Some Russians Threaten To Strike Any European BMD Interceptors Site

Russian defense figures have said Russia might preemptively strike any European ballistic missile defense (BMD) interceptors before they can be launched, if such a BMD silos facility is constructed in Poland, according to a news report.

A Russian general said military doctrine permits Russia to strike threatening installations in other nations, and an analyst said perhaps Russian forces might use a tactical nuclear weapon to take out any U.S. BMD facilities in Europe, according to Jane’s Intelligence Digest.

While U.S. leaders say the radar proposed for the Czech Republic and the missile silos proposed for Poland would involve just 10 interceptors, Russians still see a threat to their intercontinental ballistic missiles, a claim U.S. leaders ridicule as absurd. (Please see Space & Missile Defense Report, Jan. 29, 2007, page 1.)

They note that there would be just 10 U.S. interceptors, while Russia has vast numbers of ICBMs, adding that in any event the interceptors wouldn’t have the speed to intercept Russian missiles.

Panel Cites NASA Worker Woes

NASA faces a struggle in attracting and retaining the best and brightest workforce, as many of its employees approach retirement age and the space agency confronts a finite supply of engineering and science graduates.

Too, NASA faces a five-year gap between the 2010 retirement of the space shuttle fleet and the launch of the next-generation Orion-Ares space vehicle system, five years in which the space program of the wealthiest nation on Earth won’t be able to transport its own astronauts into low Earth orbit, much less on lunar or planetary expeditions.