A MEETING OF THE MINDS IN MOSCOW?
President Obama's whirlwind trip to Moscow has yielded agreement to pursue a new strategic arms reduction pact with Russia - effectively jump-starting an arms control relationship that had become moribund during the Bush administration's second term. The Associated Press (July 6) reports that the new deal is expected to codify a reduction of strategic warheads from current levels (1,700 to 2,200 for each country) to between 1,500 and 1,650.
The issue of missile defense also figured prominently in the discussions between President Obama and his Russian counterpart, Dmitry Medvedev. Both leaders are said to have agreed to a "joint threat assessment of the ballistic missile challenges of the 21st Century." That review, the July 7th Global Security Newswire reports, includes the establishment of an expert working group tasked with examining "the entire spectrum of means at our disposal that allow us to cooperate on monitoring the development of missile programs around the world," a joint statement from the two leaders said.
AMERICA'S ATROPHYING ARSENAL
The U.S. government's failure to make substantial investments in its robustness, safety and effectiveness of the country's nuclear deterrent represents both a dereliction of duty and an invitation for our enemies, say two leading proponents of U.S. nuclear superiority. "For the foreseeable future, the U.S. and many of our allies rely on our nuclear deterrent," write Senator Jon Kyl (R-AZ) and former Assistant Secretary of Defense Richard Perle in the Wall Street Journal (June 30). "And as long as the U.S. possesses nuclear weapons, they must be -- as Mr. Obama recognized in Prague -- 'safe, secure and effective.'" "Yet," argue Kyl and Perle, the President's "proposed 2010 budget fails to take the necessary steps to do that." The results, they maintain, could be devastating: a "unilateral disarmament... [that] will only encourage nuclear proliferation, since our allies will see the danger and our adversaries the opportunity."
The Obama administration's recent overtures toward Moscow, meanwhile, have the potential to make this situation much worse. "Three hours after arriving at the Kremlin yesterday, President Barack Obama signed a preliminary agreement on a new nuclear arms-control treaty with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev," former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Keith Payne writes in the July 7th Wall Street Journal. But, Payne points out, the Administration's Nuclear Posture Review is not yet complete, and committing to major reductions in the U.S. strategic arsenal before it is tantamount to "putting the cart before the horse." "Before specific limits are set on U.S. forces, it should complete the review. Strategic requirements should drive force numbers; arms-control numbers should not dictate strategy," he counsels.
FEAR AND LOATHING IN CAIRO
Amid ongoing regional concerns over Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programs, the government of Hosni Mubarak in Cairo is edging closer to the concept of missile defense. The Jerusalem Post reports in its July 1st edition that Egypt's military has expressed an interest in purchasing units of Russia's advanced S-300 and S-400 anti-missile systems. The planned acquisition, moreover, is part of a larger military build-up amid tense relations between Cairo and Tehran. Egypt is also making upgrades to its air force, and was recently approved by the Pentagon for the acquisition of 12 sophisticated Longbow helicopters. "This is Egypt's answer to the Iranians' growing missile capability," one regional defense official has observed.
AN AERIAL OPTION?
If the U.S. Air Force has its way, missile defense could soon take to the sky. That is because, Defense News reports in its June 16th edition, the service's leadership is interested in making fighter aircraft capable of intercepting missiles while in flight. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz is said to have formally requested a study from Lt. Gen. Patrick O'Reilly, head of the Pentagon's Missile Defense Agency, examining the feasibility of arming an array of fighter planes - among them F-15 and F-16 combat aircraft - with specialized anti-missile munitions.
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