OSCOW, Aug 28, 2008 (AFP) - Russia on Thursday successfully
tested an intercontinental ballistic missile designed to overcome
anti-missile systems, news agencies reported, citing Russia’s
strategic nuclear forces.
The Topol RS-12M missile was tested “to develop equipment for
potential combat use against ground-based ballistic missiles,”
Alexander Vovk, a spokesman for the forces, was quoted as saying by
Interfax.
“Experience shows the most economical and quickly achievable
countermeasures against the development of a missile-defence system
are so-called asymmetrical measures,” he said.
Those measures include the missile being less detectable and its
path less predictable, foiling missile-detection systems, he was
quoted as saying.
The missile was launched from the Plesetsk cosmodrome in
northern Russia and flew 6,000 kilometres (3,700 miles) to hit a
target on Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia’s Far East, RIA Novosti
reported.
Russia has been developing the missile in response to US plans
to develop a missile-defence shield using ground-based
interceptors.
Washington has signed agreements with Poland and the Czech
Republic to site elements of its shield in the two Eastern European
countries, a plan that has angered Moscow.
ao/cml/ach
Actually B. I now live in Italy...where there STILL is “Il Partito Comunista Italiano”...I may be a bit biased…
