Russia may develop nuclear offensive, arms race – Serdyukov

Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov

Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov on Wednesday said that Russia would develop its own offensive nuclear force if NATO fails to come to agreement over the European defense shield.

“We have no other way, otherwise we’ll just have to develop an arms race,” Serdyukov said after a Russia-NATO meeting in Brussels.

The talks in Brussels, he said, did not result in the solution of conceptual approaches and the Russia-NATO working group on the missile shield issue only managed to agree on the plan of work for 2011.

Gates Laments Delay in Missile-Defense Agreement With Russia

By Viola Gienger

Defense Secretary Robert Gates today lamented delays in efforts to reach agreement with Russia to cooperate on a U.S.-led NATO missile defense system that leaders in Moscow have persistently opposed.

Gates commented at end of two days of meetings on a range of issues that included Afghanistan and Libya and featured the first meeting of defense ministers within the North Atlantic Treaty Organization-Russia Council in three years. The council is intended to improve relations between the former Cold War adversaries.

NATO, Russia clash again on Missile Defense

The current Secretary-General of NATO, Fugh Rasmussen

BRUSSELS—NATO and Russia clashed again Wednesday over the alliance’s plan to build a missile defense system, but NATO’s leader said he is optimistic the two sides can iron out their differences in time for a summit next May.

Russia will counter any NATO missile defense – Russian envoy

Russia can develop missile systems capable of penetrating any missile defense deployed by NATO, Russia’s envoy to the alliance Dmitry Rogozin said on Tuesday.

“Any attempts by those in NATO who dream of neutralizing our strategic potential will be futile,” Rogozin said in an interview with the Rossiya-24 TV channel. “We have enough capacity to create both defensive and offensive means to counter any missile threat and to penetrate any missile defense.”

Russia needs AMD guarantees from U.S., not NATO – Rogozin

Dmitry Ragozin, Kremlin Ambassador to NATO

Russia needs legal guarantees that a future European missile defense system will not be targeted against it, the Kremlin’s Ambassador to NATO Dmitry Rogozin repeated on Tuesday.

Russia to Continue Developing Missile Defense System

The fallout from the strategic arms reduction treaty that Russia has just signed with the United States has caused the Russian Federation to move forward in its plans to build its own missile defense system.

China’s New Missile Capability Raises Tensions

According to Adm. Robert F. Willard, Commander of the US Pacific Command, the Chinese military have created a new ballistic missile  that is now capable of destroying aircraft carriers.

Obama backs Seoul and demands North Korea give up nukes

U.S President Barack Obama told North Korea  stick to its commitment to abandon atomic weapons, throwing his support behind ally South Korea ahead of talks to try to calm tension on the divided peninsula.

Raytheon gets $145M contract for Kuwait defense

The defense contractor Raytheon. Corp, has just been awarded a  $145 million dollar contract from the U.S Army Aviation and Missile Command.  The contract  will have  Raytheon  build  patriot missiles for Kuwaits air and missile defense systems.   Raytheon  at the same time will be continuing to develop an upgrade for Kuwait’s radar system.

Russian Defense Minister to Discuss Cooperation With Gates on U.S. Visit

Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov will visit the U.S. next week to discuss issues such as anti-missile defense, disarmament and global stability with Defense Secretary Robert Gates.

Serdyukov will meet with Gates in Washington, visit the U.S. Naval Academy and tour an infantry base from Sept. 14-16, the minister’s spokeswoman, Irina Kovalchuk, said today in an e- mailed statement.

The talks with Gates are part of the “continuing consultations on disarmament programs, anti-missile defense, military cooperation and common responsibility for preserving strategic stability,” Sergei Prikhodko, President Dmitry Medvedev’s foreign policy aide, said in an interview.