Russia and Central Asia News Digest
Say Russia Is Ahead of U.S. in Race To Build a New Generation of Nuclear Weapons
Former Russian Atomic Energy Minister Viktor Mikhailov, interviewed on the 50th anniversary of Russia's first hydrogen bomb test by Nezavisimaya Gazeta, said that Russia had maintained its lead over the U.S. in nuclear arms technology ever since the construction of the first thermonuclear bomb. While the U.S. was the first to explode a thermonuclear device, and of course the first to explode an atomic bomb, Russia had built and exploded the first hydrogen bomb on Aug. 12, 1953. This was 10 times more powerful than the first atomic bombs the U.S. dropped on Japan in 1945.
Mikhailov asserted that Russia has never relinquished its nuclear lead since that event. "Whereas before 1953 we trailed the U.S. in the sphere of nuclear weapon technology, after 1953and to this daythey have been trailing us," he told Nezavisimaya Gazeta.
Today, the "philosophy of thermonuclear weapons has changed, and on the agenda is the development of high-precision and deep-penetration nuclear bombs," Mikhailov stated. He is now head of research at the Russian Federal Nuclear Center in Sarov, Russia's key research facility for nuclear weapons programs, where all Russian nuclear bombs have been built.
Sarov Center director Dr. Radyi Ilkayev confirmed that Russia was developing new nuclear arms. "The past 15 years have been tough for our nuclear center, but we have never halted weapons programs," he was quoted by Itar-Tass. However, "in the last two years the Center has been getting government orders and hiring more staff," Ilkayev said.
Two weeks ago, President Vladimir Putin visited Sarov, where he said that nuclear weapons "have been and remain the basis of Russia's security" and that Russia "must and will remain a great nuclear power." He also said that Russia would maintain its ban on nuclear testing, but only if other nuclear powers do soa clear reference to the United States.
Ilkayev also emphasized that Russia's nuclear weapons were "safe, reliable and efficient," and did not require nuclear tests to verify their condition. "We can keep the country's nuclear arms arsenals in proper shape without conducting nuclear tests," he said. "We use computer, physical and mathematical simulation methods for this purpose."
Mikhailov, however, said that, over the next 10-15 years, Russia "can move several steps forward without resorting to nuclear tests, but drawing on past experience and three-dimensional computer simulation. But sooner or later we will have to carry out a test, even though I am not sure it will necessarily be a powerful blast."
Russian Pacific and Northern Fleets Conduct Strategic Exercise in Far Eastern Military District
Russia, starting on Aug. 17, began a large-scale strategic naval exercise in its Far East region and the Pacific Ocean. Conducted by the Pacific and Northern Fleets, the strategic and front-line aviation and troops of the Far Eastern Military District, the exercise is unprecedented in the history of the Russian Navy in terms of scale, participants, and area, Admiral Viktor Kravchenko, chief of Russia's Naval Main Staff, was quoted by Itar-Tass.
Participating are 75 ships and support vessels of the Pacific Fleet, 20 aircraft of the Northern and Pacific Fleets, and 30,000 military servicemen and civilian specialists.
The maneuvers engage subdivisions of 16 ministries and departments. They will be held in three stages: Aug. 18-19: basic preparation of forces and troops; Aug. 20-22: all round preparation of arms, military technique, deployment of troops on the territories where missions are carried out; Aug. 23-27: active exercises with observers from six countries in the Asian Pacific region. There will be 24 separate exercises, 10 in the Primoye region, seven in the northern part of the Sea of Okhotsk, and seven near Kamchatka.
The huge naval exercises are designed to safeguard regional stability, and do not pose any threat to neighboring nations, according to Russian military press.
The Pacific Fleet's press service issued a statement on Aug. 19, saying that the Pacific Fleet pledges to serve as a safeguard of both Russia's economic and political interests in the Far East and the whole region's security and stability.
A total of 60 ships and boats, 35 support ships, 70 planes and helicopters, and 70,000 servicemen and civilians are involved in the 10-day exercises which are being carried out in the Sea of Okhotsk, Bering Sea, and Sea of Japan.
