Friday, January 30, 2009

Missile Defense, the Space Relationship, and the Twenty-First Century

The Claremont Institute who runs the site Missilethreat.com has published the 2009 edition of a report entitled Missile Defense, the Space Relationship, and the Twenty-First Century. The report includes updated chapters on the ballistic missile threat, the politics of missile defense, and a summary of what must be done to defend America - in their opinion. I have not read the report myself but this synopsis from their homepage suffices to say that I will not agree with their findings. A hallelujah for withdrawing from the ABM treaty? Certainly not!

"First released in 2007, the 2009 update recommends that the Pentagon build on the legacy of technologies developed under the Strategic Defense Initiative of the Reagan administration. Sea- and space-based assets should constitute the backbone of a robust, layered U.S. missile defense shield, which ground-based systems should support. Such a defense would be capable of protecting the U.S., its allies, and troops abroad against the threat of hostile missile attacks from any quarter. The missile threat continues to increase as rogue nations and transnational terrorist organizations attempt to acquire ballistic missile technology and weapons of mass destruction. The report praises the Bush Administration for withdrawing from the 1972 ABM Treaty and beginning modest deployments, but criticizes the Bush administration's failure to deploy a more robust system fully capable of defending the United States, our troops, and our allies."

Thursday, January 29, 2009

A positive step

Every now and then there are also some good news: Russia's military has announced it will halt its plans to deploy short-range missiles in its Baltic enclave Kaliningrad, Interfax news agency says.

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

off-topic

Here comes something that is totally off-topic but too good not to share:

another reading list

Hi everybody,

here is your today’s agenda:

India test-fires BrahMos and admits that the test failed
Fresh test of BrahMos missile within a month
India plans to test a Prithvi missile
India goes for 'urgent' purchase of anti-tank missiles
India plans to use laser weapons in Ballistic Missile Defense
India Plans Missile Defense Test
India, U.S. Discuss Potential Missile Defense Sales but U.S. Denies Pursuing Indian Missile Defense Sales
Czech politicians disagree on U.S. radar plans under Obama
Poland Encourages Obama to Pursue European Missile Defenses
Obama urged to boost priority of BMD development
Ballistic missile threat growing in 21st century
China rebuts global anti-missile system
U.S. Navy flight tests new Raytheon SM-2 target detecting device
Bulava tests should continue – Russian official
Venezuela Aids Iranian Missile Sales to Syria
United Arab Emirates to Buy PAC-3 System
Nuclear War Concerns Spur UAE Missile Defenses
Taiwan Would Continue Arms Buildup Despite Potential Chinese Missile Reduction

Monday, January 19, 2009

Sign of life

Hello everybody,

There is no need to order wreath and flowers, the Missile Monitor is by no means dead. I am back – kind of. I am still very busy with other projects so that the blogging will be rather light over the next weeks. Therefore I will continue with the reading-list-style. Sorry about that. So let‘s start with the first list, catching up from mid-December.

Russia:

· Russia hopes for deal on START-1, missile defense by 2010
· Bulava missile fails a 5th test
· Russia to hold more test launches of Bulava ICBM in 2009
· Russia to get 70 nuclear missiles in 3 years
· Topol-M ICBMs enter service with new missile regiment in Russia
· Russia to deploy new missile systems by 2020
· Russia deploys 2nd S-400 missile system
· Russia's S-400 air defense system may be world's best
· Russian S-300 deal with Iran 'on the go’
· Tehran Says It’s Getting Russian Missiles
· Russia denies sales of sophisticated missiles to Iran
· Russians deny selling S-300s to Iran; U.S. skeptical
· Russia says Iran weapons buys 'defensive'
· Israel urges Russia not to sell missiles to Iran
· Russia selling surface-to-air missiles to Libya, Syria

Missile Defense:

