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US Defences Are Incapable of Intercepting Russian, Chinese Missiles, Navy Admiral Admits

MILITARY & INTELLIGENCE
15:27 GMT 28.02.2020
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by Tim Korso
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The statement was made during a hearing devoted to the US plans to modernise American weapons and to possible ways the US can respond to the new cutting-edge weapons Russia rolled out in last two years.

US Navy Admiral Charles Richard has admitted that existing American air defences were not designed to counter modern hypersonic glide weapons, like the one recently deployed by Russia, and currently developed by China, and hence these weapons "challenge" the US, during an open hearing at the US House Subcommittee on Strategic Forces. He added that the Pentagon even has trouble determining the capabilities of modern weapons, although it still can make a reliable guess on what threat these weapons pose.

"It's not that we have no ability to characterise the threat to this nation. The size of a raid alone starts to give us information as to what they might be able to do. We already don't have the ability to characterise the payload on any inbound weapon system to the US, hypersonic or not", he said.

In addition, while answering a question from House membeк Seth Moulton, Admiral Richard acknowledged that the US defence systems were not designed to counter any ballistic weapons capabilities of Russia and China, but only to protect from attacks by "rogue nations". He noted that it would be "technically infeasible" due to the extreme costs of running such defences.


At the same time, Charles Richard noted that such a state of American defence doesn't necessarily mean that it's under threat by either Moscow or Beijing. He explained that the US relies on the strategic stability ensured by the ability of Washington to "impose [heavy] costs" on any nation, which might try to attack the US, using its own strategic arsenal.

The admiral made his statements during a hearing, which was devoted to the US plans to upgrade its arsenal and develop an appropriate response to new Russian cutting-edge weapons. Moscow recently presented and later deployed Avangard (Russian for "Vanguard" hypersonic missiles, capable of travelling at speeds between 10 and 12 Machs and changing course mid-flight to avoid enemy defences. Russia is also completing the development of one-of-a-kind nuclear-powered ballistic missiles, capable of carrying nuclear warheads.

Zoharariel:
Stop constituting nuisance all over Nairaland & desist from spreading fake news.

You have become an object of ridicule on Nairaland's frontpage for some days now (reeling out fake statistics & making senseless comments), and rather than taking a break out of shame, you're now back to the foreign affairs section. You should go back to the Politics Section and focus on your "BMC Job" of brainwashing Nairalanders with your AsoRock-induced fake news & comments. It's the guys giving you attention here that I blame.

Now, back to the topic.

Putin is NOT meeting Erdogan on March 5.

Russian President Vladimir Putin currently has no plans to pay a visit to Istanbul on 5 March and hold talks with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday.

“Putin’s plans do not currently include such a meeting”, Peskov told reporters. “The president has other working plans for 5 March,” the Kremlin spokesman added, when asked whether Putin planned to travel to Istanbul on 5 March at all.”

https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/202002271078418016-putin-not-currently-planning-talks-with-erdogan-in-istanbul-on-5-march---kremlin/

Bashar Assad is not scared of anybody. He has two "Geopolitically Allies" for the UN issues – Russia and China.

On the ground, he has Hezbollah and Iran’s militias to assist with the ground attacks.

In the air, he has Russia.

Who is with Erdogan? NOBODY! His NATO counterparts are all fed-up with him (especially Germany & France) for threatening them to releasing the floodgate of refugees into Europe.

His only saviour & hope is Putin.

We all remember Turkey’s downing of the Russian Sukhoi Su-24M in November 2015. Putin at the time described Turkey as “accomplices of terrorists”.

Putin then went ahead to save his filthy hairy-asshole by informing him ahead when Amerika wanted him dead during the coup orchestrated against him.

However, the gratitude for that butt-saving gesture was short lived as Erdogan is an unrepentant terrorist.

If not that he's crazy, how could he arrogantly insist that Syrian troops should retreat from the Syrian soil?

The aspiring Sultan - "Terrorist Erdogan" wanted to play off Russia against Amerika by first buying the S-400 intended for use against Amerika & Greece (since the S-400 will not work against Russia & Syria because Russia will disable it) and now, he's requesting for the Amerikan Patriot intended for use against Russia & Syria - but the snakes in Amerika saw through his gimmicks.

