An alternative to US-proposed National Antimissile Defence System

Russia has put forward a proposal of creating antimissile defence system on the battle-ground which can be regarded as an alternative to US-proposed deployment of the National Antimissile Defence system, says Russia’s First Deputy Chief of Staff General Valeri Manilov. Currently, Gen. Manilov is taking part in an international conference on space convened at the initiative of Russia’s President Vladimir Putin. The conference proceeds under the motto “Space without weapons as an arena of the international cooperation in 21st century.” According to Gen. Manilov cited by RIA Novosti, the Russian-proposed antimissile defence system can be deployed in Europe, in the Pacific Ring, in any potential battle-field or strategic area where there is a threat of being attacked with ballistic missiles. At that, the general thinks, all the countries concerned, not only a narrow circle, could take part in the project’s implementation. In his view it will not destroy the existing system of strategic stability. Moreover, the proposed project is several orders cheaper and safer than that proposed by the Americans. The system is capable to reliably protect any country from a strike in a specific strategic area. Russia, USA, and European countries do have the respective potential, so the major problem is to consolidate it, Gen. Manilov asserts. So, any threat could be averted without creating new threats and without transferring the arms race into space.