In addition, South Korean and Japanese surface ships and helicopters, and a U.S. Coast Guard ship will participate. There are military observers from Canada and China. Russia had not held such joint exercises in over 15 years, said Pacific Fleet Commander Adm. Viktor Fyodorov
But a "scandal" broke out around the observers, since U.S. Defense Secretary Rumsfeld apparently told Russian Defense Minister Igor Ivanov that the U.S. wouldn't send ships, because they had received the invitation too late. Commander of the Russian Navy Central headquarters Viktor Kravchenko said the invitation had been sent out on time.
According to several press accounts, Konstantin Pulikovsky, special envoy of the Russian President to the Far-East Federal District, explained that the exercise seeks to improve interaction among Federal and regional government, military and law-enforcement agencies in emergency situations. The Russian Federal Security Service, the Interior Ministry, the Transportation Ministry, the Atomic Energy Ministry, the Emergencies Ministry, the Interior Ministry, and others will also participate.
The aim of the exercises is to fight terrorism and piracy, protect natural resources, and improve regional cooperation in natural disasters, as well as to improve cooperation in fighting against the illegal exploitation of marine biological resources, and in ensuring ecological and navigation safety.
Russia's Baltic Fleet also began an exercise the same day, lasting until Aug. 21.
President Putin Reviewed Combat Readiness With Chief of General Staff
Anatoli Kvashnin and President Vladimir Putin conferred on Aug. 12 with Anatoly Kvashnin, Russia's Chief of the General Staff, on mobilization and combat readiness of the Pacific Fleet, the Air Force and Rocket Forces, as well as of several crucial military districts, like Volga-Urals and Siberia. The meeting took place several days before the Pacific Fleet's strategic exercises began.
In the meeting, Putin called for improvements of the aircraft and combat equipment of the air force, especially nuclear weapons, and including "big ones." Furthermore, air defenses, which cover only 50% of air space, and in some districts, only 35%, will be upgraded. The new anti-air defense missile S-400 will be supplied to the forces beginning next year, and interceptor squadrons of the air force are to be upgraded, as well.
Russia's Far Eastern Primorye Region Prepared To Receive Potential 100,000 'Forced Migrants'
In case of what they described as an "emergency in the Northeast Asian nations bordering Russia," Russia's Primorye region is prepared to receive 100,00 "forced migrants, Oleg Melnikov, chairman of the emergency commission of Primorye territory, announced on Aug. 12. Melnikov's reference is understood to be to North Korea, in particular.
Melnikov also said that a task of the large-scale exercises being held in the Russian Far East, is to build centers for receiving refugees. The issues of introducing a "state of emergency" in Primorye, due to natural disasters, mass poaching, terrorism, or radiation contamination, are among those on the program of the exercises.
Russian frontier guards are holding tactical, unilateral exercises in the Far East region, separately from the huge naval exercises. These will last until Aug. 25. The exercises will involve training on border protection on land, and protection of Russia's seas.
Russians Celebrate 60th Anniversary of Battle of Kursk, Turning Point in World War II
Russians commemorated the 60th anniversary of the Battle of Kursk, which included the greatest tank battle in history, on Aug. 19.
The Battle of Kursk was fought from July 5 to Aug. 23, 1943. Some 4 million soldiers, almost 70,000 weapons, 13,200 tanks, and 12,000 airplanes were engaged. On July 12, at Prokhorovka, 1,200 tanks fought out the greatest tank conflict in history. The vast majority of the tanks were totally destroyed.
The German forces in the Soviet Union, although they had lost Stalingrad, were far from defeated when this battle was launched. They controlled vast areas, had many new technologies, including the new Tiger tanks, and a very experienced fighting force. Their aim was to surround and defeat the Soviet forces, which were driving west.
The Soviets launched a massive counteroffensive, and crushed the German forces, who lost 500,000 men, 1,500 tanks, and 3,700 airplanes.
The critical factors that led to the Soviet victory, were that the Soviet High Command learned, and applied, the lessons of the German battle tactics which had been so effective in 1941, and they got Stalin to stop interfering in direct military planningsomething the German military never was able to do with Adolf Hitler.
