DATE=8/16/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=JANES / RUSSIAN SUB (L-ONLY)(CQ)
NUMBER=2-265564
BYLINE=NICK SIMEONE
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: Military expert Paul Beaver of "Jane's Defense
Weekly" believes the chances of saving the lives of
the sailors on board the crippled Russian submarine at
the bottom of the Barents Sea are slim at best. And
as V-O-A's Nick Simeone reports, Mr. Beaver says
national pride kept Moscow from asking for
international help earlier in attempting a rescue.
TEXT: Paul Beaver believes a catastrophic event must
have occurred on board the Russian submarine, Kursk --
something more serious than Russia is admitting to.
He says it probably has already taken the lives of
some of the crew.
/// BEAVER ACT ///
All the indications are of a submarine that has
been wrecked. It has everything that you would
expect if a missile or a torpedo had hit that
submarine and I think that's what happened.
One of their torpedoes, or missiles or warheads
exploded actually inside the submarine.
/// END ACT ///
Despite Russia's own attempts to save the crew -- if
in fact crewmembers are still alive -- Mr. Beaver
believes the deteriorating state of Russia's navy
means it probably does not have the proper equipment
to mount an effective rescue. With bad weather and
the Kursk reported to be listing at about 60 degrees,
the mission may even be too complicated for a British
mini-submarine that's en route to the area.
/// BEAVER ACT ///
Now that [the British rescue sub] has the
capability of docking with this submarine
irrespective of the angle it's at. So it
probably is a better tool for it than any other
rescue submarine that is available at the
moment. But I think they'll have problems even
with that because of the currents.
/// END ACT ///
The sinking of the Kursk has got to be a humiliation
for the Russian government, and another sign of the
deteriorating state of its military -- which, since
the end of the Cold War, has been unable to pay troops
or maintain equipment. The Kursk was one of Russia's
newest submarines. Paul Beaver thinks Moscow may have
wanted to avoid the embarrassment of the world seeing
a once mighty military pushed beyond its limits.
/// BEAVER ACT ///
If you have a navy and you are taught that your
navy is the best in the world, you're then going
to try and do things yourself. Sadly, they
didn't have that capability. That has resulted,
or may have well resulted, in a number of
deaths.
/// END ACT ///
Russia's deputy prime minister (Ilya Klebanov) now
says there is no sign of life on board the sub, where
oxygen levels and temperatures must both be falling
with every passing hour. The British submarine en
route to the Kursk appears to be the best hope of
saving whatever lives there may still be left to save.
(SIGNED)
NEB/NJS/JP
16-Aug-2000 17:11 PM LOC (16-Aug-2000 2111 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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