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Explosion
Generated A Tsunami
A
Bomb That Could Trigger Devastating Tsunami
Waves
Experimental
"Tsunami Bomb" Tests Conducted in
the 40s; U.S. Was "Impressed"
SECRET
WARTIME experiments were conducted
off the New Zealand coast to perfect
a bomb that could trigger devastating
Tsunami waves, according to government
files declassified in Auckland.
The New Zealand Herald, citing the
files, said that senior United States
defence officials believed the weapon
had the potential to be as deadly
as the atomic bomb. But the tsunami
bomb, as it was known, was never
fully tested and the war ended before
the project was completed.
Its mastermind was Thomas Leech,
an Australian professor who as the
dean of engineering at Auckland
University from 1940 to 1950. He
was seconded to the New Zealand
Army during the Second World War.
He set off a series of underwater
explosions that triggered mini tidal
waves at Whangaparaoa, just north
of Auckland, in 1944 and 1945.
Details of the research, known as
Project Seal, are contained in 53-
year-old documents released by the
New Zealand Ministry of Foreign
Affairs and Trade.
The papers, stamped "Top Secret",
show that America and Britain were
keen for Seal to be developed in
the postwar years. They even considered
sending Professor Leech to Bikini
Atoll to watch the US nuclear tests
and see if they had any application
to his work.
In the end, he did not make the
visit, although Dr Karl Compton,
a member of the US board of assessors
of nuclear tests, was sent to New
Zealand to meet him.
In July 1946, a letter from Washington
to Wellington Defence Headquarters
stated: "Dr Compton is impressed
with Professor Leech's deductions
on the Seal Project and is prepared
to recommend to the Joint Chiefs
of Staff that all technical data
from the test, relevant to the Seal
Project, should be made available
to the New Zealand government for
further study."
The announcement in 1947 that he
had been awarded a CBE for weapons
research led to speculation in some
newspapers outside New Zealand about
the nature of the work that he had
been conducting. No details were
released about it at the time because
the project was still under way.
Neil Kirton, a former colleague
of Professor Leech, told the New
Zealand Herald that the experiments
involved laying a pattern of explosives
underwater to create a tidal wave.
Small-scale explosions were set
off in the Pacific and off Whangaparaoa,
which was controlled by the army
at the time. Mr Kirton said he doubted
whether people living in Auckland
at the time would have noticed the
trials.
What happened to Project Seal once
the final report was forwarded to
Wellington in the late 1940s is
not clear.
Mr Kirton said: "If it could ever
be resurrected, under some circumstances
I think it could be devastating."
Views
Below Are Not HP Staff, And
Have Been Sent To Our News Files
Was the
tsunami caused by a bomb?By
Gordon Deponto, Greatfalls Could Nuclear
testing create a tsunami?
This
is a difficult topic to research,
because much of the information
surrounding nuclear testing is classified.
During the Cold War there was fear
of tsunamis produced by the detonation
of nuclear bombs on the continental
shelf off the East Coast of the
US. A nuclear bomb was never detonated
on the shelf, however a huge explosion
did generate a tsunami during World
War I causing vast destruction Any
large disturbance that displaces
a large volume of water can be a
potential cause of a tsunami.
If
it happened before, it may be a
bomb that caused this one. It seems
very convenient that the epicenter
of the earthquake was in war torn
Aceh. Could a bomb or series of
bombs on the faultline have caused
this huge earthquake/tsunami?
Reporters
keep saying it looks like a nuclear
bomb was dropped. Was this nuclear
weapons above and below the ocean.
3 large Nukes in different areas
could do the same damage and cause
the same tsunami. We Pray to God
that this is not another push for
oil and the New World Order by our
governments.
FACTS
Aceh has fought for independence
for many years - even befor Indonesia
became a democracy (AKA US protectorate)
a few years ago.
There
is oil, a lot of it, and liquid
gas in Indonesia.
The
US is engaged in military "training"
in the region. Flight and naval
base with weapons to oufit a huge
army
80,000
+ people in Aceh died in the earthquake.
I'd
predict that Aceh will suddenly
become peaceful and cooperative
with the US appointed Indonesian
government.
THEORY
Is it likely that this whole terrible
earthquake/tsunami happened because
US/Indonesian army folks thought
it would be a good idea to use a
big bomb to quench the Aceh independence
movement?
This
would be a terrible murderous plot
to intentionally kill so many people.
