration, to be a way to reduce the nuclear arsenal while maintaining deterrent and quick strike capabilities. Potential scenarios that would require a fast response currently only available in nuclear weapons include an impending North Korean missile launch or an opportunity to strike Al Qaeda leadership in Pakistan. However a major problem with an ICBM-launched weapon is that it may trigger the nuclear warning system of Russia or even China. It is currently unclear what designs or precautions would be certain to assure these countries that launched missile is not nuclear-tipped. Potential measures include a low-trajectory missile design or allowing Russian and Chinese inspection of missile sites.

On 11 April 2010, United States Secretary of Defense Robert Gates indicated that the United States may already have a Prompt Global Strike capability. Another recent development is the new START disarmament treaty signed on 8 April 2010, which sets new, lower limits on ballistic missiles and their warheads. The treaty does not distinguish between conventional and nuclear versions of weapons, meaning any PGS missiles and warheads would count toward the new limit. However, the U.S. State Department has stated that this does not constrain plans for PGS deployment since current plans do not come near the limits.

The PGS System can be delivered via:
Ballistic missiles, based on either the ICBM or SLBM
Hypersonic cruise missiles, such as the Boeing X-51
Air launched missiles
Space based launch platforms

The warhead is expected to be a maneuverable vehicle, weighing some 2 tonnes including the payload, and be able to deliver either a unitary penetrator, numerous smart munitions and even UAVs. As of 2010 the Air Force's prototype is a modified Peacekeeper III ICBM.

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Launched from a B-52, the proposed X-51 hypersonic cruise missile could travel 600 miles in 10 minutes to strike elusive, fleeting targets. (Illustration by Render Room)

X 51A Mission Animation
www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcP_zmrIs6k

[TsarSamuil]

April 22, 2010

U.S. Faces Choice on New Weapons for Fast Strikes.

Nytimes.com
By DAVID E. SANGER and THOM SHANKER

WASHINGTON — In coming years, President Obama will decide whether to deploy a new class of weapons capable of reaching any corner of the earth from the United States in under an hour and with such accuracy and force that they would greatly diminish America’s reliance on its nuclear arsenal.

Yet even now, concerns about the technology are so strong that the Obama administration has acceded to a demand by Russia that the United States decommission one nuclear missile for every one of these conventional weapons fielded by the Pentagon. That provision, the White House said, is buried deep inside the New Start treaty that Mr. Obama and President Dmitri A. Medvedev signed in Prague two weeks ago.

Called Prompt Global Strike, the new weapon is designed to carry out tasks like picking off Osama bin Laden in a cave, if the right one could be found; taking out a North Korean missile while it is being rolled to the launch pad; or destroying an Iranian nuclear site — all without crossing the nuclear threshold. In theory, the weapon will hurl a conventional warhead of enormous weight at high speed and with pinpoint accuracy, generating the localized destructive power of a nuclear warhead.

The idea is not new: President George W. Bush and his staff promoted the technology, imagining that this new generation of conventional weapons would replace nuclear warheads on submarines.

In face-to-face meetings with President Bush, Russian leaders complained that the technology could increase the risk of a nuclear war, because Russia would not know if the missiles carried nuclear warheads or conventional ones. Mr. Bush and his aides concluded that the Russians were right.

Partly as a result, the idea “really hadn’t gone anywhere in the Bush administration,” Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, who has served both presidents, said recently on ABC’s “This Week.” But he added that it was “embraced by the new administration.”

Mr. Obama himself alluded to the concept in a recent interview with The New York Times, saying it was part of an effort “to move towards less emphasis on nuclear weapons” while insuring “that our conventional weapons capability is an effective deterrent in all but the most extreme circumstances.”

The Obama national security team scrapped the idea of putting the new conventional weapon on submarines. Instead, the White House has asked Congress for about $250 million next year to explore a new alternative, one that uses some of the most advanced technology in the military today as well as some not yet even invented.

The final price of the system remains unknown. Senator John McCain of Arizona, the ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said at a hearing on Thursday that Prompt Global Strike would be “essential and critical, but also costly.”

It would be based, at least initially, on the West Coast, probably at Vandenberg Air Force Base.

Under the Obama plan, the Prompt Global Strike warhead would be mounted on a long-range missile to start its journey toward a target. It would travel through the atmosphere at several times the speed of sound, generating so much heat that it would have to be shielded with special materials to avoid melting. (In that regard, it is akin to the problem that confronted designers of the space shuttle decades ago.)

But since the vehicle would remain within the atmosphere rather than going into space, it would be far more maneuverable than a ballistic missile, capable of avoiding the airspace of neutral countries, for example, or steering clear of hostile territory. Its designers note that it could fly straight up the middle of the Persian Gulf before making a sharp turn toward a target.

