USA much more powerful than Russia. Of course

On June 1, the US State Department unveiled the first data about the strategic nuclear potential of the United States. The data have been received as a result of the exchange of information within the scope of the START-3 Treaty.

According to the document, the USA possesses a larger quantity of ballistic missiles, warheads and launching pads than Russia does. The USA had 882 deployed ground, sea and air-based ballistic missiles, whereas Russia had 521 as of the moment of the first exchange of information between the parties. Russia has 1,537 deployed strategic nuclear warheads, just under the 1,550 ceiling it is obliged to reach by 2018 under the New START nuclear arms reduction pact, while the United States has 1,800, according to the fact sheet from the State Department.

According to these data, the USA has 1,124 ground-based missile launchers, as well as missile launchers for ballistic missiles installed on board submarines and heavy bomber aircraft, RIA Novosti reports. Russia has 865 of such launchers.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and his US counterpart Barack Obama signed the new treaty about strategic offensive arms on April 8, 2010 in Prague. The two countries intend to cut the quantity of weapons by a third during seven years. The quantity of deployed and non-deployed strategic carriers is to be halved too - to 800.

In the meantime, it became known on June 2 that Russia may pass the Bulava ballistic missile into service at the end of 2011 or in the beginning of 2012. This missile is considered to be one of the weapons to maintain the nuclear parity with the United States. To be passed into service, Bulava has to successfully perform five launches this year.

"If the results are positive, Bulava will be passed into service at the Russian navy already at the end of the current or in the beginning of the next year," Igor Konashenkov, an official spokesman for Russia's Defense Ministry said.

Russia has conducted 14 test launches of the Bulava missile, but only a half of them was considered successful. The missile is said to become the basic weapon of Russia's strategic nuclear forces. Russia will be building new submarines designed especially for the missile.

Several years ago, an article published at Foreign Affairs magazine said that the United States could strike a nuclear blow on Russia and receive no response to that. The article was published in 2006. It was said that year that the USA had 1,500 more nuclear warheads than Russia.

Anton Kulikov
Pravda.Ru

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