· Poland hopes for continuation of anti-missile project
· U.S. could review missile shield plans
· Russia hopes U.S. will review missile defense plans
· Moscow says offer to U.S. on joint radar use still stands
· Airborne Laser Blasts Off
· Belarus backs Russia's missile plan to counter U.S. shield
· Japanese missile defense system cleared despite test failure
· U.S. Promotes Middle Eastern Missile Shield
· UAE is to acquire advanced interceptor Patriot missiles
· Aiming high: Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense
· U.S. to place Aegis missile defenses on several warships
· US missile defense system will be unable to destroy Russian nuclear potential
· Northrop Grumman begins testing 'cold-launch' system that makes kinetic energy interceptors mobile, global, flexible
· India 'eyes' U.S. missile defense system
· Pentagon denies missile defense sales talks with India

Other:

· India successfully test fires anti-tank missile
· Rockets are again at the heart of a Mideast war
· Poland to buy naval strike missile from
· China’s ‘missile reduction’ is fantasyChina's missile plans put U.S. naval power in a weaker spot

Sunday, December 14, 2008

No time and too much on my plate

Ok, here comes the announced entry. I had a pretty tight schedule over the recent days due to some other projects which are still ongoing. So I am unfortunately not able to catch up in a due level of detail. Instead, I will just provide you today with a reading list:

Russia:
Russia seeks new missiles due to U.S. shield plans
Russian Military Says Sea-based Bulava Missile Tested Successfully (November 28)
Russia starts production of Bulava missile
Bulava SLBM problems teach lessons to Russia, U.S.
Russia acted wisely in sticking with Bulava SLBM
Russia to Test Bulava Missile Again This Month
Putin says no need for Cuban, Venezuelan bases
Russia, U.S. Plan Strategic Arms Talks

Missile Defense:
Missile Defense: Putin says Obama will make concessions
Russian defense chief reiterates concerns over U.S. missile shield
Russia Against U.S. Missiles in Any European Anti-Missile Plans
Russia to Spend $2 Billion More on Missile Shield Countermeasures, Other Defenses
U.S. Fires Missile Defense Laser Through Aircraft Turret
Abandoning Third-Site Missile Defenses Would Threaten Transatlantic Security
US stages successful missile-defense test over Pacific and here (December 5)
NATO Reaffirms Support for US Missile Shield
Financial Crisis Might Delay U.S. Radar, Czech Foreign Minister Says

Other:
Iran develops air-to-air missile
South Korea Takes Delivery for Patriot Missiles from Germany
Pakistan to acquire 100 air-to-surface missiles from Brazil
India’s Shaurya only a variant of ballistic missile K-15

Unfortunately, this will already be my last post for this year. I will be out of town next week without any time for further posts. For that reason the blog will be put again to a pre-Christmas hiatus. I wish you all a Merry Christmas or whatever you may or may not celebrate and a Happy and Joyous New Year. Thank you for following the Missile Monitor this year. I hope to see you back in the next year.

Thursday, December 11, 2008

still alive

Excellencies,

this is just a very brief sign of life. Sorry for the long unannounced silence. I hope to get some posts written over the weekend. But for today I have a link to a CRS report "Sea-Based Ballistic Missile Defense - Background and Issues for Congress". I have not had any time to read it myself but hope to do this soon. Enjoy.

Friday, November 28, 2008

Russia tests RS-24

Just quick and dirty: Russia successfully test-launched on Wednesday, November 26, for the third time its RS-24 ICBM. Read Pavel Podvig’s postings here and here for more information.

Yesterday's news...

Nothing is older than yesterday's news. The upper chamber of the Czech Parliament dared to outdate my post at the same time I wrote it: the Czech Senate approved both missile treaties involved in the deal — the main bilateral treaty allowing the United States to build a radar base at Brdy near Prague and the second, ‘complementary,’ treaty that deals with the legal status of U.S. soldiers to be deployed at the base (you can find some legal considerations concerning the SOFA treaty here). 49 senators voted in favor and 31 voted against, one abstained.

However, the lower chamber of the Czech Parliament, the Chamber of Deputies, still has to ratify the agreements. As laid out yesterday, it is far from being certain that an equal majority can be achieved there. There is no date yet for the vote in the Chamber of Deputies.