Russia considering arming its Baltic fleet with nuclear warheads

[dkf]

Mark Franchetti, Tbilisi

Russia is considering arming its Baltic fleet with nuclear warheads for the first time since the cold war, senior military sources warned last night.

The move, in response to American plans for a missile defence shield in Europe, would heighten tensions raised by the advance of Russian forces to within 20 miles of Tbilisi, the Georgian capital, yesterday.

Under the Russian plans, nuclear warheads could be supplied to submarines, cruisers and fighter bombers of the Baltic fleet based in Kaliningrad, a Russian enclave between the European Union countries of Poland and Lithuania. A senior military source in Moscow said the fleet had suffered from underfunding since the collapse of communism. “That will change now,” said the source.

“In view of America’s determination to set up a missile defence shield in Europe, the military is reviewing all its plans to give Washington an adequate response.”

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article4547883.ece

[bushmeister0]

1. Hmm. The Russians ripping a page out of the Israeli's play book?

I snatched this a few years back:

"Israel now has the capability to strike Iran with nuclear tipped Harpoon Cruise Missiles from German built submarines:

Walter Pincus has reported in the Washington Post:

'Israel has acquired three diesel submarines that it is arming with newly designed cruise missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads, according to former Pentagon and State Department officials, potentially giving Israel a triad of land-, sea- and air-based nuclear weapons for the first time.

(Three 1,925 ton Type 800 Dolphin class submarines have been built in German shipyards for the Israel Navy. Modern submarines with the most advanced sailing and combat systems in the world, they combine extensive sophistication with very easy operation. The purpose of these submarines is to enable the Israel Navy to meet all the tasks faced in the Mediterranean Sea in the 21st century. The submarines cost $320 million each, and are twice as big as the aging Gal-class submarines that the Israeli navy has relied on to date.)

The U.S. Navy monitored Israeli testing of a new cruise missile from a submarine two years ago off Sri Lanka in the Indian Ocean, according to former Pentagon officials.

'One former senior American official said U.S. analysts have studied the nuclear capability of the cruise missile. But, according to a former Pentagon official, 'It is above top secret knowing whether the sub-launched cruise missiles are nuclear-armed.' Another former official added, 'We often don't ask.'

The possible move to arm submarines with nuclear weapons suggests that the Israeli government might be increasingly concerned about efforts by Iraq and Iran to develop more accurate long-range missiles capable of knocking out Israel's existingnuclear arsenal, which is primarily land-based.

Although developing a sea-based leg would preserve the deterrent value of Israel's nuclear force, according to analysts, it would complicate U.S. efforts to keep other countries in the Middle East and elsewhere from seeking to acquire nuclear arms. It also could spur a nuclear arms race in the Middle East.'"

http://bushmeister0.tripod.com/bushmeister0/index.blog/368211/a-nuclear-free-zone-in-the-middle-east-dream-on/

We may also cogitate on the Russian's nuclear fleet such as it was, or is.

Remember the Kursk disaster, when Pooty poot couldn't bother to leave his vacation in Sochi to deal with the problem of one of his top nuclear submarines sinking and the 118 lives he left to die?

And in one of the typical Soviet responses to an angry mother asking why her boy had to die . . .



http://archives.cnn.com/2000/WORLD/europe/08/25/russia.jab/

These are the people we're dealing with in Georgia.

[KharmaTrain]

4. The Persian Gulf Is Radioactive

I've long said that if the U.S. wanted to shut down Iran or North Korea, all boooshie had to do is make a call, tell these dudes to look over the horizon on their seacoast...then surface a couple submarines and let them know how many tipped missiles are aboard...then remind them that the second the U.S. detects a missile attack, these babies will be in your backyard fasters than yours could get to ours...you'd be fried before you could get your jollies. No need to do anything else.

Pootie can say he's gonna put nukes back in action, it's another thing to do it. The Soviet "stockpile" was aging back in the 90's and it would take a couple years to rebuild any real arsenal. And that doesn't take into account the large number of scientists who defected. But it sure makes great Cold War headlines.

[ladjf]

2. That threat is to intimidate. They have no intention of doing that.

Why would they? It isn't necessary.

[Bodhi BloodWave]

3. Likely because the US wasnt a missile 'defence' in what is Russias backyard? n/t

[JVS]

5. A good idea. The proper reply to a missile "shield" is more missiles and shorter range missiles