Thursday, March 24, 2011

Russia Exploiting Obama's Eagerness For Missile Defense Treaty To Obtain Advanced US Technology



It just gets better and better with Obama, doesn't it?

Bestselling author and national defense expert Bill Gertz's column in the Washington Times tells the whole story of how Russia is using the Obama administration’s eagerness to conclude a missile defense deal as leverage to obtain advanced U.S. missile defense technology.

What the Russians are after is a defense technology cooperation agreement that will get them access to America's advanced hit-to-kill missile defense system, the key technology for our most current strategic long-range and tactical short-range defense systems.That's why they made a sudden U-turn in opposing US missile Defense systems.

The Russians love the idea of a 'swap' because they have have very little to throw into the mix except its strategic anti-missile interceptors around Moscow are armed with nuclear warheads — a system that is years behind Hit-to-Kill technology-wise and a likely target in future arms reduction talks based on Obama's START treaty anyway:

,
The notion that Moscow will share sensor data also is doubtful. Missile defense experts say Russia’s key radar are designed and deployed to detect U.S. submarine-launched missiles and are not useful in detecting Iranian missile launches, the main goal of the administration’s European-based missile defense plan.

Moscow also has problems getting U.S. technology because current law limits the transfer of technology under U.S. anti-proliferation law, specifically related to Iran, that bars Russia's government from access to U.S. high-tech exports based on its past and ongoing arms proliferation to Iran.

The Obama administration is loosening export controls as part of a major reform effort, and administration arms-control officials, including Undersecretary of State Ellen Tauscher, are hoping the reforms will make it easier to reach her long-sought goal of concluding a missile defense or defense technology deal with Moscow.

“It’s the perfect storm: loosened export controls, reset with Russia and arms control fever by the administration,” said one official concerned about the pending Russian technology cooperation.

The Pentagon is said to be lukewarm at best over missile defense cooperation because of concerns the technology will be used to counter U.S. systems or sold covertly to U.S. adversaries.

Ms. Tauscher did not respond to emails seeking comment, and her spokesman, Jonathan E. Kaplan, declined to comment.

Ms. Tauscher, undersecretary of state for international security, told a conference Monday that talks with Russia on missile defense cooperation were progressing but that a final agreement was not assured.

According to the U.S. officials, Russians close to the government stated in recent talks that their main interest in any U.S. deal is getting access to military technology generally and missile-defense know how specifically.

The interest in U.S. technology followed a sharp turnaround in Moscow policy several months ago, when the Russians said they were no longer opposed to U.S. missile defenses. The Russian military hopes its engagement and a missile defense agreement will lead to obtaining strategic hit-to-kill missile technology.

Hit-to-kill involves ultra-high-speed, non-explosive guided warheads that destroy targets such as missile warheads in flight — by slamming into them.


Un-freaking-believable. And Prez Zero's supporters have the nerve call Sarah Palin stupid? I guarantee you she's a lot smarter than this.

At this point, the Republicans could run Daffy Duck in 2012 and I'd probably vote for him over Obama. Seriously.



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1 comment:

B.Poster said...

Russian military technology is already far ahead of any thing America has to offer. There is absolutely nothing new that they can learn from our technology that they don't already have. I would very much like to see transfers like this go both ways. We should get access to some advanced Russian technology along with the teams to explain to us how it all works. Unfortunately the Russians don't just give away something because someone asks them to.

I would agree this is a stupid move on the part of the US government. Can we at least make Russia earn this victory on the battlefield? It makes absolutely no sense to simply give it to them without at least making them earn it. If this goes through, the Russians will be able to study this and perhaps combine it with their already superior weapons systems and their already lop sided military edge over America will be even bigger.

If there's a silver lining here, we once out smarted Russia before during the Regaen Administration. Perhaps history will repeat itself. God willing we will be able to outsmart the Russians again.