By the Commander of the Aerospace Defense Forces
1
BRIEFING
by the Commander of the Aerospace Defense Forces
"Establishing Aerospace Defense Forces of the Russian Federation - the appropriate response to emerging threats to the Russian Federation"
As noted by previous speakers, the issues of Missile Defense are key in the system of international security. This is confirmed by the fact that at present the international community at various levels, trying to discuss these issues and agree on them. Anexampleistoday'sconference.
In my report I would like to highlight the role and place of the ASD in meeting emerging and new potential threats to the Russian Federation.
At the present stage of armed confrontation emphasis is being shifted more and more to the aerospace domain.
Realizing this, we are forced to react to emerging threats. Reducing our strategic offensive weapons under the new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, Russia can do nothing but to take steps to preserve the balance of the "shield and sword", including the maintenance of high combat readiness of strategic defensive weapons.
On November 23, 2011, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev made a statement in connection with the situation that has evolved around the U.S. and NATO missile defense in Europe. He pointed out that implementation of the European missile defense program in a relatively short period of time can weaken our deterrent capability, if we do not take retaliatory measures.
The President outlined the content of his decisions. They include instructions to the Ministry of Defense as a priority to strengthen the protection of strategic objects in frameworks of establishing Russian Aerospace Defense Forces.
Today, as the main goal for creation of BMD our partners point to the need to protect their territory, as well as troops in theaters against the threat of limited ballistic missile attack from North Korea and Iran. It was stated that the new system is designed to meet missile regional threats and is not designed to change the balance of power with Russia. However, ourpartnersrefusetoformalizethesestatements.
Russia at the Lisbon summit of the NRC in November 2010 has proposed to cooperate in the field of establishing all-European missile defense system based on a "sectoral" approach. Creating system of aerospace defense, we were ready to focus on missile shield solution, including the obligations that we were ready to take on. Unfortunately, ourproposalswerenotacceptedevenasabasisfornegotiations.
In addition, if we consider the creation of a missile defense system in conjunction with the development of the concept of "global lightning strike" with the use of nonnuclear hypersonic aerospace aircrafts, SLBMs and ICBMs, we can see the logic for creating a system of aerospace defense.
Along with the threat to Russian nuclear deterrence forces there is a threat to the orbital group of Russia. Antimissile systems of ground and sea basing can be used not only as anti-missile, but as anti-spacecraft weapon. Deployment of missile defense systems with anti-space capabilities, in various regions of the world will allow intercepting spacecraft at any spiral of flight.
In this context, an effective defense against assets of aerospace attack is considered by us as a defining element of potential military actions.
ThereflectionofthisfactindevelopingtheArmedForcesoftheRussianFederationinvolvesanintroductionofthe "aerospacedefense" concept.
Aerospace defense - a set of activities (including military) undertaken by the government on a single concept and plan, under the unified leadership in order to prevent air and space attack, as well as for the purpose of timely warning of the government and military leaders, reduction of losses and damage to the groups of troops, population, economic and other installations.
The concept of a "system of aerospace defense" is used to define deployed on land, at sea, in air, and near-Earth space combined by functional connection assets for providing protection of the Russian Federation and its allies from attack of potential adversaries.
To date, the foundation of the Russian aerospace defense - a new branch of Armed Forces – ASD Forces has been created; they are accomplishing missions in the interests of ensuring military security of the Russian Federation in the aerospace field. TheASDForcesstartingfromDecember 1, 2011 haveenteredonduty.
Establishing Aerospace Defense Force is the first step towards functional integration of the Russian Federation Armed Forces military assets for the benefit of the most efficient use of available capabilities for providing state’s security in aerospace domain.
The measures are being taken to establish the Aerospace Defense System is strictly self-defensive. They caused by a necessity of the accurate response to modern challenges and threats.
The Aerospace Defense Force establishing top-priority goal in the near-term prospect is to build-up defensive characteristics of the system. In the first place, development of reconnaissance and aerospace attack warning subsystem.
I would like to draw your attention to the fact that I am referring to establishment of the new complex system, but not just upgrading of well-known aerospace attack warning system, oriented to reveal plans to attack with strategic ballistic missiles.
The new system is being established via the integration of existing and the deployment of advanced information systems along with ground, sea, air and space based means aimed to provide assured detection of any type of existing and future aerospace offence means.
In frameworks of establishing this system, specific, dynamic and effective work is being done.
In this case, the ASD Forces can make a significant contribution to the accomplishment of deterrence tasks by ensuring warning of the leadership about the beginning of the aggression and to ensure the required stability of the strategic objects of the state.
As it was already mentioned, when creating system of aerospace attack intelligence and warning, we can’t ignore the potential of advanced means of attack.
In general, the task of covering strategic sites is not new. The purpose of strategic sites covering involves not only a repeal of a nuclear missile or a missile strike literally, by destroying bulk of the enemy assets, but deterring the enemy from striking as well. This can be achieved by significant reduction of the likelihood of success of offensive operations by a timely warning, deployment of effective and flexible defense, adequate and timely response. All this leads to a tremendous increase in expanses of the enemy to ensure the guaranteed destruction of the object in the process of optimization of the resource costs of defense.
We are currently considering several options for deploying such defense.
We are ready to consider our plans in conjunction with European missile defense.
We know that our Western partners are interested in this. For example, the director of the Missile Defense Agency, Lieutenant General O'Reilly on April 18 this year during hearings in the U.S. Senate, expressed Pentagon interest in receiving information from the Russian early warning radars.
I would like to note that Russian has proposed to use the available radar early warning system (Gabala and Armavir) to exchange information. The issue of establishing joint data exchange center was considered.
However, the American approach envisaged unilateral data exchange with Pentagon obtaining information from missile early warning radar system in Russia.
The ASD system may be adequate contribution to the European missile defense system, corresponding approach of the West: adequate to the growth of missile threats.
Russian is ready to cooperate.
Unfortunately, at present our proposals are not accepted as a basis for fostering cooperation. As a rule, everything remains at the level of statements that do not have any legal framework.
Thus, the ASD Forces are established for the rational use of resources allocated through the integration of assets that can fight with the means of aerospace attack, in order to meet the challenges of defense, national security and strategic deterrence.
Established by Russia potential of Aerospace Defense may be required for the purpose of cooperation in missile defense, of course, if such cooperation will be based on parity and mutual benefit.
Thank you for your attention.