Those in power might say these people
are poor and are causing the New
World order many troubles. If this
is the kind of freedom the New World
order brings, intentional death
to make it work, then God help those
that conspire to do this. On the
day of judgment there will be no
where to hide. ( If the life of
thousands of poor Aceh people made
in the image of God is the way the
New World Order intends to make
it easier to control the region
and take the oil.), then this is
not freedom but death to all who
go along with such a diabolical
plan. If they tried to get rid of
the Aceh rebels with a bomb it worked
well, but they never thought it
would cause a big tsunami. The New
World Order Pushers don't care how
many lives they take to make their
one World Government work. These
are my thoughts, lets hope this
is not the real reason the Tsunami
was so large.
By Gordon Deponto, Greatfalls U.S.
A
Bomb That Triggers A Tidal Wave
The idea of a bomb that triggers
a tidal wave is not as outlandish as
it may first appear. Towards the end
of WWII a top-secret project was underway
in the waters off the coast of New Zealand
to perfect just such a weapon. Project
Seal as it was known was a secret weapon
developed under the auspices of British
and American defence chiefs who considered
it as important as the atomic bomb.
Prof Thomas Leech, dean of engineering
at Auckland University, conducted the
experiments in the sea off Auckland
on the so-called Tsunami bomb; in recognition
he was awarded the CBE in 1947. The
existence of the weapon was only disclosed
in 1999 when New Zealand’s Foreign
Ministry released declassified documents.
According to the papers British and
American defence chiefs were keen to
see the development of the weapon, which
would be exploded near enemy territory
with the intention of creating devastating
tidal waves (9). It doesn’t take
a genius to realise that if the bomb
were to carry a nuclear charge it would
inundate such low lying countries as
Holland and southern England. Significantly
the Russians are also said to have developed
such a weapon. - the
TruthSeeker, 10/22/04
On December 18, 2004, I ran a story
entitled, BND
Guy: December 27... Expect "Something
Big"... This Is It, Folks, and if
read, you can see that I got a lot of
flack for running it. Whether it remained
a real story that got delayed or not,
it certainly was close. Would the Russians,
being aware of an event such as that,
realizing the power it would give to
Bush to go "Empiring", would they do
one better and not only stall Bush's
"warring" but also show off their ability
to rule the world as well?
Could the Russians have triggered
the recent Asian Tsunami?
1. Do stories differ as to how many
missiles were fired? Yes.
2. Are the missiles capable of reaching
this distance from Russia? Yes.
3. Is Russia playing war games with
the U.S.? Yes.
4. Was notification of the Tsunami delayed?
Yes.
5. Is world depopulation a planned and
coordinated effort? Yes.
6. What was that strange silence by
all world leaders??
1. Do stories differ as to how
many missiles were fired?
The Russian government was testing missiles
last week. This testing was meant to
show Russia's advancement in nuclear
proliferation and to tell the world
they had trumped Bush's Missile Shield
program. But varying reports show that
there is some degree of uncertitude
over how many missiles were fired and
from where?
This from the Russian Information Agency
Novosti:
MOSCOW, December 20 (RIA Novosti) -
This week the Strategic Missile
Forces are going to launch two intercontinental
ballistic missiles (ICBMs),
the SMF press service said.....The missile
division deployed in the Orenburg region,
which launched a missile for the last
time in 1991, will launch a combat-training
version of the RS-20V Voyevoda (NATO
codename SS 18 Satan)....The combat
training launch will not be the only
one this week, as the Topol M, a fifth-generation
ICBM, will be launched at Plesetsk Space
Center from a state-of-the-art mobile
launcher....[1]
This from an Associated Press on Friday,
Dec. 24:
A government statement says the test
involved a mobile version of the top-of-the
line Topol-M. Military officials say
the missile is capable of hitting targets
more than six-thousand miles away. Russia's
official news agency says today's
launch is expected to be the last of
four test-firings of the Topol-M's mobile
version before its deployment
set for next year.[2]
Now check out this from Rediff.com on
Dec. 25:
"Russia on Saturday successfully tested
its Generation-next hypersonic inter-continental
ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of
dodging any future missile shield."[3]
When exactly was the last firing? And
how many missiles were actually fired?
According to their release, one may
never know: "The missiles
can carry up to 1’200 kilograms
in warheads and have a range of about
10’000 kilometers. Reportedly
able to conduct in-flight maneuvers
and to avoid detection and interception,
the Topol-M is sometimes presented by
the Russian military as Moscow’s
response to the US National Missile
Defense shield (NMD) program."
And where???
Dec. 20 - "The missile division deployed
in the Orenburg region, which launched
a missile for the last time in 1991,
will launch a combat-training version
of the RS-20V Voyevoda (NATO codename
SS 18 Satan)." This week the
Strategic Missile Forces are going to
launch two intercontinental ballistic
missiles (ICBMs), the SMF press
service said.
Dec. 20 - "The missile was fired from
a mobile launcher at the Plesetsk launch
pad in the northern region of Arkhangelsk..."
