Russia Calls New U.S. Missile Defense System a ‘Direct Threat’

[Purveyor]

Source: New York Times

MOSCOW — As American and allied officials celebrated the opening of a long-awaited missile defense system in Europe with a ribbon cutting and a band, the reaction in Russia on Thursday suggested the system had raised the risks of a nuclear war.

Russian officials reiterated their position that the American-built system imperiled Russia’s security. But the public discussion in Russia was darker, including online commentary of how a nuclear confrontation might play out in Europe, and the prospect that Romania, the system’s host, might be reduced to “smoking ruins.”

“We have been saying right from when this story started that our experts are convinced that the deployment of the ABM system poses a certain threat to the Russian Federation,” the Kremlin spokesman, Dmitri S. Peskov, told reporters in a conference call.

“Measures are being taken to ensure the necessary level of security for Russia,” he said. “The president himself, let me remind you, has repeatedly asked who the system will work against.”

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/13/world/europe/russia-nato-us-romania-missile-defense.html?_r=0

[bananas]

1. Russia is right, and I won't be surprised if there's a nuclear war within ten years. nt

[moondust]

2. Can't really blame them.

What would be a U.S. President's response to a Russian missile "defense" system planted in Mexico or, say, Cuba? I don't know if it warrants Putin's paranoia and military moves.

[PersonNumber503602]

3. If Russia did partner with Mexico to put in a missile defense

Do you think the US would say that Mexico was risking becoming a smoking ruin? If the US did, I don't think that statement would go over to well with many.

[moondust]

4. Key word: "many"

There would probably also be "many" Americans who would cheer somebody like Trump for "being strong" and "standing up to the bad guys" and "not backing down," etc. And Trump would be somebody foolish enough to say something stupid like that. He and Pootie admire what they see in each other, ya know.

[Purveyor]

5. Clinton worries me more in this regard than Trump... nt

[moondust]

6. Flip a coin.

[Odin2005]

7. Tsar Putin can go fuck off.

[ripcord]

8. Correct me if I am wrong

But aren't the missiles used in this system useless as offensive weapons?

[EX500rider]

9. Yes...

.....basically Putin is complaining it will be harder to nuke us now...lol

"Your defensive missiles are a threat!....(to my ability to nuke you!)"

[ripcord]

10. Thanks

That is how I saw it and thought I must be missing something.

[EX500rider]

11. Even then it's a stupid complaint as Russia has more then enough missiles to overwhelm the system.

[bananas]

12. You are wrong.

Think of a Roman soldier with a sword and shield. The shield let's him walk right up to you and smash you with the sword, and there's isn't a damn thing you cab do to stop him unless you have your own sword and shield - then you can fight back.

The missile shield gives us first-strike ability, which is very destabilizing and makes both conventional and nuclear war more likely, not less.

[EX500rider]

13. Several sites with a few dozen ABM missiles..

....in no way stops Russia's 367 ICBMs with 1,248 warheads, 13 SSBNs with 591 warheads and 76 bombers with 884 warheads from getting through. It's a very stupid objection from Putin.

The US/NATO would need several thousand ABM's to have a system that could reliably knock down most of Russia's nukes.

[EX500rider]

14. And how about Russia's ABM system? That a "threat" to NATO?

68 launchers of short-range 53T6 (NATO: SH-08 'Gazelle') endoatmospheric interceptor nuclear-tipped missiles at five launch sites with 12 or 16 missiles each. Designed by NPO Novator, similar to US Sprint missile. These are tested roughly annually at the Sary Shagan test site.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A-135_anti-ballistic_missile_system