Russia’s hypersonic weapons targets US

After INF suspension, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has warned the United States against deploying new missiles in Europe, threatening to attack Western capitals with new weaponry.

Background

On 20 October 2018, US President Donald Trump announced that he was withdrawing the US from INF (Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces) Treaty, citing Russian non-compliance. The treaty restrained the United States and Russia from possessing, producing or test flying a ground-launched cruise missile with a range of 300 miles to 3400 miles except sea-launched weapons. Russia denied the accusation of violating the treaty and in turn accused the United States of breaching the pact with missile defense installations – an allegation the State Department rejected.

US and Russia can use the abrogation of the treaty as an excuse to deploy systems elsewhere in Europe. They can also develop new weapons to counter the capability of China in missile development.  Russia is developing two types of missiles and one glider, all capable of deploying both conventional and nuclear warheads.

Analysis

With tensions rising, over Russian fears that the US might deploy intermediate-range nuclear missiles in Europe, Putin has said Russia would be forced to respond by placing hypersonic nuclear missiles on submarines near US waters.

The Russian leader warned Washington against deploying any new missiles in Europe saying Moscow would consider it a “serious threat”. Delivering a state of the nation address, Putin said the US abandoned a key arms control pact – the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces treaty – to free its hands to build new missiles and tried to shift the onus on Russia. “I’m saying this clearly and openly, Russia will be forced to deploy weapons that can be used… against the decision-making centres that are behind the missile systems which threaten us,” Putin said “But if such a deployment takes place, our response will be instant,” Dmitry Kiselyov said.

Dmitry Kiselyov, the presenter of Russia’s main weekly TV news programme, Vesti Nedeli, showed a map of the US and identified several targets that Moscow would hone, in the event of a nuclear war. The targets, which Kiselyov described as US military command centres, included Fort Ritchie, a military training centre in Maryland closed in 1998, McClellan air force base in California, which closed in 2001, and Jim Creek, a naval communications base in Washington state.

Russian military ships and submarines equipped with Tsircon hypersonic missiles will be capable of destroying command centers on the territory of the United States in five minutes, said Retired Counter Admiral Vsevolov Khmyrov. “This is a hypersonic missile called Tsirkon. It will have the speed of mach 9, it has a range of 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) and can hit the navy or land targets.

Putin said the first batch of Avangard hypersonic glide vehicles will be deployed this year. He added the tests of the new Sarmat heavy intercontinental ballistic, missile, the Burevestnik nuclear-powered cruise missile and the Poseidon nuclear-powered underwater drone have been progressing successfully.

While issuing a tough warning to the US, Putin also said Russia still wants friendly relations with Washington and remains open to arms control talks. “We don’t want confrontation, particularly with a global power as the US,” he said. Putin has said Russia does not want a new arms race, but he has dialled up his military rhetoric.

“President Putin’s remarks are a continuation of Russia’s propaganda effort to avoid responsibility for Russia’s actions in violation of the INF Treaty,” added a State Department spokeswoman on condition of anonymity. NATO condemned Putin’s “unacceptable” threats. The US said it had no immediate plans to deploy such missiles in Europe and dismissed Putin’s warnings as disingenuous propaganda. It does not currently have ground-based intermediate-range nuclear missiles that it could place in Europe.

Assessment

Our assessment is that Russia’s hypersonic weapons aren’t covered by any nuclear arms treaty.  We feel that if the New START accord with Russia is not extended, the world will return to an era without any legally binding or verifiable limits on the two biggest nuclear powers for the first time since 1972.

We feel that the implication of this decision could be an unchecked arms race, with each seeking to increase its nuclear capabilities – both offensive and defensive – in their effort to preserve what is known as ‘first strike capability'

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Image Courtesy - Northrop F-20 (Reg. No. N4416T) in flight firing a AGM-65 Maverick missile. (U.S. Air Force photo)