“We are continuing research and are testing the most up to date nuclear missile system, which, I'm sure, will be supplied to the armed forces in the near future, " Russian President Vladimir Putin told a conference of high ranking military officials on Wednesday, November 17, 2004, as reported in a translation from Russia's Interfax News Agency.

" What is even more important, these systems will have no analogies in present systems for the next several years, " Putin added.

The Bush administration reacted by saying that Russian missile program is consistent with the existing agreements that were established in 2002 and are not a surprise.

The 2002 agreement replaced the one established in 1978 and allows for the US missile defence program.
It is possible that the recently appointed Foreign Secretary Condeleezza Rice who was then the National Security Advisor, and also a Russian speaking academic, and close confidante of President George W. Bush had some hand in drafting the agreement.

Left wing " experts " such as former Canadian Foreign Minister Lloyd Axworthy are saying that this is simply a Russian reaction to the US missile defense program and that if the US wouldn't proceed with such things Russia wouldn't either. The argument was destroyed by Russian Ambassador to Canada Georgiy Mamedov who said that such a program has taken 15 years to develop, and is not just an overnight reaction. He then added that despite the development of the nuclear missile program, Russia is working towards total disarmament. They haven't forgotten their " sovspeak " ...

It is also likely that this statement by Putin was not just showmanship to the west but also intended to bolster the morale of his military. At a recent military exercise attended by Putin, a misfired missile almost caused a major disaster.

Western military experts think that the " secret " new system might be based on the Topol mobile missile system, believed to able to evade detection and shoot a missile with ten nuclear heads. The working name for the system, according to Russian media reports is “Bulava”, derived from the Ukrainian word for “war club”.

More to come.

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