Dec. 22 - "It was fired from a missile
base Dombarovka in the Orenburg region,
some 1’300 kilometers southeast
of Moscow." [6]
Dec. 24 - "Friday's launch is expected
to be the last of four test-firings
of the Topol-M's mobile version before
its deployment set for next year [7]
Dec. 25 - "In the presence of Defence
Minister Sergei Ivanov and Economic
Development Minister Gherman Gref, a
RS12M2 Topol-M mobile ICBM was test
launched at 1239 hours (1509 IST) from
the cosmodrome Plisetsk in north Russia.
This was the fourth successful test
of the new missile before its induction
in 2005." See Also [10]
Hey, that's more than 2 or 4???
State tests of the silo-based Topol-M
inter-continental ballistic missile's
(ICBM's) mobile ground-based version,
as well as those of the Bulava
(Mace) new-generation submarine-launched
ballistic missile (SLBM), are being
conducted rather successfully, Ivanov
told those present. [8]
After President Bush signed a 2002
nuclear arms reduction treaty with Russia,
the U.S. intelligence community concluded
that it would be unable to verify reliably
whether the Kremlin was abiding by the
pact.
The intelligence agencies issued the
warning because the treaty didn't require
that each side be allowed to inspect
the other's long-range nuclear missiles
and bombers and warhead storage facilities.
The Bush administration had opposed
mutual inspection during negotiations
with the Russians.[11]
2. Are
the missiles capable of reaching this
distance from Russia?
04/20/04...the
launch from Plesetsk tested the Topol-M
at its maximum range of approximately
11,000km (approximately 6,830
miles). As a result, the dummy warhead
struck a target in neutral waters of
the Pacific Ocean to the south of the
Aleutian Islands....[4]
Distance from Archangel region of Russia
where missiles were fired (64°
33' N, 40° 32' E) to the point
of contact stated by the USGS Earthquake
site (3.251°N, 95.799°E):
8098.440
kilometers or 5032.138 miles
3. Is Russia playing war games
with the U.S.?
There have been numerous reports of
Russia flexing its military muscle.
These latest missile launches are yet
another example of Bush and Putin revving
up the Cold War again. From Russia's
recent agreements to join China in military
maneuvers to Bush gathering alliances
to join his Missile
Shield program. Check out just one
example of the little games you don't
hear about
Their appearance was as dramatic as
it was unexpected. They came without
warning and left in their wake a trail
of confusion and shock. The Russian
SU-27 and its reconnaissance escort
flew in tandem, flying low and fast,
exactly as if they had been on a strike
mission. Their target was the prized
centrepiece of the US Seventh Fleet
in the Sea of Japan, the USS Kitty Hawk.
Somehow, through a combination of skill
and daring they evaded the radars and
look-outs of an entire naval Battle-group
to swoop past the aircraft carrier at
its centre. If this had been for real
the Kitty Hawk would have been sunk
or the planes shot down; but the planes
were not shot down because the Battle-fleet
was taken completely by surprise, moreover
this happened not just once but three
times in late October and November last
year. Then, as if to add insult to injury,
the Russians emailed photos to the Pentagon
taken by their planes as they buzzed
the Kitty Hawk. Interfax quoted Russian
naval spokesman Anatoly Kornukov as
saying the buzzing of the USS Kitty
Hawk had been a “planned operation...
Our jets' appearance was a big surprise
for Americans," Kornukov said. “The
photos clearly show the panic on the
carrier's deck.” " TruthSeeker
"Quietly and deliberately the Russian
and Chinese military machines are being
rebuilt and readied, or in the words
of Russia’s naval commander Adm.
Vladimir Kuroyedov: “It is time
for our ships to move away from the
pier.”
"THIS MESSAGE IS FOR INFORMATION ONLY.
THERE IS NO TSUNAMI WARNING OR WATCH
IN EFFECT. AN EARTHQUAKE HAS OCCURRED
WITH THESE PRELIMINARY PARAMETERS.
ORIGIN TIME -- 0059Z 26 DEC 2004.
COORDINATES -- 3.4 NORTH 95.7 EAST
LOCATION -- OFF THE COAST OF NORTHERN
SUMATRA
MAGNITUDE -- 8.0
EVALUATION:
THIS EARTHQUAKE IS LOCATED OUTSIDE THE
PACIFIC. NO DESTRUCTIVE TSUNAMI THREAT
EXISTS BASED ON HISTORICAL EARTHQUAKE
AND TSUNAMI DATA.
Don Blakeman, a USGS geophysicist, was
about to have Christmas dinner when
his pager went off — a computer-generated
warning that a major quake had just
occurred. A colleague, Julie Martinez,
also was paged and began analyzing data
on her home computer while Blakeman
drove to the office.