The Pentagon hopes to deploy an early version of the system by 2014 or 2015. But even under optimistic timetables, a complete array of missiles, warheads, sensors and control systems is not expected to enter the arsenal until 2017 to 2020, long after Mr. Obama will have left office, even if he is elected to a second term.

The planning for Prompt Global Strike is being headed by Gen. Kevin P. Chilton of the Air Force, the top officer of the military’s Strategic Command and the man in charge of America’s nuclear arsenal. In the Obama era — where every administration discussion of nuclear weapons takes note of Mr. Obama’s commitment to moving toward “Global Zero,” the elimination of the nuclear arsenal — the new part of General Chilton’s job is to talk about conventional alternatives.

In an interview at his headquarters at Offutt Air Force Base, General Chilton described how the conventional capability offered by the proposed system would give the president more choices.

“Today, we can present some conventional options to the president to strike a target anywhere on the globe that range from 96 hours, to several hours maybe, 4, 5, 6 hours,” General Chilton said.

That would simply not be fast enough, he noted, if intelligence arrived about a movement by Al Qaeda terrorists or the imminent launching of a missile. “If the president wants to act on a particular target faster than that, the only thing we have that goes faster is a nuclear response,” he said.

But the key to filling that gap is to make sure that Russia and China, among other nuclear powers, understand that the missile launching they see on their radar screens does not signal the start of a nuclear attack, officials said.

Under the administration’s new concept, Russia or other nations would regularly inspect the Prompt Global Strike silos to assure themselves that the weapons were nonnuclear. And they would be placed in locations far from the strategic nuclear force.

“Who knows if we would ever deploy it?” Gary Samore, Mr. Obama’s top adviser on unconventional weapons, said at a conference in Washington on Wednesday. But he noted that Russia was already so focused on the possibility that it insisted that any conventional weapon mounted on a missile that could reach it counted against the new limit on the American arsenal in the treaty.

In a follow-on treaty, he said, the Russians would certainly want to negotiate on Prompt Global Strike and ballistic missile defenses.

If Mr. Obama does decide to deploy the system, Mr. Samore said, the number of weapons would be small enough that Russia and China would not fear that they could take out their nuclear arsenals.

[TsarSamuil]

US Rules Out Removing Its Nukes From Europe - Officials Insist Nukes 'Essential'

Antiwar.com
by Jason Ditz, April 22, 2010

Despite increased calls from European officials to remove them, the United States today ruled out moving its hundreds of “battlefield nukes” from Europe, insisting that they must remain to ensure that Europe shares the “nuclear risks and responsibilities.”

The comments came in response to an open letter from a number of high ranking European officials, who said that the nukes were a Cold War relic with no practical value and were just a constant danger. They are also in conflict with President Obama’s ostensible hope for nuclear disarmament.

NATO Chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen defended the US position, saying the nukes remain “essential” as a deterrent. What the nations of Europe are supposed to need hundreds of nuclear weapons as a deterrent against, however, is unclear.

German FM Guido Westerwelle says that the withdrawal of the weapons would be a “peace dividend,” while his Polish counterpark Radek Sikorski added that there were “far too many” nuclear weapons in Europe.

[TsarSamuil]

Club - K container missile system!
concern-agat.ru/
www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjRfWDTk1mY

VERY! nice vid Great animation.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xupOQSvnas

Club - K container missile system. Stills from an animated film being used to market a missile system that allows cruise missles to be launched from a freight container. this can be loaded onto a lorry, ship, or train as desired tomove into position before launching missiles.

Anglos whining now

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A cruise missile in a shipping box on sale to rogue bidders.

Defence experts are warning of a new danger of ballistic weapons proliferation after a Russian company started marketing a cruise missile that can be launched from a shipping container.

Telegraph.co.uk
By Thomas Harding, Defence Correspondent
6:30PM BST 25 Apr 2010

It is feared that the covert Club-K missile attack system could prove "game-changing" in fighting wars with small countries, which would gain a remote capacity to mount multiple missiles on boats, trucks or railways.

Iran and Venezuela have already shown an interest in the Club-K Container Missile System which could allow them to carry out pre-emptive strikes from behind an enemy's missile defences.

Defence experts say the system is designed to be concealed as a standard 40ft shipping container that cannot be identified until it is activated.

Priced at an estimated £10 million, each container is fitted with four cruise anti-ship or land attack missiles. The system represents an affordable "strategic level weapon".

Some experts believe that if Iraq had the Club-K system in 2003 it would have made it impossible for America to invade with any container ship in the Gulf a potential threat.

Club-K is being marketed at the Defence Services Asia exhibition in Malaysia this week.

Novator, the manufacturer, is an advanced missile specialist that would not have marketed the system without Moscow's approval. It has released an emotive marketing film complete with dramatic background music.

It shows Club-K containers stowed on ships, trucks and trains as a neighbouring country prepares to invade with American style military equipment.

