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United States Disappointed by Russian Missile Plans

By Merle D. Kellerhals Jr.

The United States is disappointed that Russia plans to deploy short-range missiles near the border with Poland and Lithuania, a State Department official says.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev announced November 5 in a lengthy speech that Russia plans to deploy Iskander missiles in Kaliningrad between Lithuania and Poland on the Baltic Sea. Medvedev said the missiles are to counter U.S. plans to locate a missile defense system in Poland and the Czech Republic.

"The missile defense sites in the Czech Republic and Poland are not aimed at Russia," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said at a November 5 briefing. "This missile defense system is designed to protect against rogue states. The steps that the Russian government announced today are disappointing."

"Again, this is not directed at them. Hopefully, one day they'll realize that."

Medvedev also announced that plans to scrap three nuclear missile regiments have been dropped. "We earlier planned to take three missile regiments within the missile division stationed in Kozelsk off combat duty and discontinue the division itself by 2010. I have decided to refrain from these plans," Medvedev said.

He also announced plans to locate electronic jamming equipment in the western region near Poland that could jam objects of the U.S. missile defense system.

The Iskander missile, also known as SS-26 Stone missile, is a short-range, solid-fuel-propelled system, according to NATO. It has a range of up to 400 kilometers (248.5 miles) and generally carries a conventional high-explosive warhead, but can carry other types of explosives.

McCormack said the United States remains open to further talks with Russia about its European-based missile defense plans. "Certainly, I think all are open to continued Russian dialogue and cooperation on this, but the fact of the matter is this is important for the security of the [NATO] alliance," he said.

MISSILE DEFENSE PLAN

Under the European ground-based missile defense plan, the United States will base 10 missile interceptors, which have no warheads, in Poland. The interceptors are designed to knock down a limited number of ballistic missiles launched from a rogue state such as Iran. Another element of the U.S. plan would place an advanced radar tracking facility in the Czech Republic. The system is expected to be in place by 2012.

In exchange for agreeing to base the interceptors in Poland, the United States agreed to provide Poland with a Patriot air defense battery that can shoot down short-range missiles or attacking fighter planes or bombers. The air defense battery would be operated by about 100 U.S. Army personnel, according to the Pentagon.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said August 15 in Tbilisi, Georgia, that she and Defense Secretary Robert Gates have met with their counterparts in Moscow a number of times to discuss the missile defense plan and even have invited the Russians to participate in a continentwide missile defense system.

A European-based missile defense system was discussed by President Bush and Medvedev at their July 7 bilateral meeting during the G8 summit in Japan. Medvedev agreed to continue existing efforts to transform the current U.S. missile defense plan into a system that in the future would be jointly managed by the United States, Russia and Europe.

Source: U.S. Department of State