The US has tested new missiles. How can Russia answer?
The US Department of Defense reported on tests of a cruise missile. It was banned by the Treaty on the Elimination of Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range Missiles, but on August 2 and 2019 of the year, the INF Treaty officially ceased to operate and the United States immediately tested a new missile.
A non-nuclear ground-based cruise missile was tested on 18 on August 2019 of the year on the island of San Nicholas, which is an administrative part of the state of California. She hit the designated target after 500 kilometers of flight.
The launch of the rocket itself might not have been a remarkable event, if not for one detail - it happened two weeks after the termination of the INF Treaty. But Washington for a long time accused Moscow of violating existing agreements. Now it turns out one of two things: either in the USA they managed from scratch to construct a new rocket in 16 days, or the development of a cruise missile was carried out during the INF Treaty, which, incidentally, was prohibited by agreements.
Indeed, in accordance with the INF Treaty, the creation and testing of missiles with a range from 500 to 5500 km was prohibited. And the appearance of such a missile as soon as possible after the termination of the INF Treaty only indicates that the United States violated the treaty and conducted the development of the missile. It was the United States, and not Russia, that was the main initiator of the destruction of the INF Treaty, although this is not recognized and probably will never be recognized. Meanwhile, back in June 2017, two years ago, a program was launched in Arizona to modernize production to create intermediate and shorter-range missiles.
That is, even then, two years ago, the Americans were preparing for an early termination of the agreements and were going to quickly launch the production of intermediate and shorter-range missiles. Russian Defense Minister General of the Army Sergei Shoigu not so long ago reported that the American leadership a year ago laid the budget in the budget for the development and production of new medium and shorter-range missiles. And now the United States has demonstrated that the development of new missiles was indeed carried out during the duration of the Treaty. However, all states are used to American double standards in the modern world.
It takes at least five years to develop a rocket similar to the one that was launched and tested in California. And this means that even then, five years ago, the Americans were well aware of the sad future of the INF Treaty. Perhaps the development of the rocket began immediately after the crisis in Ukraine and the deterioration of relations between the West and Russia.
Member of the Federation Council Franz Klintsevich called the launch of a rocket outright cynicism and a mockery of common sense. But it would be naive to suppose that the United States really strictly voted for the INF Treaty and did not develop medium- and shorter-range missiles. Of course, such developments have been and have been going on for a long time, because in the USA they never tried to keep their promises, especially the data from Russia or other countries with which the USA historical rivalry.
Naivety or unwillingness to see obvious things is a weak feature of the Russian government. At the turn of the 1980's - 1990's. the then leaders of our country believed or pretended to believe Washington's promises. Mikhail Gorbachev and Eduard Shevardnadze agreed to sign an agreement with the United States, neglecting the political and military interests of the Soviet Union. In fact, at that moment they acted against the interests of the country and acted as assistants to American imperialism.
As a result, the Warsaw Pact Organization ceased to exist, Germany reunited, and we refused to create medium- and shorter-range missiles. But the United States was able to organize a total expansion of NATO to the east. Not just a few “especially trusted” countries were admitted to the North Atlantic Alliance - virtually all of Eastern Europe joined NATO, the three former Soviet republics of Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania, and Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova are in the orbit of the alliance’s political and military influence.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov drew attention to the fact that in the 2014 year, the Pentagon began deploying Mk 41 launchers at its military bases in Europe, from which Tomahawk missiles can be launched. But the Americans began to violate the INF Treaty much earlier, back in the 1999 year, when the United States began to test unmanned aerial vehicles that coincided with ground-based cruise missiles prohibited by the INF Treaty.
By the way, the 1999 year was not an accidental date - it was in this year that the famous airborne assault on Pristina took place, Vladimir Putin was appointed head of the Russian government, and military operations in the North Caucasus intensified. Washington quickly realized that in the future it would be a question of reviving the military power of the Russian army, partially lost in the "dashing nineties," and immediately decided to act in advance.
Until recently, the Americans could arbitrarily accuse Russia of the collapse of the INF Treaty by involving European allies and satellites in these accusations, but now it became clear to the world who actually violated the INF Treaty and sought to terminate it. In the changing world political situation, the United States required new instruments of pressure, including medium- and shorter-range missiles. Moreover, besides the confrontation with Russia, the United States today is interested in demonstrating strength to China and North Korea.
