Russia boosts air defense to counter any US threat
Russia is taking measures to boost its air and missile defense capabilities to foil any potential threat by the US Prompt Global Strike (PGS), top Russian military officials say.
Russia’s Aerospace Defense Forces’ deputy chief, Major General Kirill Makarov, described the potential threat of the PGS against the Russian Federation as one of the top challenges for the Aerospace Defense Forces, Russia Today reported on Sunday.
The report added that developing an effective air and missile defense system is among Russia’s top priorities on account of the threat by the PGS initiative, which is an effort by the US military to develop a system that would allow the Pentagon to deliver precision-guided strikes with conventional weapons at any target in the world in less than one hour.
“It is precisely to combat these aerial assets that we are building the air and missile defense of Russia’s system,” Makarov stated, adding that Russia’s political and military leadership regards this task to be of “paramount importance.”
Moscow adopted a new military doctrine in December 2014, which listed the PGS concept as well as NATO’s military buildup along the Russian borders as the main security threats against the country.
“Russia is capable of and will have to develop a similar system,” Deputy Defense Minister Yuri Borisov said last year, referring to the PGS.
Elsewhere, Makarov said Russia is building a new generation mobile surface-to-air missile system, the S-500, to intercept supersonic targets, adding that the missile for the system is “still under development.”
Moscow has also successfully tested a new longer-range guided missile for the current generation S-400 surface-to-air air defense system.
“Tests are currently in full swing. Three days ago we successfully carried out testing of a surface-to-air missile which successfully hit its target,” Makarov said.
Based on Russia’s estimates, the United States will have as many as 8,000 cruise missiles, some 6,000 of which will be capable of carrying nuclear warheads, by 2020.
With “some degree of certainty” one could say that “under certain conditions” these military assets could be used against targets in Russia, Makarov warned.
MR/HSN/HMV
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