The enemy force is wiped out by the cruise missile counter attack.

Russia has already prompted concern in Washington by selling Iran the sophisticated S-300 anti-aircraft missile system that would make targeting of Iranian nuclear facilities very difficult.

"This Club-K is game changing with the ability to wipe out an aircraft carrier 200 miles away. The threat is immense in that no one can tell how far deployed your missiles could be," said Robert Hewson, editor of Jane's Air-Launched Weapons, who first reported on the Club-K developments.

"What alerted me to this was that the Russians were advertising it at specific international defence event and they have marketed it very squarely at anyone under threat of action from the US."

Reuben Johnson, a Pentagon defence consultant, said the system would be a "real maritime fear for anyone with a waterfront".

"This is ballistic missile proliferation on a scale we have not seen before because now you cannot readily identify what's being used as a launcher because it's very carefully disguised.

"Someone could sail off your shore looking innocuous then the next minute big explosions are going off at your military installations."

[TsarSamuil]

Russian Firm Denies 'Club-K' Missiles Could Be Used By Terrorists.

RFERL ^ | April 29, 2010 | Ron Synovitz

A new cruise-missile system being marketed by a Russian firm is attracting attention as a weapon that, according to its own promotional video, could transform ordinary civilian freight vehicles into long-range missile launchers.

The weapon, known as the Club-K Container Missile System, has been promoted on the Internet and at international arms fairs by the Moscow-based defense firm Concern Morinformsystem-Agat.

The state-controlled firm's marketing campaign describes a concealed and highly mobile satellite-guided missile system that could be hidden inside an ordinary cargo container -- making it indistinguishable from other freight containers on trains, trucks, or cargo ships.

The development of such a missile system has raised fears in the West that Russian missiles might become a weapon for terrorists if they fall into the hands of groups like Al-Qaeda. But the manufacturer is downplaying those concerns as hysterical propaganda.

Robert Hewson, editor of the arms-industry journal "Jane's Air-Launched Weapons," tells RFE/RL that the Club-K would use satellite-guided missiles built by Russia's Novator firm. He also notes that the Club-K system appears to be only in the conceptual stage of development.

"Right now, as far as we can see, all that exists regarding the Club-K system as a containerized weapon is as marketing material. The basic components for this -- the missiles, which is the most important bit -- exist as hardware," Hewson says.

"But what I think you are seeing now is a new concept that the manufacturer has obviously seen a need for and has put out there to show people that they are capable of building this. Now what they need is for someone to come and pay for development and actually buy it."

Hewson says the Russian firm's marketing campaign appears to be aimed at countries like Iran and Venezuela, which have expressed concerns about the presence of U.S. military bases or troops deployed in neighboring countries.

The Club-K project also suggests that Russia's struggling post-Soviet defense firms are trying to adapt to evolving markets by anticipating how a country like Iran might fight a future conflict.

"The system is clearly being positioned towards possible customers who may feel they are under threat from actions from neighboring countries -- a fairly sophisticated customer who can afford the bill, because they will have to pay a significant amount of money to have development completed," Hewson says. "Somebody who feels the need to keep this as a concealed capability -- countries like Iran and Venezuela and also any other nation that has an interest in dominating the sea and land space around it."

Company Defends Campaign

Officials at Concern Morinformsystem-Agat have declined to answer questions directly about the Club-K or its marketing campaign. But the firm issued a press statement on April 28 dismissing reports that the system could be used as a terrorist weapon.

The statement says the Club-K is designed primarily for installation on ships called up for military service in the case of threats by a hostile enemy.

What makes the Club-K system different is that it's not immediately recognizable as a weapon system. Although an animated promotional video shows Club-K missiles being fired from an ordinary cargo ship, train, and transport truck, a spokeswoman for the firm says in a video statement posted on the firm's website that "professionals understand perfectly well it is impossible to use such [ a ] system from any container ship or truck."

The spokeswoman also argues that the weapon system could serve as a lower-cost deterrent for smaller countries against would-be aggressors.

She says that the development of the missile system "was based on the fact that not every country can afford such expensive toys as frigates, corvettes, destroyers, and other ships that are equipped with such military weapons. But nobody has the right to deprive these countries of the opportunity to have the power of sovereignty. Moreover, the potential aggressor should keep in mind that he can suffer unacceptable damage."

Concern Morinformsystem-Agat also says Russia has strict weapons-export controls that eliminate the possibility of the unauthorized transfer of Club-K missiles to terrorist organizations or regimes. In that sense, the firm argues, the Club-K system is a weapon for "effective countermeasures against state terrorism."

Concealed Weapon

Many countries have shown interest in Russia's existing Club missiles -- which already can be deployed on land, sea, and air. For example, Club-S missiles are fired from submarines while Club-N missiles are launched from naval surface vessels and Club-A missiles are launched from aircraft.

