An Atlas V rocket equpped with a Russian RD-180 engine launching NASA's Mars Curiosity rover in 2011. NASA / Wikicommons
New York Times: Pentagon Seeks Easing of Ban on Russian Rockets for U.S. Space Missions
WASHINGTON — After Russia annexed Crimea last year, Congress passed legislation that forced the Pentagon to stop buying Russian rocket engines that have been used since 2000 to help launch American military and intelligence satellites into space.
Now, that simple act of punishment is proving difficult to keep in place.
Only five months after the ban became law, the Pentagon is pressing Congress to ease it.
The Pentagon says that additional Russian engines will be needed for at least a few more years to ensure access to space for the country’s most delicate defense and intelligence technology.
The retreat has angered Russia’s fiercest critics in Congress, including Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona and chairman of the Armed Services Committee. He said that NPO Energomash, the Russian company that makes the rockets and has close ties to President Vladimir V. Putin, stood to make $300 million from sales that would otherwise come to an end.
WNU Editor: The Pentagon is hoping that other suppliers will replace the Russian rockets .... U.S. Air Force Opens Bidding for Rockets to End Reliance on Russia (Moscow Times/Reuters) .... but it looks like it is not going to be that easy.
1 comment:
US involvement in the Ukrainian situation would seem to be the dumbest mover ever made in world history by any nation state. 1.) The Russian military is by far the strongest on earth. While there may be a time and a place to tussle with the world's most powerful military, Ukraine and its leadership do not seem to be worth it. 2.) Angering Russia has caused vital shipping routes to Afghanistan to be cut off making it harder and likely more expensive for the Us to get supplies, soldiers, and equipment to and from Afghanistan. 3.)US dependence upon Russian rockets will likely be cut off or the price will come higher making it even harder to defend America. Also, it would seem to me to be more likely than not that the Russians will have placed "back doors" on these rockets in order to disable them at any time they deem fit to do so. This would not be a problem if the US and Russia were allies or at least cordial. Given the fact that Russian scientists and engineers are far ahead of their American counterparts, it is hardly surprising that finding a replacement for this is not easy.
It would seem that Congress and the Administration should have consulted with the Pentagon before embarking on policies that Russia would obviously deem hostile to it. It would seem had they done so the Pentagon/military leadership would have advised them that we are dependent upon Russian rockets, Russian cooperation with regards to Afghanistan is needed by us more than Russia needs to cooperate with us in this area, and the Russian military is the world's most powerful. As such, such policies are an extremely bad idea!!
Additionally, it would seem even if Congress had not consulted with the military leadership that top Pentagon officials would have come forward to point out to the media what a bad idea this is. It seems this a case of dumb and dumber!!
This analysis does not even factor in Russia's allies. When the alliances Russia can rely on are factored in, the gap is even more in favor of Russia.
While it's somewhat understandable why the EU nations would support such a policy, as they may get a new member of the EU or perhaps a new NATO member out of the deal, there's no upside in this for the US!! There's only potential downside. If this thing turns as bad as it could, America will bear the brunt of a Russian reprisal not the Western European nations. Of course they may like such a scenario as this would serve to weaken America a nation they view as a strategic competitor.
Essentially we've embarked on a conflict situation with the world's most powerful nation militarily over a situation that has no upside for us!! As I wrote, dumb and dumber.
The top priority for the new leadership, as I don't envision the current leadership changing course, should be to repair relations with Russia. This does NOT necessarily mean doing everything they tell us to do but a good place to start would probably be by recognizing the geo political realities we face and acting accordingly. Essentially we cannot continue to be governed by ideology and how we wish things to be but instead operate within the realm of how things really are.
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