USA still afraid of Soviet weapons

The United States of America started to invest in the development of the Russian defense industry making mass purchases of Russian-made weapons. This news may sound like a joke, although it is true. For the time being, it goes about the purchase of several hundreds of man-portable missile systems Strela-2.

Photo: USA still afraid of Soviet weapons

The Pentagon apparently decided to purchase all Strela-2 systems, which were distributed all over the world after their first production in 1967. In this particular case it goes about the deal to exchange 657 Soviet missile systems to up-to-date medical equipment for the needs of the healthcare system of Nicaragua.

As Pravda.ru previously reported, the US Ambassador to Nicaragua, Paul Trivelli, confirmed the information to Nicaraguan TV channels. The two countries have not signed the deal yet, but it may happen in the nearest future. Nicaragua’s defensive capacity will not suffer any damage because of the deal.

The USSR was actively supporting Nicaragua during the 1980s, after the victory of the Sandinista Revolution, when the power in the country was taken by leftist forces. The Soviet Union provided over 1,000 man-portable missile systems for the 28,000-strong Nicaraguan army, which was more than just enough. Even if the nation signs the deal with the USA, the country will have enough Soviet-made systems left at its disposal.

The amount of the transaction has not been exposed. One may presume that it goes about tens of millions of dollars, which the US administration is ready to pay for the missile complexes.

It is worthy of note that it was not only the USSR that was distributing its weapons all over the world during those years. Specialists say that the USSR, the USA, Britain and France sold over 60,000 man-portable missile systems all across the globe during the Cold War.

The USA virtually has to clear up the mess of its previous policies. Many Western experts say that at least one-third of NATO’s aviation losses in Afghanistan and Iraq occurred because of Stinger missile systems, which used to be delivered for Mujahideens to struggle against “the evil of communism.”

In addition to that, one has to give credit to Boris Shavyrin, who designed Strela-2 shoulder-fired missile complexes over 50 years ago. It just so happens that the USA is still afraid of Soviet weapons. Russia could easily sell the outdated Strela missile systems to other countries so that they could subsequently resell them to the USA.

Sergei Balmasov