I have always known that Erdogan is a two-faced backstabbing bastard, hence the reason I was so mad when Putin sold him the S-400.

I was particularly mad because Putin underrated his trustworthy allies like Syria & Iran by selling them the S-300 while selling the more sophisticated S-400 to Turkey & Satan Arabia (yet to be delivered).

The Bastard (Erdogan) also lost 7-10 men in Libya few days ago. He’s getting his butt kicked in two wars.

His economy will crash completely this time around if the Russians stop importing tomatoes and refuse sending over a million tourists to Turkey every year.

Amerika on the other hand is only waiting for an opportunity to kill the Sultan & replace him with a subservient Turkish dundee.

tsephanyah:
Russia has no appetite for a military confrontation with Turkey in Idlib, but the Kremlin won’t step back from its support for the Syrian regime’s campaign to regain control of the province. I got that. But Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Vladimir Putin of Russia were quick to hold telephone talks and plan a summit as soon as next week in Moscow, with Russian officials striking a conciliatory tone.
The two men — both leading post-imperial societies they took over in the wake of economic crises — have since 2016 forged a relationship that has riled the West and will be wary of undermining it for now.

“Russia is definitely not looking for a full-scale military confrontation with Turkey, nor is Turkey interested in confronting Moscow over Idlib,” said Igor Delanoe, deputy director of the Franco-Russian Observatory in Moscow.
Russia has built the TurkStream gas pipeline across the Black Sea, is constructing Turkey’s first nuclear power plant and above all has delivered an S-400 air defense system in a move that horrified NATO, of which Turkey is a key member. Russia’s “long-term strategy” for Syria had not changed but it was keen not to antagonize Turkey, especially given the closeness of economic and energy ties as well as the cooperation on the S-400s.
There were fears of military confrontation in November 2015 when Turkey shot down a Russian warplane over Syria. But a reconciliation deal was clinched in 2016 and Putin rapidly backed Erdogan when he faced a coup bid that summer.
Even the assassination of Russia’s ambassador to Ankara in December 2016 by an off-duty police officer did not derail the intensification of ties as both sides began a joint effort to bring peace to Syria. Russia will not escalate this. And they will let erdogan to have his revenge, and lobby him not to escalate because America will exploit it when they both went to War

tsephanyah:
They protecting there borders inside Syria because attack is the best form of defense. That's also mean protecting EU. Now about Russia. Pls before you respond. Why would Putin call erdogan and plead not to respond. Why would he Ask for meeting. Do you also know all this war is about oil. Now Russia decided to abandoned there Ukrainian pipeline the new pipeline will runs thru turkey. And turkey av the advantage of new boyfriend and jealous ex boyfriend against EU and Russia.... So u think Russia will let's this escalate. Nah I don't think so, because NATO will use that for there advantage

tsephanyah:
seriously! Like seriously the Turks are afraid of Syria... Russians are afraid because if things got real NATO will fight the war beside turkey. So the Russians will kiss goodbye for their big dreams into the Mediterranean, turkstream gas pipeline, ETC Putin literally call erdogan not to escalate and schedule a meeting on 5 March... Because this wrong calculation might caused him to lose again to the Americans and EU

BabaOwen:
Turkey’s invasion of Syria turns sour
Ankara was forced to request urgent consultations with NATO under Article 4 of the bloc's treaty
By STEPHEN BRYEN
FEBRUARY 29, 2020


Turkish military reinforcements are seen before leaving for observation posts in Syria's Idlib, on February 12, 2020 in Hatay, Turkey. Photo: Anadolu Agency
Turkey urgently requested consultations with NATO under Article 4 of the NATO treaty.

Article 4 provides: “The Parties will consult together whenever, in the opinion of any of them, the territorial integrity, political independence or security of any of the Parties is threatened.”

It is hard to see how Article 4 applies in any way to Turkey’s invasion of Syria or its backing of anti-Kurd “rebels” on Syrian territory, or its supply of weapons including anti-aircraft missiles to the rebels. But NATO easily agreed to a consultation because it offered an opportunity for the bloc to accuse Russia of attacking the Turks, but with no immediate consequence.

