Russia


Russia May Attack Asteroid That's Virtually No Threat -- Tariq Malik  -- Space.com  -- December 30, 2009
Asteroid Defense

Russia is considering a plan to launch a spacecraft capable of moving a huge asteroid in a bid to protect Earth from an impact, but the target space rock poses virtually no threat to our planet and moving it could actually make matters worse, experts say.


2010 to be key year in fight against nuclear arms -- Louis Charbonneau  -- Reuters  -- December 22, 2009
Nuclear Proliferation

Next year will be crucial for global nuclear non-proliferation efforts and all eyes will be on the United States and Russia to see if the two top atomic powers can reach a deal to reduce their arsenals.


U.S. and Russia Open Arms Talks on Web Security -- John Markoff and Andrew E. Kramer  -- New York Times  -- December 12, 2009
Russia

The United States has begun talks with Russia and a United Nations arms control committee about strengthening Internet security and limiting military use of cyberspace. Officials familiar with the talks said the Obama administration realized that more nations were developing cyberweapons and that a new approach was needed to blunt an international arms race.


Soviet Star Wars -- Dwayne A. Day And Robert G. Kennedy III  -- Air & Space Magazine  -- January 1, 2010
Anti-Satellite Weapons

An in-depth history of the "Soviet Star Wars" program, that in 1987 attempted to launch an orbiting battlestation with an anti-satellite, sky-sweeping laser weapon, and a space-to-earth kinetic warhead system, but failed during launch due to a small programming error.


Russia hopes nuclear ship will fly humans to Mars -- Vladimir Isachenkov  -- Associated Press  -- October 29, 2009
Space Expansion

Russia should build a new nuclear-powered spaceship for prospective manned missions to Mars and other planets, the nation's space chief said Thursday.


U.S. Seeks to Keep Watching Russia’s Weapons -- Thom Shanker and Peter Baker  -- New York Times  -- October 19, 2009
Russia

With a key arms control treaty (the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty or START) set to expire soon, the Obama administration is searching for ways to keep inspectors in Russia or else it risks losing American eyes on the world’s second most formidable nuclear weapons arsenal for the first time in decades.


Russia sees U.S. Space Threat, Builds New Rocket -- Dmitry Solovyov  -- Reuters  -- August 11, 2009
Global Strategic Strike

The United States will be able to hit any target in Russia from space by 2030, the commander of Russia's air force said on Tuesday, announcing that Moscow will develop a new air defense system to avert the threat.


U.S. Takes Steps to Boost Security Cooperation With Russia -- Walter Pincus  -- Washington Post  -- July 31, 2009
Russia

A team of U.S. military experts went to Moscow for the first round of discussions on an early warning center that would assess the threat of ballistic missiles, including any from Iran or North Korea, as part of the Obama administration's effort to "reset" relations with Moscow.


Missile Pact Based on Old Plan -- Walter Pincus  -- Washington Post  -- July 12, 2009
Russia

Walter Pincus notes that a proposal in the recent U.S.-Russian strategic arms control agreement to setup a global center to monitor missile launches is similar to a long-since stalled U.S.-Russia program to establish a "Joint Data Exchange Center".


Russian Experts Question Role of Conventional "Prompt Global Strike" Weapons -- Elaine M. Grossman  -- Global Security Newswire  -- April 7, 2009
Russia

Two Russian security experts yesterday suggested that U.S. plans to develop fast-flying, long-range conventional weapons might pose a snag for nuclear arms negotiations between Moscow and Washington.

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