[IMG]http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/72627000/jpg/_72627133_f58ncplr.jpg[/IMG]
[QUOTE]Russia has been accused by the US of breaching a key arms control treaty banning medium-range nuclear missiles.
According to reports in the New York Times, citing US officials, Russia has been conducting flight tests since 2008 of a ground-launched cruise missile.
Such a test would fall under the treaty's parameters.
The US has not publicly stated that Moscow is in breach of the treaty but it has now briefed its Nato allies on the issue.
Washington is also reported to have raised concerns with the Russians several times during the past year but has been told that there is no issue to be resolved.
'Key component'
A Nato official contacted by the BBC responded to the reports by noting that "compliance with arms control treaties is a serious matter".
The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, the official said, was "a key component of Euro-Atlantic security, and compliance with arms control treaties is fundamental to building mutual trust and confidence, as is increased transparency in our dialogue with Russia".
The 1987 INF Treaty was one of the key arms control agreements of the Cold War years.
It eliminated an entire category of nuclear-armed weapons; land-based cruise and ballistic missiles with ranges of between 500km and 5,500km (310 miles and 3,400 miles).
This encompassed US Pershing and Cruise missiles based in Europe, along with the then Soviet Union's SS-20 systems.
Today Russia's missile inventory is complex, often with versions of land, sea and air-launched missiles that bear strong family resemblances.
Some experts believe that the cruise missile in question is the R-500; derived from the land-based Iskander-K.
Douglas Barrie, aerospace analyst at the International Institute of Strategic Studies in London, said that "if the weapon is nuclear-capable, then its range is likely to drive a large coach and horses through the INF Treaty's restrictions".
He added: "There's no doubt that the Russians can package a nuclear warhead in a weapon of this diameter, as they've done it before."
However, he noted that "open source reporting has so far associated this system generally with a conventional non-nuclear payload".
There have been persistent reports that the Russians are in some way breaching the terms of the INF Treaty.
Up to now these have focused on the testing of intercontinental ballistic missiles at much shorter ranges that would fall within those covered by the INF Treaty.
Arms control experts have tended to dismiss these allegations.
This latest controversy, though, relates to a different sort of missile; a cruise type weapon.
This episode also demonstrates the complex technical, diplomatic and political aspects involved.
The Russians are no great fans of the INF agreement which they believe - some 26 years after it was signed - reflected a very different world.
It only eliminated these weapons from the US and Soviet/Russian arsenals and, since then, several countries have developed missiles within this range.
The issue is a sensitive one diplomatically, with the US struggling to try to craft a better relationship with Moscow.
The so-called "re-set" in ties between the US and Russia has come and gone.
They can work together on issues like Syria and Iran, although with very different perspectives and goals.
Further progress on arms control looks unlikely but the last thing the US wants to do now is to call the Russians out publicly for cheating.[/QUOTE]
[url]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-25964387[/url]
Should I be scared that Russia is getting odd on us?
[QUOTE=Pvt. Martin;43734526]Should I be scared that Russia is getting odd on us?[/QUOTE]
pvt. martin then went mysteriously missing, putin denies involvement
Looks like it's something they can fire into europe or more likely the middle east without any preparation time for the targeted country.
It's like they're starting a cold war with the likes of israel.
Otherwise load it into a sub and you can do the same to the usa
[QUOTE=Reds;43734550]pvt. martin then went mysteriously missing, putin denies involvement[/QUOTE]
All this recent Russia being dickish stuff is kinda unnerving me.
I mean I try to tell myself that Russia will be fine once Putin's term ends and someone not to bad will come in and make things better for all of us and we won't relapse back to Cold war and possible Nuclear Death.
[QUOTE=Pvt. Martin;43734562]All this recent Russia being dickish stuff is kinda unnerving me.
I mean I try to tell myself that Russia will be fine once [B]Putin's term ends[/B] and someone not to bad will come in and make things better for all of us and we won't relapse back to Cold war and possible Nuclear Death.[/QUOTE]
You're gonna be waiting a while for that.
Lets just nuke those commie bastards already! :v:
Edit: To the dumbraters: It was a joke. Jesus.
If I'm not mistaken there was more to this since i remember seeing other articles that were in depth.
[QUOTE=01271;43734553]Looks like it's something they can fire into europe or more likely the middle east without any preparation time for the targeted country.
It's like they're starting a cold war with the likes of israel.
Otherwise load it into a sub and you can do the same to the usa[/QUOTE]
Highly unlikely on Israel, Russia plays ball with them also
[QUOTE=Reds;43734567]You're gonna be waiting a while for that.[/QUOTE]
I checked. Russian Presidential Terms last 6 years.
Hey Russian politicians, stop being so evil. Most Russians are totally cool people and I hate to see them besmirched with the mark Putin gives them.
[QUOTE=Pvt. Martin;43734562]All this recent Russia being dickish stuff is kinda unnerving me.
I mean I try to tell myself that Russia will be fine once Putin's term ends [/QUOTE]
It's not like he already breached the constitutional limit on number of presidency terms (our constitution only allows two consecutive terms, which [b]actually[/b] means you can't be president more than two terms [b]at all[/b], there's no loophole de-jure). He'll switch prime-minister/president untill he dies.
Don't worry though, Putin's not interested in global war, and even if he is, Russia is now utterly incapable of anything anyway. This government will just bleed the country dry and leg it before anything can happen.
[QUOTE=gudman;43734595]It's not like he already breached the constitutional limit on number of presidency terms (our constitution only allows two consecutive terms, which [b]actually[/b] means you can't be president more than two terms [b]at all[/b], there's no loophole de-jure). He'll switch prime-minister/president untill he dies.
Don't worry though, Putin's not interested in global war, and even if he is, Russia is now utterly incapable of anything anyway. This government will just bleed the country dry and leg it before anything can happen.[/QUOTE]
That sucks too.
But at least it isn't Nuclear War.
[QUOTE=Pvt. Martin;43734587]I checked. Russian Presidential Terms last 6 years.[/QUOTE]Didn't you notice how Putin skipped the 2 term limit by having Medvedev warm his seat for him for one term?
[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/xc4W6Ln.jpg[/IMG]
[QUOTE=Pvt. Martin;43734587]I checked. Russian Presidential Terms last 6 years.[/QUOTE]
Doesn't matter.
Putin has a life-time presidency, their whole system is corrupt, and it's obvious that the elections are fake.
Even if by a display of passion they let someone else become president, he'll give control back to putin in less than 12 months.
Should I be worried since Im going to Russia next month?
[QUOTE=Squad1993;43736534]Should I be worried since Im going to Russia next month?[/QUOTE]
Nah they won't nuke you.
[QUOTE=Swebonny;43736627]Nah they won't nuke you.[/QUOTE]
Shit, why did you say that?
They'll be sure to spare ten just for him now.
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