As data from more and more stations
began to arrive, Blakeman revised the
estimate of the temblor's magnitude
to 8.5 — a threefold increase
in size. He triggered a computer
program that notified the White House,
State Department and major relief agencies
of a massive quake.
I personally copied the data from the
USGS
Earthquake site on Sunday. Changes
made to the listing since then are in
BOLD.
Magnitude 9.0
Date-Time Sunday, December 26, 2004
at 00:58:50 (UTC) = Coordinated Universal
Time [00:58:53]
Sunday, December 26, 2004 at 6:58:50
AM = local time at epicenter [07:58:53]
1 Hour Difference!!
Location 3.251°N, 95.799°E
[3.316°N, 95.854°E]
Depth 10 km (6.2 miles) set by location
program [30 km (18.6 miles)]
Region OFF THE WEST COAST OF NORTHERN
SUMATRA
Distances
255 km (160 miles) SSE of Banda Aceh,
Sumatra, Indonesia
320 km (200 miles) W of Medan, Sumatra,
Indonesia
1275 km (790 miles) SSW of BANGKOK,
Thailand
1605 km (990 miles) NW of JAKARTA, Java,
Indonesia
Location Uncertainty horizontal +/-
8.9 km (5.5 miles); depth fixed by location
program
Parameters Nst=169, Nph=169, Dmin=>999
km, Rmss=1.4 sec, Gp= 29° [Nst=276,
Nph=276, Dmin=654.9 km, Rmss=1.04 sec,
Gp= 29°],
M-type=teleseismic moment magnitude
(Mw), Version=9
Source USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)
Event ID usslav Felt Reports At least 3,000 people
killed in Sri Lanka, 2,300 in India,
2,000 in Indonesia, 289 in Thailand,
42 in Malaysia, 8 in Somalia and 2 in
Bangladesh by tsunamis. Tsunamis also
occurred on the coasts of Maldives and
Cocos Island. At least 200 people killed,
buildings destroyed or damaged in the
Banda Aceh area, Sumatra. Felt widely
in Sumatra. Also felt in Bangladesh,
India, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore
and Thailand. This is now the fourth
largest earthquake in the world since
1900 and is the largest since the 1964
Prince William Sound, Alaska earthquake.
They have changed the TIME,
DEPTH, LOCATION & PARAMETERS of the
Earthquake.
5. Is world depopulation a planned
and coordinated effort?
"We are saying with Global 2000 and
in real policy that you must lower population
rates. Population reduction and control
is now our primary policy objective-
then you can have some development."Accordingly,
the Bureau of Oceans, International
Environmental, and Scientific Affairs
has consistently blocked industrialization
policies in the Third World, denying
developing nations access to nuclear
energy technology--the policies that
would enable countries to sustain a
growing population. According to State
Department sources, and Ferguson himself,
Alexander Haig is a "firm believer"
in population control." "WORLD
DEPOPULATION IS TOP NSA AGENDA: The
Haig-Kissinger Depopulation Policy -
March 10, 1981"
6. What was that strange silence by
all world leaders??
Why were our "Leaders"
slow to react?? One can justifiably
argue that the leaders didn't react
because they simply do not care. ("Blair
still refused to come home early, but
since he was jolted into action, the
pace of the official response has accelerated
markedly.") & Annan didn't move. These
three were all on vacation, right. World
leaders are never on vacation. It's
their job NOT to be on vacation during
world disasters.
Or perhaps there was more to it. Maybe,
they were aware of something more than
a "natural disaster. They didn't even
break their silence when "Tsunami
toll rises to 68,000; aid teams arrive"
came scrolling across their TVs?? People,
I think it's safe to say that our "World
Leaders" were in war-mode, wondering
where the next hit was coming. If the
Russians did "preempt" Bush's fake war,
it could be that Bush was regrouping...going
to plan B...
Putin, he was one of the first to call.[5]
Putin called on Sunday. Not too many
Russians lost their life in this disaster.
Not many at all...
And what about that measely $15 million.
Well, how else to take all the attention
from the fact that you have been in
your bunker awaiting war and saying
nothing than to have your buddies at
the New York Times release "Stingy-Gate"
and drive the Rove-mobile over to the
bank and throw up $350 Million, impressing
farmer Brown...
Well, that is all about this. If you
can offer any info that might strengthen
this theory or officially debunk it,
send it in. I'm leaving with this lovely
MOSCOW, December 20 (RIA Novosti) -
This week the Strategic Missile Forces
are going to launch two intercontinental
ballistic missiles (ICBMs), the SMF
press service said.
According to the press service, Russian
Missile Forces Commander Nikolai Solovtsov
will preside over both launches.
The missile division deployed in the
Orenburg region, which launched a missile
for the last time in 1991, will launch
a combat-training version of the RS-20V
Voyevoda (NATO codename SS 18 Satan).
