Russia reports continued advancements with hypersonic weapons, which aim to circumvent, at least partially, the US missile defense systems. The Russian Defense Ministry report that they are testing launchers, and the weapons may be deployed soon.
Hypersonic missiles, especially nuclear versions, are a potentially big problem for the US, as they reduce time to strike and increase the risk of nuclear exchanges as a result. Yet the drive by Russia, and to a lesser extent China, to get the hypersonics directly resulted from US policy decisions.
Russia, China, and the US all had the option of pursuing the hypersonics but didn’t for years. Russia kept theirs on the back burner, in no small part as a foil to the missile defense systems that the US is always deploying.
The real push came in the past year, however, when the US withdrew from the Intermediate Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty. Banning medium-range nukes was very important to Russia, and the end of INF raises a risk for them that the US will put medium-range nukes in Europe, something the US has done nothing to assure them won’t happen.
Russia’s response was to say that if the US does that, they would respond by putting ship-mounted hypersonic nukes in the Atlantic, to increase their own capabilities. The US clearly wouldn’t want that, but absent a deal can’t really prevent it.
This is the sort of thing that might be addressed in a New START limitation treaty, though the US has been slow to approach this negotiation as well. Russia, believing the US doesn’t want a New START, is responding with arms development, threatening a new race.
There is perhaps a more serious problem underneath it all. US snd UK have abandoned all pretense of decency and morality. The manner in which US officials are addressing China these days, and continue to address Russia or anybody else if slightly displeased — is unbecoming of civilized nations. It almost looks like an imitation of Israel addressing Palestinians.
The problem is — no country has a faith in US moral fiber, and is assuming that US is prepared to attack in any despicable manner, targeting civilians, poisoning waters, wiping out millions of people. And as a result — they are not likely to dismiss any threat as just rhetoric or posturing.
Russia is at present ahead in supersonic technology as well as delivery methods, supersonic glider (Avantgard), submarine drones, etc. The crash program just ordered by Trump in submarine subs, as well as “super-duper” missiles that are merely a catch up to Russian supersonic glider. And other urgent programs — like US first nuclear icebreaker. Apart from the cost — there is a serious problem of anti-missile defense. Russia dies not need ships to get closer, the virtually invulnerable Poseidon (sub-drone) is undetectable. The issue of defense becomes paramount to US — yet it is putting all its eggs in the offensive basket. Which further gives credence to the assumption that US is counting only on first strike capability. This is a gamble — as others are by far better defensively — as they must.
The approach to China is very telling. It tells a story of a negotiator Trump that fell short of his goals. And is reacting with fury. The outcome is not favorable to US economically. This is not a strategy — trying to do too much too soon to address the mistakes of globalization.
What may bring out is a miscalculation.
This the case of proverbial lose lips that may sink Pacific ships.
the US spends more than Russia on its military by a magnitude of 10, yet produces inferior jets, tanks, battleground nukes, subs, assault weapons, anti-missile systems, etc—in the recent international war games, USA #35, Russia/China the best….amerikan toys fail in battle…Russia has entirely modernized—China now in the process…of course the US mercenaries r designed to terrorize defenseless peoples, other militaries r designed to defend from the incompetent paper tiger amerikans…unable to compete, they require imperialism, sanctions, tariffs to extend their rotting empire for another 5 years until final collapse
Not only that, the US military can’t even find enough recruits because too many Americans are obese, or have chronic illnesses or criminal records and don’t qualify.
Russia cannot have US intermediate range missiles on its western borders. The US cannot have Russian intermediate weapons on surface vessels near its Atlantic shores. Neither has a safe buffer zone. To “make America great again” requires retrenchments from Beijing. But the Chinese government cannot reverse the economic achievements of the last forty years. Historical core interests – security and commerce – are colliding.
https://www.ghostsofhistory.wordpress.com/
Russia also shouldn’t have NATO countries right up against its borders, since the West made a promise that that wouldn’t happen.
jingo bs game over and over for $ and the illusion of ego…Anyone tired of chest-pumping bullies https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/871cc11a9ad2ec720a8123fac3945b5ef8b1fbf020997637e61b316c239a7416.jpg and realize we need to upgrade the UN and Hague with real power to curtail these local bullies
it was the US that put them in Turkey and Italy that caused the Russians to put them in Cuba which gave the world the Cuban Missile Crisis. The US is absolutely lucky they didnt attack Cuba as was recommended by the Pentagon, the US thought that the Russians didnt have nukes there yet, that was in fact untrue, that the US attacked a Russian Submarine and the Russian Submarine commander refused to retaliate as ordered with nuclear torpedoes was just sheer dumb luck for the American Military!
It was the USSR, not Russia.
what a pedantic idiot, so what if I typed Russia instead of the USSR, it was the RUSSIANS. I do remember Kermit referring to the USSR as Russians, I do remember JFK calling them Russians. I do remember them also being called Soviets by JFK! I was not wrong in referring to them as Russians either!
your stupidity is beyond repair, crawl back to your hole brainless creep.
Any chance you could respond to another poster without being rude and insulting?
Mind your own business.
Btw. i was answering a rude person who insulted me.
Any chance you could respond to another poster without being insulting?
I don’t know why the US government is always surprised when their stupid decisions backfire on them. It’s happened enough times that they should have figured it out by now.