After Kursk, the German Army in the east was forced to end all offensives, and attempt strategic defense, but was relentlessly driven west by the Soviet forces.
President Putin Announces That Russia Is Joining the Organization of Islamic Conference
President Vladimir Putin officially declared that Russia will join the Organization of Islamic Conference. This prospect had been discussed in Kuala Lumpur by Vladimir Putin and Malaysia's Prime Minister Mohammad Mahathir. Mr. Putin's decision was very positively viewed in Muslim countries, reports Gazeta. At a joint press conference with Veniamin Popov, Russia's representative to the OIC, Putin emphasized that Russia's 20 million Muslims "have got a full right to recognize themselves as a part of the international Muslim community."
Russia will attend OIC's October summit as an observer.
Iranian Leadership Rejects Pressures on Joint Nuclear Reactor With Russia
In a telephone conversation on Aug. 18 with his Russian counterpart, Iranian Foreign Minister Kharrazi stressed the peaceful nature of the joint Iranian-Russian nuclear program, and briefed Foreign Minister Ivanov on the recent contacts with the IAEA, whose delegation visited Iran. According to a Russian Foreign Ministry statement, the two agreed to continue bilateral talks at the expert level.
The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Khamenei, made a speech the same day to an assembly of Iranian ambassadors abroad, in which he vowed that Iran would never renounce its "fundamental values," and said, "there is no price for our national pride," a term usually referring to the nuclear program. He explicitly referred to the pressures on Iran, saying "The country's nuclear technology is truly indigenous, and aimed merely at peaceful purposes." He reiterated that Iran "would never resort to the use of weapons of mass destruction." He also said, referring to the insistence that Iran abandon the technology: "Such stands and requests are unjust, and illogical, and the Islamic Republic of Iran would never yield to them."
And Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Reza Asefi, speaking on Aug. 18, said that Israel would pay a dear price if it bombed the Bushehr nuclear plant, as it bombed Iraq's Osirak reactor in 1981.
The Israeli paper Ha'aretz on Aug. 18 noted that the foreign ministers of Britain, France, Germany, and Russia have sent a letter to Iran, demanding that that country sign an international protocol to the Non-Proliferation Treaty. It has not been confirmed that the letter was sent; however, a French report to the Nuclear Supply Group, contained in an Aug. 4 Los Angeles Times story about Iran's nuclear program, has been acknowledged as authentic by the French Foreign Ministry. That report indicated French concerns about Iran's program, and recommended that no one provide supplies that could be used for weapons.
Sixth International Aerospace Show Begins in Moscow, Opened By President Putin
Moscow's Sixth Air Show and Exhibit, MAKS-2003, opened on Aug. 19. President Putin attended, and was shown Russian-designed aircraft, which included several new fighters. Air Force Commander Vladimir Mikhailov assured Putin that the new MIG is "almost a fifth-generation aircraft," which is loaded with new equipment.
Numerous cooperation deals have been signed between Russia and European aerospace firms at the air show. Among them are follow-up deals between Rosaviacosmos and ESA on the future space-launching site which the Russians have begun to build in French Guyana, near the site from which Europe's ARIANE carriers are launched.
And the predominantly Franco-German EADS is about to sign agreements with leading Russian aircraft producers for components that the Russians can build for both the civilian and (future) military versions of the Airbus airliner.
Of some interest is the fact that a German-Russian agreement has been signed concerning the launching of German-European military satellites from the Plesetsk space-launching site in northwestern Russia. Russia's space troops will carry that out; the western part of it will be handled by Germany's OHB Systems firm. The launches are to begin in 2005, and the contract covers the two following years, as well.
Rosoboroneksport, Russia's state enterprise for this sector, stated in its press release on the contract that "it testifies to the further expansion of cooperation between Russian aircraft-building enterprises and their Western colleagues, and proves the existence of a big potential in Russian-German interaction."
Present at the exhibition was Boeing, which showed off its new design of a passenger plane, B-7E7. The United States also had F-15s and the B-52 bomber on display.
Yuri Koptev, head of Russia's Space Agency (RAKA), reported that Russian companies signed several contracts for aircraft at the exhibition.
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