"This Voyevoda launch will be the first
in a series of planned events. It will
also be another step in fulfilling the
President's task of making as much use
as possible of the technological potential
of missile systems by extending their
service life beyond the producer warranty
life," the Strategic Missile Force spokesman
said.
The combat training launch will not
be the only one this week, as the Topol
M, a fifth-generation ICBM, will be
launched at Plesetsk Space Center from
a state-of-the-art mobile launcher.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov
and Economic Development and Trade Minister
German Gref are expected to attend the
launch at the space center.
The Topol M mobile missile system is
world-unique and much superior in its
combat performance to its predecessor
Topol. Silo-based and mobile Topol Ms
will make up the core of Russia's missile
force for many years to come.
According to open press, the Russian
Strategic Missile Force operates silo-based
Topol M systems. In the future, mobile
launchers will become operational along
with silo-based ones. The first stationary
Topol M RS-12s (NATO codename SS-X27)
entered the Russian inventory in 1997.
According to official data, each of
the four currently active missile regiments
armed with the Topol Ms operates six
to ten intercontinental ballistic missiles.
The Topol M has the following characteristics:
length (incl. warhead) - 22.7 meters,
diameter - 1.95 meters, takeoff weight
- 47.2 tons, payload - 1.2 tons, operational
range - over 10,000 kilometers. It has
three engines, which enable the vehicle
to supercede the cruising speed of all
previously made peers.
The RS-20 Voyevoda (the Satan) has a
takeoff weight of about 211 tons, a
length of around 34 meters, and an operational
range of over 10,000 kilometers with
the independent inertial navigation
system. The 8.8-ton warhead includes
ten independently targetable re-entry
vehicles whose total power is equal
to 1,200 Hiroshima nuclear bombs. A
single missile can totally eliminate
500 square kilometers of enemy defenses.
MOSCOW Officials in Moscow say the Russian
military has successfully test-fired
an intercontinental ballistic missile.
A government statement says the test
involved a mobile version of the top-of-the
line Topol-M. Military officials say
the missile is capable of hitting targets
more than six-thousand miles away.
Russia's official news agency says today's
launch is expected to be the last of
four test-firings of the Topol-M's mobile
version before its deployment set for
next year.
Media reports have said the missile
lifts off faster than its predecessors
and maneuvers in a way that makes it
more difficult to spot and intercept.
Copyright 2004 Associated Press. All
rights reserved. This material may not
be published, broadcast, rewritten,
or redistributed.
Russia on Saturday successfully tested
its Generation-next hypersonic inter-continental
ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of
dodging any future missile shield.
In the presence of Defence Minister
Sergei Ivanov and Economic Development
Minister Gherman Gref, a RS12M2 Topol-M
mobile ICBM was test launched at 1239
hours (1509 IST) from the cosmodrome
Plisetsk in north Russia.
Twenty-five minutes later it scored
a bulls-eye 6,000 kilometres away at
the Kura range in Kamchatka in the far
east, the defence ministry said.
This was the fourth successful test
of the new missile before its induction
in 2005.
Topol-M ICBMs will become the 'backbone'
of the Russian nuclear missile forces
by 2015 and are expected to be in service
till 2040. Equipped with three powerful
engines, they are capable of penetrating
through multi-layered enemy missile
defences.
In November, addressing his top generals,
President Vladimir Putin had shocked
the world by announcing plans to shortly
deploy 'unique missiles capable of penetrating
any future missile defence systems under
development' in the US.
In the late 1980s, responding to US
president Ronald Regan's 'Star Wars'
plans, the then Soviet president Mikhail
Gorbachev had cautioned that the USSR
will take 'asymmetrical' measures, which
would turn the US missile shield costing
hundreds of billion dollars into a 'useless
toy'.
Russia on Saturday successfully tested
its Generation-next hypersonic inter-continental
ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of
dodging any future missile shield.
In the presence of Defence Minister
Sergei Ivanov and Economic Development
Minister Gherman Gref, a RS12M2 Topol-M
mobile ICBM was test launched at 1239
hours (1509 IST) from the cosmodrome
Plisetsk in north Russia.
Twenty-five minutes later it scored
a bulls-eye 6,000 kilometres away at
the Kura range in Kamchatka in the far
east, the defence ministry said.
This was the fourth successful test
of the new missile before its induction
in 2005.
Topol-M ICBMs will become the 'backbone'
of the Russian nuclear missile forces
by 2015 and are expected to be in service
till 2040. Equipped with three powerful
engines, they are capable of penetrating
through multi-layered enemy missile
defences.
In November, addressing his top generals,
President Vladimir Putin had shocked
the world by announcing plans to shortly
deploy 'unique missiles capable of penetrating
any future missile defence systems under
development' in the US.
