MOSCOW, Russia (AP) -- Russia on Tuesday test-launched a new intercontinental ballistic missile, apparently developed secretly, that a top government official said could penetrate any defense system, Russian news agencies reported.

The missile would modernize Russia's stockpile at a time of rising tensions with the West.

"As of today Russia has new (missiles) that are capable of overcoming any existing or future missile defense systems," ITAR-Tass quoted First Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov as saying. "So in terms of defense and security Russian can look calmly to the country's future."

President Vladimir Putin and Ivanov, a former defense minister seen as a potential candidate to succeed the Russian leader in elections next year, have repeatedly said their country would continue to improve its nuclear weapons systems and respond to U.S. plans to deploy a missile defense system in Europe.

The missile capable of carrying multiple independent warheads was fired from a mobile launcher at the Plesetsk launch in northwestern Russia, and its test warhead landed on target about 3,400 miles away on the Far Eastern Kamchatka Peninsula, according to a statement from Russian Strategic Missile Forces.

Ivanov said Russia also successfully tested a tactical cruise missile.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe/05/29/russia.missile.ap/index.html

Why does the US need defense missles outside of the US?

We announced a plan to place missile defense systems in Putin's back yard. What did everyone expect would be his response to that move?

Hint: Cuba missile crisis 1962

2nd thought - these new missiles were not designed and developed in secrecy ... at least no more than any missile project. A year or so ago, Russian officials announced they had missiles that that could penetrate all defenses. If I can find the link, I will post it.

More - for those that are convinced anything Russia (and China) develops is a piece of junk -- you better take these new generation missiles seriously. They are the real deal and much better than anything we have. And not just this RS-24 but the Topol series and the Sunburn missiles.

You can thank this republican administration for forcing Putin to take this hard stand and worse yet, at a time when we have all our resources tied up in a religious, neocon, genocidal, baby-killing, OIL war in Iraq.

This is what we get for having faux-cowboy, draft-dodgers running our military policy.

We got what we asked for.

Why does the US need defense missles outside of the US?
to protect Europe from a future rogue general in Russia. if they took a wee bit better care of their nukes, we'd be less worried.

This could lead to a new arms race, something the big money arms dealers in the west was hoping for.

You called it correctly paulc ...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070531/ap_on_re_eu/russia_putin

Dop is the resident expert on Russian military capability, and how it is always better then ours.

Putin is the one that made the statement trav. Why don't you lay into him and get off my back?

If the american defence missiles are not against Russia, so the russian ICMBs are not against America. What's the problem?

Our leaders had better start smartening up and stop thinking they can tell the rest of the world what they can and can't do while they do whatever they please. This is why so much of the world is turning more Anti-American as we speak.

Russia seems preparing to go back to cruel regime, but it's not the situation that to rely on military means against them.
I guess price stability on energy is important. Expensive price of oil makes Russia to arrogance. If oil price will decrease, Russia will be more caution on their destiny.

Firstly they let Poland join NATO, Russia sat back and done nothing, then this missile umberella bullshit, keep pushin Putin, is a dangerous thing.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070602.wputin01/BNStory/International/home

This is what you get when you have an administration with no military experience and Israel controlling our foreign policy.

I think "threatens" is much strong word. The military doctrine of the United States says: "Our forces will be strong enough to dissuade potential adversaries from pursuing a military build-up in hopes of surpassing, or equaling, the power of the United States". It may work with Afghanistan or Syria, but not with nuclear powers you know.. nobody has cancelled the principle of mutual assured destruction. One deploys ABM, the second deploys missiles. It's just strategic parity, nobody wants to become weaker. And at least, Russia deploys missiles on russian territory, not in Europe.

Mind, i'm not saying about american military bases in Romania and Bulgaria. Still, i wonder too see the reaction of the United States if Russia places its own bases in Mexico and Canada on the pretext of fight with terrorism.

Strong isn't just on military.
If you mean including leadership, even less so.

I think "threatens" is much strong word. The military doctrine of the United States says: "Our forces will be strong enough to dissuade potential adversaries from pursuing a military build-up in hopes of surpassing, or equaling, the power of the United States". It may work with Afghanistan or Syria, but not with nuclear powers you know.. nobody has cancelled the principle of mutual assured destruction. One deploys ABM, the second deploys missiles. It's just strategic parity, nobody wants to become weaker. And at least, Russia deploys missiles on russian territory, not in Europe.

Mind, i'm not saying about american military bases in Romania and Bulgaria. Still, i wonder too see the reaction of the United States if Russia places its own bases in Mexico and Canada on the pretext of fight with terrorism.
as long as they're not offensive missiles again...that's cool-Mexico could use the help.

as long as they're not offensive missiles again there in lies the problem. Imagine Bush/cheney during the cuban missle crisis. We'd all be dead. Luckily cooler heads prevailed during that standoff. For every result where restraint and diplomacy is used between nuclear powers we grow closer to our destruction because all it takes is one asshole to end the world as we know it.