Putin has said Russia will deploy weapons to defeat the U.S.-led missile threat. How do you see this eventually playing out?

2015-11-10T15:02:41-05:00

MOSCOW (AP) -- Russia will counter NATO's U.S.-led missile defense program by deploying new strike weapons capable of piercing the shield, President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday.

Putin told defense officials that by developing defenses against ballistic missiles Washington aims to "neutralize" Russia's strategic nuclear deterrent and gain a "decisive military superiority."

He said that Moscow will respond by developing "strike systems capable of penetrating any missile defenses."

"Over the past three years, companies of the military-industrial complex have created and successfully tested a number of prospective weapons systems that are capable of performing combat missions in a layered missile defense system. Such systems have already begun to enter the military this year. And now we are talking about development of new types of weapons," Putin said.

His statement comes amid a severe strain in Russia's relations with the U.S. and its NATO allies, which have plunged to the lowest point since the Cold War over the crisis in Ukraine.

For many years, the Kremlin has protested the U.S.-led missile shield, voicing concern that it could eventually become capable of intercepting Russia's nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missiles, thus eroding the strength of the nation's nuclear deterrent.

Washington, in turn, has argued that the shield was aimed to fend off missile threats from nations such as Iran and North Korea and wouldn't be capable of dealing with the massive Russian nuclear arsenal.

Putin argued Tuesday that the U.S. has kept working on the missile shield despite Iran's deal with six world powers that has curbed its nuclear program in exchange for relief from international sanctions.

"So, references to the Iranian and the North Korean nuclear missile threat just have served to cover up the true plans, and their true task is to neutralize nuclear potential of other nuclear powers, ... Russia in particular," Putin said. "Regrettably, our concerns and cooperation proposals haven't been taken into account."

Putin added that in the future Russia may also work on the development of its own missile defense systems, but will now focus primarily on commissioning new strike weapons.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia aims to spend less on its missile-defense system than the United States has done.

"The Russian president has repeatedly said that we are not going to follow the United States' lead and spend stratospheric amounts on a missile-defense system," he told journalists. "The president has been saying the options we choose are much lower in cost but no less, and maybe even more, efficient."

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_RUSSIA_MILITARY?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2015-11-10-10-08-12

News from The Associated Press

MOSCOW (AP) -- Russia will counter NATO's U.S.-led missile defense program by deploying new strike weapons capable of piercing the shield, President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday.

Response by SFC Michael Hasbun made Nov 10 at 2015 3:04 PM

2015-11-10T15:04:09-05:00

They'll eventually overtake us technologically while we are debating Starbucks cups and the Kardashians....

Response by MSgt Curtis Ellis made Nov 10 at 2015 3:22 PM

2015-11-10T15:22:44-05:00

For now, it's all feather ruffling and flexing until the next President steps up... Ask us this once he/she is in power...

Response by LTC Stephen F. made Nov 10 at 2015 3:28 PM

2015-11-10T15:28:34-05:00

I see this see this eventually playing out as a standoff in Eastern Europe which will formalize the cold war between east and west until either the Russian economy bottoms out or NATO nations and US economies bottoms out. Most likely the western nations populaces will loose their will and unless a President with the fortitude and vision of Ronald Reagan is in office and he wlil stand up to the Russian bear until that nation collapses under its own internal struggles.

Response by LTC John Shaw made Nov 10 at 2015 3:38 PM

2015-11-10T15:38:56-05:00

CPO Andy Carrillo, MS This is all bluff from Putin. I don't see any real systems behind his talk, nothing that the US has not already developed before.

Response by CSM Michael J. Uhlig made Nov 10 at 2015 3:51 PM

2015-11-10T15:51:31-05:00

Putin has a real problem with exaggeration!

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 10 at 2015 6:34 PM

2015-11-10T18:34:20-05:00

Interesting. The world deploys a shield, obviously a defensive measure and Putin announces plans to develop/deploy weapons to defeat the shield. Hmmm looks like the cold war has returned.

Our reliance on technology is IMO the weak link in this and many other systems. Look at the stuxnet virus, how hard would it be to create a similar program that would disable this missile defense system or other C2 systems for that matter?

Response by SGT Michael Bond made Nov 10 at 2015 7:46 PM

2015-11-10T19:46:37-05:00

Time to do the impossible, get the American people to unite for the sake of a our military strength. That is our need not another thing, keep building, keep improving, and keep us safe.
January 2017 is a long way off, and we will still have a President that is super worried about his legacy. And that is somewhat aimed at the military. Guantonamo for example.
Also a strong military means good recruiting, yet with the lack of any COLA this year retirement will be looked at as weak by alot of smart recruits. We want smart recruits, we want career military, we need to insure we get it. How? Not sure but I know only the minds of Americans can help keep it strong. Maybe we retired should be more involved with youth too, because the Muslims are. Change can only happen with stopping the bad ideas.
Putin has analized us and with their recon on us he is making a big move. We counter or lose. Canwe? Yes we can, but we have to want it.

Response by LCDR Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 11 at 2015 12:23 AM

2015-11-11T00:23:53-05:00

All bluster, no substance.

Response by SSG Edward Tilton made Apr 5 at 2017 11:43 AM

2017-04-05T11:43:39-04:00

Russia pulled out of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbedzhan, Kazakstan Uzbekstan, Turkumenstan, Tadjikistan, Kyrzigistan, Romania, Bulgaria, Albania, Hungary, Czeckoslovakia, East Germany and Poland. In their wake comes NATO, installing missiles on their border. I wonder why they are upset.