In the late 1980s, responding to US
president Ronald Regan's 'Star Wars'
plans, the then Soviet president Mikhail
Gorbachev had cautioned that the USSR
will take 'asymmetrical' measures, which
would turn the US missile shield costing
hundreds of billion dollars into a 'useless
toy'.
MOSCOW, Dec. 26 (Xinhuanet) -- Russian
President Vladimir Putin onSunday sent
condolences to leaders of the Asian
nations which were hit by tidal waves
caused by a devastating earthquake off
Indonesia's northwest coast.
Putin conveyed his deep condolences
to leaders of India, Indonesia, Thailand,
and Sri Lanka over the enormous loss
of life and material damages in the
catastrophe, the Kremlin said in a statement.
More than 4,000 Asian people have been
reportedly killed by horrible tsunamis
triggered by the devastating earthquake
measured8.9 on the Richter scale, which
jolted sea areas northwest of Indonesia's
Sumatra Sunday morning.
The Interfax news agency here reported
that the Russian Embassyin Thailand
had confirmed that an unspecified number
of Russian citizens were among the victims
at the scenic resort of Phuket Island.
ISN SECURITY WATCH (22/12/04) - For
the first time since the collapse of
the Soviet Union in 1991, Russia's Strategic
Missile Forces (RVSN) has successfully
test-fired on Russian territory a heavy
intercontinental ballistic missile RS-20V
Voevoda, classified by NATO as the SS-18
Satan. The RS-20, the heaviest in the
inventory of the Russia's strategic
nuclear forces, was fired today from
a silo in the Urals Mountains and hit
its target at the Kamchatka Peninsula
in the Far East, more than 6’000
kilometers away. RVSN's spokesman told
RIA Novosti news agency today that the
test was the first in a series that
RVSN has planned under orders from President
Vladimir Putin to boost the effectiveness
of the deployment of the Russian nuclear
potential. After a thorough examination
of the test-fire results, RVSN may decide
to prolong the Satan missile deployment
span for another year. The missiles
were produced in the late 1980's. The
missile that was fired today had been
deployed for combat for 16 years, according
to Interfax news agency. It was fired
from a missile base Dombarovka in the
Orenburg region, some 1’300 kilometers
southeast of Moscow. Since 1991, heavy
missiles were not fired from bases,
as it was believed to be too dangerous.
Instead, they were fired from Baikonur
spacecraft and missile facilities in
Northern Kazakhstan. Satan missile's
range is 10’000 kilometers and
it can carry 10 warheads and is believed
to be able to destroy objects within
an area of 500 square kilometers. On
Friday, Russia will test-fire a mobile
version of the Topol-M intercontinental
ballistic missile from the Plesetsk
missile base in the northern Arkhangelsk
region. An unnamed Defense Ministry
official told Interfax that it would
be the last test for the mobile Topol-M
missile, after which it would be deployed
to serve as the chief weapon for Russia's
strategic missile forces. The Topol-M
system has been deployed in silos since
1998. The missiles can carry up to 1’200
kilograms in warheads and have a range
of about 10’000 kilometers. Reportedly
able to conduct in-flight maneuvers
and to avoid detection and interception,
the Topol-M is sometimes presented by
the Russian military as Moscow’s
response to the US National Missile
Defense shield (NMD) program. President
Putin has repeatedly called on Russia’s
defense forces to boost the country’s
strategic nuclear potential. Two months
ago, he announced that Russia was developing
a new nuclear missile system that no
other nuclear-armed nation would possess
in the near future. (By Nabi Abdullaev
in Moscow)
The Russian military successfully test-fired
a mobile version of its top-of-the-line
Topol-M intercontinental ballistic missile
on Friday, officials said. The missile
was fired from a mobile launcher at
the Plesetsk launch pad in the northern
region of Arkhangelsk and hit a designated
target on a testing range on the far
eastern Kamchatka peninsula, Russia's
Strategic Missile Forces said in a statement.
Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov, Economics
Minister German Gref and other top officials
attended the launch. Friday's launch
is expected to be the last of four test-firings
of the Topol-M's mobile version before
its deployment set for next year, the
ITAR-Tass news agency reported. The
Topol-M missiles, capable of hitting
targets more than 6,000 miles away,
have been in silos since 1998 and about
40 are on duty now, according to military
officials. Russian media reports have
said the missile lifts off faster than
its predecessors and maneuvers in a
way that makes it more difficult to
spot and intercept. It is also reportedly
capable of blasting off even after a
nuclear explosion close to its silo.
