US ready to provide Russia with missile shield details
November 21st, 2011 - 5:51 pm ICT by IANSMoscow, Nov 21 (IANS/RIA Novosti) The US is ready to provide Russia with technical specifics of interceptor missiles of the European missile defence system, Russia’s Kommersant daily said Monday, citing US sources.
The newspaper said Russian specialists were invited to take part in tests of RIM-161 Standard Missile 3 (SM-3) and visit the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) headquarters at the Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado.
“During the consultations (US Undersecretary of State for Arms Control Ellen) Tauscher said Washington was ready to provide information about the missile’s speed after it uses up all of its fuel. This information, referred to as burnout velocity (VBO) in international documents, helps to determine how to target it,” Kommersant said.
In October, Moscow’s NATO envoy Dmitry Rogozin said Russian talks with the US on missile defence had hit a dead end.
The Kremlin says the US expanding anti-missile system in Europe is a potential threat to Russian nuclear arsenal, while Washington tries to convince Moscow that the system poses no threat to Russia and is needed to protect against missiles that could be fired by countries with smaller arsenals such as Iran.
The missile shield dispute between Russia and the US has undermined efforts to build on improvements in relations between the former Cold War foes and is intensified by Russia’s uncertainty of US policy after the November 2012 presidential elections.
–IANS/RIA Novosti
rd/dg
- US may disclose missile defence data to Russia - Mar 12, 2012
- Russia may boost nuclear potential: Minister - Feb 06, 2012
- US not cooperating with Russia on missile defence: Minister - Sep 04, 2011
- Medvedev, Obama to discuss missile issue at G8 summit - May 16, 2011
- US, Russia to continue missile defence talks - Aug 09, 2011
- Russia to build anti-NATO missile shield - Feb 05, 2012
- Russia test fires new ballistic missile - May 23, 2012
- Russia expects US compromise on missile defense - Oct 27, 2011
- Russia to build two space-defence missile plants - Feb 04, 2012
- Medvedev, Obama to discuss missile defence - Nov 11, 2011
- Russian military chief visits US - Jul 10, 2012
- Russia may adopt new ICBM by 2022 - May 08, 2012
- NATO commander to talk Euro missile shield in Moscow - Oct 10, 2011
- Russia outlines its vision of European missile shield - Apr 29, 2011
- Moscow reiterates its missile defence posture - Aug 21, 2012
Tags: aerospace defense command, american aerospace defense, cold war foes, dmitry rogozin, ellen tauscher, interceptor missiles, international documents, kommersant daily, missile defence system, missile shield, missile system, norad, peterson air force, presidential elections, ria novosti, russian nuclear arsenal, russian specialists, russian talks, technical specifics, vbo