Article 5 of the NATO treaty is its collective security provision. It says in part: “The Parties agree that an armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against them all and consequently they agree that, if such an armed attack occurs, each of them, in exercise of the right of individual or collective self-defense recognized by Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations, will assist the Party or Parties so attacked by taking forthwith, individually and in concert with the other Parties, such action as it deems necessary, including the use of armed force, to restore and maintain the security of the North Atlantic area.”

Article 5 simply does not apply to the Turkish operation in Syria as there is no attack against Turkish territory that could possibly justify invoking Article 5. Furthermore, Article 5 requires unanimity among all the NATO members, and Greece would never agree to the use of Article 5 on behalf of Turkey. In fact, Greece and Turkey are in a major struggle over the eastern Mediterranean and Turkish fighter planes as recently as this past week violated Greek airspace 30 times in a single day (February 25). Last year there were 4,627 incidents of Turkish violations of Greek airspace.

Oil exploration

Turkey is also trying to block oil exploration off the coast of Cyprus and has entered into a deal with a very shaky Libyan government, claiming that the entire area’s seabed belongs to both these countries, not to Cyprus or Greece. Turkey’s aggressive effort to make sea bed claims that are not accepted internationally goes with Turkey’s policy to block any oil and gas pipeline that would stretch from Israel and Cyprus to Greece and Italy.

With Article 5 a complete non-starter, Turkey is also putting heavy pressure on the EU, using refugees as the bait. Hundreds of Syrian refugees are being cut loose from Turkey, where they are sheltered, and are heading toward Greece and Bulgaria. The Turkish government has ordered its coastguard and border security officials to stand aside and permit the refugees to leave Turkish territory. The Bulgarians have already moved 1,000 soldiers to its border to block refugee transit.

The Turks think that by threatening Europe with another wave of Syrian refugees, the Europeans will turn around and back Turkey’s struggle in Syria, which is primarily focused on the Kurds. That “struggle” has metastasized into a struggle against the Syrian army and Russia, although Russia is proclaiming its innocence, saying its air force did not attack Turkish troops or command posts in Syrian territory.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan have spoken but not resolved the matter. Russia insists that Turkey violated deconfliction agreements in place between the two countries and is responsible for what happened to its troops. Russia also says that the attack on Turkish troops was by Syrian artillery, not Russian aircraft.

Delicate position

The United States is in a delicate position. While the US would not mind seeing Russia and Turkey at loggerheads, Washington has zero interest in being drawn into a conflict that could become a clash between the Russian air force and navy against the US and Turkey. That would quickly become a general war, and while the US may have some hope of checkmating the Russians, the price would be very high and the conflict with Russia could easily get out of hand and spread to Eastern Europe.

These days the US and NATO are in a very weak military position vis-à-vis the Russians, and any such conflict could shatter the NATO alliance. Europe depends on Russia for energy and probably would walk away rather than get caught up in a conflict on its eastern flank. For the same reason the Europeans don’t want a conflict in the eastern Mediterranean. Meanwhile, the Russians have moved two advanced guided missile warships, the Admiral Grigorovich and the Admiral Makarov into the eastern Mediterranean, having transited the Bosporus.

Turkey, which controls the straits under the Montreaux Convention, did not attempt to block the Russian warship transit. The Makarov and Grigorovich are equipped with Kalibr cruise missiles, a distinct threat to Turkish forces. The Russian Kalibr may have a range of 4,500 km and has an accuracy of around 3 meters, making it a potentially formidable weapon against Turkish ground forces, but also a threat against US and allied warships and US and NATO bases in Turkey.

The Russians say that while the Turks asked for direct contact between Erdogan and Putin, which took place by telephone, the two leaders might meet soon. Increasingly, Russian interests are diverging from Turkey, although Putin has tried to play the Turkish card, selling the S-400 air defense system to Turkey over strenuous US and NATO objections, and reportedly is discussing with the Turks sales of its advanced warplane technology, probably Su-57 coproduction in Turkey.