"The missile can penetrate all invented
and even yet to be invented missile
systems, including those equipped with
space-based elements, with high probability,"
said Yuri Solomonov, who heads the Moscow
Institute of Thermal Systems which designed
and manufactured the missile. The deployed
Topol-Ms have been fitted with single
nuclear warheads, but officials have
mentioned plans to equip each missile
with three individually targeted warheads.
President Vladimir Putin has said Russia
is developing new strategic nuclear
weapons excelling anything which other
nations have. Military analysts have
said the new weapon would likely be
based on the Topol-M.
MOSCOW, December 10, (RIA Novosti) -
Russia, which unfailingly abides by
all previously signed and ratified international
agreements, aspires for the well-balanced
development of strategic nuclear forces
and to maintain their personnel at required
levels. This was disclosed to foreign
military diplomats today in Moscow by
Russia's Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov.
According to Ivanov, the Yury Dolgoruky
fourth-generation SSBN (Strategic Submarine
Ballistic Nuclear) will be commissioned
next year, with the Russian Air Force
receiving two Tupolev Tu-160 Blackjack
strategic bombers.
State tests of the silo-based Topol-M
inter-continental ballistic missile's
(ICBM's) mobile ground-based version,
as well as those of the Bulava (Mace)
new-generation submarine-launched ballistic
missile (SLBM), are being conducted
rather successfully, Ivanov told those
present.
In Ivanov's words, general-purpose forces
will receive a lot of new and revamped
weaponry and combat hardware; permanent-readiness
units and elements will be getting them,
in the first place.
As of January 1, 2005, Russia's Armed
Forces will have 1,207,000 officers
and soldiers, as well as 876,000 civilian
personnel, after incorporating the railroad
force.
At the same time, we are guided by geopolitical
requirements and the defense-sufficiency
principle, while planning our military
potential's possible use, Ivanov informed
his audience.
As far as our Armed Forces' mass-destruction
weapons are concerned, I can assure
you that the Defense Ministry attaches
priority to guarding such weapons against
terrorists, etc., Ivanov stressed.
According to Ivanov, the first special
Russian peace-keeping brigade will be
established by February 2005 on the
basis of one of the Volga-Urals military
district's mechanized-infantry units.
This brigade will take part in a joint
Russia-NATO program for enhancing combat
compatibility of national military formations.
This program stipulates quite a few
joint combat-training, language-training
and other related projects, Ivanov explained.
The peace-keeping brigade will have
just over 2,000 men, comprising three
mechanized-infantry battalions, a reconnaissance
battalion, as well as logistics-support
units, Ivanov noted in conclusion.
MOSCOW, DECEMBER 24, (RIA Novosti) -
Russia's Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov,
as well as Economic Development and
Trade Minister German Gref, are to observe
the launch of the fifth-generation Topol-M
intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM)
at the Plesetsk space center in the
Arkhangelsk region (northern European
Russia) December 24. Ukraine's Sich-1M
satellite is to lift off atop a Cyclone-3
launch vehicle from Plesetsk today,
as well.
Talking to RIA Novosti, people at the
Russian Defense Ministry noted that
the Strategic Missile Forces and the
Space Forces will jointly test-fire
this Topol-M ICBM from a self-propelled
launcher.
The mobile Topol-M ICBM complex is unique
in itself. Unlike its predecessor, i.e.
the Topol ICBM, the new complex boasts
a much more impressive combat potential,
as well as greater serviceability. Plans
are in place to deploy silo-based and
mobile Topol-M ICBMs.
These objectives were accomplished by
adapting missile warheads to missile
defense system conditions, as well as
by enhancing ICBM mobility and secrecy
levels. Consequently, such ICBMs cannot
be detected by technical reconnaissance
systems easily enough.
The Topol-M ICBM (warhead included)
measures 22.7 meters long and 1.95 meters
in diameter. Its lift-off mass and combat
load totals 47.2 tons and 1.2 tons,
respectively. This ICBM has a range
of more than 10,000 km. the Topol-M's
three engines enable it to fly much
faster than previous missile types.
Moreover, the new ICBM's several dozen
auxiliary engines and guidance systems
propel it along an unpredictable trajectory;
enemy tracking stations will therefore
have trouble detecting it.
Apart from the Topol-M, it is intended
to launch Ukraine's Sich-1M satellite
atop a Cyclone-3 rocket and the KS5
MF-2 tiny satellite from Plesetsk at
2.20 p.m. Moscow time.
The Sich-1M is a remote-sensing satellite
for conducting optical, infrared and
microwave observations of the terrestrial
surface for economic purposes. This
spacecraft would also be expected to
conduct scientific experiments in the
field of ionosphere and magnetosphere
studies.
For its own part, the KS5 MF-2 tiny
satellite will photograph the terrestrial
surface.