For the United States, military superiority is the last argument in the struggle for world economic domination. Now that Washington is increasingly competing with Beijing, and this competition has already taken on the character of a trade war, medium and shorter-range missiles seem to Donald Trump and his entourage those “magic wands” that can still save the situation. Moreover, the main opponent of the United States - China - did not restrain itself by any contractual obligations, since the INF Treaty did not sign and, accordingly, was completely free to develop and test missiles.
Interestingly, China also reacted very sharply to US trials in California. In his speech, the spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Gen Shuang, stated that the removal of restrictions on the free development of the most advanced missiles to ensure the sole military superiority of the United States in the modern world has been and remains the true goals of the US exit from the INF Treaty. China, of course, did not like the new tests of American missiles, especially since the US is now discussing the possibility of deploying medium- and shorter-range missiles in the Asia-Pacific region.
American missiles can be deployed at military bases in Japan and South Korea, less likely in the Philippines or Vietnam, and are aimed at China, North Korea and Russia - the main strategic adversaries of the States in the Asia-Pacific region. But in any case, if they appear in East and Southeast Asia, they will pose a very serious threat to Chinese interests.
Beijing has already warned the United States that such a decision could entail a new arms race and the Cold War in the Asia-Pacific region. And China, Russia, and the allied USA Japan and South Korea will be involved in it. Of course, there will also be no talk of any termination of the North Korean nuclear project, since Pyongyang needs missiles precisely as a counterweight to the US military presence on the Korean Peninsula and the Japanese Islands.
It is clear that testing by the American side of new missiles poses a direct threat to the current balance of armaments. And Russia, like some other countries, must answer this. But the political will of the Russian leadership is needed, the economic and technological conditions are needed for a full response to the United States in the field of armaments.
However, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Ryabkov has already stated that Russia will not allow itself to be drawn into a new arms race. A senior diplomat drew attention to Russia's loyalty to the moratorium on the deployment of medium-range missiles. But does such a position make sense in a situation where Washington defiantly violates all agreements and acts guided exclusively by its own military-political and economic interests?
In the changing conditions of Russia, it is necessary not only to continue development in the field of rocket science, but also to increase the strength of the armed forces, since only the army and navy remain reliable defenders of the country from the aggressive policies of the West. Moreover, American missiles pose a direct danger to our country.
Firstly, the range in 500 km is very doubtful. Many experts agree that the real range of the tested missile is much larger. The United States is interested in developing such missiles that, if deployed at bases in Japan or South Korea, could sweep the territory of Eastern Siberia and the Far East, and strike Russian military facilities in the eastern part of the country.
Secondly, if American medium-range missiles are deployed in the same South Korea, then the most important economic centers of Siberia, including Novosibirsk, may be under their attack. And Russia simply cannot but respond to the United States to such threats. Indeed, given the possible deployment of missiles in Eastern Europe, the United States will be able to strike at virtually any point in our country.
What can our country oppose to the Americans? Military expert Alexander Bartosh in an interview with business newspaper “Look"Believes that these are, first of all, fighter-interceptors and ground-based missile defense systems. According to the expert, Russia will have time to deploy air defense and missile defense systems.
The most good option would be a “mirror” response - the deployment of Russian missiles in Moscow-friendly states, in close proximity to US borders. There are at least two such countries - Cuba and Venezuela, but Nicaragua can also be added to them. Already one hint of the deployment of missiles in Latin America can cause real panic in the Pentagon.
It is worth remembering that when Russian planes arrive in Venezuela, this immediately causes a real storm of negative emotions from the American political and military leadership. For the USA, Cuba or Venezuela is the same as Poland or Romania for Russia. Therefore, if the Americans allow themselves to deploy missiles in Eastern Europe, Russia is freed from any moral obligation to deploy its missiles in Latin America.
In addition, a notification of those countries where the United States intends to deploy medium- and shorter-range missiles that they will become targets for preventive attacks by the Russian armed forces could be a good step. By deploying American missiles, the countries of Eastern Europe or East Asia risk, given their territorial dimensions, their very existence. But are the Japanese and Koreans, Poles and Romanians ready to die because of the inability of their leadership to say a firm no to American orders or persuasion to place missiles on their territory?