Undermining NATO

Because the Turkish relationship is important to Russia economically and as a way of undermining NATO, Putin will no doubt try and find some grounds for reconciliation with Erdogan.

But Russia won’t agree that Syria forego its effort to retake its own territory, so the two sides will have to find a creative solution, something the Turkish style of intervention and diplomacy is unaccustomed to doing. That’s one of the prime reasons the Turkish occupation of Northern Cyprus has continued since Turkey’s invasion in 1974. Probably the best that can be achieved in Syria is a temporary standstill.

What is certainly true is that NATO and the US have almost no leverage over the Turks or Russia, meaning the game mostly falls on the shoulders of Erdogan and Putin either to resolve the matter or to continue clashing in an evolving and dangerous environment

dermmy:
NATO that criticised Turkey last year for launching military operations in Syria are the one saying they stand with their ally.

tsephanyah:
they're actually patrolling there borders inside Syria to protect the whole EU from terrorist infiltration, with blessing from NATO. Go beyond the headline and understand how politics and war shaping the global geography.. lemme recommend a book for you..

BabaOwen:
Where are you getting this your propaganda from? Turkish soldiers that were killed where in an area terrorist operate from, I will search for the map and show you.

The Turkish soldiers are not welcome in Syria, they entered Syria illegally. NATO will do nothing about it.

tsephanyah:
shhh! calm down are you high? Idlib is in Syria and is a big city. Now don't embarrass yourself further... Before commenting on foreign affairs issues read books not news.

tsephanyah:
Misleading headline.... Actually Syria was afraid and asking Russia to intervene because they said is mistake.. Putin will meet erdogan on match 5 to plead with the Turks. You just copied new York times article, change the headline and post it on nairaland... So what's your gain here.

garetz:
Instructions on how to successfully be a Democrat

•Hide from all truth

•Watch Fake news only

•Call anyone you disagree with a Racist or
other offensive names

•Possess poor morals & values

•Wish death upon children

•Try to steal people's guns

•Try to steal other people's money and refuse to work hard for yours

•Wish to destroy the constitution

• Then Blame Russia for everything

OjoMadiba:
Here we go again Russia, Russia, Russia. They won’t give one month without distractions. They won’t focus on the main issues, this people are just crazy,

Kopfschmerzenmd:
The Sanders campaign have released strong words against the Russians for interfering, unlike the idiot that fired the DNI chief Joseph Maguire for sharing the information with congress. Senate GOP have also blocked three attempts to secure the election.

PDPGuy:
Elizabeth Warren and Biden will receive ZERO delegates from New Hampshire! It’s safe to say it’s time for both candidates to drop out.

wowcatty:
Exactly! Some of democrats officials couldn't count less than 100 people in a meeting yet want run the the country. Remember they stole the primary from Bernie for Hillary Clinton n 2016 and gave him $600,000 to and by his 3rd house.

Yes all democrats presidential candidates gave money to the APP company but Buttigieg gave more, that's how democrats role.

RandomGuy48:
The thing is, even if Americans don't care for socialism, that does not mean they wouldn't be willing to vote for Bernie. They could very well rationalize it with the idea of "well, his more extreme ideas won't get enacted, as congress will stop him" in the same way I know some people thought about Trump in 2016. And indeed that turned out to be the case for Trump; even with a Republican majority in both houses of congress, he didn't have the numbers to get Obamacare repealed and he didn't get funding for his wall. The same thing is true for Sanders. Even if both the House and Senate have Democrat majorities after the election, which is already far from certain, there are probably not enough Democrats there that would go along with some of his ideas to enact them into law.

I therefore expect that if Bernie gets the nomination there will be a good number of people who, while thinking his policies are too extreme, will think through what I just said and vote for him anyway on the basis they don't think he'll actually be able to pull off his ideas.

kophschmerzenii:
She should die, Cos she defend America and oppose all your Pootin ass licking. And folks think this cretins are supporting the orange agent for the love of America or to promote pootin destruction of the republic.

