For
those of you who may long for the days of the Cold War between the United
States and Russia -- at least compared with today's global fight against terrorists
-- the following story may provide a bit of nostalgia. It may also be more than
a little disquieting.
Russia
announced Tuesday it tested a new intercontinental ballistic missile, that a
Kremlin official boasted could penetrate any defense system -- most notably,
those now being tested by the US. The test comes as belligerant Russian
president Vladimir Putin warned US plans for an anti-missile shield over Europe
would result in a "powder keg."
"We
consider it harmful and dangerous to turn Europe into a powder keg and to fill
it with new kinds of weapons," Putin said at a news conference with
Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Socrates, according to The Associated Press,
shortly before the announcement of the successful ICBM test.
"As
of today, Russia has new tactical and strategic complexes that are capable of
overcoming any existing or future missile defense systems," First Deputy
Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov said, according to the ITAR-Tass news agency.
"So in terms of defense and security, Russians can look calmly to the
country's future."
They
may be the only ones who are calm. The test RS-24 ICBM reportedly sent its
dummy warhead 3,400 miles, where it landed on target on the Kamchatka
Peninsula.
Russian
arms control expert Alexander Pikayev said the new missile looks to be part of
the country's promised response to missile defense plans, as Russia seeks to
strengthen its nuclear capabilities after the "significant
downsizing" following the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union.
Ivanov
-- a former defense minister, viewed as a possible replacement for Putin next
year -- also announced the successful "preliminary" test of a
tactical cruise missile, designed to be launched from a mobile Iskander-M
launcher.
Russia's
Strategic Missile Forces stressed the tests conformed to the limitations
spelled out in the START-I treaty, as well as the 2002 Moscow Treaty calling
for reductions in both US and Russian warhead arsenals.
Harvard
University analyst Matthew Bunn echoed that claim, saying the missile test was
"in line with Russia's renewed emphasis in recent years of maintaining
their weapons systems after years of decline."
Still...
did it just get a bit chilly in here? Brrr...