The Sich-1M spacecraft consists of an
airtight body which is connected with
four fly-open panels featuring sensors
and equipment packages. The body's opposite
bottom is fitted with a gravity stabilizer,
as well as a solar-battery servo-drive
and current collector. Satellite equipment
is installed on girders inside the airtight
body, comprising a specialized complex
and an auxiliary complex, too.
The Sich-1M will be orbited by a Cyclone-3
rocket, what with the mission-control
center near Moscow guiding the spacecraft
during the initial stage. The Yevpatoria-based
national spacecraft control-and-testing
center in the Crimea (an autonomous
republic of Ukraine) will then take
over.
WASHINGTON - After President Bush signed
a 2002 nuclear arms reduction treaty
with Russia, the U.S. intelligence community
concluded that it would be unable to
verify reliably whether the Kremlin
was abiding by the pact.
The intelligence agencies issued the
warning because the treaty didn't require
that each side be allowed to inspect
the other's long-range nuclear missiles
and bombers and warhead storage facilities.
The Bush administration had opposed
mutual inspection during negotiations
with the Russians.
Some U.S. lawmakers and many arms-control
experts raised similar concerns about
the lack of verification mechanisms
in the 2002 Strategic Offensive Reductions
Treaty, or SORT, after it was concluded.
The intelligence community laid out
its misgivings to Bush, his senior advisers
and members of Congress a month after
he and Russian President Vladimir Putin
signed the treaty.
The assessment, which reflected the
consensus of 15 civilian and military
intelligence agencies, concluded that
Russia's precarious finances would force
it to slash to about 1,500 the number
of nuclear warheads deployed in bombers,
submarine-launched missiles and intercontinental
ballistic missiles.
But the assessment said there could
be circumstances in which Russia could
deploy without detection by the United
States a few hundred more warheads than
the 2,200 allowed by SORT.
Bush's decision to sign an arms reduction
agreement with no verification procedures
was an attempt to move the Cold War
U.S.-Soviet rivalry toward a Russo-American
partnership. After he and Putin met
in June 2001, Bush said: "I found him
to be very straightforward and trustworthy.
... I was able to get a sense of his
soul." Bush later added that he'd liked
Putin because he'd referred to "a higher
power."
Since then, however, Putin's attempts
to interfere in Ukraine's election,
his continuing efforts to maintain influence
over other former Soviet republics,
and his attacks on critics in the press
and the business community have strained
relations.
At a news conference on Monday, Bush
said that during his second term, he
would discuss with the Russians ways
to give each side access to the other's
nuclear storage facilities.
"I think one of the things we need to
do is give the Russians equal access
to our sites, our nuclear storage sites,
to see what works and what doesn't work,
to build confidence between our two
governments," he said. Bush and Putin
plan to meet in February.
A senior administration official, speaking
on condition of anonymity, said Bush
was referring to joint efforts to prevent
nuclear materials from falling into
the hands of terrorists and that the
administration wasn't changing its position
on the lack of verification measures
in the treaty.
SORT, signed by Bush and Putin on May
24, 2002, required the United States
and Russia to reduce by Dec. 31, 2012,
the number of nuclear warheads installed
on long-range bombers, land-based intercontinental
ballistic missiles and submarine-launched
missiles to no more than 2,200.
At the time, each side had an estimated
5,000 to 6,000 warheads on long-range
missiles and bombers.
Unlike earlier strategic arms reduction
treaties, the pact didn't require the
two countries to destroy warheads and
launchers taken out of service, allowing
them to keep as many as they wanted
in their reserve stockpiles, poised
for rapid redeployment.
Moreover, the treaty lacked the robust
verification measures, such as regular
on-site inspections, that had been the
cornerstones of ensuring both sides'
compliance with earlier treaties.
Those pacts included the 1991 Strategic
Arms Reduction Treaty, or START, which
was signed by Bush's father and required
the sides to slash their deployed warheads
to no more than 6,000 by 2001.
But START's expiration in 2009 - three
years before SORT must be fully implemented
- will end all onsite inspections and
other verification measures that Russia
and the United States now undertake.
In its assessment, the intelligence
community said that if START verification
procedures were extended through 2012,
it would be able to verify Russian compliance
with SORT with a high degree of certainty.
Without such an extension, the United
States could no longer know with certainty
what the Russians had.
The Bush administration had other reasons
for excluding verification from the
treaty. The White House and Pentagon
wanted to preserve U.S. flexibility
to increase the number of deployed nuclear
warheads beyond the SORT limit in the
event of renewed tensions with Russia
or the emergence of a new nuclear-armed
rival.
At the time, experts also saw the administration's
push for the treaty as a way of soothing
the impact on Russia of Bush's decision
in late 2002 to withdraw the United
States from a treaty banning both sides
from deploying nationwide anti-missile
defenses.