CTPlayer:
There are a number of Euro countries, especially E. Euro with shrinking populations. Hungary is paying couples to
1) get married
2) have kids
3) stay married

More countries should do that.

Missy89:
Can’t die

stanech:
LOL Biden now taking credit for wiping out ISIS? Really? Obama administration policy allowed ISIS to march across Iraq and Syria, beheading Americans and religious minorities along the way.

kophschmerzenii:
This is crap!!! The USA is not your Pootinland, we don't tolerate dictators here. We don't kill journalists and turn up opposition dead bodies up every other week.

PDPGuy:
It’s funny when people say the US is a “capitalist” country; yet we have a federal-run Social Security program and corporate welfare, amongst other welfare programs.
The same people who are against “evil” socialism have no issues with receiving Medicare benefits - another government program.

Democratic-socialism is all about ensuring that workers, who are the engine of the economy are treated fairly. Also, DS comes along with a healthcare system that ensures that folks wouldn’t be bankrupted by astronomical medical bills. Yes, Medicare-For-All is a desirable program which would be of benefit to everyone.

Trapping:
My problem now on this forum is that I'm yet to see my loud mouthed billionaire friend AKA luscababoon. I want to see his reactions to all that has happened in the last couple of weeks. You know, nothing tastes sweeter than the tears of liberals and luscababoon's tears tastes best. In fact, I like the sound of luscababoons tears

kophschmerzenii:
1/

We're in the heads-on-pikes phase of burgeoning authoritarianism:

- Trump is going after witnesses for testifying to Congress
- Trump and his allies are going after Romney
- Senators, with help from Trump's Treasury Dept., are going after Trump's political rival and his son

2/

- Senators are preparing to go after the whistleblower
- DHS is going after New York
- Barr is investigating DOJ employees for investigating Trump
- Barr issued a policy requiring DOJ investigations of Trump or his political rivals to go through Barr

This is just the start.

Welcome to the banana republic of AmeriKKKa.

Jimi24:
Pls don't ever hero worship any human being especially one I am sure even you are 100% more intelligent and capable than like Trump.

Let me now shock you, Trump is actually unlikely to win re election. Every logical reason you bring to support his winning the re election would be the same mistake that made an over confident Hilary Clinton lose.

CNN panel was looking dejected probably because they know SANDERS or BLOOMBERG are the only ones that will bury Trump and they are frustrated about Biden's drop.

Sanders will bring the power of the hitherto silent millennials and in traditional GOP states like Texas, Louisiana and Atlanta, oil field workers, immigrants and tired middle class to bear on the election.

To you think the DNC got its majority in the House of Reps by magic?. Trump may even lose Utah by insulting Mitt Romney so directly.

So.my question is if Trump supporters are so confident why do they keep saying his re election is a foregone conclusion?.

It is not. Wait till November and see the shocker coming

raumdeuter:
Lets be real here. Almost all politicians have their family benefit from govt. Do you think George Bush did not benefit from his father's influence in govt? Even Trumps son in law is in charge of multiple strategic positions in this govt.

While it might be shady but its what every politician does so that accusation of his son doesn't really hold much in Political scheme of things

Now to the real politics

40% of Americans will vote for Trump even if he releases a sex tape or kill someone, Another 40% will never vote for him

Trump will never win Massachusetts, New York or California and he will never lose Texas, Alabama or Missisipi

So the election is really about the 20% left. Who among these Democrats can appeal to most of the 20% undecided? Thats why elections usually come down to like 10 states out of 50

Of those left Sanders and Warren claim they are socialists which is anti what America stood for, actually 50-60yrs ago, that political leaning was considered treasonable. There are many Americans who dont want to hear about Socialism or Communism at all

Most of that undecided 20 % will rather vote for the devil than consider a socialist

Biden is not an extremist, he is your regular politician who won't topple the cart, he will simply keep America the way we have known it No radical leanings

That said, A Biden vs Trump contest still favours Trump 60% unless something drastic happens

OjoMadiba:
Democrats’ clown show makes Trump the only winner in Iowa tonight. After taking his own Iowa caucus with 97%, he gets half the Country laughing at the incompetence of democrats. Glorious.