What is known about the new rocket and its tests
A non-nuclear ground-based cruise missile was tested on 18 on August 2019 of the year on the island of San Nicholas, which is an administrative part of the state of California. She hit the designated target after 500 kilometers of flight.
The launch of the rocket itself might not have been a remarkable event, if not for one detail - it happened two weeks after the termination of the INF Treaty. But Washington for a long time accused Moscow of violating existing agreements. Now it turns out one of two things: either in the USA they managed from scratch to construct a new rocket in 16 days, or the development of a cruise missile was carried out during the INF Treaty, which, incidentally, was prohibited by agreements.
Indeed, in accordance with the INF Treaty, the creation and testing of missiles with a range from 500 to 5500 km was prohibited. And the appearance of such a missile as soon as possible after the termination of the INF Treaty only indicates that the United States violated the treaty and conducted the development of the missile. It was the United States, and not Russia, that was the main initiator of the destruction of the INF Treaty, although this is not recognized and probably will never be recognized. Meanwhile, back in June 2017, two years ago, a program was launched in Arizona to modernize production to create intermediate and shorter-range missiles.
That is, even then, two years ago, the Americans were preparing for an early termination of the agreements and were going to quickly launch the production of intermediate and shorter-range missiles. Russian Defense Minister General of the Army Sergei Shoigu not so long ago reported that the American leadership a year ago laid the budget in the budget for the development and production of new medium and shorter-range missiles. And now the United States has demonstrated that the development of new missiles was indeed carried out during the duration of the Treaty. However, all states are used to American double standards in the modern world.
It takes at least five years to develop a rocket similar to the one that was launched and tested in California. And this means that even then, five years ago, the Americans were well aware of the sad future of the INF Treaty. Perhaps the development of the rocket began immediately after the crisis in Ukraine and the deterioration of relations between the West and Russia.
Never Worth Believing USA
Member of the Federation Council Franz Klintsevich called the launch of a rocket outright cynicism and a mockery of common sense. But it would be naive to suppose that the United States really strictly voted for the INF Treaty and did not develop medium- and shorter-range missiles. Of course, such developments have been and have been going on for a long time, because in the USA they never tried to keep their promises, especially the data from Russia or other countries with which the USA historical rivalry.
Naivety or unwillingness to see obvious things is a weak feature of the Russian government. At the turn of the 1980's - 1990's. the then leaders of our country believed or pretended to believe Washington's promises. Mikhail Gorbachev and Eduard Shevardnadze agreed to sign an agreement with the United States, neglecting the political and military interests of the Soviet Union. In fact, at that moment they acted against the interests of the country and acted as assistants to American imperialism.
As a result, the Warsaw Pact Organization ceased to exist, Germany reunited, and we refused to create medium- and shorter-range missiles. But the United States was able to organize a total expansion of NATO to the east. Not just a few “especially trusted” countries were admitted to the North Atlantic Alliance - virtually all of Eastern Europe joined NATO, the three former Soviet republics of Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania, and Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova are in the orbit of the alliance’s political and military influence.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov drew attention to the fact that in the 2014 year, the Pentagon began deploying Mk 41 launchers at its military bases in Europe, from which Tomahawk missiles can be launched. But the Americans began to violate the INF Treaty much earlier, back in the 1999 year, when the United States began to test unmanned aerial vehicles that coincided with ground-based cruise missiles prohibited by the INF Treaty.
By the way, the 1999 year was not an accidental date - it was in this year that the famous airborne assault on Pristina took place, Vladimir Putin was appointed head of the Russian government, and military operations in the North Caucasus intensified. Washington quickly realized that in the future it would be a question of reviving the military power of the Russian army, partially lost in the "dashing nineties," and immediately decided to act in advance.
Until recently, the Americans could arbitrarily accuse Russia of the collapse of the INF Treaty by involving European allies and satellites in these accusations, but now it became clear to the world who actually violated the INF Treaty and sought to terminate it. In the changing world political situation, the United States required new instruments of pressure, including medium- and shorter-range missiles. Moreover, besides the confrontation with Russia, the United States today is interested in demonstrating strength to China and North Korea.
