Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)
Russia Building Radar Station in Belarus
ITAR-TASS 12 Feb 98
By Mikhail Shevtsov
MOSCOW, February 12 (Itar-Tass) -- The Russian Strategic Missile
Troops commander, Colonel-General Vladimir Yakovlev, today flew to Belarus
for inspecting the progress of construction of a radar station in
Baranovichi.
The anti-missile early warning radar station is being built to replace
the Russian radar station in Skrunde, Latvia.
Military sources told Itar-Tass that August 31 of this year ends an
accord on renting the Soviet-period Skrunde station for an annual five
million dollars.
The Russian military do not expect the Baranovichi radar station to be
put on operation by August 31 because of inadequate funding of the
construction project.
This leaves Russia in need to negotiate with Latvia an extension of
the lease contract for another two to five years.
Apart from Skrunde, Russia has its ground-based radar stations in
Sevastopol, Ukraine; Mukachevo, Ukraine; Balkhash, Kazakhstan; Gabala,
Azerbaijan, and in Murmansk, Pechora and Irkutsk in its own territory.
Steady operation of ground and space-based groupings of the Russian
anti-missile early waning system is crucial to the strategic nuclear
forces.
Military experts estimate the forces' satellite grouping to make 30
per cent of an adequate size and to be in need of building up.
Duma Defence Committee member Roman Popkovich told Itar-Tass that "we
should pay special attention to appropriations for maintaining the reliable
functioning of the missile attack warning system ensuring the control of
the Russian strategic nuclear forces".
Deputy Defence Minister Nikolay Mikhailov said in a statement that
"one rouble of investment in technological development of means of
information and control systems in its effectiveness is equal to ten
roubles of investment in quantitative build-up of warheads".
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