Russia Vows to Launch Arms Race in Space

General cautions US, China against new anti-missile systems
By Nick McMaster,  Newser Staff
Posted Oct 3, 2007 4:28 PM CDT
Russia Vows to Launch Arms Race in Space
President Vladimir Putin, right, listens to commander-in-chief of Russia's space forces Col. Gen. Vladimir Popovkin while touring a Voronezh-type missile warning radar station in the village of Lekhtusi about 50 km (30 miles) north of St. Petersburg, Russia, Saturday, Aug. 11, 2007. The visit comes...   (Associated Press)

Today Russia promised an arms race with the US and China if they keep launching military hardware into orbit.  "We need to have strong rules about space, to avoid its militarization," General Vladimir Popovkin said. Reuters reports that his barb was aimed at Washington for its "Star Wars" program and Beijing for recent anti-satellite missile tests.

But Russia is also ramping up space ops, once among the Soviets' high-tech marvels. Now they have 60 satellites, some military, for intelligence and communications. And Popovkin promises a new generation of satellites to launch in 2009. "Already, Russia can detect any ballistic missile being launched from earth towards Russia," he said. (More space race stories.)

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