For the United States, military superiority is the last argument in the struggle for world economic domination. Now that Washington is increasingly competing with Beijing, and this competition has already taken on the character of a trade war, medium and shorter-range missiles seem to Donald Trump and his entourage those “magic wands” that can still save the situation. Moreover, the main opponent of the United States - China - did not restrain itself by any contractual obligations, since the INF Treaty did not sign and, accordingly, was completely free to develop and test missiles.
Interestingly, China also reacted very sharply to US trials in California. In his speech, the spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Gen Shuang, stated that the removal of restrictions on the free development of the most advanced missiles to ensure the sole military superiority of the United States in the modern world has been and remains the true goals of the US exit from the INF Treaty. China, of course, did not like the new tests of American missiles, especially since the US is now discussing the possibility of deploying medium- and shorter-range missiles in the Asia-Pacific region.
American missiles can be deployed at military bases in Japan and South Korea, less likely in the Philippines or Vietnam, and are aimed at China, North Korea and Russia - the main strategic adversaries of the States in the Asia-Pacific region. But in any case, if they appear in East and Southeast Asia, they will pose a very serious threat to Chinese interests.
Beijing has already warned the United States that such a decision could entail a new arms race and the Cold War in the Asia-Pacific region. And China, Russia, and the allied USA Japan and South Korea will be involved in it. Of course, there will also be no talk of any termination of the North Korean nuclear project, since Pyongyang needs missiles precisely as a counterweight to the US military presence on the Korean Peninsula and the Japanese Islands.
How can and should Russia respond
It is clear that testing by the American side of new missiles poses a direct threat to the current balance of armaments. And Russia, like some other countries, must answer this. But the political will of the Russian leadership is needed, the economic and technological conditions are needed for a full response to the United States in the field of armaments.
However, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Ryabkov has already stated that Russia will not allow itself to be drawn into a new arms race. A senior diplomat drew attention to Russia's loyalty to the moratorium on the deployment of medium-range missiles. But does such a position make sense in a situation where Washington defiantly violates all agreements and acts guided exclusively by its own military-political and economic interests?
In the changing conditions of Russia, it is necessary not only to continue development in the field of rocket science, but also to increase the strength of the armed forces, since only the army and navy remain reliable defenders of the country from the aggressive policies of the West. Moreover, American missiles pose a direct danger to our country.
Firstly, the range in 500 km is very doubtful. Many experts agree that the real range of the tested missile is much larger. The United States is interested in developing such missiles that, if deployed at bases in Japan or South Korea, could sweep the territory of Eastern Siberia and the Far East, and strike Russian military facilities in the eastern part of the country.
Secondly, if American medium-range missiles are deployed in the same South Korea, then the most important economic centers of Siberia, including Novosibirsk, may be under their attack. And Russia simply cannot but respond to the United States to such threats. Indeed, given the possible deployment of missiles in Eastern Europe, the United States will be able to strike at virtually any point in our country.
What can our country oppose to the Americans? Military expert Alexander Bartosh in an interview with business newspaper “Look"Believes that these are, first of all, fighter-interceptors and ground-based missile defense systems. According to the expert, Russia will have time to deploy air defense and missile defense systems.
The most good option would be a “mirror” response - the deployment of Russian missiles in Moscow-friendly states, in close proximity to US borders. There are at least two such countries - Cuba and Venezuela, but Nicaragua can also be added to them. Already one hint of the deployment of missiles in Latin America can cause real panic in the Pentagon.
It is worth remembering that when Russian planes arrive in Venezuela, this immediately causes a real storm of negative emotions from the American political and military leadership. For the USA, Cuba or Venezuela is the same as Poland or Romania for Russia. Therefore, if the Americans allow themselves to deploy missiles in Eastern Europe, Russia is freed from any moral obligation to deploy its missiles in Latin America.
In addition, a notification of those countries where the United States intends to deploy medium- and shorter-range missiles that they will become targets for preventive attacks by the Russian armed forces could be a good step. By deploying American missiles, the countries of Eastern Europe or East Asia risk, given their territorial dimensions, their very existence. But are the Japanese and Koreans, Poles and Romanians ready to die because of the inability of their leadership to say a firm no to American orders or persuasion to place missiles on their territory?
Information