What makes the Club-K system different is that it's not immediately recognizable as a weapon system. The design features four ground- or sea-launched cruise missiles fitted inside the standard freight containers used across the world to carry commercial cargo.

An animated promotional video that was posted briefly on the YouTube video-sharing site before it was removed shows how Club-K missiles in an ordinary shipping container could be hidden among other cargo containers on trains, cargo ships, or trucks.

The video shows the roof of the cargo container can be slid back and four missiles tilted upright when they are ready to be fired from trucks, trains, or cargo ships -- allowing the missiles to be prepared and launched before their deployment could be detected.

Western Concerns

The Club-K system features two different types of missiles. One is a fairly conventional cruise missile -- a land-attack or antiship missile -- with a range of a few hundred kilometers and a warhead containing several hundred kilograms of conventional explosives.

A second missile type in the Club-K series is a dedicated antiship missile with a two-stage component. After launch, the second stage separates and becomes an extremely high-speed, supersonic missile that hits a target with high kinetic energy.

It is a weapon type that is produced only in Russia and that has raised concerns in Western navies because there aren't many proven defenses against it. And despite today's denial from Club-K's manufacturers, worries remain that a well-funded terrorist organization could obtain the missile system.

Hewson doubts such a purchase -- which would cost an estimated $20 million for four of the missiles and launchers -- could be made directly. He also agrees that Russia's strict "end user" policies would make it difficult for terrorists to obtain Club-K cruise missiles on the international market.

"Russia would only sell it to another state and not to any sort of nonstate actor or terrorist group," Hewson says. "Remember, this probably doesn't exist as a piece of hardware yet. It needs a paying customer to complete it. So that makes it extremely unlikely that anyone is going to roll up with an Al-Qaeda checkbook and buy one of these things."

Still, such arguments may not be enough to quell concerns that a rogue state might obtain the Club-K system and illegally pass the missiles along to terrorist groups.

[TsarSamuil]

Russian S-400 missiles to go into serial production.

Russian long range ballistic missiles for S-400 Triumph surface-to-air missile systems will go into serial production in the autumn, a leading missile manufacturer said on Friday.

Earlier media reports said the S-400 missile system was incomplete as long range ballistic missiles, among others, had not been adopted for it.

"On December 26, 2009 the preliminary tests were finished and the missile was put forward for state tests," Kommersant daily quoted the general director of Almaz-Antei, Igor Ashurbeili, as saying.

"In the third quarter of 2010 we should finish them, along with combat duty launches, and then put it [the missile] into serial production in the fourth quarter," he added.

According to Ashurbeili, there were no technical failures or difficulties concerning the long range missile tests.

"The tests of S-400 missile lasted for about 3 years...We are bewildered by the bacchanalia of rumors and slander concerning the issue as an ordinary working process is going on," he continued.

Ashurbeili added that the situation regarding the production of missiles after 2012 is unclear as Almaz-Antei does not have "any signed contracts for 2012".

The S-400 Triumph boasts unique characteristics. It can destroy any air target, including aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, and cruise and ballistic missiles within a range of 400 kilometers and an altitude up to 30 kilometers. The system is almost three times more efficient than its Russian and foreign counterparts.

There are no plans so far to export the S-400. It will be produced only for the Russian Armed Forces. An additional two systems will be deployed by the end of 2010.

MOSCOW, April 30 (RIA Novosti)

[TsarSamuil]

S-500 system to be called Triumphator-M.

Russiandefenseblog.org

The development of the S-500 Triumfator-M missile system, capable of performing both anti-aircraft and missile defense functions, is expected to be completed in four years, said Igor Ashurbeili, the general director of the Head System Design Bureau of the Almaz-Antey concern.

“The task set to us under the state armaments program is to develop the Triumfator-M system. It refers to the S-500 project, the project to create a mobile missile defense system by 2015. This new system will be capable of tackling its tasks on the move and advance to any direction that comes under threat, and to any war theater critical at this particular moment,” Ashurbeili said in an interview with the daily Kommersant, published on Friday.

The S-500 is a mobile missile defense system capable of hitting targets at a long range and high altitude. It must have the characteristics of the Moscow missile defense system, but with a mobile capability, Ashurbeili said.

[TsarSamuil]

Russia may disclose nuclear stockpiles data - Foreign Ministry.

Russia is considering the possibility of revealing data on its nuclear stockpiles, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Wednesday.

Last week, the U.S. Defense Ministry for the first time revealed top-secret data on its nuclear arsenals, saying the country had a total of 5,113 nuclear warheads in its stockpile.

"After the new arms reduction treaty signed in Prague on April 8 by the Russian and U.S. presidents comes into force, we will also be able to consider practically the issue of publishing the total amount of deployed strategic carriers and... warheads," Andrei Nesterenko said.

MOSCOW, May 12 (RIA Novosti)